Wearables Are Reducing Workplace Injuries Globally

The workplace has always been fraught with injuries, especially in areas which require long periods of sitting, manual handling, and so forth.  Today, through the use of wearables like dorsaVi, (www.dorsavi.com), these injuries are being mitigated significantly. Through the data recorded by dorsaVi, companies can now see an objective perspective as to what the employee encounters at work, the manner in which the body is used to complete that work, and the environment in which they work.  From dashboards to phone applications to video, well-rounded products are helping companies make the workplace safer than ever before.

The problem in the past wasn’t that businesses didn’t care; it was actually that they didn’t have the knowledge of where to look for what was truly needed. Ironically, it used to be far easier to establish the amount of lost work and time, and far more difficult to understand the genesis of an injury. The traditional ergonomic assessments needed a supercharge.  That “supercharge” comes in the form of real-time, individualized data. To better understand the difference, it is mission critical that you understand what ergonomic assessments don’t take into account. Because they only examine one aspect of an employees work life, they don’t customize to every aspect of the job or the employee. They don’t assess how individual bodies work and what they are put through throughout the day.  Instead, they give a partial snapshot, often helping with, but not mitigating the risks of injury.

The solution to this conundrum is a simple one.  As a game changing (and often life changing) wearable, dorsaVi is a cutting edge clinical and wearable technology.  DorsaVi’s proprietary miniature biomechanical instruments have sensors which measure muscle activity and movement. The technology is FDA-cleared and in use globally. Not only can the device capture these critical physical movements, but through the use of video it can also serve as an active, objective observer of the workplace environment itself. This wealth of information tracked through dorsaVi gives management the ability to make more informed decisions and through those decisions, reduce the risks associated with injury significantly.

“DorsaVi’s innovative wearable sensor is used by leading businesses globally to identify movement risk, make manual handling policy decisions, develop and execute effective manual handling training programs, and to inform and guide equipment selection,” says Megan Connell, Chief Marketing Officer at dorsaVi.  The data captured by the technology is on multiple parts of the body and takes a very holistic stance on risk assessment.

Heathrow Airport provides us with an excellent example of how integrating dorsaVi into their program has fundamentally reduced their workplace injuries by staggering percentages.  In one year, this bustling international airport saw a 57% decrease in manual handling injuries, as well as a 60% increase in the use of effective manual handling aids. These numbers translate directly to their day-to-day operations and their bottom-line.  In addition, Heathrow reduced their shoulder muscle strain injuries by 67%, and their back muscle strains by an incredible 88%. The reality is these numbers speak for themselves.

DorsaVi goes far beyond mere workplace safety. It is also an empowering tool for employees. By taking the guesswork out of safety, management can be much more confident in their decision-making. Workers using dorsaVi are able to take ownership of their own health and safety, thus unifying the workplace even more.

For those that aren’t aware yet, DorsaVi’s myViSafe™ solution comes with both a dashboard and a phone application, designed so employees can view and understand their personal workplace assessments in a user-friendly manner. Because of this, employees can better understand just how important their health, safety, and commitment is to an organization.

“There is an ever-growing appetite for personal performance data, and the use of dorsaVi products in both the clinical market and workplace market is really resonating with the individuals who are being assessed. Seeing their personal movement data in an easy to understand graphic format brings about greater compliance to prescribed treatment programs or manual handling guidelines,” says Connell.

It’s time to follow in Heathrow’s footsteps and create greater safety by the numbers. With dorsaVi on your side, you are creating the most fulfilling and valuable experiences for your workers, both inside and outside the workplace.