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GAO-24-107303 1 (2024-03-04)

handle is hein.gao/gaopyx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics SCIENCE & TECH SPOTLIGHT: WEARABLE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE WORKPLACE GAO-24-107303, March 2024 In 2022, the warehousing, manufacturing, and construction industries experienced over 700,000 nonfatal injuries and over 2,000 fatal accidents. Meanwhile, consumer demand on these industries grows, creating pressure for increased productivity. To enhance and monitor worker safety and productivity, companies have begun deploying wearable technologies, from ergonomic sensors to exoskeletons. Recent innovations in sensor and networking technologies have increased the feasibility of and interest in the use of wearables in the workplace. Companies have already deployed some wearables, but there are limited published data on the efficacy of these technologies to increase safety in the workplace. Concerns about data privacy, cost, and ease of use may hinder widespread workplace adoption of wearables. What is it? Wearable technologies, or wearables, are devices worn on the body and can vary in size, shape, and function. Some employers have an increasing interest in using wearables to improve worker safety and productivity. Industrial uses fall into four general categories: (1) supporting devices physically assist workers with tasks like lifting (e.g., exoskeletons and powered gloves); (2) monitoring devices alert workers to specific changes in vital signs or the workplace environment (e.g., smart helmets); (3) training devices provide feedback on movements (e.g., ergonomic sensors) or help improve worker performance (e.g., augmented reality (AR) glasses); and (4) tracking devices observe the location of employees on a worksite (e.g., GPS trackers). See figure 1 for examples. Source: GAO (aaysis and Ilus ra ). I GAO -24-107303 How does it work? The way wearables work depends on the type of technology. Supporting devices like exoskeletons or powered gloves provide physical support to the user's shoulders, hands, or back during repetitive overhead work, gripping, or lifting. Most monitoring, training, and tracking technologies take advantage of innovations in networking by connecting many types of sensors to collect, exchange, and analyze data- sometimes referred to as the industrial internet of things (IIOT). Smart helmets, for example, incorporate physiological and environmental sensors and GPS trackers into protective headgear. These sensors can alert employees and workplace medical teams to accidents, such as falls, and to potential hazards, like heat and humidity. Similarly, ergonomic sensors, worn on the hip, back, or arm, can alert a user when they GAO-24-107303 Wearable Technologies in the Workplace

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