3 Ways High-Tech PPE Is Outsmarting Workplace Hazards

The world is full of smart devices that can keep you safer. Your watch beeps if your heart rate is too high or low, your phone calls emergency services for you after a car accident and your doorbell alerts you if someone is lurking on your porch. Manufacturers are using these innovations in safety gear to help you work smarter and safer, too.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, eyewear, hard hats and ear protection is designed to protect manufacturing employees from workplace hazards that range from loud machinery and heavy equipment to sharp tools and extreme temperatures. But the gear only works if workers wear it.

Otherwise, both employee and employer are at risk of injuries and the fallout that can come with them, including lawsuits and fines. In a 2022 report published by J.J. Keller, over 90 percent of employers say they often struggle to get workers to wear PPE, and 72 percent of the time it’s because they simply don’t want to do so.

Now, manufacturers are combining PPE’s built-in safety features with electronic components inspired by smart technology to modernize gear and improve outcomes. These products have the double benefit of enhancing safety and being more appealing to workers, who often prefer the look and the technological perks of smart gear.

Here’s how smart PPE is changing the game in workplace safety—and why Fortune Business Insights predicts it will become a $9 billion industry by 2028.

Data-Driven Fit Information

Tech-minded PPE manufacturers are connecting their safety gear to computers, smartphones and other devices that gather data on whether it fits properly, works effectively and is in good condition. For example, 3M’s connected ear protection can be plugged into a fit-measurement system for science-backed decision-making on finding the most effective product.

“Once you lose your hearing, you can’t get it back,” says Bill Veeninga, a senior account executive at 3M. “With the 3M E-A-Rfit^TM, we can actually measure how well earplugs work for each employee.”

To test the noise protection, an employee tries on 3M earmuffs or earplugs, which are then connected to the E-A-Rfit validation system. The system measures how much noise is reduced by the hearing protector to determine which product and size is best for every individual—and, in some cases, each ear.

Glove-maker Ansell has partnered with ProGlove to create protective handwear that uses sensors to gather real-time data, such as fit and condition.

“Wearing an improper glove for work applications can expose workers to unsafe conditions, which can lead to injury and prevents workers from effectively performing their job throughout the day,” Neil Salmon, president of industrial business at Ansell, says in a statement.

He adds that the Ansell and ProGlove PPE will offer “real-time data collection capabilities for precise and immediate information enabling compliance to safety recommendations.”