Worker Condition Monitoring

LOCATION: PENNSYLVANIA, USA
PHASE: PILOT
PRIMARY USE CASES: EXERTION AND HEAT STRESS MONITORING AND ALERTS

Challenges:

At this coke facility, coal is heated to about 1250ºC in coke ovens, exposing workers in these areas to extreme heat. The summer months can be especially dangerous. Relying scheduled breaks and buddysystems left workers vulnerable to heat-related injury. With increasing evidence that heat stress plays a role in a greater array of workplace injuries, the U.S. Steel team needed a solution that allowed for preventative action, based on real-time worksite and worker conditions.

Yesterday, we were dealing with an extreme heat index here (102ºF). At 12:22PM, employee wearing band 008 alerted for 70% exertion for 10 minutes or greater, as well as core body temperature 102ºF for 5 minutes. Shift manager on unit received alert and we intervened successfully. That manager immediately removed him from the battery top and got him into the air-conditioned shanty. His jacket was removed, and he was instructed to continue to hydrate orally. Employee was absolutely drenched in sweat. We sent this employee to our plant medical for precautionary evaluation where he was treated on a first aid basis. He was definitely showing signs of dehydration and trending in the wrong direction. Because of the alert, we were able to intervene just in time.

Head of Company Safety & Industrial Hygiene

Solutions:

This client deployed the Guardhat connected worker condition monitoring solution to monitor biometric information at the worker level, including core body temperature, ambient temperature, heart rate, exertion levels and more. The system allows for individualized thresholds and automated alerts on when workers need check-ins or breaks, before they are in trouble.

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Worker Condition Monitoring

Challenges:

Solutions:

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