Detroit’s Guardhat to Collaborate with IBM Watson on Enhancing Digital Work Wear

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Guardhat is working with IBM Watson Internet of Things to provide near real-time situational awareness using smart personal protection equipment. // Photograph Courtesy of Guardhat

Detroit’s Guardhat, an industrial safety technology company specializing in digitally connected wearables, infrastructure, and software platforms, Wednesday announced it will collaborate with IBM Watson Internet of Things (IoT) to provide near real-time situational awareness using smart personal protection equipment.

Guardhat, which offers software that monitors a worker’s location, pulse, body temperature, and work environment, offers instant alerts in the event of a fall, exposure to toxic gases, lockout zones, and proximity to moving equipment. The company will now integrate its KYRA IoT platform with the IBM Maximo Worker Insights solution.

“The implementation of smart protective equipment allows us to better analyze workplace data and provide important safety insights in near real-time,” says Saikat Dey, co-founder and CEO of Guardhat. “By collaborating with IBM, we are able to leverage Maximo Worker Insights to bring smart safety to scale in the construction, manufacturing, and refining industries.”

By adapting IoT technology with traditional safety equipment, Guardhat allows industrial leaders to recognize and respond to potential risks as soon as they are detected, with the goal of reducing overall workplace injuries and accidents.

The IBM Watson IoT platform is designed to help clients improve the operational efficiency of their physical assets and address potential risk through artificial intelligence-driven insights. Its solution, Maximo Worker Insights, monitors biometric and environmental data in near real-time from wearables and other connected devices.

Guardhat estimates that there are 13 million industrial workers in the U.S. About 4,000 industrial workers die on the job per year, and 3 million are injured. The company estimates it can improve safety management and reduce injuries by up to 20 percent.