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30 Spring 2023 HEALTH & SAFETY T he construction, agriculture, forestry and mining industries have some of the most dangerous working environments in the world, and every year accidents lead to fatalities and serious injuries. Incidents such as falling from height or being struck by a vehicle make working in these environments a dangerous profession. Health and safety legislation has gone a long way to help prevent such tragedies from occurring. In the UK, the financial penalty that can be enforced when a company is found guilty of a health and safety failing that led to injury or death is unlimited. So, when safety can be affected by extreme weather, unstable terrains, thick dust, debris, mud, and poor visibility, what options are there to keep a workforce protected, minimise health and safety breaches, and protect a company’s reputation? Emily Hardy, Marketing Manager at Brigade Electronics, a Kent company which provides safety devices and solutions for commercial vehicles and machinery, believes technology is the best tool for ensuring a workforce is protected. “Thanks to advancements in technology, more and more innovative equipment is available that can withstand challenging conditions and protect the welfare of workers,” she said. EVOLVING MEASURES She acknowledged that some existing measures can still lead to confusion on site, which is why there is a need for solutions to keep evolving. “Take reversing alarms as an example. In recent years it has been noticed that when heavy machinery is operational and several alarms are sounding at the same time – which regularly happens in hazardous environments – it can be difficult to establish where alarms are coming from. We learn how innovative solutions can help protect workers’ lives in tough and demanding working conditions and why these continue to advance. UTILISING TECHNOLOGY ON HIGH RISK WORK SITES Innovative technology can help protect workers’ lives in tough and demanding working conditions.