The good news is workers across the country are slowly starting to return to workplaces after spending the past two months at home. The bad news is COVID-19 is nowhere near gone and many are predicting a second wave of outbreaks, making it crucial that businesses and consumers strictly follow government safety guidelines.
For businesses, this means implementing new measures to protect employees and customers, with many tech companies offering solutions to help gauge employees wellness or track movement and proximity within facilities.
MākuSafe had already focused its efforts on workplace safety with a wearable-enabled solution to improve workplace efficiency while reducing workplace risk. Its lightweight device was designed to monitor environmental conditions, motion, and location to identify health risks, accidents, and other workplace safety issues. The associated software uses an AI engine to generate actionable insight to help businesses implement measures to maintain healthy and safe workplace environments – and, importantly, send notification when situations become unsafe. It certainly has potential in the workplace insurance space, helping reduce premiums due to its risk mitigation technology.
Under current circumstances, though, it was a logical step to integrate contact tracing and worker density mapping into the platform to help businesses more effectively manage coronavirus risk as workers return to their facilities. Both are elements customers indicated would help them bring their workers back safely.
“As we considered the role that MākuSafe could play in getting America back to work, we realized the environmental and location data we already collect could be used in an exciting new way. As we developed these new features, we were very conscious about adhering to our core standards on worker privacy and building a strong safety culture.”
Gabe Glynn, co-founder and CEO, MākuSafe
While some devices send haptic feedback to alert wearers – for instance, if they are too close to others – MākuSafe has opted to rely on alerts sent to management to reduce distractions, workflow interruptions, and accidents. Instead, the data is sent to dashboards, where management can access them and act accordingly.
Importantly, the devices collect no personal information or biometric data that would require regulatory compliance, making it easier for companies to implement the solution.
“We were excited about using MākuSafe’s technology before COVID-19, but now their work on contact tracing and mapping worker density holds even more potential impact for us. Keeping our people safe and healthy is our top priority while making progress on our Des Moines-based construction jobs.”
Aaron Anderson, safety director, The Weitz Company
While MākuSafe’s solution is focused on construction, warehouse, and other similar workplaces, its COVID-19 adaptation could make it a highly effective solution for many other industries as well, where there’s a need to monitor and control worker distribution and contract tracing.
While it’s been a long road already, most people believe we have much further to go before the risk is satisfactorily reduced and workplaces get back closer to pre-coronavirus standards. Many think the workplace has permanently changed, and many of the standards being implemented now will become part of the new normal. MākuSafe’s technology could well be a part of that effort.
