Kenzen smart PPE heat-monitoring system

Kenzen has added two features to its smart PPE system for monitoring workers’ heat risk on the job; the technology can now track the heat susceptibility and sweat rate of individuals, which can help detect and prevent heat-related stress, injury and fatality risk of workers in hot environments. The system calculates the heat susceptibility of a worker and then classifies them into low, moderate or high heat-risk categories. Kenzen’s algorithm determines the person’s heat risk category by evaluating their medical or physical conditions, physical fitness, heat-acclimatisation status, history of heat injury and illness, medications, chronic illnesses and age. The classification does not reveal personal information or reasons why someone is in the particular heat risk category; it is only used to help supervisors monitor and manage people according to their individual heat susceptibility.

The sweat rate monitoring feature uses a worker’s information and physiological data to calculate and predict their sweat rate, in litres per hour. A manager can view an individual’s sweat rate on the Kenzen analytics dashboard, which also indicates how much water that person needs to drink each hour to stay hydrated. This allows managers to bring enough water to worksites to hydrate their teams based on the individual and the predicted environmental conditions that day. The sweat rate feature gives a hydration plan that is accurate within one quarter of a litre (one cup of water), so that every worker will know the specific amount of water they need to drink that day to stay safe.

Kenzen devices contain sensors that monitor, in real time, an individual’s physiological responses. The worker is warned when their core temperature is too high and they are in danger of a heat-related injury or illness via a smartphone app and a device vibration. Managers have a corresponding app that alerts them when a worker needs an intervention to stop work, rest and hydrate, and a second alert for when it’s safe to return to work. The analytics dashboard can be used to make individual, team or enterprise-wide decisions to reduce heat-related injury and illnesses, by looking at aggregated data across weeks to months. Only workers can view the details of their personal health information, while safety managers and other EHS leaders can only see what’s necessary to keep the workers safe.

Kenzen’s heat monitors have been used across a range of industries, including construction, mining, field services, manufacturing, renewable energy, utility oil and gas, agriculture and transportation. The company currently has a rental program for companies to quickly deploy the technology with packages of 10, 20 and 50 devices. The program includes the monitoring app for managers and can be rented for a two-month period online.