Mobile Technology for Worker Safety

Companies are using technology more and more to solve business problems and update their systems.
Intelex aims to create tools that make managing environmental, safety, and quality processes easier. To understand how mobile devices improve worker safety, Intelex had Verdantix do a survey-based study on organizations' use of EHS mobile technology. This report focuses on the study's results and how EHS leaders view mobile technology's contribution to a better safety culture.
A gap between frontline workers and senior staff results in disconnected teams which increases the chance of errors leading to severe incidents. Companies want to create a culture where employees understand the importance of safety and participate in related processes. Mobile technology can help increase engagement across the organization by capturing and sharing safety information, allowing for more informed decisions at all levels. Mobile technology is also appealing to the changing workforce, with more millennial and Gen Z employees joining.
This report highlights where companies have already implemented mobile technology, their future mobile plans, and the advantages of these tools.

As part of the study, 50 EHS executives completed a 10-part survey on their firms' current mobile device usage.
The study found that many firms have already implemented mobile solutions focused on compliance tasks and traditional EHS processes.
To move beyond mandates and core operations, mobile technology has opportunities to facilitate this.

Compliance-focused processes dominate current EHS mobile usage.
Firms use devices for compliance and reporting, with 28% ranking this as the main factor in achieving safety goals.
Audits/inspections were the most widely used mobile processes at 54% across sites, followed by incident reporting at 30% across sites.
Firms aim to create positive safety cultures and consider mobile apps a useful solution
There's a disconnect in communicating safety outcomes between frontline workers and managers, which mobile devices can help overcome.
32% ranked the limited transfer of safety learnings as the biggest barrier to improving safety culture.
Mobile tools enable workers across the organization to interact more.
26% ranked strong engagement in safety as most important for building a strong culture.
Ease of use encourages more workers to engage with mobile tools.
Top challenges for adopting mobile apps: Complexity and lack of devices considered significant by 34% and 32% of respondents, respectively.
64% reported that an easy user interface was the most influential factor in improving mobile adoption

Intelex commissioned Verdantix to conduct a survey-based study with 50 EHS executives on worker safety and future mobile initiatives.
46% of respondents were from North America, 20% from the UK and Ireland, 12% from Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH), and 12% from France. The survey included mid-market firms with revenue between $250 million and $1 billion, and enterprise-level firms with revenue over $1 billion.
Participants were from Chemicals (18%), Construction (18%), Energy and Environment (16%), Manufacturing (16%), Metals and Mining (16%), and Transportation and Logistics (16%).
Despite the variety of companies represented, responses remained consistent across industry, region, and size.

Most participants (70%) stated they used a centralized digital tool embedded within their corporate workflows.
18% still used paper and spreadsheets.
Only 12% of participants reported widespread adoption of advanced digital safety tools in their organizations.
A firm's level of technological maturity indicates its willingness to adopt digital tools outside these systems.
Businesses with a mature digital strategy and some experience deploying solutions are more likely to integrate mobile technology.

Understanding EHS mobile technology trends is crucial to determining the role these devices will likely have in the future which is to increase engagement and building safety culture is a top priority for EHS leaders.
Implementing operational risk management (ORM) processes and improving safety engagement and culture at 24%.
Followed by maintaining compliance at 22%.
Mobile tools are popular for streamlining core EHS processes
Incident reporting (54%) and audits and inspections (30%) are the most widely deployed mobile modules among survey participants.
Mobile tech streamlines complex administrative tasks and collaboration with frontline workers

Developing a strong safety culture is a key priority.
As firms look to EHS mobile technology, they are aiming to move beyond the functional limitations of traditional paper and standalone systems.
Poor communication impedes firms' ability to build a strong safety culture
Difficulties in effectively communicating safety learnings to frontline workers remain the most prominent barrier to improving safety culture.
Mobile tools offer an accessible interface for employees to engage with safety
Successful EHS mobile deployments establish efficient, bi-directional flows between workers and safety professionals, allowing both parties to make more informed decisions.
Respondents identified these as top safety materials for employees: emergency alerts (64%), permits and procedures (40%) and risk assessments (30%)

Firms face several implementation barriers to adopting mobile technology.
Frontline workers struggle to familiarize themselves with new tech solutions.
Solution complexity and a lack of company devices, particularly for mid-market firms, are the most significant to adopting mobile safety tools.
Safety initiatives require buy-in across the organization. Successful deploys require change management to refine tools and upskill employees.
Employees are sometimes resistant to the change because apps are complex, poorly designed, or required to be downloaded to their personal phones which can cause employees to revert back or top engaging entirely.
Top Mobile EHS App Adoption Factors: Mobile app configurability and intuitive user interface To overcome complexity firms seek EHS solutions that are easy to navigate
The survey showed 64% of respondents ranked an easy user interface as the most influential category in improving EHS mobile app adoption
Figure 12 illustrates survey results showing that Al can extend the impact of mobile safety tools and other EHS processes.

The survey highlighted the value of prioritizes and develops cultures of safety.
Mobile devices aew seen as useful tools that can build engagement efforts by expanding their reach which will improve tranformation of existing systems and technology.
Companies must address solution complexity and invest in comprehensive change management to improve safety engagement amongst employees with mobile devices.
Better safety engagement and more informed, the more likely firms will broaden their security and invest in additional apps for their employees

For over 30 years, Intelex has been helping 1,400 customers achieve safer, more sustainable operations.
Intelex is proud to be an operating company of Fortive Corporation.