View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2018/11/16/507557.htm
The Travelers Companies has partnered with contractor company Gilbane, and Triax Technologies, a provider of Internet of Things (IoT) construction technology, to explore the potential safety benefits of wearable devices.
According to the companies, Travelers will review data collected from a variety of Triax’s Spot-r IoT devices, including those being used at a 60,000-square-foot, six-floor Gilbane construction site in New York City, over 20 months.
More than 130 employees will use the Spot-r Clip, an unobtrusive device worn on the worker’s waist belt. The Spot-r Clip was designed to improve response times to possible injuries by automatically detecting worker falls and providing supervisors with real-time notification of worker location and other safety incident details. The IoT device also includes a feature that allows workers to easily report hazards or incidents.
On-site machinery will be fitted with the Spot-r EquipTag, which monitors equipment location and usage. Additionally, the site will have Spot-r EvacTags, which allow managers to trigger high-decibel, highly visible emergency alarms to workers via a dashboard.
Rick Keegan, president of Construction at Travelers, said work-related injuries remain a significant source of exposure for contractors, and helping to manage the risk and keeping workers’ safe is a priority the insurer. He added this project will help Travelers “gain valuable data-driven insight.”
This collaboration is the latest in Travelers’ work to help contractors manage employee safety risks. In 2016, Travelers created the Early Severity Predictor, a predictive model that identifies the likelihood of an injured employee developing chronic pain so that he or she can reduce the need for opioids or other painkillers during recovery. Last year it launched ZoneCheck, an online tool to help contractors identify areas surrounding a job site that could be affected by vibrations from heavy equipment. And recently the company introduced a digital self-service tool, MyTravelers for Injured Employees, which streamlines the workers compensation claim process.
Gilbane provides a slate of construction and facilities-related services — from preconstruction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to construction management, general contracting, design-build and facility management services — for clients across various markets.
IoT tech firm Triax Technologies is based inNorwalk, Connecticut.