Enhancing Worker Health & Safety with Remote Temperature Monitoring and Alerts

This article will explore why managing temperature proactively in the workplace is so crucial for worker health and how the implementation of remote temperature monitoring can be a game changer in ensuring a high-performing work environment.

Key Reasons Why Managing Workplace Temperature is Important

Workplace temperature is a factor that significantly impacts the health and safety of employees. Extreme heat and extreme cold temperatures can lead to a range of health issues and environments prone to accidents and safety hazards. This is difficult to manage, particularly for managers who are often on the road managing multiple sites. Here are the key reasons why you need to manage workplace temperature.

Preventing Heat-Related Illnesses

Exposure to high temperatures can lead to heat stress, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke. This can happen in facilities and warehouses where employees are working with hot materials or equipment and the site have poor insulation. Temperature monitoring systems can help prevent these heat-related illnesses by alerting when temperatures reach dangerous levels. Employers can take proactive measures, such as adjusting work schedules, providing adequate hydration, and installing cooling systems, to mitigate the risks.

For companies like US aerospace manufacturer Universal Alloy, when temperatures reach extreme hot temperatures at their Canton, GA facility due to the facility’s extrusion mills, monitoring temperature allows managers to pull employees off the line to rehydrate before a serious incident occurs.

Mitigating Cold-Related Risks

In cold environments, such as refrigerated warehouses, or construction sites and facilities in cold weather locations during winter, monitoring the temperature ensures that workers are not exposed to freezing conditions for extended periods. In cold weather, a worker’s movement becomes more limited and the risk of an injury increases, and production can also slow down. Knowing when temperatures go outside optimal temperature ranges allows managers to notify employees to stretch or warm-up, and also to manage production output.

For the General Manager of Australian food manufacturer Simplot, which operates in cold weather conditions, use of temperature monitoring to alert when employees needed to warm-up and stretch was able to reduce injuries by 75% combined with other strategies.

Reducing Downtime and Health-related Lost Time

Workplace accidents and illness due to the impact of extreme temperatures can result in significant downtime, productivity losses, and employee lost time as a result of the injury. Minimizing the number of incidents is critical for every business, not just from a safety perspective, but also to minimize the impact to business operations as a result of the disruptions—which can be significant.

Potentially Lowering Insurance Claims

Frequent workplace accidents and injuries can also lead to higher insurance premiums and claims over time. By investing in worker safety and temperature monitoring devices, employers and leaders can demonstrate their commitment to the safety of their employees, which may lead to reduced insurance costs over time. Fewer accidents leads to fewer claims, which ultimately leads to lower insurance premiums for the business.

Enhancing Employee Satisfaction

When employees feel safe and comfortable at work, their job satisfaction and morale tends to increase. This can lead to better productivity because employees know that management is actively monitoring temperatures in the workplace to ensure their health and wellbeing, contributing to a more pleasant work environment.

Benefits of Remote Temperature Monitoring

One solution that has gained traction in recent years with businesses delivering top class health and safety programs, is remote remote temperature monitoring systems. Remote temperature monitoring can be a valuable tool for managing temperature and employee health proactively.

Key benefits of an remote temperature monitoring system are:

1.  Early detection of temperature extremes with real time data
   Remote temperature monitoring systems collect real time data 24/7 about the temperature in different areas of the workplace. This data can be accessed by managers immediately when temperatures fluctuate outside safe ranges.
2. Automated alerts allowing proactive management
   These systems can be programmed to send automated alerts immediately via text message or in-app notifications straight to a mobile device when temperatures are about to reach unsafe levels. This enables quick and proactive intervention, such as adjusting HVAC systems, deploying fans or providing additional heating sources, to maintain a comfortable working environment.
3. 24/7 visibility and remote control of your sites
   For managers who operate and run multiple sites, it is impossible to be everywhere at once. Remote temperature monitoring allows you to have live insights into the working conditions at every location, all the time—wherever you are. This gives managers the ability to act immediately in the event an incident occurred.
4. Historical data analysis
   Remote temperature monitoring systems also store historical data. Analyzing this data can help identify patterns and trends, allowing businesses to make informed decisions about long-term temperature management strategies.
5. Compliance and documentation
   In some instances, keeping temperature logs is a mandated compliance obligation. Maintaining temperature records through remote temperature monitoring helps businesses demonstrate compliance with workplace safety regulations. It also provides documentation to support any necessary investigations, insurance claims, or audits.
6. Cost effective
   While there is an initial set up cost, remote temperature monitoring systems can lead to significant cost savings for an organization by preventing product loss, downtime, injury and time saved from compliance obligations.

At the end of the day, in many industries, managing temperature is not just a matter of comfort or regulatory compliance, it’s a fundamental aspect of worker health and safety.

Working in extreme temperatures can lead to serious health issues, reduced productivity, and safety hazards. Remote temperature monitoring systems offer a proactive, low cost, and easy to use solution to maintain a comfortable and safe working environment. By investing in these remote temperature systems, businesses can protect the well-being of their employees, enhance productivity, and demonstrate a commitment to workplace safety and compliance.

Key Takeaway

Remote temperature monitoring systems can help save lost time and improve employee satisfaction, ultimately boosting your profitability through consistent delivery and output.

Why The Dinner Ladies Use SafetyCulture

The Diner Ladies was founded by two powerhouse moms in Sydney and has now evolved into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, providing over 12,000 delicious dinners daily across Australia. Since its inception in 2007, the co-owners, Katherine Westwood and Sophie Gilliatt, have faced logistical challenges due to their rapid growth and had to introduce new systems. However, their dedication to delivering tasty, fresh, and hassle-free food has remained unchanged for over 16 years. They discuss how they’ve maintained their commitment to quality while using the SafetyCulture platform to build their culinary empire.

“If you know how to use Facebook, you know how to use SafetyCulture. With entry-level training, staff were able to take the tool and run with it. We could do it all ourselves, instead of sending off a request and waiting for weeks for it to happen.” — Aarron Natale, Head of IT, The Dinner Ladies

Explore the SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) Remote Monitoring Solution