Employers and safety managers in Connecticut may be able to improve the work environment for their employees with the help of an Insuretech SaaS startup based in Des Moines. Its name is MākuSafe, and it has recently developed a wearable band for employees that will record, in real time, all environmental and motion data. It can automatically report near-misses and hazardous situations as well as track information like lighting and temperature settings.
This data is stored in a cloud platform for workplace safety managers. It doesn’t take a data scientist to analyze the data, which is made more consumable. Most importantly, the devices are able to highlight hazardous trends and determine what areas of the workplace are at the highest risk for accidents. This can then encourage managers to take preventative measures, such as setting up safety equipment and supplies.
MākuSafe technology could break new ground in the prevention of accidents and in the streamlining of workers’ compensation investigations. Every day across the world, more than 1,000 workplace fatalities and 500 workplace injuries occur. Every year in the U.S., workers’ compensation claims cost businesses and insurance carriers hundreds of billions of dollars.
The bands could also reduce downtime following an accident. Insurance companies that want to develop more accurate property and casualty insurance policies could benefit as well from the accurate information they store.
While this and other such technology can reduce the number of unforeseeable risks, they cannot prevent employers themselves from acting in a negligent manner. When workplace injuries are sustained through no fault of the employer, victims might still be reimbursed through the workers’ compensation program. They may benefit from having a lawyer assist them with the filing and with the appeal if the claim is denied. Lawyers might also help them decide between receiving weekly benefits and a lump sum.
