Wearables and AI for Fatigue Monitoring
Fatigue: the problem that never sleeps
In a company I once worked for, a night shift worker told me that he had sleepily tripped over his own two feet in the toilet block, stumbled, struck his head against a wash hand basin, and chipped a bone in his neck, necessitating one year’s sick leave.
America’s National Safety Council estimates that 13% of workplace injuries can be attributed to fatigue, and that 43% of Americans admit they may be too tired to function safely at work.  As well as reduced productivity and accidents, chronic fatigue can even lead to long-term sickness through:
- Immune system compromise
- Increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke
- Metabolic disruption
- Mental health deterioration
- Sleep quality degradation
- Accelerated cellular aging.
So, a year ago, my colleague Derek McStea mused in his May 2024 blog whether artificial intelligence could improve safety in the workplace?
Wearables combined with AI for fatigue monitoring, are transforming workplace health and safety in several significant ways:
Real-Time Risk Prevention
Wearable technology powered by AI analysis can identify fatigue patterns before they lead to incidents, allowing for proactive interventions rather than reactive responses.
Measuring fatigue
Multi-modal data analysis through wearables and AI can accurately identify weariness, by capturing physiological indicators like heart rate variability, movement patterns, and sleep quality to create a complete fatigue profile.
Targeted Safety Interventions
The technology also enables employers to target safety interventions where they're most needed. By analysing fatigue patterns across different roles, shifts, and work environments, organisations can adjust workloads dynamically.
Continuous Monitoring Capabilities
Smart wearables allow access to vital sign data anytime, anywhere, thanks to miniaturisation and advanced microprocessors. This continuous monitoring is particularly valuable in high-risk industries like construction, manufacturing, and transportation where fatigue-related accidents can have severe consequences.
What does it look like?
AI wearable devices come in several forms:
- Smart sensors and patches that attach to clothing or directly to the body
- Wearable motion capture devices embedded in clothing or worn as accessories
- Exoskeletons with built-in sensors and AI processing
- Sensor-embedded wearables like smartwatches with advanced biomechanical monitoring
- Flexible electronic devices that can conform to body movements.
Generally, they continuously track body posture, movement patterns, and biomechanical stress.
Key Benefits for Workplace Safety
The integration of wearables and AI fatigue monitoring offers several advantages: reduced accident rates through early warning systems, improved productivity by optimising work-rest cycles, enhanced compliance with safety regulations, and data-driven insights for policy development. Organisations can also use the technology to demonstrate duty of care and potentially reduce insurance costs.
However, successful implementation requires addressing privacy concerns, ensuring data security, and maintaining worker acceptance through transparent communication about how the technology benefits both safety and performance.
Contact us
Arinite clients appreciate we provide practical, no-nonsense advice about what you need to do to establish and maintain a safe and healthy working environment.
Our team of Global Locally based health and safety and fire safety consultants take pride in keeping health and safety simple.
If you need to call upon our expert assistance, or just for an informal chat, please call our office +44 (0) 207 947 9581, or type an enquiry to: https://www.arinite.co.uk/contact-us/.
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