Technology is frequently implemented to boost speed and efficiency, but it can also impact your team’s overall safety. Some of these tools are becoming more commonplace, while others are more recent introductions. As you consider ways to strengthen your safety measures, don’t forget to look at different ways technology can be integrated as well.
AI Dash Cams
Dash cams have been around for years, but some of the newer integrations include machine vision and artificial intelligence to help identify risks, prevent collisions and protect your drivers.
For example, Lytx Surfsight dash cams use AI to identify distracted driving behaviors proactively and then send real-time multilingual audio and visual alerts to help drivers self-correct.
Lawn Butler, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, implemented these AI-powered cameras in their fleet to help change driver habits. Seth Kehne, president of Lawn Butler, says it has even effectively altered his own driving behaviors.
“One of the best things about it is that it knows when you’re distracted driving,” Kehne says. “So if you have your phone in your hand, or you’re just kind of not paying attention, or you’re eating, it’ll beep at you, which is a really annoying beep, but the camera beeps at you. Then, if you keep doing it, we’ll send a video to your supervisor.”
Driver Safety Apps
Another way to address distracted driving is through apps like TRUCE. This app uses zoning intelligence to know when a user is in a hazardous environment and automatically blocks distracting apps and features.
The Davey Tree Expert Company, based in Kent, Ohio, started using TRUCE in 2021. It limits cell phone capabilities and notifications when it detects a beacon installed in Davey vehicles.
“Distracted driving has become prevalent in everyone’s daily lives,” says Paul Milano with Davey Tree. “At the end of the day, we know we will make an impact even if we help prevent just one driving incident.”
Other apps that help mitigate distracted driving include OnMyWay and Dont. OnMyWay automatically disables text and app alerts when driving faster than 10 mph and allows hands-free phone calls. Instead of blocking phone access, Dont monitors phone usage and sends alerts for rule violations. Dont features an admin dashboard where reports for each driver can be accessed.
Remote-Controlled Mowers
A lot of focus lately has been on autonomous mowers, but remote-controlled mowers can be particularly useful for increasing safety. If your landscape company maintains sites that have extreme slopes or bodies of water nearby, remote-controlled mowers can protect your crew from the alternatives.
Rather than risking a rollover with a ride-on mower or snake bites when string trimming overgrown areas near ponds, remote-controlled mowers eliminate these threats.
Not only can these types of mowers prevent slope-related accidents, but they can also reduce the manhours required for specific tasks.
Klausing Group, based in Lexington, Kentucky, implemented remote-controlled mowers after demoing several different brands. Since adding these machines, their customer base has appreciated their commitment to safety.
“We took several years to make the decision; we knew that it was the piece of equipment we needed,” says Luke Tedder with Klausing Group. “We just wanted to make sure we were investing in the right one, and that took some time, but I would say absolutely demo these pieces of equipment.”
Body Cams
Similar to dash cams, adding body cams to your crews provides another level of protection. Instead of dealing with customer complaints that a technician didn’t treat a site, you can provide proof of service with recordings.
Additionally, if clients aren’t convinced your services have made an improvement in their yards, these recordings can serve as before and after footage.
GrassRoots Tree and Turf Care Inc., based in Acworth, Georgia, implemented body cameras in 2020. On the first day the cameras went out, one of their technicians came back that afternoon and a customer claimed he hadn’t treated the backyard. Being able to provide footage for these situations increased employee buy-in moving forward.
“If I did it over again, I just would have done it sooner,” says Josh Wise, CEO of GrassRoots.
Wise says they also haven’t had any work claims since implementing the body cameras. For instance, when someone twists an ankle over the weekend but tries to pass it off as a work accident on a Monday.
Smart Safety Vests
Another form of wearable technology is smart safety vests. These vests are often equipped with sensors that can be clipped on or embedded in the fabric. Smart safety vests can measure a worker’s physiological conditions, such as body temperature, pulse rate and blood pressure. These indicators can alert the wearer of potential health risks like heat stress or high blood pressure.
Smart safety vests can also be connected to GPS and send warnings if a worker enters a danger zone, such as the drop zone when tree work is being conducted. If a worker continues to work in an unsafe manner, this information can be sent to the supervisor so they can respond in real time and provide additional safety training.
ELOKON’s smart safety vest uses a proximity detection system to prevent vehicle-pedestrian collisions like when a worker and a forklift driver get too close. The vest has multiple warning methods with LED lights, acoustic alarms and vibrations.
Sound Level Meter App
Hearing loss is the most common occupational disease in the United States, and noise levels on a jobsite can often pose a threat to team members’ hearing. It’s important to reduce your employees’ exposure to noise above 85 dB. Exposure to noise over this level can damage hearing over time. As the decibels increase, the safe listening time decreases.
Instead of guessing or assuming that a piece of equipment isn’t too loud, take advantage of the NIOSH Sound Level Meter app to measure workplace noise and determine if workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels.
This free app combines the best features of professional sound level meters and noise dosimeters into one simple tool.
This article was published in the July/August issue of the magazine. To read more stories from The Edge magazine, click here to subscribe to the digital edition.
