Mobile device usage in the workplace has become the norm for electrical construction and maintenance workers over the past decade. With the ability to capture and manage data in real time, the use of smartphones and tablets in the field among electrical professionals has allowed companies to optimize and streamline operations to enhance productivity, improve worksite communication, and reduce errors and safety issues — all of which bolster the bottom line.
Although job-site technology has changed, the hazards of working on construction sites and near electrical equipment hasn’t. According to the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA), 20% of all workplace fatalities occur on construction sites. With the increased use of mobile devices in the workplace, companies must now ensure they have a robust mobile device policy that grants employees access to the right applications and data — whether on-site or off-site — while limiting distracting and unnecessary apps when a safety or productivity risk exists. Although most companies have policies in place that follow OSHA’s standards for safe mobile device use in the workplace, many of these guidelines have inherent limitations and typically can’t guarantee employees are compliant until after an incident occurs.
Technology to the Rescue
To ensure employee safety and productivity, companies can supplement guidelines for mobile devices with a technology solution that addresses individual safety pain points and verifies employees are adhering to the company’s safety policies based on contextual indicators. This concept is known as contextual mobile device management or CMDM. Unlike other safety precautions, CMDM works as an automatic safety switch for a mobile device and manages the functionality of mobile devices in contextual zones, proactively eliminating liabilities from the time workers have their tablet or smartphone in hand.
Comprised of an app on the employee’s mobile device and a management console, CMDM uses contextual indicators to “intelligently identify” work zones. These indicators can be based on several environmental characteristics in addition to time of day and motion. The use of strategically placed sensors can further enhance the app’s identification of context based on proximity to one or more sensors — and whether that sensor is currently moving or has been moving recently. This allows companies to create and enforce safety policies that strive to protect workers at all times.
Once the worker’s zone is computed, the organization can set various levels of detailed protections for a high-risk zone and even specific equipment, such as a scissor lift or heavy-duty cable puller. Contextual policies can be seamlessly enforced from one zone to the next. For example, one implementation an organization may choose is to apply is a blanketed device usage policy across an entire job site. This policy could remove the use of social media, web browsing, and game applications but allow workers to receive and make phone calls and access an approved work order management application.
To address high-risk tasks and locations, such as troubleshooting around live electrical equipment and in hard-to-reach locations, companies can build additional implementations into a blanketed policy. In these high-risk zones, the policy may temporarily suppress all mobile applications while the employee remains in that particular zone to ensure all employees’ safety. This is essential, considering that a study from Florida State University (“The Attentional Cost of Receiving a Cell Phone Notification”) found that employees are 28% more likely to make a mistake after getting a phone call and 23% more likely after getting a text. And when you think about the younger generation entering the workforce (a recent article on Inc.com predicts that millennials will comprise 50% of the American workforce by 2020 and 75% by 2025), it’s important to realize that millennials work differently than their older counterparts. In fact, according to research from OpenMarket, 83% of millennials open text messages within 90 seconds of receiving them.
For example, an incoming text or call can interrupt workers moving through the steps of a lockout/tagout procedure following an electrical shutdown at a work site. Missing a critical step, such as forgetting to install a protective ground cable, can result in serious injuries. Taking a personal call could also lead to an employee returning to his or her previous task without putting gloves back on after removing them to answer the phone.
Fleet Safety
Additionally, an organization could implement a policy that addresses the use of company or grey fleet vehicles. This policy would leverage the use of the accelerometer found within the sensor, which measures accelerations along three-axes to determine if the equipment is currently operational or has been recently. Using this extra contextual information, the use of a mobile device in a heavy-duty equipment zone may dynamically switch from being considered a low risk to a high risk based on if the equipment is currently operational or if it is simply sitting there.
In another example, employees traveling to a job site in a company vehicle could have access to necessary applications (such as directions and music applications) but nothing else. Once the engine is turned off, their mobile device returns to normal functionality. Later, when that same employee enters the construction or maintenance site they were en route to, they may no longer have access to applications whitelisted for use in a vehicle. At this location, the employee may only have access to work order applications. Within a designated space safely located outside of the worksite, the organization can establish a free-use zone where the worker can access all applications on their device when on break. At the end of their shift — and once they have exited all zones that have a policy implemented — the worker’s device returns to normal use.
Working in Tandem
Together, the combination of CMDM and a robust mobile device policy addresses the multiple work zones a construction or maintenance worker may interact with throughout a particular shift. Owners and managers are provided peace of mind knowing their workers and the company’s reputation are protected from potential mobile distractions at all times. By not physically limiting access to devices, employers can enable employees to adequately engage with the technology needed to complete their jobs more efficiently while combating time-consuming interruptions that compromise safety.
Mobile devices and solutions help companies enhance operations and reduce costs, but at the same time increase the need to actively manage those devices for optimized use. Using CMDM empowers both companies and employees to confront these challenges head on for a safer and more productive work environment. By allowing smart devices to be as smart as possible, organizations can embrace solutions that strategically utilize mobile technology across the company, empowering employees to do their best and safest work.
Breaux is the chief technology officer at TRUCE Software, headquartered in Lisle, Ill. He can be reached at [email protected].
