Every year in The Netherlands, more than 4,000 people die as a result of long-term exposure to dangers in the workplace, with three-quarters of cases involving hazardous substances. A large proportion of people fall ill as a result of such exposure.
Current traditional measuring methods to prevent hazardous and unhealthy situations at work show results of exposure on an average working day without any peaks. Continuously collecting exposure data gives opportunities for active management and targeted prevention.
That is why TNO has launched a Virtual Occupational Hygiene Assistant (VOHA). This digital support tool measures the quantity of certain chemical substances, the amount of noise, and other aspects. It automatically analyses the information and gives feedback to various relevant groups.
The vision for the future is that monitoring will be continuous, with the help of sensors on work clothing, helmets, and equipment. It will make it possible to register the time and place of any harmful exposure in high resolution. Sensors are able to measure in real time, which produces an exposure profile throughout the working day, instead of just an average value.
Want to know how VOHA work? This video explains how.
More information on the smart sensors for healty and safe working environment can be found here and here.
