Enhancing Workplace Safety: The Role of Hera Leto Slim in Occupational Health

sales20618
Jul 2
3 min read

On a sweltering, sunny day, there is always a construction worker tirelessly doing their job. Whether they are operating the bulldozer, digging trenches, or repaving the roads, it is undoubtedly a difficult job — especially when their life may be at risk.

What is ‘Workplace Safety’?

In outdoor occupations, workplace safety should be an organisation’s top priority. After all, there is no organisation if all its workers are ill or injured! Yet, with Hong Kong’s climbing temperatures, heat stress is becoming increasingly prevalent among the outdoor workforce. In 2023, Hong Kong Free Press reported at least 60% of outdoor workers suffered from heatstroke symptoms. This issue persists for many reasons: inadequate rest allowed by employers, failure to predict signs of heat stress, and most importantly, the pressure to achieve it all at the lowest possible cost without sacrificing efficiency.

Employers pushing their workers beyond reasonable limits is not only ineffective, but even counterproductive. To address these concerns, the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) launched the ‘HK 4S Labelling Scheme’, a joint initiative aimed at driving the wider adoption of ‘Smart Site Safety System’ (4S) in both public and private construction projects. Essentially, this system combines smart technology and data analysis to enhance construction site safety and efficiency. However, a requirement to acquire the 4S label is the implementation of smart monitoring devices, thus introducing our ‘Wearable’ technology.

From Wearables to Hearables: What Makes Actywell Different?

Wearables such as biometric smartwatches and smart helmets are not new to occupational health, but we want to innovate one step further and design a device compact enough to fit within your ear canal — so small that you forget it’s there! Here are four reasons our in-ear devices provide superior health data compared to other Wearables:

Stronger signals: the ear has a richer blood supply from surrounding large blood vessels e.g. auricular artery
Cleaner signals: the ear has less muscle, thinner skin and reduced movement disturbances by the subject that could interfere with measurements
Consistent measurement: our custom earbud shapes standardise sensing pressure and location, maximising sensor contact and accuracy
Higher accuracy: smartwatches measure skin temperature, whereas earbuds are capable of measuring core body temperature, the key determinant of heat stress

Introducing our newest solution, Hera Leto Slim (HLS). On top of heart rate and core body temperature measurements, HLS has the added function of measuring heart rate variability (HRV), the variation in time between heartbeats. HRV is a useful indicator of heat stress risk; higher HRVs suggest better cardiovascular fitness and greater ability to adapt to stress. With a focus on heat stress and fall prevention, HLS includes voice warnings upon detecting physiological signs of heat stress, and head injury detection with GPS tracking to facilitate immediate medical attention.

Additionally, the earbuds’ case doubles as a hands-free communication device to optimise convenience for any labour-intensive roles.While workers are wearing the earbuds, their vital signs are recorded in a centralised backend system for real-time monitoring by their management team, and through Bluetooth connection to a walkie-talkie or smartphone, frontline workers are contactable at anytime if rest periods are recommended.

What’s Next?

HLS is currently deployed at the Hong Kong Police Force to ensure the operational safety of their Search & Rescue teams. Beyond this, we are planning to extend our reach towards the construction and property management sectors — a collaboration that will happen sooner than you think.

Our innovation doesn’t end here. HLS is trialling an in-ear to open-ear design upgrade, further increasing comfort and practicality for extended outdoor use. Our team is committed to continuously refining our in-ear sensing technology to ensure that no occupational health limitation goes unnoticed.