How do AI-Powered Proximity Warning Systems compare with R-Link?
Proximity detection technology is an increasingly important part of creating a safer working environment for teams operating on sites and in areas where moving hazards are present. This is particularly true given that of the 135 workers who were killed in work-related accidents between 2022 and 2023, 50% of those victims came into dangerous proximity of unsafe areas, moving objects, vehicles, or machinery.
With R-Link, organisations gain unprecedented insight into their risk environment with a purpose-built ecosystem that makes it possible for teams to quickly create exclusion zones and identify areas where dangerous equipment or machinery is in operation. R-Link is also incredibly flexible, and it enables teams to tailor their systems to their specific processes, credentials, and ways of working. For example, the R-Link Driver’s Watch gives different permissions to different workers: Machine operators and drivers can set their system up so that no alerts are triggered when they’re operating their vehicle or equipment. Importantly, the system also enables the driver to allow others to get close to such hazards, on a case-by-case basis.
This advanced and highly adaptable technology is industry-defining, and it’s proven to help teams take better control of their risk environment, ultimately supporting better health and safety outcomes for workers.
A closer look at key areas of risk management technology:
Recently, AI has become an incredibly popular topic across every imaginable sector and field. In the area of risk management technology, AI is being used primarily as a training tool and for ergonomics and environmental analysis (including the use of exoskeletons for injury prevention). It’s also being applied to anti-collision technology. And while intelligent technology of any kind is a step in the right direction for teams who want to create a more risk-free work environment, it’s important to understand the difference between AI-powered solutions and what they can offer your team, and Reactec’s ecosystem of workplace wearable technology.
Below, we’re breaking down a few of the key differences between the two technologies with regard to proximity detection (anti-collision):
Reliability and Accuracy of Technology:
R-Link is battle-tested, cutting edge technology that’s trusted by over 140,000 workers across the UK. Where imperfect AI-powered tech can misidentify non-human incursion, R-Link simply does not have this risk. AI-powered tech identifies shapes as a “probable human,” and struggles to identify humans when they’re in prone or other unusual positions, or when they’re in less common situations (such as being in a ditch, for example). R-Link, in comparison, identifies individual human beings in any number of real-world positions or situations with accuracy, and reliability.
And where the sirens and speakers used by AI powered systems can easily (and dangerously) distract a worker, R-Link uses incredibly effective haptic alerts to safely notify workers of dangerous conditions.
Cost-effectiveness:
When it comes to implementing risk management technology at work, there’s one question that every organisation must ask, regardless of size or budget: How much does it cost? And in the context of risk management technology, there’s more than one way that teams ought to be thinking about this question. First, teams must consider affordability. In this context, workplace wearable technology like R-Link is generally less expensive to implement and maintain than AI-powered tools.
Next, teams must consider the cost of maintaining their traditional or outdated approach to risk management: This includes the cost associated with defending or paying out liability insurance claims for occupational health. It also includes the economic cost of an at-risk workforce, and the unquantifiable cost to workers that accompanies workplace illness and injury, which can have profound and far-reaching effects on their overall health and wellbeing. For organisations to adequately address these specific concerns, it’s necessary to embrace a truly holistic approach to risk management. Reactec’s ecosystem of workplace wearable technology is purpose-built to offer teams a robust, reliable universe of solutions that addresses risk in the workplace, wherever it’s found.
You can read more about these costs, and the concrete ways that Reactec’s technologies are proven to help drive financial benefits, in this article.
Ease of Implementation:
We’ve explored the need for flexibility and customisation in proximity warning systems in previous articles. R-Link is purpose-built to protect workers while also staying out of their way. Unlike AI-powered technology, R-Link’s wearable technology blends seamlessly into your current ways of working without disruption, and it does not need to be affixed to equipment in order to work, meaning it can be moved between vehicles and equipment easily and quickly. This flexibility is particularly crucial for teams who lease equipment.
And while it’s true that AI-powered tech does not require individuals to wear a device, this distinction comes with a serious limitation: Whereas R-Link warns individuals when they’re in dangerous proximity of hazards and also controls who is able to get close to hazards in the first place, AI-powered tech is missing this final piece, as it only warns those who get too close to a hazard. In many real-world, dynamic, fast-paced environments, this simply may not be enough to well and truly keep workers safe.
To learn more about the real-world application of R-Link’s proximity detection technology, explore our Day In The Life Series to see it in action.
For Proximity Detection Technology, Better Insight Drives Better Outcomes:
Ultimately, choosing a proximity detection system or risk management technology that works for your organisation depends upon your unique needs and goals, which every team must balance to determine the best path forward. But one area where companies simply cannot compromise is insight, and information.
Reactec’s powerful Analytics platform is the driving force behind R-Link’s proximity detection technology. With the data that this Cloud-based system offers your team, you’ll gain immediate insight into your working environment, and have access to real-time data about workplace hotspots and near misses, as well as personalised information about individual worker habits and behaviours, which you can use to refine your controls and drive meaningful change.
Plus, this insight is provided in an incredibly accessible, dashboard-style format that’s designed to make it easy for duty holders and managers to understand, and act upon. Without any need for IT dependency to unlock the power of Reactec’s Analytics, your team can easily and quickly access the data that they need to start making an immediate health and safety impact.
If you’d like to learn more about R-Link’s proximity detection technology, you can explore this page.
