Intelligent safety monitoring and analytics system for personal protective equipment

Abstract

In some examples, a system includes an article of hearing protection assigned to a worker, and a portable computing device assigned to the worker; a remote computing device communicatively coupled to the portable computing device, the remote computing device configured to receive sound level data that indicate different sound levels at different, respective locations of a work environment; determine, based on location data received from the portable computing device, an amount of sound received by the worker over a period of time; identify an updated location in the work environment having a sound level that is different from a current location, based at least in part on the article of hearing protection, the amount of sound, and the sound level data that indicates different sound levels at different, respective locations; and generate a notification that instructs the worker to move from the current location to the updated location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a set of articles of hearing protection, wherein each article of hearing protection in the set of articles of hearing protection is a different respective type of article of hearing protection;   a computing device communicatively coupled to the portable computing device, the computing device comprising one or more computer processors and a memory comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:
 receive fit-testing data for a worker, wherein the fit-testing data comprises a value indicating a noise level attenuation for the worker for a first type of article of hearing protection worn by the worker; 
 determine, based at least in part on the fit-testing data and sound level data of a work environment, whether sound attenuation provided by the first type of article of hearing protection satisfies a threshold for the work environment; and 
 in response to the determination whether the sound attenuation provided by the first type of article of hearing protection satisfies the threshold, generate for display, a recommendation that indicates a second, different type of article of hearing protection for the work environment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:
 select, in response to a determination that the threshold is not satisfied, the second type of article of hearing protection based at least in part on the second type of article of hearing protection providing sound attention that satisfies the threshold for the work environment.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:
 generate for display, in response to a determination that the threshold is satisfied, a graphical user interface that contemporaneously indicates the first type of article of hearing protection and the second type of article of hearing protection.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:
 compare the sound level data of the work environment to the sound attenuation levels for a plurality of different types of articles of hearing protection;   select a set of the plurality of articles of hearing protection that provide sound attenuation that satisfies the threshold, wherein the second, different type of hearing protection is included in the set of plurality of articles of hearing protection.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:
 determine at least one other type of personal protective equipment (PPE) assigned to the worker;   determine whether the second type of hearing protection is compatible with the at least one other type of PPE; and   select the second type of hearing protection based on the determination that the second type of hearing protection is compatible with the at least one other type of PPE.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the type of PPE is at least one of a headtop article that delivers purified air from a powered air purifying respirator to the worker, protective eyewear, or a protective helmet that protects the head of the worker. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein sound level data of the work environment is based on measurements from one or more sound level monitors worn by one or more workers in the work environment. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device further stores data that defines associations between different respective workers and different types of personal protective equipment (PPE) assigned to the respective workers, and wherein the different types of PPE include one or more of fall protection PPE, respiratory PPE, head-eye-face PPE, welding PPE, or hearing protection PPE. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein to determine whether sound attenuation provided by the first type of article of hearing protection satisfies the threshold for the work environment, the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:
 generate a risk score based at least in part on the workers usage of at least one article of PPE in the work environment; and   determine that the risk score satisfies the threshold.   
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing device, fit-testing data for a worker, wherein the fit-testing data comprises a value indicating a noise level attenuation for the worker for a first type of article of hearing protection worn by the worker;   determining, based at least in part on the fit-testing data and sound level data of a work environment, whether sound attenuation provided by the first type of article of hearing protection satisfies a threshold for the work environment; and   in response to determining whether the sound attenuation provided by the first type of article of hearing protection satisfies the threshold, generate for display, a recommendation that indicates a second, different type of article of hearing protection for the work environment, wherein each of the first and second types of articles of hearing protection is a different respective type of article of hearing protection.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 selecting, in response to determining that the threshold is not satisfied, the second type of article of hearing protection based at least in part on the second type of article of hearing protection providing sound attention that satisfies the threshold for the work environment.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 generate for display, in response to determining that the threshold is satisfied, a graphical user interface that contemporaneously indicates the first type of article of hearing protection and the second type of article of hearing protection.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 comparing the sound level data of the work environment to the sound attenuation levels for a plurality of different types of articles of hearing protection;   selecting a set of the plurality of articles of hearing protection that provide sound attenuation that satisfies the threshold, wherein the second, different type of hearing protection is included in the set of plurality of articles of hearing protection.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining at least one other type of personal protective equipment (PPE) assigned to the worker;   determining whether the second type of hearing protection is compatible with the at least one other type of PPE; and   selecting the second type of hearing protection based on the determination that the second type of hearing protection is compatible with the at least one other type of PPE.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the type of PPE is at least one of a headtop article that delivers purified air from a powered air purifying respirator to the worker, protective eyewear, or a protective helmet that protects the head of the worker. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein sound level data of the work environment is based on measurements from one or more sound level monitors worn by one or more workers in the work environment. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the computing device further stores data that defines associations between different respective workers and different types of personal protective equipment (PPE) assigned to the respective workers, and wherein the different types of PPE include one or more of fall protection PPE, respiratory PPE, head-eye-face PPE, welding PPE, or hearing protection PPE.