How to Choose the Right Connected PPE

Identifying Your Specific Needs

Before selecting connected PPE, assess the risks and hazards your team faces in their work environment. You can’t compare the level of risk for a data center technician to that of a skilled operator performing welding tasks in a confined underground space. Identify the essential features and sensors required for your employees' safety, such as fall detection, environmental monitoring (temperature, oxygen levels, presence of harmful gases), or real-time location tracking (PTI/DATI system with GPS).

Compatibility and Integration

Check whether the connected PPE is compatible with other technologies and systems you already use. You don’t want one device’s data transmission to interfere with another’s. Ensure the PPE can be easily integrated into your existing infrastructure, such as field team tracking platforms or incident management software. Too many separate tools (like one software per PPE) can backfire by complicating data collection, making it either confusing or unusable. That’s why collaboration between the HSE manager and the data scientist is essential to get the most out of these tools.

Data Reliability and Accuracy

The accuracy of the data collected by connected PPE is crucial to ensuring safety. Make sure the PPE includes reliable sensors and technologies that provide precise, real-time information. This means, on one hand, that preventive maintenance (VGP/CVPO) should be included in your service agreement, and on the other hand, that in the event of a malfunction, repairs or sensor replacements should be carried out promptly. Also, check the quality of connectivity to ensure efficient data transmission.

Ease of Use and Adoption

Choose connected PPE that is easy to use. It’s important that you and your colleagues can adopt it quickly and without difficulty. A clear interface and simple, intuitive features will help maximize both effectiveness and user acceptance. Remember that employee buy-in—even when the initiative is well-intentioned—only comes with quality change management. This includes involving employees, procurement, IT departments, and employee representative bodies from the outset.

Battery Life and Durability

Make sure the connected PPE has enough battery life to meet your daily operational needs. Again, you can’t compare a data center technician—who can recharge their PPE during a lunch break—with a worker operating in an underground tunnel for 6 to 7 hours straight, whose survival may largely depend on their connected equipment.

Durability is also key, as PPE must withstand demanding work conditions, shocks, or falls. It's better to invest in a more expensive, higher-quality PPE than to replace a cheaper, less robust one every year because it wasn’t suited to the work environment.