Sweat Sensors Raise Health Benefits and Privacy Concerns

In Oak Ridge, Tennessee, dozens of workers of the United States Air Force worked with hazardous waste, asbestos, and pipes while being tasked with the task of decontaminating and preparing the defunct nuclear facility for demolition during a hot summer day.

Several crew members who were wearing coveralls that covered them head-to-toe and were equipped with respirators, toiling in the heat inside a building without electricity, did not seem to be thinking much about it. 

They wore armbands, which allowed them to measure their body temperature, their activity levels, and their level of exertion to detect heat stress.

At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Stephanie Miller was watching the computer screen, which was being used by a worker for a U.S. government contract doing cleanup work. It was equipped with a colour-coding system that showed little bubbles that indicated how each worker was doing and warned her if any of the workers were in danger of overheating. 

As temperatures across the globe reach record levels, employers are researching wearable technologies that can keep workers safe as temperatures rise. Using biometrics, the new devices could determine a person’s core body temperature – an elevated one, as shown in this study, is a sign of heat exhaustion – and prompt workers to take cool-down breaks as soon as possible. 

According to the Atlantic Council, there is a potential cost of approximat

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