EMC Launches Pilot Project With Tech Startup MākuSafe
November 29, 2017
EMC Launches Pilot Project With Tech Startup MākuSafe
DES MOINES, Iowa (Nov. 29, 2017)—EMC Insurance Companies has launched a wearable technology pilot project in conjunction with tech startup MākuSafe. Based out of Ankeny, Iowa, MākuSafe® developed patent-pending wearable technology that monitors environmental exposures to identify risks in industrial workplace environments.
Through its partnership with MākuSafe, EMC is piloting five wearable sensors with Arnold Motor Supply in Spencer, Iowa. These sensors are mounted on armbands worn while employees are at work. While in use, the sensors measure conditions around employees, such as heat and air quality. All the collected data is then relayed back to a centralized platform.
“Any tool that can be used to provide a better, safer workplace for our associates is of interest to us,” says Duane Bates, safety director at Arnold Motor Supply. “When we were approached about being a pilot client for the EMC and MākuSafe® wearable technology, we jumped at the chance. This technology will help provide the data we need to improve our facility and reduce workplace injuries.”
Arnold Motor Supply will collect a month’s worth of sensor data at a time. The first data pull is scheduled for early December 2017.
“This collaboration is an opportunity to prove the viability of wearable sensors within the logistics industry,” says Gabe Glynn, cofounder and CEO of MākuSafe. “As we promote the health, safety and productivity of workers with this pilot, we are also continuing to validate the value of our wearable technology.”
EMC Industrial Hygienist Steven Shaffer adds, “Partnering with MākuSafe® is just one part of a larger strategy to move EMC into the Internet of Things. By piloting wearable sensors, we explore the use of connected technology to predict and prevent conditions that may lead to workplace accidents.”
About EMC Insurance Companies
EMC Insurance Companies is among the top 50 insurance organizations in the country based on net written premium, with more than 2,300 employees. The company was organized in 1911 to write workers’ compensation protection in Iowa. Today, EMC provides property and casualty insurance products and services throughout the United States and writes reinsurance contracts worldwide. Operating under the trade name EMC Insurance Companies, Employers Mutual Casualty Company and one or more of its affiliated companies is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit www.emcins.com and www.CountonEMC.com.
About MākuSafe
MākuSafe® was formed by a powerful team of software, hardware and data engineers in an effort to prove that workplaces can be made safer by gathering environmental data around workers while they work. Using analytics and machine-learning technology, MākuSafe® can turn that data into predictors to prevent accidents before they happen. makusafe.com
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