A few months ago, a worker at a grocery distribution facility in upstate New York strapped a sensor under his chest. As he lugged heavy packs around the warehouse, the device tracked how he moved. Eventually, it dubbed him at risk of serious injury—in large part because of how much stress he was putting on his spine. So the worker met with his manager, and together they came up with a solution: the worker was given a hook to help with his lugging so he wouldn’t have to bend over as much.
This is the promise of StrongArm Tech’s Fuse Risk Management Platform, which helps employers protect vulnerable workers—and, by extension, their own bottom lines. (The most serious on-the-job injuries and accidents cost U.S. companies some $59.9 billion per year.) Since debuting in April, Fuse has been used by more than 10,000 workers, including those from 10 Fortune 100 companies. “Just like Nike and Under Armour break out the latest and greatest to improve the performance of their athletes,” says Jack McCormack, manager of clients for StrongArm Tech, “we’re doing the same for the folks who are the backbone of our economy.” —Sean Gregory