Smart Digital Monitoring Systems for Occupational Safety and Health

Every day, millions of workers all around the world, face risks and hazards in their workplace that frequently lead to injuries and, in the worst cases, even death. Occupational safety and health (OSH) is the discipline dedicated to the prevention of accidents in the workplace. While the industry sector continues to evolve, and the workforce continuously changes, the associated risks and hazards also increase and multiply. OSH aims to guarantee that the safety and health of all workers remain a high priority for organizations. Implementing an OSH management system -- compliant with the guidelines of standard ISO 45001 -- becomes of utmost importance not only to protect workers but also to avoid economic losses for the organization and, more in general, for society. In this context that continuously evolves, digitalization comes into play bringing changes and opportunities. Advancements in new technologies can be employed for OSH purposes. Examples of technologies used to improve workers' safety are wearable devices (e.g., exoskeletons), drones, IoT and wireless systems, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of challenges and opportunities in implementing an OSH management system within an organization. Additionally, this work will describe some innovative digital OSH monitoring systems, and provide examples of organizations that successfully implement and produce these technologies.