The New Normal Continues To Have An Impact On Industrial Hygiene And Occupational Health Software (IH/OH) Innovation

The New Normal Continues To Have An Impact On Industrial Hygiene And Occupational Health Software (IH/OH) Innovation

COVID-19 has increased demand for IH/OH software, which has often been overlooked in the hierarchy of EHS solutions as a tick-box exercise, but the recent pandemic has brought it to the forefront of firms’ priorities. In addition to the emerging regional adoption of EHS software, the pandemic has been a crucial driver in new customer demand for IH/OH software to better manage worker health and exposure as workers return to work and the fall and winter flu season arrives. Industrial hygiene and occupational health software refers to any software, in itself or as a module of a more extensive EHS solution, used in all activities related to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of hazards and risks, as well as prevention, identification and monitoring of signs of progressive job-exposure-related ill health (see Verdantix Smart Innovators: Software For Industrial Hygiene And Occupational Health). Verdantix research estimates that the IH/OH software market will reach $253 million in 2020, and then continue to grow at a CAGR of 9.7% to reach $403 million by 2025 (see Verdantix Market Size And Forecast: IH/OH Software 2020-2025 (Global)).

Software vendors have responded to market trends and the needs of their customers in the wake of the pandemic by adopting a more agile and flexible approach to delivery. Vendors are making enhancements to existing solutions or offering new solutions better tailored to combating COVID 19, all in record time (see Verdantix Industrial Hygiene And Occupational Health Software Capabilities Relevant To COVID-19). Ongoing market dynamics continue to signal a “new normal” for IH/OH software vendors who not only have to contend with the rapidly evolving landscape but also have to implement very rapid cycles of product development in a matter of weeks and months instead of years. It signals a new era where innovative technologies supporting the IT infrastructure of IH/OH solutions are no longer “nice to have” or “on the road map” (see Verdantix Smart Innovators: Software For Industrial Hygiene And Occupational Health).

The “new normal” for IH/OH software is having a domino effect on other aspects of the EHS and IH/OH landscape other than pandemic management, as firms refocus on the overall supporting IT infrastructure. This area has received much less support in the past comparatively. For instance, VelocityEHS - a leading cloud-based EHS software provider - has launched a global chemical and occupational exposure limit (OEL) database as part of a significant enhancement to its IH software solution. The solution leverages a continually growing list of over 1,700 unique physical and chemical workplace stressors and more than 15,000 harmonised global OELs covering international standards like ACGIH TLVs, NIOSH RELs, OSHA PELs, German MAKs, and Australian Workplace Exposure Standards (WES). VelocityEHS is catering to the accelerated changes occurring in the IH/OH software landscape by simplifying and reducing time to implement an IH program through the solution. The solution enables users to select from a curated list of auto-updated stressors and OELs that is built right into the Industrial Hygiene solution. What’s more, Quarterly database updates ensure stressors and OELs are consistent with the latest regulatory requirements and eliminate the need for companies to build and maintain custom lists of stressors for each of their facilities.

“The new OEL database is a game-changer. On the surface, maintaining your list of stressors and OELs might sound simple. But in reality, the sheer volume of data and variations in chemical names and classifications makes it extremely difficult to pull off manually, I can’t tell you how many times in my nearly 30-years as a Certified Industrial Hygienist I wished this database had existed. Many software providers have attempted and failed, but we cracked the code. We’ve kept pushing because we believe it is imperative to the success of our customers.” - Dave Risi, Director of Industrial Hygiene Solutions at VelocityEHS.