SAFETY
I t’s in the Eyes
How an eye-scanning technology will revolutionize
testing for impairment in the workplace
The legalization of cannabis has
many employers scrambling to
catch up with the legislation,
particularly in industries in
which working safely can prevent serious
injuries and even save lives. One
employer in the heavy construction
industry plans on using cutting-edge
technology to ensure workers aren’t
impaired or fatigued on the job.
Morsky Industrial Services Ltd. will
be the first construction company in
Canada to implement the SafetyScan
Technologies system. SafetyScan is
a real-time screening system that
detects psychomotor impairment for
alcohol, drugs and cognitive fatigue
through a 30-second test of involuntary
eye movement.
How does the technology work?
An infrared camera tracks an employee’s
eye movement and the test result
is then analyzed using SafetyScan’s
proprietary algorithm. The result
is compared to each employee’s
benchmark or previously measured
“normal” baseline.
When police officers pull over drivers
to test for alcohol impairment, they
usually ask the driver to visually follow
a tip of a pen or pen light. An impaired
person will experience horizontal
gaze nystagmus (HGN) – an involuntary
movement or bouncing of the eye
when it gazes to the side.
SafetyScan also looks for HGN,
but it is a far more sophisticated
system that measures 20 other factors,
including how fast the eye moves
and pupil dilation. “It’s a simple, noninvasive,
30-second test done before an
employee begins work to determine fitness
for duty,” said Randal Roberts, the
president of SafetyScan Technologies.
“It’s not a gotcha product. It’s designed
to respect worker privacy and
help companies manage any kind
of impairment.”
The test result is either a pass or a
refer. “What ‘refer’ means is we have
found some impairment. We don’t
know what the cause is, but we are flagging
that impairment. The next step
would be determined by that company’s
HR policies,” said Roberts.
Although Morsky, a Regina-based
heavy construction company, has an
outstanding safety record, the decision
to implement SafetyScan is an effort to
raise the safety bar to protect workers
and clients from workplace accidents.
Drug and alcohol testing have been
a part of Morsky’s safety policies for
years, but the company is always looking
for ways to augment those policies.
“Safety is one of our core values and
the search to improve safety in the
workplace never ends,” said Lorne
Schnell, president of Morsky Industrial
Services Ltd. “We want to be leaders in
the industry.”
Even though cannabis is currently
the topic du jour, it shouldn’t overshadow
the other ways a worker can
be impaired. “Statistically speaking,
the impact of fatigue needs to be front
and centre. That is the cause of more
accidents than drugs and alcohol put
together,” said Schnell. “What changing
laws have done is push the safety
conversation towards overall fitness
for duty. Regardless of how an individual
might feel about legalization, those
broader conversations themselves are
very healthy. Fitness for duty testing
eliminates the concerns about knowing
details about an employee’s lifestyle
and simply focuses on if they are ready
to go, right now.”
By Colleen Birchwood
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAFETYSCAN
PILING CANADA 69