Tackling injuries by teaming up with entrepreneurs
10 March 2021
According to public service union, ‘Unison’ around 300,000 people a year suffer from back pain as a result of manual handling accidents.
That’s why Gary Smith, our Head of Asset Information and IMS Manager Glen Peek have jumped at the chance to work alongside two innovative engineering entrepreneurs who want to tackle this problem for the water industry and beyond.
Intrepid engineers Kailash Manoharaselvan and Thomas Labat-Camy approached Gary and Glen from Welsh Water with their idea for ‘MOVA’ - innovative sensor technology designed to prevent manual handling injuries.
The tech works by adding sensors into standard personal protective equipment (PPE) and monitoring the user as they carry out standard tasks. A real-time avatar of the user is created through computer generated imagery which instantly shows the stresses and strains being placed on different parts of the body. This helps identify and visualise issues that could become harmful; vital information companies can use to help keep their people safe. Welsh Water were more than happy to lend our support, helping the entrepreneurial pair test and perfect their ideas using real-world scenarios.
Speaking of the project Gary said: “It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Kailash and Thomas on this. We jumped at the chance to support them because we believed in their idea, saw its potential, and wanted to play a part in helping make it a reality.
“Welsh Water has invested time and energy into the project as well as providing data, insight, and mentoring to help develop this genuinely innovative piece of technology. We believe MOVA has the potential to help protect many people working in similar industries.”
MOVA technology is nominated for numerous awards in 2021 having been recognised for its innovation and health and safety benefits.