The use of wearable tech to enhance the safety of those working at sea

Meei Wong, Founder and CEO of CircleDV, in her article in CHIRP’s Annual Digest (2025-2026), explains how the use of wearable technology is a proactive approach to creating a resilient safety culture at sea.

Maritime industries have traditionally relied on reactive safety protocols. However, human error, often exacerbated by fatigue and situational awareness lapses, contributes to up to 96% of marine accidents. A truly resilient safety culture demands foresight and prevention, and this is where wearable tech plays a vital role.

Devices like smartwatches and biometric sensors offer a continuous, real-time window into a crew member’s well-being and operational readiness. They move beyond physical protection to detect issues like early signs of fatigue (via heart rate variability) or exposure to harmful substances, enabling timely intervention before an accident occurs.

Beyond individual health, wearables enhance situational awareness with integrated location and proximity sensors, critical for man-overboard situations or preventing Lock Out/Tag Out incidents. When integrated into safety management systems, this data informs risk assessments and triggers necessary alerts. 

Meei says that we must address crew acceptance through transparency, focusing on how these tools protect their health. By shifting the mindset to monitoring risk exposure, and not just performance, and ensuring strict data privacy, we can unlock the full potential of this technology.

The high-risk environment at sea demands a proactive approach. Wearable tech is not just an add-on; it is essential for building a data-driven and ethical safety culture that protects the industry’s most valuable asset: the crew.

Thank you Adam Parnell, Dave Watkins for the article.

To read the full article visit: https://chirp.co.uk/app/uploads/2026/04/CHIRP-Annual-Digest-2025-v7-lower-resolution.pdf (pg 20-21)