ExposureGuard

Inspiration :

According to a joint WHO and ILO report, workplace exposure to air pollution, toxic gases, and fumes is responsible for approximately 450,000 deaths worldwide every year. Weak safety systems make it difficult for workers to know how these conditions are affecting their health in real time. We wanted to see if low-cost electronics could help workers monitor their health risks as they happen, rather than finding out only after the damage is done.

What it does

ExposureGuard is a low-cost wearable badge for workers. It monitors harmful gases like ammonia, VOCs, and carbon monoxide, along with body temperature and heart rate. It tracks exposure over time instead of only detecting sudden spikes. If the exposure becomes unsafe, the worker gets an instant buzzer/LED alert, while the supervisor receives a warning. Workers also keep control of their own exposure history.

How we built it

We designed ExposureGuard as a simple, low-cost system using an ESP32 with sensors like MQ-135, MQ-7, heart-rate, and temperature sensors. The main challenge was avoiding false alarms because sensor readings can change suddenly. We used moving averages and multiple readings before sending an alert. We also used WHO and OSHA safety limits as a reference for setting exposure levels. Since this is an ideathon project, our goal was to create a practical and technically feasible design , not a working prototype.

Challenges we ran into

Our biggest challenge was balancing accuracy, cost, and simplicity. Real workplace safety systems use expensive equipment, so adapting similar ideas to a $10–15 wearable was difficult. We also wanted workers to feel protected, not monitored, so we made the worker the owner of their health data. Another challenge was that different workplaces have different hazards, so we had to keep the system simple enough for different industries.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud that ExposureGuard focuses on a real but often ignored problem: workplace safety for industrial workers in low-resource areas. We’re also proud of its cumulative exposure scoring, which looks at long-term risk instead of only reacting to sudden spikes. This can help reduce false alarms and provide a better picture of a worker’s exposure.

What we learned

We learned that there is a big gap between workplace safety standards and what workers can actually use in low-resource environments. We also learned that privacy and trust are just as important as the technology. If workers don’t feel safe using the device, they may not wear it.

What's next for ExposureGuard

Our next step is to build a working prototype and test the sensors and scoring system in Wokwi. After that, we plan to test it in a real workshop, improve the alert system, and later add a supervisor dashboard while reducing the overall cost of the device.