Rebranding Safety with Ronan Finnegan – Wearable Safety

Overview

Imagine a watch that doesn’t just tell time – it keeps you safe at work. This is the story of how two young entrepreneurs created a device to help with social distancing during COVID-19 and then transformed it into a smart safety tool for busy worksites.

If you’re in construction, manufacturing, or any job where hazards are part of the day, this tech could soon be a game-changer for you.

Rebranding Safety with Ronan Finnegan – Wearable Safety

The Beginning – Solving COVID Chaos

When the pandemic hit, Ronan Finnegan and his friend Harry built a device to help people keep their distance. In just six weeks, they turned a simple idea into a working product. It buzzed or beeped when people got too close and even kept track of who had been near whom. Perfect for contact tracing.

They called it SpaceBands.

From Classrooms to Factory Floors

At first, they thought schools would love it. But schools were slow to buy. Then something unexpected happened. Factories and food companies started reaching out. These businesses needed to stay open, and SpaceBands gave them a simple, non-intrusive way to keep people apart.

Ronan and Harry switched gears. They redesigned their message and focused on the world of work.

That pivot paid off.

• 25,000 devices sold
• Over 1,000 businesses
• Big names like Sony, Amazon, the NHS, and even the Ministry of Defence

The Next Challenge – What Happens When COVID Ends?

The pandemic wouldn’t last forever, and Ronan knew their product had an expiry date. But instead of letting things fizzle out, they asked their customers a key question. What do you need now?

The answer?
Better health and safety – and smarter ways to manage it.

The New SpaceBands: Smarter, Safer, Simpler

Now, SpaceBands is no longer a mere COVID tool. It’s a multi-feature wearable designed to:

• Warn you when you’re near hazards like forklifts or loud machines
• Remind you to wear PPE (like hard hats or ear defenders)
• Track slips, trips, falls, and exposure to vibration
• Monitor temperature and heart rate to spot signs of stress
• Help managers see workplace trends using real data
• Let workers easily report safety problems via a simple app

And it does all this without tracking personal data or acting like a boss on your wrist.

Why It Works

SpaceBands doesn’t punish you for getting it wrong. It nudges you to do the right thing. It’s about support, not spying. The team designed it to help workers feel in control, not watched.

It’s also:

• Anonymous by default
• Customisable for each workplace
• Built for trust, not tracking

As Ronan puts it:
“We’re not trying to be Big Brother. We’re just trying to help people stay safe and give safety managers better tools to do their job.”

A New Way to Think About Safety

The old way of doing health and safety? Loads of paper, too many signs, and a tick-box culture.
The new way?

• Real-time alerts
• Data-led decisions
• No more guesswork

SpaceBands helps managers see where the real problems are – so they can fix them faster.

What’s Next?

The new device is set to launch in January next year. If you’re interested in bringing this tech to your workplace, reach out directly to Ronan at ronan@spacebands.com or visit thespacebands.com.

Why Risk Fluent Loves This

At Risk Fluent, we believe real change happens when we combine smart thinking with smarter tools. SpaceBands is more than a mere gadget. It’s a fresh pair of eyes in a safety world that’s ready for a shake-up.

Safety isn’t about stopping work. It’s about making work better.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)