Epicore Biosystems and REUS Cares Join Forces to Enhance Agritech Worker Safety

Epicore Biosystems and REUS Cares: A Partnership for Worker Safety

In a milestone collaboration, Epicore Biosystems, renowned for its pioneering wearable hydration and sweat-sensing technologies, has announced its innovative Connected Hydration Armband (CH Armband). This development comes alongside a strategic partnership with REUS Cares, a leader in workforce wellness initiatives, aimed explicitly at safeguarding agritech workers from the dangers posed by heat stress.

This lightweight, reusable armband continuously monitors key metrics including sweat, electrolyte, and fluid loss, delivering personalized rehydration guidance in real-time. Designed to mitigate heat-related health risks, this technology is especially vital for agricultural laborers in Latin America, who are historically subjected to extreme temperatures and physical labor. The International Labour Organization's statistics underscore this issue, revealing that approximately 70% of workers globally face excessive heat exposure annually, a statistic that resonates profoundly within the agricultural sector of Latin America.

Tackling Heat Stress with Innovation
The health consequences of prolonged heat exposure are severe, often leading to dehydration, chronic kidney ailments, and heat exhaustion. Epicore's Connected Hydration solution effectively addresses these climate-related challenges by measuring various biometric factors, such as sweat composition and skin temperature. With the armband, workers receive tailored hydration notifications that preemptively alert them to potential heat-related problems, an advancement that can significantly improve workplace safety.

"Our priority is worker safety, and with extreme heat posing a growing concern, the implementation of Epicore's technology marks a transformative step in enhancing workplace wellness," stated Juan Florido, General Manager at REUS Cares. He emphasized the transition towards data-driven hydration practices rather than relying on generalized weather patterns, resulting in better-informed work schedules that prioritize hydration, rest, and overall worker safety.

The functionality of Epicore's water and electrolyte monitoring system includes the flexibility of using either the CH Armband for everyday wear or adhesive patches for application across different body parts. At present, the CH Armband is being rolled out across various industrial sites in North America as part of a pilot program to gauge its efficacy and gather user feedback.

Aiming for Broad Impact
This partnership anticipates the rollout of the armband into REUS Cares' occupational health programs, commencing in Guatemala. Initial deployments are scheduled for large agricultural operations, including sugarcane, banana, and palm oil plantations. The expectation is to extend the reach of this innovation to tens of thousands of workers in the horticultural sector across Latin America from 2025 to 2026.

"By empowering workers with real-time hydration data, we are tackling not just immediate health concerns but enhancing overall safety and productivity in this essential labor sector," remarked Dr. Roozbeh Ghaffari, Founder and CEO of Epicore Biosystems. This collaboration exemplifies how technology can profoundly transform agricultural work, addressing both health and occupational hazards.

In addition, Epicore’s Connected Hydration technology has gained recognition within the scientific community, recently featured at prestigious events like the Super Bowl LIX and highlighted in prominent journals such as Nature Digital Medicine, showcasing partnerships with esteemed institutions like the University of Connecticut and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

For those wishing to learn more about Epicore’s groundbreaking wearable hydration technology, please visit Epicore Biosystems and to explore REUS Cares' initiatives, visit REUS Cares.

This transformative partnership between Epicore and REUS Cares not only represents a technological breakthrough but also a crucial commitment to ensuring agricultural workers’ health and safety in an increasingly challenging climate.