ORLANDO, Fla. — The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) 2025 Safety Conference + Expo drew thousands to Orlando last week with a packed expo hall brimming with safety breakthroughs aimed at protecting and empowering workers on the jobsite and beyond.

While the event attracts professionals from nearly every sector, many of this year’s standout innovations were designed with construction, manufacturing, logistics, and outdoor trades in mind. From wearable tech that tracks hydration to exoskeletons that lighten the load of overhead tasks, here’s a closer look at five products that turned heads on the show floor:

SpanSet’s Auxivo OmniSuit: Easier Overhead Work

‍Sanford, North Carolina-based SpanSet has long been recognized for its fall protection and cargo gear, but its push into exoskeleton technology marks a new frontier for the firm.

At their booth, visitors lined up to test the Auxivo OmniSuit, a lightweight, strappy exoskeleton that provides lift support for overhead tasks. “In the past, Sanford, North Carolina-based SpanSet has mostly sold fall protection and cargo control, but in the last two years, it has also retailed exoskeletons,” said Evan Vogel, sales director.

The 6-pound suit straps around the waist and thighs, using textile tension to guide the wearer’s posture and ease repetitive strain. “Bending to lift guides the wearer to squat and lift properly by tightening the material at the lower back, making it harder to lean forward,” Vogel explained.

Already popular across Europe, the OmniSuit is finding its footing in the U.S., with promising applications for drywall installers, manufacturing workers, and warehouse crews alike.

SureWerx Fall Safe Harness: Smarter Fall Protection

‍At a runway-style demonstration, Illinois-based SureWerx showcased its new Fall Safe harness, a system that’s smarter about when to lock up. “Demonstrators walked quickly down the runway to demonstrate that the new protective equipment doesn’t lock up improperly due to jerky movement,” the company noted.

Unlike traditional harnesses that react solely to velocity, SureWerx’s design measures both speed and acceleration. “Traditional fall safety measures only velocity... SureWerx gear measures for when there’s a change in speed, locking hard when the line rapidly accelerates,” explained Dustin Schneider, strategic account executive for North America.

The harness lets workers bend, reach, or move freely without accidental tugs that could cause discomfort or wasted time. Workers can expect to see the new harness on shelves in the U.S. by year’s end.

Epicore Biosystems Wearable: Hydration at a Glance

‍With temperatures rising on jobsites, staying hydrated is serious business. Epicore Biosystems, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, unveiled an upgraded version of its hydration-tracking device — now worn on an armband for greater comfort and convenience.

Originally designed as a skin patch for athletes, the wearable buzzes when the wearer has lost about 500 milliliters of water — about one bottle’s worth. “Now the wearable sits on an armband around the user’s bicep,” said Navropp Sidhu, director of growth marketing.

When the alarm goes off, workers are prompted to drink and can acknowledge it with the push of a button. If they don’t, the device keeps buzzing to prevent dehydration from sneaking up unnoticed — a small but powerful safeguard for those working long hours in the sun.

Caco America’s Helmets: Cool Heads Prevail

‍Panama-based Caco Abbo’s U.S. branch, Caco America, presented its GH400 and GH500 helmets, which use aerospace-derived Koroyd technology to keep workers safer — and cooler.

“Green cylindrical tubing absorbs the impact of blunt trauma to the type 1 and type 2 helmets,” explained James Rogers, national sales director. Compared to standard EPS foam, Koroyd’s tube structure makes the helmet about 95% air, meaning it’s significantly lighter and less likely to trap heat.

The design’s innovation hasn’t gone unnoticed: the GH400 snagged second place at the 2022 National Safety Council Safety Congress & Expo’s Best in Show Competition.

Paragon Pro Cooling Vest: Wearable Climate Control

‍Few things sap a worker’s strength faster than extreme heat. Paragon Pro’s solution? A vest that circulates cold water around the wearer’s torso, using ice packs stored in portable coolers.

“If you run it for 10 minutes, you’re going to want to take it off,” said Clarence Patten IV, president of Paragon Pro, noting the system cools the body rapidly — especially for workers on breaks.

Originally developed for motorsports, surgeons, and actors, the vest is gaining traction for outdoor labor too. Patten sees it being a valuable tool for utility line workers, aerial lift operators, and other crews battling the summer sun.

The Takeaway

‍This year’s ASSP conference spotlighted a clear trend: smarter, lighter, and more worker-friendly solutions that blend cutting-edge tech with simple, practical comfort. Whether it’s helping crews lift safely, stay hydrated, avoid falls, or beat the heat, the next generation of safety gear is designed to keep people working smarter and safer than ever before.

Originally reported by Zachary Phillips in Construction Dive.