The National Safety Council brought together six leading technology providers to showcase their cutting-edge solutions during the Work to Zero Safety Innovation Challenge. The challenge helps organizations address the critical safety concern of heat stress risks while advancing the program’s mission to eliminate workplace fatalities through technology. Apex Cool Labs was selected as this year’s challenge winner.
“Heat stress is not only a significant safety challenge but also a solvable one, thanks in part to technological innovation,” said Katherine Mendoza, senior director of workplace safety programs at NSC. “The Safety Innovation Challenge is a platform to showcase transformative solutions that can protect workers, save lives and improve workplace outcomes, which is the ultimate goal of Work to Zero. From wearable devices to AI-enabled monitoring systems, this year’s finalists demonstrated a range of impactful solutions to mitigate this critical safety issue, and I want to congratulate all the participants and especially Apex Cool Labs for being honored as the 2025 challenge winner.”
Nearly 500 workers have died from heat-related workplace incidents since 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Heat stress accounted for about 3,400 work-related injuries and illnesses annually from 2011 to 2020, with affected workers requiring days away from work. With rising temperatures and more frequent extreme heat events, protecting workers from heat-related hazards remains critical for workplace safety and health.
Work to Zero and TechConnect identified nearly 100 potential technology providers for the 2025 Safety Innovation Challenge. TechConnect, a division of Advanced Technology International, helps coordinate the nation’s most innovative research initiatives. From the initial group, six finalists were selected to showcase their heat stress prevention technologies to hundreds of business leaders and safety experts at The Future of EHS 2025 in St. Louis.
The 2025 Safety Innovation Challenge featured the following companies and technologies:
- Apex Cool Labs: Palm-cooling device engineered to combat heat stress and improve performance from the sidelines to the front lines
- Bodytrak: Geofencing technology alerting workers and supervisors to high-heat areas in real time
- Critical Ops: Remote sensing devices, such as drones and thermal imaging, that collect detailed, actionable data to reduce risks
- Cryogenx: Portable body-cooling technology for the treatment of heat-related illness
- MakuSafe Wearable Tech: Wearable sensor technology with powerful data analytics to monitor and mitigate heat risks in real time
- Wright Brothers Institute: Footwear technology for passive core temperature thermal management
“We are honored to be selected as the winner of the 2025 Work to Zero Safety Innovation Challenge,” said Evy Lyons, co-founder and CEO of Apex Cool Labs. “This recognition underscores the urgent need for practical heat stress solutions and demonstrates the meaningful impact our palm-cooling device can have to help ensure workers in the toughest and hottest conditions return home safely every day.”
Each finalist presented heat stress prevention solutions at The Future of EHS 2025 Safety Innovation Showcase. Conference attendees then met with finalists at the Safety Technology Pavilion to cast their votes for the winner. For winning the challenge, Apex Cool Labs receives a one-year free subscription to the NSC TechHub Marketplace, gaining access to EHS technology resources and providers. All finalists also earn inclusion in the Work to Zero Pilot Grant Program to implement their technology in real-world workplace settings.
Funded by the McElhattan Foundation, Work to Zero aims to eliminate workplace fatalities through the use of technology. To learn more about creating a safer workplace, visit nsc.org/worktozero.