• • • SAFETY IN ENGINEERING • • • Sensing a problem


Richard Mount, director of sales at ASIC design and supply company Swindon Silicon Systems, explains how smart sensors and ASIC technology can ensure occupational safety in industry


I


ndustry 4.0 technologies have transformed processes across the manufacturing value chain for the better but ensuring worker safety


in an increasingly more complex environment has taken on a different form, with new considerations. An application specific integrated circuit, or


ASIC, is a custom integrated circuit (IC) that is designed specifically for the customer’s requirements. While the same functions can often be performed by combining several off-the-shelf ICs, an ASIC is favoured thanks to its unique ability to meet superior levels of performance, reliability, form factor, long term availability and intellectual property protection. By turning towards automation to complete


many repetitive activities, Industry 4.0 processes drastically reduce opportunity for human error — frequently cited as a major cause of occupational incidents. Smart sensors are an essential piece of the Industry 4.0 technology stack, gathering data for further analysis to gain actionable insights for range of industrial safety use cases.


Environmental monitoring Industrial settings can be harsh and potentially dangerous environments. Sensors are the first point of call to ensure the accurate monitoring of the industrial environment —whether that’s detecting temperature changes, presence of hazardous gas, fluid leaks, or measuring air quality. If a measurement is recorded that falls outside of defined safety parameters, a smart sensor connected to the factory’s network can trigger alerts to prevent further issues arising. While these sensors are often found on


equipment or within the factory building itself, more recently they’ve been integrated into personal protective equipment (PPE). As a longstanding essential for factory floor personnel, making PPE smarter with added sensors and communication technology is the future of improved occupational safety. Sensors to detect any variable – both of the


physical environment and the person’s body – from within PPE helps to identify any unexpected


Another example relates to noise attenuation.


Factories and work sites can be noisy places, and the risk of hearing loss for frequenters is high. According to Health and Safety Executive, if average exposure to noise is higher than 85 A- weighted decibels (db (A)), employers must provide hearing protection, which can take the form of noise attenuating headsets. Noise attenuating headsets are integrated with a


smart sensor to monitor ambient noise. If noise reaches a volume higher than what’s considered safe, the smart sensor can trigger the headphones to emit the exact opposite signal to the ambient sound waves to ‘cancel out’ the sound, protecting workers from hearing damage.


Sensing social distancing Keeping workers safe from their environment is one thing, but they also need to be kept safe from each other. Since the pandemic there’s also been an increased emphasis on preventing transmission of COVID and other infections. It’s possible for personnel to benefit from


wearable devices with integrated proximity sensors to maintain adequate social distance from one another. If a proximity sensor detects another person within the define social distancing space, it can alert both employees to move to a safe distance. What’s more, on a companywide level,


collecting and analysing this data from each device helps to recognise hotspots for social


30 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • OCTOBER 2022 electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk


changes for those working in harsh environments. For example, if someone working in extreme heat registers a body temperature higher than is healthy, the system can trigger an alert to notify them as well as others, to take necessary action.


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