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WORKPLACE SAFETY
HOW AI TECHNOLOGY IS TRANSFORMING SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE IN THE WORKPLACE
encompass a range of different physical operations need to ensure that the health and safety (H&S) of its employees is at the heart of everything that they do. Workplace injury is always a risk and according to the Health and Safety Executive, every year there are workplace accidents involving plant and industrial machinery, some of which unfortunately result in people losing their lives. Workers can be severely injured, crushed and killed by moving plant, vehicles and trailers and they can also be injured when getting on or off machinery, working at height, or when loading or unloading. Alongside this, a 2023 survey conducted by the CIPD and Simplyhealth found that 51 per cent of long- term sickness absences in the UK are caused by musculoskeletal injuries MSDs (Musculoskeletal Disorders). If you work in a sector where these sorts of injuries and accidents are more likely, then some of the newest technologies on offer can help reduce these numbers dramatically and help to improve workplace safety by collecting and
H
ealth and Safety legislation is one of the most important considerations around workplace compliance. Managers with responsibility for premises which
tracking detailed employee data that focuses on where the biggest risks to workplace safety exist. Some of the best solutions out there include anti-collision technology, exoskeleton solutions and behaviour change technology.
ANTI-COLLISION TECHNOLOGY
When people and machines operate together in close proximity, the likelihood of workplace accidents inevitably rises. In the UK, between 2016 and 2019, 43 per cent of forklift truck incidents involved an impact with a person and 65 per cent of these involved pedestrians unconnected with the activities of the forklift. These figures from the UK Materials Handling Association clearly show that danger is heightened when people work in an environment that contains mechanical vehicles such as forklift trucks, excavators and cranes. Technology such as the HaloGuard360 uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to communicate with forklift drivers, plant and crane operators and other workers in the vicinity, while simultaneously measuring ergonomics and environmental factors.
Combined with Ultra Wide Band (UWB) and beacon technology, units are installed inside the industrial vehicle to provide an accurate location in real-time within centimetres. Devices are also positioned throughout the
22 SUMMER 2024 | INDUSTRIAL COMPLIANCE By Graham Sharp, managing director, Stanley
warehouse or construction site to provide real- time alerts in high-risk areas such as blind spots or when a crane is operating overhead. Workers on the floor receive haptic proximity alerts from a wearable device like the Modjoul SmartBelt, alerting them to the presence of a forklift or other industrial vehicle. Simultaneously, drivers are alerted to a worker’s presence via a tablet-like display. The devices simultaneously collect data and measure ergonomic and positioning factors, ensuring that there is detailed data on potential near misses in specific zones.
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