AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS
HOW AUTOMATED TECHNOLOGIES CAN HELP ORGANISATIONS RISE TO REGULATORY CHALLENGES
A
cross all sectors, there are differing regulations and practices that organisations need to adhere to in order to operate their businesses safely, effect- ively and efficiently. From hygienic food storage to the safety of materials handling equipment and monitoring when certain assets or equipment might fail, businesses need to record data and check its accuracy to prove their product or equipment is safe and that the organisation is adhering to consistent safety measures.
Yet in many cases, businesses continue to rely on manual, time-consuming, paper-based monitoring processes which are not only inefficient but also have a high likelihood of inaccuracy. With pressures increasing on businesses to improve productivity and streamline their operations, they need a means of performing these critical regulatory processes in a way that not only saves valuable time but also pro- vides peace of mind that these checks are timely and crucially – accurate.
Chris Potts, marketing director, ANT Telecom explains how automated compliance monitoring through the use of IoT sensor technology can support businesses in achieving these goals, as well as pro- viding further data-led insight to take proactive and preventative action where necessary.
Industry Impacts
Not only must the food industry comply with HACCP compliance requirements, but industries such as warehousing and logistics – where Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance applies – also have compli- ance responsibilities; as well as education and office environments. Every business must adhere to regu- lations, but for certain sectors these can be complex and time-consuming to monitor. Additionally, the monotonous nature of the task means that shortcuts can be taken, readings fabricated or information not documented legibly.
In the case of warehousing, the HSE recommends that racking units are checked annually by a SEMA (Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association) approved racking inspector, and regularly by staff to inspect any damage or weakness in the structure. For many businesses, the sheer scale of warehouse racking means it takes a significant amount of time to inspect frequently. Moreover, is a visual inspection enough to identify safety issues that could put lives at risk?
For office, hospitality and education environments, the law states that ‘employers must ensure an ad- equate supply of fresh air (ventilation) in enclosed
10 FEBRUARY 2022 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
areas of the workplace’. Not only is this crucial for COVID-19-19 safety, but it is also vital in terms of employee and student wellbeing. To align with these regulations CO2 levels must be measured accurately by taking a range of factors into account, such as the number of people within a location and measuring at certain times throughout the day so that appropriate action can be taken if required. This long-winded and manual process is an administrative burden to manage accurately and effectively.
Additionally, it’s not just offices, hospitality and education environments that suffer from managing fresh air (ventilation) and CO2 levels. Within health- care, staff, patients’ and visitors’ wellbeing is affected by bad air quality here too; and managers have to often choose between keeping doors and windows open to provide fresh air. This can often make the physical environment and surrounding premises cold and uncomfortable; which, in itself, might increase absence due to causing illness and/or comprom- ises on air quality; with the added knock-on effect of increased heating costs, to compensate for cold premises. However, the conundrum is that this good air quality is key to reducing the risk of staff being becoming sick due to catching a virus of any sort; which is even more crucial, as seen through today’s
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