It's increasingly common for warehouse managers to implement robots to supplement their human workforces. These specialized machines are able to productivity levels high while maintaining consistent output.
Warehouse executives often decide to invest in automation solutions when they want to ramp up production without needing to hire new workers and go through the onboarding process with them. While robots meet production demands, they also serve the dual purpose of reducing workplace injuries related to lifting, falls and other hazards.
1. Reducing Lifting Injuries
The majority of warehouse workers are familiar with lifting materials using equipment or by hand. Even when employees receive training with proper lifting techniques, accidents can happen, and musculoskeletal-related injuries are not uncommon.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) examined the incidences of musculoskeletal injuries that require taking time off from work. The organization clarified that these types of injuries happen due to overexertion or repetitive motion. The agency found that the part of the body most affected by musculoskeletal injuries varied depending on the occupation. Back injuries comprised the majority of injuries, accounting for for 38.5% of all musculoskeletal incidents suffered at work in 2016.
Warehouse robots could assist with alleviating workers of injuries caused by physical fatigue. Many of these machines are specifically designed to lift heavy objects.
2. Increasing Efficiency While Maintaining Safety
Robots have a variety of intelligent features that help them stay aware of obstacles in the environment while moving. a team at NASA built three robots plus the software needed to operate them. The machines are particularly well suited to facilities like shipping warehouses. They can transport a cart loaded with items to the place where a human worker loads the stuff onto a truck for off-site distribution to its destination.
The associated software that controls the robots knows where the packages are in a warehouse, as well as the trucks used to transport things where they need to go. It can identify any areas where there are backups and respond accordingly. This capability keeps things running smoothly while avoiding bottlenecks.
A triple-check safety feature developed by NASA and Carnegie Mellon triggers robots to automatically shut down before making contact with a person or object. The designers of this robotic system say workers could apply it to any piece of moving equipment without needing to invest in new machines. That aspect could also increase safety, since it allows people to keep working with the machinery they already know well.
3. Minimizing Incidents of Falls From High Levels
Falls frequently are associated with warehouse injuries. One common scenario is that workers fall after using forklifts to reach items on high shelves. The construction teams tasked with building new warehouses often look for ways to maximize available space. As e-commerce brands continue to expand their offerings to meet expectations, they need more room to keep those items organized.
Some companies find that vertical structures that extend several stories into the air work best. That's particularly true in cases with limited space, such as crowded urban areas. Locus Robotics, a warehouse automation solutions provider, builds machines that allows workers use forklifts less often or not at all.
The company develops robots made to work in warehouses that span multiple levels instead of just one. These machines reach things that are too high for humans, then bring the items down for warehouse workers to take. This setup doesn't eliminate the possibility of falls if someone slips or trips on something while walking. However, it eliminates the amount of work employees need to perform at dangerous heights.
4. Managing Worker Fatigue Issues
Worker fatigue is a problem that's only partially exacerbated by the type of job performed. Although employees fatigue more quickly when performing exceptionally physically demanding or precise tasks, off-the-job factors may be at play too. For example, if a warehouse worker is a new parent, they may not be getting adequate rest. Unmanaged insomnia may also contribute to tiredness at work.
A 2017 study examined the link between worker fatigue and occupational accidents and injuries. It found that people are most at risk when they don't take breaks often enough and when breaks are too short. Moreover, the risk rises if a person works a shift exceeding 11 hours, or one that occurs at night.
Another advantage of robots is that they can work for long stretches without stopping. They also don't show the declines in performance that can happen when people start to get tired. If companies notice injury reports associated with people performing certain tasks or working during particular hours, they could investigate the issue and see if it's worthwhile to invest in robots to make worker fatigue less problematic.
For example, a collaborative robot could work alongside a human and handle the tasks in a warehouse that are the most physically demanding for people. Companies still need to give humans adequate rest breaks, of course. But robots can cut down on the chances of humans getting pushed to their limits too often.
There are numerous ways that warehouse professionals can boost the safety of workers with help from robots. As technology continues to progress, more opportunities undoubtedly will be developed and implemented.
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The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is reshaping how manufacturing companies work, increasing productivity while achieving higher consistency levels and lower error rates.
Manufacturing also has seen continuous improvement in safety processes as a result of evolving technologies.
When integrating new technology into your safety program, here are six IIoT trends EHS managers should consider.
1. Combining IoT Sensors With Computer Vision
Many IoT setups in manufacturing plants feature sensors that continually gather data and help managers make better decisions. The IoT sensors can also track trends to help executives determine what's working well, and where room for improvement exists.
Concerning safety, companies increasingly use IoT sensors and computer vision to promote workers' well-being. Computer vision aims to function like the human brain and eyes do. It detects differences between environments and situations, then responds accordingly. Some computer vision systems screen data from IIoT sensors and look for any abnormalities. If it finds them, it can automatically stop industrial equipment to prevent injuries.
Other computer vision technologies look for defects in products. Finding those promptly limits the potential damage caused to workers who handle those items at later points in an assembly line, as well as to the eventual customers.
2. Fitting Workers With High-Tech Wearables
Many manufacturing workers wear protective equipment like goggles and high-visibility vests depending on their typical roles. Those things help keep them safer in the workplace. Traditional personal protective equipment won't become obsolete, but IIoT wearables can complement them.
Eleksen offers IIoT safety wearables that increase worker visibility or monitor things like posture, noise and physiological data. Moreover, the company has wearable gadgets that offer fall detection alerts or warn employees about impending collisions from heavy equipment. The data from the sensors goes to a central database and interface that managers can use to keep tabs on overall safety trends.
Similarly, the RealWear brand sells connected safety glasses with augmented reality components. When using them, people can get real-time feedback that helps them adhere to safe working practices. For example, they can access visual references of complicated procedures, look at checklists or call for support. The glasses also have a voice-recording component so people can document the processes they go through and keep their hands free.
3. Installing Integrated Building Safety Systems
IIoT is getting so advanced that many of today's buildings have numerous kinds of technology in them, all resulting in integrated safety systems.
A pilot project associated with two Houston schools illustrates the possibilities of components like panic buttons integrating with highly advanced IoT safety systems. For example, a person can press a panic button during a threatening situation, which can call both internal and external authorities.
Those schools also have smart lights that help people identify a building's safe zones and warn them of potential danger nearby. When considering any IIoT project, companies must be sure they have the proper power supplies to handle the transition. For example, it may be necessary to install industrial-grade electrical receptacles to help such projects go smoothly.
Integrated building safety systems are more in demand now due to the rising occurrences of tragedies like school shootings. But, they'll likely become more prevalent at manufacturing plants, too. After all, some warehouses are tremendous in terms of size. The February 2019 incident at an Illinois manufacturing plant where a gunman killed five of his fellow employees is a sobering reminder of how manufacturers need to think seriously about such safety solutions.
4. Continuing to Focus on IIoT Security to Ensure Safety
Even the most advanced IIoT systems may remain vulnerable to threats from cybercriminals. That's why manufacturing companies must always incorporate cybersecurity into their safety checks. Some sources believe companies within the manufacturing sector and otherwise must make IIoT cybersecurity a priority.
If they don't, there's a possibility of connected equipment malfunctioning and causing harm to people nearby. Additionally, if hackers gain access to connected machinery and make it behave in ways that are undetectable for a while, they could cause the equipment to make defective equipment. That possibility also compromises safety.
For these reasons and others, IIoT security is a top trend to watch in 2019, and it will likely remain essential for the foreseeable future. An increasing number of manufacturing companies and enterprises from other sectors are starting to realize overlooking security could substantially hinder their IIoT investments and negatively affect safety.
5. Relying on Industrial Robots That Aren't in Cages
When most people think of industral robotics, they envision a gigantic machine confined to a cage so it can move without potentially harming humans. Those robots still exist, but frequently get supplemented with other options. For example, Veo Robotics developed a system that uses computer vision, sensors and artificial intelligence to help large industrial robots work around humans without cages.
The technology costs $30,000, and it gives the robots spatial awareness of all objects and obstacles within their paths. If the machine gets closer than the desired protective separation distance from a human or something perceived as such, it stops. This technology aims to eliminate any accidents involving machine-human collisions, and it could give more flexibility to manufacturing companies that want people to work alongside robots without the risk of getting hurt.
A company that manufactures consumer tools benefited from another way humans and machines can safely work together. It invested in cobots. Those machines, made to work alongside people, automatically slow down or stop when someone gets too close. The business' production efficiency increased by 30% once it started using cobots, as well.
6. Using Location-Based Analytics and Real-Time Location Systems for Improved IIoT Safety
Industries such as health care use real-time location systems (RTLS) to track assets and people. However, a company called Kontakt.io has a platform called Simon AI that brings sensor technology and RTLS to the industrial sector, too. One of the primary uses of the system is to determine when people enter and leave the workplace.
But, from a safety point of view, Simon AI has other notable features. For example, it can give warnings if unauthorized people walk into restricted areas. Or, the technology can connect to a panic button that lets individuals summon aid and send assistance to their exact location. Then, if an evacuation occurs, the technology shows how many people reached the designated safe meeting points, and if anyone got left behind.
Checking to see if people are where they should be at a particular point in time is an integral part of keeping them safe. Systems that provide supervisors with location-based data from RTLS help them verify their employees are staying out of harm's way.
An Exciting Future
Diverse technologies are becoming available that align with the connected nature of the IIoT and help prevent accidents or other catastrophes. Safety should be a primary concern when implementing any IIoT technology, and the trends here demonstrate safety can become the central goal with some of the new products that are on the market or will be soon.
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