The challenge
The integration of information technology and communication with production processes and their automation has an impact on both the economy and society, as well as on the protection of health and safety in the workplace. In this context, what are commonly seen as prevention costs can be transformed into investment opportunities.
Industry 4.0 technologies offer the possibility to implement solutions capable of significantly increasing workers’ safety. Analyzing Article 45 of Legislative Decree 81/08 together with some major companies, it has emerged how important it is for workers to be equipped with devices capable of promptly signaling an emergency situation. And it is along this line that we have directed our research and development activities.
The solution
Workplace safety is connected to the mapping of indoor spaces to promptly identify workers in distress and/or emergency situations, through the collection of real-time data via cloud platforms and machine learning solutions.
Thanks to intelligent objects, connected and capable of communicating with each other and with workers, it is possible to report anomalies, malfunctions, or hazards (even “listening” to environmental parameters such as hot machinery, hazardous liquids, toxic gases).
The solution consists of wearable hardware devices or devices distributed in the environment, based on RFID and Bluetooth technologies, a cloud platform for data collection and analysis, and user interfaces on desktop, tablet, and smartphone.
We have applied sensors in the environment, on machinery, on workers’ clothing, and on their tools, allowing alarms to be triggered in real-time when a danger is imminent or ongoing, and consequently, to promptly organize a response. Thanks to these smart objects and proximity technologies, it is possible to monitor even very large work areas, locating people and objects in real-time and assessing their interaction to recognize abnormal situations or unauthorized access and movements.
For example, in some serious cases, it is crucial to know exactly the number and exact location of people trapped in an alarm area to quickly direct rescue teams. Clearly, privacy aspects are outweighed by the need for workers’ safety and health.
