Evolutionary Industry 4.0 Technology- How Can It Reduce Accidents and Injuries?

One of the advantages of adopting Industry 4.0 technology for manufacturers is a much lower frequency of accidents and injuries in their factories. In today’s manufacturing industry, accidents and injuries are a major issue. Thousands of workers are wounded in factories every year in the US and worldwide, spending hundreds of millions of dollars in treatment, rehabilitation, and lost time. Manufacturers who have implemented Industry 4.0 technology have discovered that technology has the potential to reduce the number of accidents and injuries to zero. How? Let’s have a look.

Warehousing Technology. Credit: Techwords

IoT sensors monitor environmental conditions and transmit alarms in real-time.

Table of Contents

1 IoT sensors monitor environmental conditions and transmit alarms in real-time.
2 Robots assist with all dangerous tasks.
3 AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) are used to transport big loads.
4 Biomedical sensors offer quick alerts regarding the physical processes of workers.
5 Augmented Reality (AR) can be used in safety training.
- - 5.0.1 References

Industry 4.0 includes the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). It enables everyday things to communicate with humans by sending and receiving data. IoT sensors (sensors equipped with computer chips) can be embedded in tools and machinery in manufacturing. These IIoT sensors continuously monitor the tools or machine’s environmental conditions, such as temperature, pressure, and vibrations. When a value exceeds or falls below a predefined threshold, the sensor sends an instant alarm to the human supervisor via their smartphone, tablet, or computer. As a result, managers can take rapid action to avert tragedies.

Robots assist with all dangerous tasks.

Workplace Accidents often lead to severe traumatic brain injuries. The most common symptoms of TBIs include long-term headaches, confusion, vomiting, coma, and much more, making a worker’s life difficult to continue. Robots can help prevent these deadly workplace accidents.

Robots, like IIoT, are an important component of Industry 4.0. They are growing more human-like as artificial intelligence and motion technology progress. While most factory robots are built to do repetitive and precise tasks, sophisticated robots can aid people in performing complex activities that need decision-making. Human workers can use these robots as assistance in factories to accomplish all unsafe and risky duties. Accidents such as falling from considerable heights, becoming trapped between equipment, inhaling hazardous gas, and catching fire would be avoided as a result.

AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) are used to transport big loads.

Heavy loads are frequently moved from one area to another in a manufacturing plant by factory personnel. This puts individuals at risk of tripping, falling, and being hit by heavy things. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs), portable robots that travel by following markers or cables placed on the production floor, can help factories avoid these risks. Some more modern AGVs employ vision, lasers, or magnets to navigate. Using AGVs reduces the possibility of mishaps when moving large objects.

Biomedical sensors offer quick alerts regarding the physical processes of workers.

Workers at a factory are frequently exposed to hazardous environmental conditions, such as an extremely hot room or a toxic environment. Failure to pull them out in time frequently ends in injuries and fatalities. Such dangers are reduced in a smart factory by requiring workers to wear biomedical sensors. These sensors continuously monitor their physical processes, such as heart and breathing rates, and give fast notifications to the supervisor if the values exceed a safe threshold. The supervisor can then promptly remove them. Some smart factories require workers to wear biomedical sensors at all times during the workday so that their health may be constantly monitored.

Augmented Reality (AR) can be used in safety training.

Safety training is critical for teaching workers how to keep themselves safe. Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to revolutionize safety training. AR is comparable to virtual reality (VR) in concept. Wearing a visor, the user experiences a completely simulated environment. A computer-generated 3-D dynamic map of an object is placed on the object as seen through a computer screen, smartphone, or tablet in augmented reality. The 3-D animated map is complemented by labels, instructions, and tips, allowing trainees to obtain all of the information they require without having to consult their guidebook.

As a result, Industry 4.0 technology can be leveraged to significantly reduce accidents and injuries. It can result in more automation, improved communication and self-monitoring, and the usage of smart technologies that can evaluate and diagnose issues without the need for human participation.