Automation has become an important tool in almost every industry and it comes with a load of benefits: higher precision, significantly less time spent on processes, safety workplaces, cost effectiveness and so on.
Automation and connectivity are some of the pillars of Industry 4.0, the new age of manufacturing.
In the manufacturing plants of today, there are robots and intelligent cameras performing tasks such as defect detection and sorting and grading. Additionally, processes and machines are computerized such that they can be controlled from a computer screen. Data from machines can also be collected and used to optimize processes.
In addition, the Internet of Things has found its way into the manufacturing industry. There are multiple sensors on a wide range of elements, from machines and cameras to workers.
The paragraphs above describe the amazing world of industry 4.0 and this article will look at how industry 4.0 technologies can be used to enhance industrial safety.
How Industry 4.0 Enhances Safety
Industry 4.0 is proving essential in enhancing safety in a wide variety of industries, from chemical process to oil and gas industry safety. Here’s how.
Efficient Communication
Information silos can be dangerous in a factory. It can be difficult to ensure safety and adhere to EHS regulations when EHS officials don’t have full access to information from all departments.
In the past, it was difficult to integrate this information into safety processes not necessarily because it was restricted but because it was difficult to share in real-time.
However, with an industrial safety app based on industry 4.0 technology, real-time awareness on matters that are critical to safety is possible. With sensors sharing data in real time, and AI software continuously analyzing the data and generating alerts when relevant, safety becomes much easier.
Centralized Management
When safety incidents occur, how the situation is handled has an important bearing on the overall damage and lives lost. If the situation is managed well, less lives are lost and less property is damaged.
With an industry 4.0 safety app, it is easy to access all relevant information about an incident through a centralized platform.
For example, the industrial safety app displays real-time employee location. And since the employees are connected to the safety system through mobile phones, wearables and sensors, the true state of affairs on the ground can be ascertained.
With an accurate picture of things, employees will be better evacuated and mitigative action taken appropriately, significantly reducing the overall damage.
A Proactive Approach to Safety
An industrial safety app enables a proactive approach to data safety, which can be crucial for example in oil and gas industry safety.
An Industry 4.0 safety app enables the collection of a lot of data from multiple sensors, embedded in devices and on workers. Such data can also come from intelligent cameras.
The data is a crucial raw material for artificial intelligence software that uses techniques like machine learning. Its analysis can give a huge boost to industrial safety by promoting proactivity.
For example, machine learning models can be used for anomaly detection. The system can trigger alerts when anomalies are detected, alerting safety personnel to potentially disastrous situations.
Conclusion
Industrial safety in the modern age is difficult without relying on industry 4.0 technologies and integrating them into safety processes. The connectivity and automation that industry 4.0 enables are essential to modern day industrial safety.
Industry 4.0 enables better communication, centralized management, and a proactive rather than reactive approach to safety. It helps in emergency preparedness and management, hazard identification, and other applications such as permit to work and shift management, which all help improve safety.
