Manufacturing safety is not merely a regulatory obligation but a depiction of operational excellence and ethical responsibility. In an industry defined by precision, efficiency, and high stakes, the importance of safety surpasses the immediate goal of accident prevention. It incorporates every facet of the manufacturing process, from the well-being of the workforce to the integrity of the products, and ultimately, to the sustainability of the business itself.
The concern for manufacturing safety is associated with different elements in the operations of a factory. From a fast-moving pallet jack to an unauthorized entry, the safety of the workers on the sites needs to be monitored across different ends.
According to a report by AFL-CIO, in 2022, 340 workers died every day from hazardous workplaces. While this number is concerning, the present-day AI-powered safety monitoring provisions can help overcome this effectively.
viAct’s AI-powered video analytics utilizes advanced tools such as computer vision technology and Generative AI to make every factory floor safer and secure.
Here, we discuss 5 areas where manufacturing facilities pose the highest risk to their workers and understand the role of an advanced monitoring system.
1. Guarding Health: Preventing Occupational Injuries
According to OSHA, every year around 18,000 workers who operate machinery suffer from injuries. When considering a manufacturing facility, some of the common forms of injuries that take place are either of the following.
Types of Occupational Injury | Description | Example |
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) | Result from repetitive motions, awkward postures, or heavy lifting | Strains, sprains, and overexertion injuries affecting the back, shoulders, and upper limbs |
Cuts, Lacerations, and Punctures | Occur due to the use of sharp tools, handling of raw materials, or accidents involving machinery | Deep cuts or puncture wounds from blades, saws, or nails |
Fractures and Crush Injuries | Heavy machinery and materials present a risk of fractures and crush injuries | Fingers or limbs caught in machinery, heavy objects falling on workers, or accidents involving forklifts |
Burns | Result from exposure to hot surfaces, chemicals, steam, or fire | Chemical burns from improper handling of hazardous substances or thermal burns from hot machinery |
viAct’s AI-powered video analytics continuously monitors workspaces and actively looks into situations of safety breaches. It monitors PPE compliance, slips, trips & falls, proximity to machines when working, and potential collisions.
For example, in a steel manufacturing plant, the system can immediately detect a worker engaged in melting and casting without wearing the required heat-resistant gloves. The system will immediately alert the worker and the safety team, thereby, preventing a potential burn injury.
The occurrence of Musculoskeletal Disorders especially in a manufacturing facility is frequent due to the need for workers to be involved in a particular position for tasks such as material handling and packaging. The REBA and RULA ergonomic assessments empowered through the safety monitoring system help to detect an awkward posture using the NIOSH equation as a reference. It helps to identify workers being stagnant in one position for a significant amount of time and alert for movement changes immediately.
As mentioned by the National Safety Council (NSC), in 2022 per medically consulted injury cost around $40,000 which amounts to a total of $167 billion spent on work injuries across sectors. This led to wage and productivity losses of around $50.7 billion and a loss of 108,000,000 days of work.
The detection of such disorders at the right time can save a substantial amount of money and productivity for manufacturing employers contributing even higher in the long run.
2. Safety on the Move: Managing Mobile Operations
In dynamic manufacturing environments, where equipment and workers are constantly in motion, the risk of accidents increase. A factory floor involves different moving objects used for various purposes. These may include-
Forklifts for lifting, carrying, and transporting heavy materials or products
Automated Guided Vehicles to move raw materials, components, or finished products
Conveyor Belts for transporting materials or products across different stages of the production process
Overhead Cranes or lifting and transporting heavy loads across large areas within a plant
Pallet Jacks to move boxes of goods
While the purpose of a pallet jack, forklift, and overhead crane can be to move goods based on distance, the use of either might be preferred. In any case, one concern should be fixated i.e., the monitoring of their movements.
The AI-powered video analytics is tailored to monitor mobile operations, ensuring that workers are safe even when on the move.
Let’s consider a large automotive assembly plant, AI can detect an overhead crane operating too close to a pedestrian zone. Any further damage can be instantly prevented by using viMAC which is a highly mobile IP camera-based monitoring system that can be attached to the crane to keep zero blind spots. With its 5M horizontal and 6M vertical coverage and 900 downward visualisation can instantly locate a pedestrian below.
As forklifts are highly used in manufacturing facilities, using forklift monitoring systems employing AI-powered safety monitoring helps to prevent collisions through automated speed detection, turn frequencies, and even operator distraction.
The system's real-time alerts allow for immediate corrective action, preventing a potential collision. Monitoring mobile equipment and workers simultaneously ensures that mobility doesn’t compromise safety.
3. Defusing Tensions: Addressing Workplace Violence
Workplace violence, though rare, can have devastating effects on safety and morale. The repercussions of workplace violence are severe. Beyond the immediate physical harm, such incidents can lead to long-lasting psychological trauma, decreased morale, and a breakdown in teamwork. Moreover, workplace violence can result in costly legal battles, increased absenteeism, and a tarnished company reputation, all of which can negatively affect productivity and profitability.
AI-powered safety monitoring system continuously monitors the workplace environment, analyzing behaviors and interactions in real time. The system is trained to detect early warning signs of potential violence, such as aggressive postures, heated verbal exchanges, or individuals entering restricted areas where confrontations are likely to occur.
For instance, consider a scenario in a manufacturing plant where during a particularly stressful shift, the tension between two workers escalates as they work in close proximity. The system, recognizing the increasingly agitated body language and raised voices, sends an alert to the shift supervisor. The supervisor, equipped with this timely information, can separate the employees and address the underlying issues, potentially through mediation or reassignment of tasks.
viAct’s Generative AI-enabled chatbot utilizes natural language processing to link such behavior among the workers and generate customized training programs based on their historical data to prevent a similar situation in the future.
4. Ensuring Compliance: Simplifying Lockouts/Tagouts
In the manufacturing industry, safety procedures are paramount, and one of the most critical safety protocols is Lockout/Tagout (LOTO). This procedure is designed to protect workers from hazardous energy releases during the maintenance or servicing of machinery and equipment.
In large-scale manufacturing plants, machinery often has multiple energy sources and complex control systems. Workers need to identify all energy sources, shut them down properly, and apply locks or tags to prevent reactivation. This process can be time-consuming and, if not done correctly, leaves room for human error, increasing the risk of accidents.
viAct’s advanced video analytics and AI technology offer a solution that simplifies and enhances the effectiveness of these procedures. The system monitors the LOTO process in real time, providing an additional layer of oversight that minimizes the potential for human error and ensures strict adherence to safety protocols.
Let’s see how an AI intervention can secure this situation –
Generative AI can provide visual displays that guide workers through the LOTO process step by step, ensuring that no critical action is skipped.
AI can reconfirm whether all necessary locks and tags have been applied correctly to each energy source.
A detailed record of the lockouts can be maintained for audits.
Using records, common mistake patterns can be identified for additional training provisions.
5. Floor Upkeep: Tackling Poor Maintenance
In any manufacturing environment, the condition of the factory floor is a key determinant of overall safety and operational efficiency. Accumulated debris, spills, or uneven surfaces can affect workers, disrupt production processes, damage equipment, and lead to costly downtime. Slips, trips, and falls are among the most common workplace injuries, often resulting from wet or cluttered floors.
viAct's automated housekeeping management system leverages advanced AI and video analytics to ensure that factory floors are kept in optimal condition at all times. It can automate the scheduling of housekeeping tasks based on real-time data and predefined criteria.
For example, in a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, the system automatically triggers floor cleaning after sensors detect particulate accumulation exceeding GMP standards or immediately following the packaging line's completion of a batch, ensuring the floor remains sterile and compliant with regulatory requirements at all times.
Manufacturing plants have different requirements based on the type of products they produce and the materials they handle. It allows for the customization of cleanliness standards and monitoring parameters to suit the specific needs of each facility. Whether it’s a food and beverage plant that requires frequent sanitation or a steel manufacturing plant that needs to manage metal shavings and dust, it tailors its monitoring and alert systems accordingly.
Manufacturing safety is evolving, and with viAct’s video analytics, the future looks brighter. By proactively addressing potential hazards and ensuring compliance with safety protocols, it is transforming the way manufacturing facilities operate. From preventing injuries to ensuring smooth, safe operations, video analytics is a game-changer in modern manufacturing.
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