A Robot May Not Injure a Worker: Working safely with robots
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Robots are used in increasing numbers in the workplace and in society in general. As their numbers and capabilities increase, observers have urged that scientists, engineers, and policymakers explore the implications of robotics for society, to ensure that the rise of robots will not spell “doom for humanity” as some critics have warned [1]. To avoid this scenario, in 1942 Isaac Asimov set out three laws of robotics in his short story “Runaround”. The first law of robotics centered on the safety of people states: “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.” How well has this law been applied to worker safety as robots take on more tasks in the 21st century workplace and become robot workers? Judging from continuing headlines about workers injured or killed by robots, not sufficiently.
Most recently, a German newspaper (Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine, HNA) reported that a worker, an employee of a third-party contractor, was killed while installing an industrial robot at a Volkswagen assembly line on June 30, 2015 in Baunatal, Germany [2]. The robot gripped and pressed him up against a metal plate, crushing his chest. Despite efforts to revive him, the worker later died at a hospital [3]. It is unclear whether this fatality was caused by engineering error or human error. This case and others of workplace incidents involving industrial robots suggest that additional safety measures for worker interactions with industrial robots are necessary.
Our recently published paper describes the increasing complexity of robots and proposes a number of recommendations for protecting workers interacting with robotic workers [4]. The paper identifies three categories of robots: (1) industrial robots; (2) professional and personal service robots; and (3) collaborative robots. The initial wave of industrial robots were introduced in the 1970s when they began to be used in the manufacturing sector for assembling automobiles. The second robot wave took off at the turn of the 21st century with the introduction of service robots. It was facilitated by the increasing autonomy and sensory capabilities of robots coupled with decreasing cost and size of microprocessor controllers. With the availability of relatively inexpensive collaborative robots capable of working in direct contact with people, we are now entering the third robot wave where robotic workers operate alongside human workers and symbiotic workers, i.e., human workers equipped with performance-enhancing robotic devices such as robotic exoskeletons and other capacity-enhancing prostheses.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines industrial robot as “an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator, programmable in three or more axes, which can be either fixed in place or mobile for use in industrial automation applications” [5]. Industrial robots are characterized by high strength, endurance and precision and are widely used for welding, painting, assembling, moving, and testing. Most of industrial robots are unaware of their surroundings, therefore, they can be dangerous to people. The main approach to the industrial robot safety is maintenance of a safe distance between human workers and operating robots through the creation of “guarded areas.” A number of guidance documents and international standards deal with workplace safety around industrial robots. However, continuing incidents resulting in harm and death to workers indicate that additional measures such as additional redundancies in safety measures, additional training and improvements in overall safety culture are necessary.
Service robots perform useful tasks for humans which exclude industrial automation applications. Service robots used for commercial tasks and operated by a properly trained operator are called professional service robots, while service robots used for non-commercial tasks are called personal service robots (e.g. robotic vacuum cleaners). Unlike industrial robots, service robots operate mostly outside industrial settings in unstructured and highly unpredictable environments without people such as disaster areas or with people present such as hospitals and homes. Physical proximity between professional service robots and human workers are much more common than between industrial robots and workers since they often share the same workspace. Therefore, worker isolation from the professional service robot is no longer an option as the main safety approach. Furthermore, more complex environments in which service robots must operate dictate much higher degree of autonomy and mobility afforded to service robots. This autonomous and mobile behavior can result in dangerous situations for workers. Therefore robot designers must consider physical, social and ethical implications of such autonomy. In addition to engineering and human sources of injuries, adverse environmental factors such as extreme temperature, poor sensing in difficult weather or lightning conditions can lead to incorrect response by service robots and can be a source of injury [6]. Yet, despite the proliferation of safety concerns involving service robot workers in the same workplace as human workers, no international standards have been developed to address human worker safety in maintaining or operating professional and personal service robots.
Collaborative robots defined as “a robot designed for direct interaction with a human” [5] could be any of the three types of robots described previously, industrial, professional, or personal service robot. Collaborative robots combine the dexterity, flexibility and problem-solving skills of human workers with the strength, endurance and precision of a mechanical robots. A new field of collaborative robotics is managerial robotics. Instead of being relegated to mundane, repetitive, and precise job tasks, robots with their perfect memories, internet connectivity and high-powered computers for data analysis could be successful in particular management roles [7]. Since robots are working alongside human workers, isolation as a safety measure is no longer an option, and other safety approaches must be developed and implemented (e.g., proximity sensors, appropriate materials, software tools, and similar controls) [6].
The on-going introduction of advanced industrial, professional service and collaborative robots working alongside of human workers requires occupational safety and health professionals to take a proactive approach to the assessment and management of the risk profile of occupational robotics. To ensure that human workers are protected, in our article [4] we recommended the following measures for occupational robotics: (1) occupational safety and health professionals should be directly involved in the development of international standards aimed at ensuring safety of workplaces with human and robot workers; (2) workplace safety standards for maintenance, operation, and interaction with human workers, of professional, personal service and collaborative (including managerial) robots should be developed; (3) proactive approaches for establishing risk profiles of robotic workplaces should be developed; and (4) redundant safety measures should be developed and operationalized to protect human workers while performing maintenance tasks on robot workers. These measures, and others suggested by experts, should be examined now before millions of potentially unsafe robots enter the 21st century workplace.
NIOSH, as the sole U.S. government agency dedicated to conducting research on occupational safety and health and with a history of robotic safety research, is well poised to initiate a program assessing potential risks of robot workers, and developing guidance for safe interactions between human and robot. We would like to invite readers’ comments on the sorts of issues that they want NIOSH to examine in the area of robot safety in the workplace.
Vladimir Murashov, PhD; Frank Hearl, PE; and John Howard, M.D.
Dr. Murashov is a Senior Scientist in the NIOSH Office of the Director.
Mr. Hearl is the NIOSH Economics Program Manager and the Chief of Staff in the NIOSH Office of the Director.
Dr. Howard is the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
References:
- Rawlinson, K.: Microsoft’s Bill Gates insists AI is a threat. BBC News. 29 January 2015. Available at http://www.bbc.com/news/31047780. Accessed on April 28, 2015.
- Kühling, S.: “Unglück im VW-Werk Baunatal: Roboter tötet Arbeiter.“ HNA, July 1, 2015. Available at https://www.hna.de/kassel/kreis-kassel/baunatal-ort312516/roboter-toetet-arbeiter-vw-werk-5191637.html (accessed August 5, 2015).
- Brumfield, B.: Car assembly line robot kills worker in Germany. CNN, July 2 2015. Available at http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/02/europe/germany-volkswagen-robot-kills-worker/ (accessed October 28, 2015).
- Murashov, V., F. Hearl., J. Howard: Working Safely with Robot Workers: Recommendations for the New Workplace. J. Occ. Env. Hyg. DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2015.1116700 (2015).
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO): Robots and robotic devices – Vocabulary (ISO 8373:2012). [Standard] Geneva, Switzerland: ISO, 2012.
- Vasic, M., A. Billard: Safety Issues in Human-Robot Interactions. In 2013 IEEE Int. Conf. Robotics Automation (ICRA), Karlsruhe, Germany, May 6-10, 2013. New York, N.Y.: IEEE, 2013. pp. 197-204.
- Gladden M.E.: Managerial robotics: a model of sociality and autonomy for robots managing human beings and machine. Int. J. Contemp. Management 13(3):67-76 (2014).
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Dr. Murashov, Mr. Hearl, Dr. Howard,
You make some very important points in this post that I think are vital to the future of occupational and public safety in an autonomous world. Thank you for writing it! I am an Occupational Health and Safety Professional who has worked extensively with industrial robots and other highly automated equipment in manufacturing settings. I think any discussion of robot safety (in the U.S. at least) must start with the ANSI/RIA R15.06-2012 American National Standard for Industrial Robots and Robot Systems- Safety Requirements. You are probably aware it describes a multi-faceted approach to ensure the safe operation of robotic equipment. I believe this standard and it’s related international versions, provide an excellent framework for standardizing safety for service and collaborative robots composed of current technological devices. Another key concept is that of “Control Reliability”. Effective standards exist for this concept as well, especially the European Directives, or “CE” standards, such as EN ISO 13849-1 Machine Safety. I assert that these concepts, methods, and evolutions thereof, will be very important for the safety of all autonomous machines.
Your post correctly points out that service and collaborative robots will likely be used in less controlled environments than the traditional highly organized and engineered industrial workplace. I believe this new environment for the robots (the “real” world) will require additional technological innovations to provide the level of safety required from our society. Specifically, greatly enhanced presence sensing devices and artificial intelligence based decision making processes, will be necessary to reach the capability of the machine to make life saving decisions in real time in the real world. An even bigger challenge exists beyond the hardware and software design. How will the machine decide what the correct action is for example between undesirable outcomes an autonomous car faces when, due to circumstances, it only has two choices: collide with a motorcycle and it’s rider or a pedestrian? An interesting article in MIT’s Technology Review titled “Why Self-Driving Cars Must be Programmed to Kill” discusses the philosophical and practical implications of creating the perfect algorithm for human safety (link below).
I agree with your four recommendations as to how we proceed forward with engineering safety into the future robots and other autonomous devices. Safety and related Professionals must be a significant contributor to these discussions. I think the autonomous car development efforts and highly automated flight control systems in aircraft and the area of study known as High Reliability are the best sources of learning currently to prepare us for the safety frontier ahead. From these fields we already see that safety cannot be fully automated in all situations.
I am willing to bet that, like so much of safety in the 20th and early 21st centuries, the human element will continue to be the ultimate variable to maintaining the safest environment possible. Below are some links I hope add some framework and concepts to the early dialog on the coming autonomous world.
Further Reading:
MIT post: http://www.technologyreview.com/view/542626/why-self-driving-cars-must-be-programmed-to-kill/
Autonomous Vehicles: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR400/RR443-1/RAND_RR443-1.pdf
Aviation Automation Safety: http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Cockpit_Automation_-_Advantages_and_Safety_Challenges
High Reliability: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr899.pdf
people say ” how to work with robots with we make”
thanks for sharing this
Some Beautiful Qutoes About Robots
1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm;
2: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law;
3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law;
The Zeroth Law: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.”
Isaac Asimov,
It’s such an amazing article. It’s great to know this information It gives me a new vision.
Best Regards,
Shujat Ali.
Thats really awesome. I think robots will be our future neighbours
Great writing!
I feel as if society will become more accepting soon!
Thanks for your comment, Kyle!
Very good article!
The robots are the future.
automatizacion y robotica industrial
Some Beautiful Qutoes About Robots
1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm;
2: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law;
3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law;
The Zeroth Law: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.”
Isaac Asimov, GOV
this idea is really awesome and good but may be it will not work properly because a robot cannot works like a human being but if we see for human safety that’s idea is awesome.
It sounds interesting. I think robots will be our future…
Wonderful, thanks!
The robot has no thought, only in accordance with the human’s thinking to go, for example, the CNC router can be controlled by a robot, but the CNC router can’t be produced only by a robot. it needs human’s idea.
thanks for working this
Thanks for sharing up such an outstanding and passionate information with us through this article. your research and collection of information is really exceptional. The article provide a great knowledge about working with robots. it is really high quality information.
Thank you for your comment.
Robots will appear everywhere in future.
Great point about collaborative robots. It would be a good idea to have a cooling unit near the battery to prevent explosion and harm to humans.
I would really like to believe here what is said about robots not interefering with the human race or even harming human beings but the way things are going, it is looking more and more like the days of skynet coming together from the movie terminator…..I’ve always said that movies are very much a depiction of the future and they come frighteningly close
It’s only a question of time. Robots are replacing human beings everywhere
Thanks for your comment.
this is very important of Robots will appear everywhere in future.
robot changes and easiest our life in every work
You make some very important points in this post that are very impressive. Robot is created by human. It should be always human friendly so that both can work together in a workplace. Thanks for sharing this informative article. Learned a lot from this.
This Idea is really awesome and Good, I think robots will be our future…
It’s such an amazing article. It’s great to know this information It gives me a new vision.
Best Regards,
many thanks to author for publishing up such an excellent and much informative article about working robots safely. it is really interesting to read and much useful.
Robots are the modern day warrior with a inbuilt suit of armour
Great article
Interesting thoughts on the AI revolution of today.
Recently we wrote an article on the future of automation, where we too talk about a revolution at hand. In the industrial automation sector there is a growing trend for the “Smart Factory”. These factories are able to collect a large amount of data, predict failures, and are safer to work with humans. If you are interested in learning more about “Smart Factories” check out the link below.
Future of Automation: http://www.innovativeautomation.com/future-automation-engineering/
We are aware of bots, even in Internet marketing Bots are automating the tasks, such as chat. Mainly it over Facebook which many big companies and e-commerce websites are implementing it now are days plus I guess we should too.. We provide bots making and marketing services
Great Great Article
Yes, Robotics help to reduce work of a person and are useful majorly in automation industry. Vey nicely explained. Thank you for explaining in a understandable format.
Yes, I agree robots may reduce the work but along with it, it may also help you to live your life better. I see drones are doing much good in keeping work less.
After the invention from [ ] about the Internet of Drones, It whos if robots and internet got connected then It may do enough of your job. I am really much impressed how much robots can do our work.
Thanks for sharing this ariticle. This ariticle is very helpful.
keep it up. Thanks
After reading, just one word came to my mind WOW!!
Everyone Needs Intelligent Automation.
Thanks for sharing such a valuable information.
Enjoy!!
Greetings From India!!
Yes I totally agree. Robots reduce work of a person also reduce jobs availability for needy person.
Thank you for sharing useful blog for “working with robots”, Appreciate your work.
Interesting thoughts on the AI revolution of today.
You make some very important points in this post that are very impressive Wisata Bali
Your giving the nice history about the Robotics. Yes, we can use Robots frequently, In this Robots works less time high productivity. Working safety with Robots. The author writing nice history and content about Robots.
Thank you for your comment.
Robots can be used to deal with labour shortages but initial costs could be extremely high.Governments can take initiatives and should provide industrial sectors for free if not free then may be share costs and promote their usage.Providing them with a subsidy would be a good idea.
Thank you for your comment.
Its a great way to deal with construction without losing any human.
Very Good Information. Even now the countries like Saudia Arabia has started giving a citizenship to Robots. It is the first country to give citezenship to human robot named Shophia.
I am happy that we (Humans) has made a great achievement by making human robots. This will provide a great help in the area which are risky to work. Through this we can save lots of human life.
Once again thanks for sharing this article
Regards
LoveUMarketing
Thank you for reading the blog entry on occupational robotics. And thank you for mentioning the Saudi Arabia situation for other readers.
After reading, just one word came to my mind WOW!!
Everyone Needs Intelligent Automation.
Thanks for sharing such a valuable information.
Enjoy!!
Greetings From India!!
Subsequent to perusing, only single word rung a bell WOW!!
Everybody Needs Intelligent Automation.
A debt of gratitude is in order for sharing such a significant data.
Appreciate!!
Thank you for your comment.
nice article and veri inspiring
Thank you for your comment.
robots are helpful and nice information shared
Thank you for your comment.
Great point about collaborative robots. It would be a good idea to have a cooling unit near the battery to prevent explosion and harm to humans.
Thanks for your comment.
Really interesting!
The rise of robots and AI and equal parts scary and amazing
Thanks for your comment.
Great writing!
Nice information
Really astonishing..! The rise of robots and AI are pretty fascinating as well but equally both parts are scary and amazing.
great information there and well articulated I must add
Thank you for the comment.
Great information share, i personally think elon musk is right!
Thanks for your comment about our Blog post.
This is awesome.I think robots are the future of our world and we should need robots.It is awesome Post.Keep going like this!!
Thank You
Great read. Though it takes time slowly acceptance will come. Change is inevitable and as usual human beings are slow to accept change.
Thank you for your comment.
Awesome article that’s right. Administration robots perform valuable assignments for people which prohibit modern computerization applications. Administration robots utilized for business assignments and worked by a legitimately prepared administrator are called proficient administration robots, while benefit robots utilized for non-business errands are called individual administration robots (e.g. automated vacuum cleaners). Not at all like mechanical robots.
Thank you for educating all of us on the terminologies used for various types of robots used for business assignments. Very helpful.
That’s great news that we can automate everything, but the acceptance from the public will definitely take some time.
Thanks for your comment. We agree, acceptance and trust will take time.
This Blog About Robots is Awesome.i can see our future with robots and automation will be great sync.
Thanks for your comment.
Sure, robots and artificial intelligence are slowly becoming serous topics in our life.
Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for sharing such an outstanding information with us through this article. Having great knowledge about working with robots.
Thank you for your comment.
Yes, Robotics help to reduce work of a person and are useful majorly in automation industry. Vey nicely explained. Thank you for explaining in a understandable format.
A
Thanks for your comment.
Great post. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work. Really informational.
Thank you for your comment.
This is a great way to deal with construction without losing any human being.
Thank you for your comment.
AI is a big industry now and major tech companies are making big investments in better products and innovation. With this is created a an unparalleled threat which is cyber threat since AI devices are powered as Internet of things[IoT](1). These devices can be manipulated from far of distance. It will a challenge to protect the privacy of masses when even 52% of big companies report that they faced one or more big cyber attack this current year.
Thank you for your comment.
Amazing article indeed. Working with robots is the future and really is not dangerous at all. Human beings can be a lot worse, especially when provoked
Very interesting article, thank you.
Robots will certainly do less harm than our fellow humans!
very good
Great post. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work. Really informational.
Thank you for your blog article.Really looking forward to read more. Will read on
Thanks for reading the NIOSH Science Blog.
Thank you for educating all of us on the terminologies used for various types of robots used for business assignments. Very helpful.
the robot is useful for us because its a machine and machine have to much power to defect every time of work
This post was really very good because robot will be our future.
Thanks for sharing this post.
Thanks for sharing the post . Keep up the good work. This article is really interesting about the robots.
Thanks for reading our blog entry about robots.
Thank you for educating all of us on the terminologies used for various types of robots used for business assignments and mobile app development. Very helpful.
Thanks for your comment.
Thank you for sharing this! Robotic safety will be especially important as service robots are introduced into new industries. In the near future, robots will be in retail and grocery working on tasks alongside other retail staff. Walmart is already quite close.
https://risnews.com/grocery-picking-robots-fulfill-walmarts-automated-future
Thank you for your comment.
This is a great piece!
Thanks for sharing up such an outstanding and passionate information with us through this article. your research and collection of information is really exceptional. The article provide a great knowledge about working with robots. it is really high quality information.
Very informative.
But how I can get the benefit from the robot as a teen.
Thank you for your comment. There are programs available for teens to get involved with robotics. Since we think this will be a growing field for the future, being involved in programs that enhance your skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) may help you land a job in the robotics field someday. One national program that encourages teen involvement with robotics is called the FIRST program. You may want to start there. Some schools or communities have programs that are part of the FIRST program. You might try to use your browser and search “FIRST robotics ”
That’s great news that we can automate everything.Everyone Needs Intelligent Automation.
Thanks for sharing such a valuable information.
Thank you for your comment.
Great article, very informative. I knew that guarded areas would not be sufficient going forward and some type of safety sensors would need to be incorporated.
Thanks for your comment.
Good article for the use of robotics in working lives. Robots are replacing working people like labour with automated machines. Modern lives are highly dependent on machines . Thanks
Its really good article. thanks
Introducing new technology in the workplace often is met with a degree of anxiety or skepticism. Employers thinking of adopting collaborative robotic systems should bear in mind that workers may have concerns about their safety or job security, and dispelling those fears can take time.
“It’s the same kind of trust one builds in any co-worker,” Hearl said. “At first, you’re watching the new person perform, and then as you see that they’re doing their job correctly and safely over and over again, you build trust.”
Thanks for your comment. The quote you cited comes from a full article on the subject https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/16789-robots-in-the-workplace which may be of interest to the readers.
very well written. Thanks for sharing
The article is great but i have one question “if robots suddenly having programming problems then what will happen?”
Thank you for your comment. Developing “fail safe” strategies is one approach to dealing with robots that are “suddenly having programming problems.”
Maybe robots take place humans in future in all places but we can take advantage of robots by using them on risky places. It helps humans and save their lives.
We agree. Robots are already being used for tasks too risky for humans to perform, or doing things to assist humans in ways that reduce risk.
Really Good Blog, the idea of imagining future with robots is so exciting, both could reach amazing heights,
if approached with precaution could result in revolution, but making sure jobs are not lost, Should go in a way where both depends on each other. Artificial Intelligence Sure is the next big thing.
Thanks for your comment. We agree that if handled with some forethought, the use of robotics can improve the future and result in a safer workplace for workers.
I Really Like the Blog About Robots. Its amazing how far they come and what they can do now. It will be really interesting to see what happens in the future with robots. I imagine they will start showing up in the auto repair industry. Like in rebuilding transmissions.
Thank you for your comment.
great information about working with robots. thank you so much for sharing this awesome piece of information.
Thanks you.
Great point about collaborative robots. It would be a good idea to have a cooling unit near the battery to prevent explosion and harm to humans.
Thank you for your comment.
Thanks for Sharing! A Robot May Not Injure a Worker: Working safely with robots
Another valuable piece full of useful information.
Thanks so much for sharing
Working with Robots will possess less risk as compared to humans.As Robots Movements are fixed and specified and any chance of some random movement is very like to happen.
Thank you for your comment. Robots can reduce workers’ risk by using them to do tasks that might be too risky for workers, by designing them with force and speed limitation and proximity sensors, and restricting their use such that the robots’ range of motion is isolated from the humans by barriers or exclusion zones. However, robot designers and users need to be aware that robots may pose a safety risk. In one example, a robotic forklift was recently involved in a fatality where the robot’s proximity sensor was inadvertently obscured by a piece of plastic, thus de-energizing the machine. When the piece of plastic was removed, the robot activated and crushed the maintenance worker. See: https://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/FACE/Files/WorkerCrushedByLGVForks.pdf. Our blog and paper seeks to call attention to those potential risks so they can be dealt with in design, programming, and training; before injuries occur.
A good article to read. Robots are now introduced to hotels restaurant.
Thanks for your comment.
It’s very interesting about the safety considerations of collaborative robots in the physical sense. I work in a field that uses human-assisted AI but for a SASS product, but we also have the same human “safety” considerations that we need to make in the non-physical sense – which aspects to automate to provide a better future of work for humans instead, enhancing our work experience rather than replacing, automating repetitive tasks in team-based knowledge work so teams work faster and experts spend more time on creative and analytical tasks.
And to achieve this mission of brighter future of work, though it’s rather unusual for a company to open-source a core part of the product, we did so intentionally because working together on this will bring us one step closer to our mission.
Great writing!
I feel as if society will become more accepting soon!
Thank you for your insight! I read a great article outlining potential hazards for workers on the floor with robots (which I have listed below with a reference). How do you predict these hazards will change over time, especially as robotics and AI advance in the future?
Control errors – These are faults within the control system, software, electromagnetic interference, and radio frequency interference. If the control system has a fault, this can create erratic behavior or an increase in the hazardous energy potential of the machine.
Unauthorized access – Unauthorized entry into a safeguarded area by someone who is unfamiliar with the safety hardware can easily result in a serious injury.
Mechanical failures – Mechanical issues can result in faulty or unexpected operation of the robot. These types of failures are unpredictable and potentially dangerous.
Environmental sources – Some factors can’t always be anticipated, such as sudden environmental causes of electromagnetic or radio-frequency interference that can influence the robot’s performance. It’s important to plan for events such as power surges or power loss when designing and implementing automation in the workplace.
Power systems – Robots’ power sources can be disrupted and lead to malfunctions. For example, pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical power sources with malfunctioning control or transmission elements in the power system can disrupt electrical signals to the control and/or power-supply lines. This can become the source of an energy release and cause electrical shocks. The risk of fires can also be increased due to electrical overloads, especially when they occur in robots that make use of flammable hydraulic oil.
Improper installation – When an industrial robot is being installed, it is critically important to do it correctly. Incorrect installation can result in different hazards depending on the specific variance from the original design. This is why the design, installation requirements, and layout of equipment and utilities of a robot or automation system have to be followed to the letter.
Human errors – This cause of serious incidents covers a wide range of mistakes: faulty programming, interfacing, maintenance, or incorrect activation of the “teach pendant” or control panel, among other issues. In addition, operators or other workers may put themselves in danger due to over-familiarity with the robot or fail to recognize line-of-fire risks associated with the robot’s motions.
https://safestart.com/news/7-common-manufacturing-hazards-when-working-robots/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/05/infographic-the-countries-with-the-highest-density-of-robot-workers/
Thank you for your comment. You are correct about the mechanical failures point leading to unexpected robot behavior. The NIOSH-funded Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program in Washington identified just such a failure leading to a death from an autonomous forklift machine. See: https://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/FACE/Files/WorkerCrushedByLGVForks.pdf
And the blog FACE Investigations Make Recommendations to Improve the Safety of New Types of Robots
http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2019/07/31/robot-safety-face/
This is awesome. I think robots are the future of our world and we should need robots. It is an awesome Post. Keep going like this!!
Thank You
Great article, very informative. I knew that guarded areas would not be sufficient going forward and some type of safety sensors would need to be incorporated.
The future is very scary. When robots become our partners
Excellent article, Robots are future they not only limited to the field of Manufacturing now they have entered each and every field. There is a need for higher research in the field of robotics
Thanks a lot for sharing this blog. Really nice and fresh content. All the information is helpful for us.
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Mechanical failures – Mechanical issues can result in faulty or unexpected operation of the robot. These types of failures are unpredictable and potentially dangerous for workers working with robots.
Thank you for your idea for areas of research in the field of workplace robotics. Yes, the risk of injuries from collaborative robots—where the human worker and the robotic worker are in close proximity—is a major research interest for NIOSH intramural researchers as well as NIOSH-funded extramural researchers.
Thanks for sharing valuable information regarding robotics engineering and its use in work. The article is important who are interacting with robots in their work.
Thanks for your comment.
Thanks
Thank you for sharing this insightful article on manufacturing. As someone who has worked in the manufacturing industry for several years, I found your perspective to be both informative and thought-provoking.
Thank you so much
Great to see the comments!
Good Explanation