Introduction to Workplace Safety
The development of occupational health and safety norms has helped to foster safer workplaces and create health regulations for employees across diverse industries. Next-gen technologies could further improve this process and integrate additional scenarios developed through the years. Augmented reality tools are already getting used to simulate a spread of processes and support health and safety training and inspections, nevertheless it is feasible to do more with this technology.
The Importance of Health and Safety Inspections
Health and safety inspections by international and native regulatory bodies are a part of the DNA of many industries. They provide a check on business owners, legally binding them to supply a protected workplace and environment for his or her employees, contractors, and visitors. Although working conditions have generally improved through the years, adherence to those norms has not put a stop to workplace fatalities. According to a report published by the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO), almost 2 million people die from work-related causes every year, with occupational injuries causing 19% of those deaths.
The Role of Human Negligence in Workplace Accidents
Of the varied risk indicators for workplace accidents, human negligence requires particular attention. For example, when the world was fighting COVID-19, a gas leak at a chemical plant in India killed 12 people and 32 animals, and saw 1000’s evacuated from their households. A subsequent investigation raised questions on inspection procedures on the plant, particularly during pandemic restrictions. Human negligence can have devastating consequences, and it is important to deal with this issue to attenuate the chance of workplace accidents.
The Limitations of Traditional Inspection Methods
Workplace inspections have traditionally been conducted offline by health and safety officers and an organization’s operations team. Recent advancements in technology have led to the power to automate safety audits and inspections, nevertheless. The introduction of the web of things (IoT) has further enhanced these developments by enabling near real-time data collection and reporting with sensors. The use of wireless sensors has shortcomings, nevertheless, including high costs, the necessity for maintenance, and the impact of temperature interference.
The Potential of Augmented Reality in Improving Workplace Safety
Augmented reality (AR) technology could address such challenges and supply a less expensive and efficient approach to conduct health and safety inspections. AR will be utilized in various ways to enhance workplace safety, including:
Visualizing and Mapping Workplace Facilities
Inspections are inclined to be based on a series of elementary checklists, but finding and checking the weather in a timely manner could be a challenge for inspectors. AR can superimpose a computer-generated model onto the true world without the necessity for added hardware. When coupled with data collected from computer vision-based surveying tools and rendered onto a floor map, AR can digitize a physical space and its infrastructure. This makes it possible to map and track any equipment – from fire extinguishers to storage tanks and enormous machinery.
Enhancing Training and Validation
Workplace health and safety inspections and maintenance have to be conducted frequently and must be the responsibility of multiple employees, not depending on a couple of specific individuals. AR will be used to reinforce related documents corresponding to user manuals or product maintenance videos and pictures to assist any worker take part in this process and potentially stop a health and safety accident from happening. Further, in a non-digital workplace, it’s difficult to envision that an inspector of a big piece of machinery with multiple checkpoints physically has actually visited each. With AR, the physical location of the inspector will be validated, allowing for distant audits.
Reporting and Tracking Issues
When combined with constructing management systems and ticketing software applications, AR can be used to assist engineers check any equipment issues which were identified during an inspection. For instance, a discrepancy identified during a each day inspection or a maintenance exercise will be reported with details including a picture or video and the placement coordinates. This will equip the engineer with the required information to simply find and address the difficulty. If the difficulty requires immediate attention, the inspector can use an AR content guide to perform any needed motion.
Conclusion
In conclusion, augmented reality has the potential to rework the way in which many industries function, particularly in relation to health and safety. By providing a less expensive and efficient approach to conduct health and safety inspections, AR can assist minimize risk and maximize adherence to regulatory requirements. As technology continues to evolve, it is important to explore recent ways to leverage AR and other next-gen technologies to create safer and healthier workplaces for everybody. The COVID-19 Workplace Commons: Keeping Workers Well initiative is an incredible example of how organizations can come together to share strategies and approaches for returning to the workplace safely. By working together and embracing recent technologies, we are able to create a safer and healthier work environment for all employees.
