According to the UN, nearly 2.78 million people die yearly from workplace-related accidents and illnesses. The organization also says that, when it comes to unsafe workplace operations, the manufacturing sector is one of the biggest contributors to injuries and fatalities for workers.
With such a dynamic work environment involving daily contact with large machinery, exposure to hazardous storage or processing units, heavy material logistic infrastructure, etc., the high rate of injuries in the manufacturing sector is quite predictable. But over the years, businesses are becoming more aware of the need to ensure a safe workplace, especially in the wake of government bodies enforcing strict mandates on improving workplace quality and safety.
For manufacturers, the solution to workplace safety lies in onboarding mission-critical safety systems powered by computer vision and artificial intelligence.
How Does Computer Vision Improve Workplace Safety in Manufacturing Plants?
Computer vision systems can help manufacturers create a workplace with high safety standards and ensure minimal risks despite having to deal with hazardous environments and heavy machinery. Let us explore four ways in which the power of computer vision can create a safer manufacturing environment:
Monitor Worker Movements
The easiest way to prevent workplace hazards in a manufacturing environment is to prevent workers from entering designated danger zones carelessly. Computer vision-enabled monitoring systems can continuously monitor workplace movements and raise alerts when an employee moves closer to a live production environment that requires a clear boundary.
For example, a moving conveyor crane transporting parts of a car within the factory needs a clear obstruction-free path for smooth movement. If an employee unknowingly walks into the path of the crane, they may be injured by the collision. Computer vision-aided cameras installed in the plant can track worker movements and set off an alarm or notification when an employee walks into the crane’s path.
The same principle can be used to prevent employees from entering dangerous production premises like a storage facility or a painting or chemical mixing unit when harmful affluents are present inside them.
Help Enforce Safety Guidelines
Most accidents or injuries encountered on factory floors can be avoided or their impact reduced if workers pay attention to safety guidelines. The guidelines involve instructions on using the right safety devices to check for hazards or danger, a code of conduct within designated areas, usage of appropriate protection gear like safety helmets or suits, etc.
Work or floor supervisors are often engaged in their own work routines and other tasks. This prevents them from effectively monitoring the enforcement of safety guidelines. Besides, the manual efforts used could be subject to biased decisions.
Computer vision can help in enforcing these safety guidelines effectively, efficiently, and without bias. Workers can be constantly monitored to check whether they are using the right work gear and are not distracted — like texting or using their phones near live production units that pose risks.
Environment Monitoring
Computer vision-enabled visual sensors powered by AI cannot just monitor people and prevent them from dangerously interacting with machinery; they can also monitor machinery and factory floor environments to help maintain a safer workplace.
For example, sensors can accurately capture the dimensions of machinery, predict their movement patterns, help prepare boundaries virtually, and prevent staff from coming into them when the machine is live. They can also detect the presence of hazardous chemicals in the factory due to leakages or other accidents and raise alarms to prevent employees from coming into contact with them.
Prevent Trespassing
External threats are in no way a lesser threat to workplace safety in manufacturing establishments. Preventing their entry is of prime importance as the chances of employees getting hurt in altercations or encounters with external entities like criminals are very high.
Computer vision can be leveraged to constantly monitor the boundary perimeters, which may extend to hundreds or thousands of hectares for large manufacturing plants. Any movement or trespassing activity can be instantly captured. Using powerful visual analytics, it is easy to identify whether threat agents or some wild animals caused the activity.
Such a response system ensures that manufacturing plants are always protected against external threats while simultaneously saving effort on having to manually inspect any suspicious activity which may have been caused by animals that are not harmful.
How KamerAI Can Help
Manufacturers are under great pressure today to have a sound production facility that is compliant with safety norms laid out by government authorities. Additionally, ensuring worker safety is critical in creating a workplace where people are happy to work and utilize production time comfortably while maintaining high productivity standards.
Relying on advanced technology like computer vision can go a long way in helping manufacturers create a safer and happier workplace. The only challenge they would then face is to ensure that the technology they use is reliable and serves their unique needs. This is where an intelligent computer vision platform like KamerAI can be the game changer.
Get in touch with us to explore more about how we can help build a safer workplace for your employees powered by AI and advanced visual analytics.
