System and process to ensure performance of mandated safety and maintenance inspections
First Claim
1. A method for providing a record that a component was visited during a safety inspection, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a portable device for use in recording data related to the safety inspection, said portable device including a sensor that detects when the portable device is disposed proximate the component, producing a signal indicative thereof;
(b) enabling an operator to move the portable device proximate the component; and
(c) automatically producing a record of the signal produced by the sensor that is stored within the portable device, said record providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the component to make a safety inspection of the component.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A handheld, portable device (20, 140, or 140′) is used to store data that indicate an operator was sufficiently close to each of a plurality of components during a safety inspection to actually inspect the components. The portable device includes a sensor (46) that detects tokens (12, 16, 24), such as radio frequency identification tags, which are affixed adjacent to the components. Messages (58) appearing on a display (40, 152) of the portable device prompt the operator to proceed to each checkpoint, determine a state of the component disposed there, and if the component is not operating properly, indicate a plurality of predefined conditions from which the operator can choose to identify the observed condition of the component. The state and condition of each component entered during the safety inspection are stored as data that are subsequently transferred to a remote data storage site over a wire or wireless link.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. A method for providing a record that a component was visited during a safety inspection, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a portable device for use in recording data related to the safety inspection, said portable device including a sensor that detects when the portable device is disposed proximate the component, producing a signal indicative thereof;
(b) enabling an operator to move the portable device proximate the component; and
(c) automatically producing a record of the signal produced by the sensor that is stored within the portable device, said record providing evidence that the operator was sufficiently close to the component to make a safety inspection of the component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for providing evidence that a plurality of components were visited during a safety inspection, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of tokens, each token being associated with a different component that is to be visited during the safety inspection and affixed adjacent to said component; and
(b) a portable device adapted to be transported to each component to be visited and inspected during the safety inspection, said portable device including;
(i) a housing;
(ii) a display;
(iii) an operator interface;
(iv) a memory in which machine instructions and data are stored;
(v) a sensor for detecting when the portable device is proximate each of the plurality of tokens, and thus within a predetermined maximum distance from each of the components with which said plurality of tokens are separately associated, said sensor producing a signal indicative that the portable device is within the predetermined maximum distance from the components; and
(vi) a controller coupled to the display, the memory, the operator interface, and the sensor, said controller executing the machine instructions and causing the memory to store data indicative of each component visited during the safety inspection, in response to the signal produced by the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A portable data recorder for recording data during a safety inspection, said data at least indicating whether a checkpoint was visited during the safety inspection by an operator carrying the portable data recorder, comprising:
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(a) a housing;
(b) a display mounted on the housing;
(c) an operator interface mounted on the housing to enable input and selection of options provided on the display;
(d) a memory in which machine instructions and data are stored;
(e) a sensor for detecting when the portable device is proximate each of a plurality of checkpoints during the safety inspection, said sensor producing a signal indicating that the housing is proximate the checkpoint; and
(f) a controller coupled to the display, the memory, the operator interface, and the sensor, said controller executing the machine instructions and causing the memory to store data indicative of each checkpoint visited during the safety inspection, in response to the signal produced by the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification