WORKER SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20090072631A1
• Filed: 07/12/2006
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEC Corporation, Omron Corporation, Panasonic Industrial Devices SUNX Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), SUNX Limited, Yamatake Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pfizer Products Incorporated (Pfizer Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Takashi, Furukawa, Hiroaki, Shutto, Manabu, Iida, Tatsuya, Koshi, Toshiki
• Granted Patent: US 7,888,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/326
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 21/00 Chambers provided with manipulation devices constructional features of the mounting of the manipulator in the wall B25J1/08 ; glove-boxes for nuclear applications G21F7/04
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/144 using light grids
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/147 using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40202 Human robot coexistence

Abstract

Task—To provide a worker safety management system that can adapt itself to changes in the conditions of the workers and the machines in a flexible manner and can finely manage the safety of the worker.

Means to Achieve the Task—Worker safety is managed by using safety management information stored in an ID tag. The safety management information includes a work area code indicating a work area permitted to the corresponding worker and a danger avoiding capability code indicating a danger avoiding capability of the worker. The danger avoiding capability indicated by the danger avoiding capability code is determined from a worker skill of the corresponding worker that is evaluated in a standardized manner from past work experience of the corresponding worker and credits earned in a safety education program, and a specific degree of danger in the work area permitted to the worker.

Claims

1. A worker safety management system for managing safety of a worker in a work place including a designated work area that includes therein a work machine that could be a source of danger, comprising:

an ID tag carried by each worker and containing safety management information on the worker;

one or more ID tag readers placed in a suitable part of the work place to read safety management information on each worker from the ID tag carried by the corresponding worker; and

a safety management control unit for executing a control on safety management of each worker according to the safety management information read from the corresponding ID tag by using the one or more ID tag readers;

wherein the safety management information stored in each ID tag includes a work area code indicating a work area permitted to the corresponding worker and a danger avoiding capability code indicating a danger avoiding capability of the worker,

the danger avoiding capability indicated by the danger avoiding capability code being determined from a worker skill of the corresponding worker that is evaluated in a standardized manner from past work experience of the corresponding worker and credits earned in a safety education program, and a specific degree of danger in the work area permitted to the worker.

2. The worker safety management system according to claim 1, wherein the safety management control unit comprises:

a worker presence information generating means for generating worker presence information of a work area including a work machine according to records of worker entry and worker exit;

a worker absence control means that is executed when no worker presence is determined from the worker presence information generated by the worker presence information generating means; and

a worker presence control means that is executed when worker presence is determined from the worker presence information generated by the worker presence information generating means;

wherein the worker absence control means permits a worker an access to a work area provided that the worker is verified to be permitted to work in the work area according to the worker'"'"'s work area code and that a danger avoiding capability indicated by the worker'"'"'s danger avoiding capability code is equal to or higher than a degree of danger associated with a work machine included in the work area; and

wherein the worker presence control means permits a worker an access to a work area provided that the worker is verified to be permitted to work in the work area according to the worker'"'"'s work area code and that a danger avoiding capability indicated by the worker'"'"'s danger avoiding capability code is equal to or higher than a danger avoiding capability indicated by a danger avoiding capability of a worker already present in the work area based on the worker presence information generated by the worker presence information generating means;

whereby safety of the worker who seeks an access to the work area including the work machine is ensured.

3. The worker safety management system according to claim 2, wherein the work place comprises a work machine such as a robot and a machine tool, a protective barrier that delimits and surrounds a work area including the work machine and a gate provided in a part of the protective barrier and configured to be switched between a passable state and a non-passable state, a worker being permitted an access to the work area by placing the gate in the passable state.

4. The worker safety management system according to claim 1, wherein the safety management control unit comprises:

a worker presence information generating means for generating worker presence information of a work area including a work machine according to records of worker entry and worker exit;

a worker absence control means that is executed when no worker presence is determined from the worker presence information generated by the worker presence information generating means; and

a worker presence control means that is executed when worker presence is determined from the worker presence information generated by the worker presence information generating means;

wherein the worker absence control means enables a start operation command, a stop operation command and a change operation mode command of the work machine; and

wherein the worker presence control means enables a start operation command, a stop operation command and a change operation mode command of the work machine for a change to an operation mode involving a lower degree of danger but prohibits a change operation mode command of the work machine for a change to an operation mode involving a higher degree of danger;

whereby safety of the worker is ensured when issuing any of a start operation command, a stop operation command and a change operation mode command.

5. The worker safety management system according to claim 1, wherein the ID tag consists of an RFID tag that can be read and/or written via wireless communication.

6. A method for managing worker safety in a work place including a delimited work area containing a work machine that could be a source of danger according to safety management information stored in an ID tag carried by each worker, wherein:

the safety management information stored in each ID tag includes a work area code indicating a work area permitted to the corresponding worker and a danger avoiding capability code indicating a danger avoiding capability of the worker,

the danger avoiding capability indicated by the danger avoiding capability code being determined from a worker skill of the corresponding worker that is evaluated in a standardized manner from past work experience of the corresponding worker and credits earned in a safety education program, and a specific degree of danger in the work area permitted to the worker;

the method comprising;

a worker presence information generating step of generating a worker presence information of the work area containing the work machine according to records of worker entry and worker exit;

a worker absence control executing step of executing a worker absence control when a worker absence is determined from the worker presence information generated by the worker presence information generating step; and

a worker presence control executing step of executing a worker presence control when a worker presence is determined from the worker presence information generated by the worker presence information generating step;

wherein the worker absence control executing step permits a worker an access to a work area provided that the worker is verified to be permitted to work in the work area according to the worker'"'"'s work area code and that a danger avoiding capability indicated by the worker'"'"'s danger avoiding capability code is equal to or higher than a degree of danger associated with a work machine included in the work area; and

wherein the worker presence control executing step permits a worker an access to a work area provided that the worker is verified to be permitted to work in the work area according to the worker'"'"'s work area code and that a danger avoiding capability indicated by the worker'"'"'s danger avoiding capability code is equal to or higher than a danger avoiding capability indicated by a danger avoiding capability of a worker already present in the work area based on the worker presence information generated by the worker presence information generating means;

whereby safety of the worker who seeks an access to the work area containing the work machine is ensured.

7. The method for managing worker safety according to claim 6, wherein the work place contains a work machine such as a robot and a machine tool, a protective barrier that delimits and surrounds a work area containing the work machine and a gate provided in a part of the protective barrier and configured to be switched between a passable state and a non-passable state, a worker being permitted an access to the work area by placing the gate in the passable state.

9. The method for managing worker safety according to claim 6, wherein the ID tag consists of an RFID tag that can be read and/or written via wireless communication.

8. A method for managing worker safety in a work place including a delimited work area containing a work machine that could be a source of danger according to safety management information stored in an ID tag carried by each worker, wherein:

the safety management information stored in each ID tag includes a work area code indicating a work area permitted to the corresponding worker and a danger avoiding capability code indicating a danger avoiding capability of the worker,

the danger avoiding capability indicated by the danger avoiding capability code being determined from a worker skill of the corresponding worker that is evaluated in a standardized manner from past work experience of the corresponding worker and credits earned in a safety education program, and a specific degree of danger in the work area permitted to the worker;

the method comprising;

a worker presence information generating step of generating a worker presence information of the work area containing the work machine according to records of worker entry and worker exit;

a worker absence control executing step of executing a worker absence control when a worker absence is determined from the worker presence information generated by the worker presence information generating step; and

a worker presence control executing step of executing a worker presence control when a worker presence is determined from the worker presence information generated by the worker presence information generating step;

wherein the worker absence control executing step enables a start operation command, a stop operation command and a change operation mode command of the work machine; and

wherein the worker presence control executing step enables a start operation command, a stop operation command and a change operation mode command of the work machine for a change to an operation mode involving a lower degree of danger but prohibits a change operation mode command of the work machine for a change to an operation mode involving a higher degree of danger;

whereby safety of the worker is ensured when issuing any of a start operation command, a stop operation command and a change operation mode command.