SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR ENSURING PROPER USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR WORK SITE HAZARDS

• US 20100045464A1
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Lottmann, Todd Francis, Knopf, Kevin Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 21/32 Safety or protective measures for persons during the construction of buildings relating to scaffolds E04G5/00; climbing tools, e.g. climbing irons for masts A63B27/00; ropes or belts for life saving A62B1/16, A62B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/147 using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40202 Human robot coexistence
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 3/02 Clothing

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting and verifying the adequacy of personal protective equipment needed by a person to complete a potentially hazardous task.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for ensuring a proper use of personal protective equipment for potential hazards presented to a person while servicing energized electrical circuitry, the system comprising:

an equipment identification element coupled to at least one item of the personal protective equipment to be used by a person, the at least one item of the personal protective equipment adapted to provide protection to the person in the event of an arc flash incident occurring while the person is servicing the energized electrical circuitry;

a detector located proximate a portion of the energized electrical circuitry; and

a processor-based device configured to determine, based upon a detected characteristic of the equipment identification element, whether the personal protective equipment is appropriate in light of a potential arc flash energy intensity corresponding to the portion of the energized electrical circuitry to be serviced.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an activation element located proximate a portion of the energized electrical circuitry, the detector configured to communicate with the equipment identification element only after the activation element is manipulated by a person.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the activation element is selected from the group consisting of a pushbutton, a lever, a toggle switch, a keypad, and a magnetic card reader.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the activation element is mounted to an electrical cabinet containing the energized electrical circuitry.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor-based device is configured to log occurrences wherein the activation element is manipulated and the appropriate personal protective equipment is not determined.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector is mounted to an electrical cabinet containing the energized electrical circuitry.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the energized electrical circuitry is contained in an electrical cabinet, the cabinet having a plurality of access doors each respectively exposing a portion of the electrical circuitry when opened.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of access doors is lockable by the processor-based device, and unlockable by the processor-based device when the appropriate personal protective equipment is detected.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an indication device located proximate the energized electrical circuitry, the indication device identifying to a user whether the appropriate personal protective equipment has been detected.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the indication device comprises lights displayed in one of at least two colors, the respective colors when lit indicating the presence or absence of the appropriate personal protective equipment.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the lights include light emitting diodes of different colors.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the indication device includes a representation of a human person and associated items of personal protective gear, and the indication element identifies, via the representation of the human person, which of the items of personal protective gear are detected or undetected by the detector.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a worker identification element identifying an individual associated with the personal protective equipment, and the processor-based device adapted to determine whether the individual is authorized to service the energized electrical circuitry based upon a detected characteristic of the worker identification element.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of equipment identification elements and a plurality of worker identification elements each corresponding to a different individual respectively associated with personal protective equipment having at least one of the equipment identification elements, and the detector configured to, based on detected characteristics of the worker identification elements and the equipment identification elements, identify all of the individuals present at the portion of the energized electrical circuitry and the personal protective equipment associated with each of the identified individuals.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an indication device located proximate the energized electrical circuitry, the indication device providing confirmation to the individuals regarding the number of individuals present at the portion of the energized electrical circuitry.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a lockout device, and the processor-based device configured to operate the lockout device and provide access to the energized electrical circuitry based upon whether the individual identified as present is authorized to service the energized electrical circuitry, and whether the appropriate equipment identification elements are detected for personal protective equipment corresponding to each of the individuals identified.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the lockout device is operated only when all individuals identified are authorized to service the energized electrical equipment and only when each of the individuals identified are determined to have the appropriate personal protective equipment.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising an indication device located proximate the portion of the energized electrical circuitry and providing feedback to the identified individuals whether the individuals identified are authorized and whether the appropriate personal protective equipment is detected.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the indication device comprises at least one light indicating whether the individuals identified are authorized and at least one light indicating whether the appropriate personal protective equipment is detected.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising at least one master identification element, and when the master identification element is detected by the detector, the lockout device is operated without determining whether or not appropriate personal protective equipment is present.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor-based device is configured to transmit data corresponding to detected items of personal protective equipment to a remote location.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor-based device is configured to wirelessly transmit data corresponding to detected items of personal protective equipment to a remote location.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector is one of an RFID reader or interrogator, a bar code scanner, and an x-ray scanner.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor-based device is configured to, after an expiration of a predetermined time interval beginning when the activation element is manipulated, cause the detector to operate to confirm the presence or absence of the equipment identification element proximate the portion of the energized electrical circuitry.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein if the equipment identification element is detected, the processor-based device resets the predetermined time interval, and at the expiration therefore, causes the detector to operate to confirm the presence or absence of the equipment identification element proximate the portion of the energized electrical circuitry.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the energized electrical circuitry is contained an electrical cabinet including at least one door, the system further comprising at least one door latch sensor detecting a latched or unlatched state of the door.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising an alarm element indicating the latched or unlatched state of the door.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor-based device is adapted to log occurrences of the door in an unlatched state.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuitry includes one or more circuit protectors provided with a sensor element, the detector detecting an operating state of the one or more circuit protectors in addition to detecting the identification elements of the personal protective equipment.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the one or more circuit protectors includes a fuse.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the personal protective equipment comprises one or more of a hard hat, a face shield, a flame resistant neck protector, an ear protector, a protective suit, an insulated rubber glove, an insulated piece of footwear, and an insulated tool.

51. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one state indicator element for an electrical component, the detector configured to communicate with the state indicator.

52. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuitry includes at least one circuit protector, the circuit protector received in a holder, the holder provided with a holder identification element, and the detector communicating with the holder identification element.

53. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management system remotely located from the processor-based device, and another detector remotely located from the circuitry and configured to communicate with the equipment identification element for initialization purposes.

54. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor tag protector.

32. A monitoring system for ensuring a proper use of personal protective equipment for potential hazard presented to a person, the system comprising:

an equipment identification element coupled to at least one item of the personal protective equipment to be used by a person;

a detector located proximate a location of the potential hazard; and

a processor-based device configured to determine, based upon a detected characteristic of the equipment identification element, whether the personal protective equipment is appropriate in light of the potential hazard; and

an activation element located proximate the location of the potential hazard, the detector configured to communicate with the equipment identification element only after the activation element is manipulated by a person.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the location of the potential hazard corresponds to energized electrical circuitry.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the potential hazard corresponds to an arc flash incident occurring while the person is servicing the energized electrical circuitry.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising a plurality of equipment identification elements respectively coupled to different items of the personal protective equipment, and a plurality of worker elements each respectively corresponding to different individuals, the processor-based device further configured to, in response to a single manipulation of the activation element, identify all individuals present at the location of the potential hazard and whether each of the identified individuals has the appropriate items of personal protective equipment.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising at least one lockout device, the lockout device operable by the processor-based device when all individuals identified are determined to be authorized and when the appropriate personal protective equipment is identified for each of the individuals.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising at least one alarm element indicating the state of the lockout device.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the processor-based device is configured to temporarily postpone activation of the alarm element in response to manipulation of the activation element.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the processor-based device is configured, while the lockout device remains open, to cause the detector to operate after an expiration of a predetermined time interval and identify all individuals present at the location of the potential hazard and whether each of the identified individuals has the appropriate items of personal protective equipment.

40. The system of claim 36, further comprising at least one master identification element, and the processor-based device configured to operate the lockout device whenever the master identification element is detected by the detector.

41. The system of claim 35, further comprising at least one indication device providing feedback to the individuals present regarding whether the individuals are authorized and whether the appropriate personal protective gear has been detected.

42. The system of claim 32, wherein the processor-based device is configured to log instances wherein the detector communicates with an equipment identification element and the processor-based device fails to determine that the personal protective equipment is appropriate.

43. A method of ensuring the proper use of adequate personal protective equipment in light of a potential hazard to a person, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of items of personal protective equipment each having at least one detectable characteristic;

providing a plurality of worker identification elements each having at least one detectable characteristic, each of the worker identification elements corresponding to a person;

scanning persons at the location of the potential hazard with an electronic system, the system detecting the characteristics of all items of personal protective equipment present at the location of the potential hazard and detecting all of the plurality of worker identification elements present at the location of the potential hazard;

distinguishing the detected items of personal protective equipment from one another;

distinguishing the individuals corresponding to all of the detected worker identification elements from one another; and

determining whether the appropriate personal protective equipment is present for each of the individuals.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein scanning persons at the location of the potential hazard comprises simultaneously scanning persons at a location proximate energized electrical circuitry to be serviced.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein scanning persons at the location of the potential hazard comprises providing an activation element, and commencing scanning in response to manipulation of the activation element by one of the individuals present.

46. The method of claim 43, the electronic system including an indication element, the method comprising providing feedback to the individuals present regarding whether the appropriate personal protective equipment is present.

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising determining with the electronic system whether all of the individuals are authorized to respond to the hazard.

48. The method of claim 43, the electronic system including a lockout device, the method comprising preventing individuals not having the appropriate personal protective equipment from responding to the potential hazard.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the electronic system includes at least one alarm element, the method further comprising activating the alarm element when the appropriate personal protective gear is not detected.

50. The method of claim 43, further comprising logging scanning events and outcomes with the electronic system.

55. The method of claim 43, further comprising providing a sensor tag protector adapted to externally shield a sensor tag in an arc flash incident.

56. A sensor tag protector comprising:

at least one panel, fabricated from a fireproof material, configured to externally shield a sensor tag in an arc flash incident while energized electrical circuitry is being serviced.