REAL TIME SAFETY SYSTEMS

• US 20140247127A1
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation (Fluor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation (Fluor Corporation)
• Inventors: Prieto, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,082,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons

Abstract

A method for managing hazards in a construction site is presented. One aspect of the inventive subject matter includes a hazard management process that utilitizes a hazard context database, a sensor interface, and a hazard analysis engine. The sensor interface is configured to acquire a site data feed that is representative of a construction site. The hazard analysis engine is configured to (i) instantiate a hazard object by comparing the site data feed to hazard criteria of the plurality of hazard contexts, (ii) update the hazard object based on the site data feed, (iii) generate hazard notification criteria related to the hazard object, (iv) obtain worker attributes from the site data, and (v) transmit a hazard notification to an output device when the worker attributes cause satisfaction of the hazard notification criteria.

Claims

1. A method of managing hazard in a construction site, the method comprising:

providing access to a hazard context database that stores a plurality of hazard contexts, each hazard context comprises hazard criteria and hazard attributes;

acquiring, by a sensor interface communicatively coupled with a set of sensors, a site data feed representative of the construction site;

instantiating, by a hazard analysis engine, a hazard object from a hazard context by comparing the site data feed to hazard criteria of the plurality of hazard contexts;

updating, by the hazard analysis engine, hazard attributes associated with the hazard object based on the site data feed and the plurality of hazard contexts;

generating, by the hazard analysis engine, hazard notification criteria related to the hazard object based on the associated hazard attributes;

obtaining, by the hazard analysis engine, worker attributes from the site data; and

transmitting, by the hazard analysis engine, a hazard notification to an output device when the worker attributes cause satisfaction of the hazard notification criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein instantiating the hazard object comprises instantiating the hazard object when a portion of the site data meets the hazard criteria of at least one of the plurality of hazard contexts.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising deconstructing the hazard object when the portion of the site data no longer meets the hazard criteria of any one of the plurality of hazard contexts.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein instantiating the hazard object comprises instantiating the hazard object by initializing the hazard attributes associated with the hazard object based on the hazard attributes of at least one of the plurality of hazard contexts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hazard object is a dynamic hazard object, wherein the site data feed is a real-time site data feed, wherein the analysis engine is further configured to continuously update the hazard attributes associated with the hazard object based on the real-time site data feed and the plurality of hazard context.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a plurality of hazard objects.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying a visual representation of the plurality of hazard objects.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising logging a history of each of the plurality of hazard objects.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the logged history of each of the plurality of hazard objects.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a set of hazard alert criteria in an alert criteria database.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating an alert when the hazard attributes of one or more hazard objects collectively satisfy the set of hazard alert criteria.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising searching for hazard objects based on a set of hazard attributes derived from the site data feed.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the hazard object comprises information indicating a location and a boundary within the construction site.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each worker'"'"'s attributes comprise current location of the worker and certifications of the worker.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the hazard notification criteria comprises a history of the hazard object, compliance requirements for the workers, and jurisdiction.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a notification to the output device when the worker attributes indicate that a worker without proper compliance enters a boundary associated with the hazard object.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging a history of notification caused by each worker on the construction site.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the site data feed comprises at least one of the following:

environment data, data related to locations of different materials, data related to locations of different machineries, data related to locations of workers, and workers'"'"' attributes.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the hazard attributes associated with the hazard object comprises compliance requirements for workers to enter a boundary of the hazard object.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising allowing a supervisor to authorize a particular worker without proper compliance to enter the boundary of the hazard object.