Technician safety confirmation

• US 7,410,101 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qms Outsource
• Original Assignee: Qms Outsource
• Inventors: Lewis, Richard Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech; Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US11/205,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20060027642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.01, 235/462.45, 235/462.46, 235/462.13, 235/462.01, 235/375, 235/385, 235/383, 235/462.47, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/382
• US Class Current: 235/462.45
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons

Abstract

The present invention provides safety confirmation or hazard warning to a technician in the field, e.g., by scanning an equipment identification label and comparing the identification to a schedule of equipment inactivation times. The systems and methods of the invention can optionally provide remote interactions to reschedule inactivations or to protect the technician by lock-out from a hazardous condition.

Claims

1. A technician safety system comprising:

a portable computer; and

,

a technician safety lock-out device separate from and controllable by the portable computer and associated with a hazardous work site or piece of equipment;

whereby a technician can input information into the portable computer to deactivate the technician safety lock-out device, wherein the lock-out device is not deactivated if a hazardous condition exists at the work site or piece of equipment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable computer comprises a hand held computer or a lap top computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the lock-out device is controlled through a wireless communication from the portable computer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the input information is selected from the group consisting of:

a work site identification, an equipment identification, a technician identification, and an inactivation request.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising software that receives the input information and responds by rescheduling an equipment inactivation time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the lockout device is controllable in real time.