Safety equipment criteria verification

• US 9,747,760 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fletcher, James C., Leff, Avraham, Rayfield, James T., Topkara, Umut, Weisz, Justin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/618,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20160232758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 340532, 340 81, 3406861, 3405721, 3405731, 34053915, 34053921, 340692, 34053923
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength

Abstract

Verifying a set of safety equipment criteria may include receiving a first unit of data at a first computing device. The first unit of data may be received via a wireless signal between the first computing device and a set of sensing devices. A set of safety equipment that includes the set of sensing devices may be identified as the first unit of data. The set of sensing devices may be configured to transmit the first unit of data. The wireless signal between the first computing device and the set of sensing devices may be monitored and the signal strength for the wireless signal may be determined to be below a threshold value. A second computing device may be notified in response to the determining that the signal strength for the wireless signal is below the threshold value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for verifying a set of safety equipment criteria comprising:

receiving a first unit of data at a first mobile computing device, the first unit of data received via a wireless signal between the first mobile computing device and a set of sensing devices, the first unit of data identifying a set of safety equipment that includes the set of sensing devices, the set of sensing devices configured to transmit the first unit of data;

receiving, over a network and from a remote server associated with a first set of location beacon transmitters, a second unit of data at the first mobile computing device, the second unit of data identifying a set of safety equipment criteria, the first set of location beacon transmitters being located within a first geographical perimeter, the first geographical perimeter including the set of safety equipment, wherein a second set of location beacon transmitters are located within a second geographical perimeter that includes another set of safety equipment, the first geographical perimeter and the second geographical perimeter being within a same building;

determining at the first mobile computing device, by comparing the first unit of data with the second unit of data, whether the set of safety equipment satisfies the set of safety equipment criteria;

monitoring the wireless signal between the first mobile computing device and the set of sensing devices and determining that a signal strength for the wireless signal is below a threshold value, the signal strength for the wireless signal being below the threshold value corresponding to a person removing one or more articles of the set of safety equipment; and

notifying a second computing device, in response to the determining that the signal strength for the wireless signal is below the threshold value and based on whether the set of safety equipment satisfies the set of safety equipment criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, via the first mobile computing device, that the first unit of data does not satisfy the set of safety equipment criteria; and

notifying the second computing device, in response to the determining that the first unit of data does not satisfy the set of safety equipment criteria.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the notifying of the second computing device includes transmitting a signal to a radio device coupled to a unit of equipment that is needed for a person to perform a work task with, the person carrying the first mobile computing device, and wherein the signal causes an alert indicating that the person is not meeting the set of safety equipment criteria to work with the unit of equipment, wherein the unit of equipment is not the set of safety equipment and is not wearable.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of safety equipment criteria is based on a personal protective equipment (PPE) requirement protocol.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first mobile computing device is the second computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, over the network and from the remote server, a third unit of data at the first mobile computing device, the third unit of data identifying a work task that must be performed; and

determining what the set of safety equipment criteria includes based on the work task.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the notifying of the second computing device includes transmitting an audio signal to a radio device coupled to an apparatus that a person wearing the set of equipment must use to perform a given job task.

8. A system for verifying a set of safety equipment criteria comprising:

a processor and a first computing device; and

a computer readable storage medium having program instructions the program instructions executable by the processor to cause the system to;

receive, from a first location beacon transmitter within a first geographical perimeter, a first unit of data at the first computing device, the first unit of data received via a first wireless signal between the first computing device and a first set of sensing devices, the first unit of data identifying a first set of safety equipment that includes the first set of sensing devices, the first set of sensing devices configured to transmit the first unit of data, the first computing device being a mobile device, the first unit of data including information about a first work task to be performed within the first geographical perimeter;

monitor, via the first computing device, the first wireless signal between the first computing device and the first set of sensing devices and determining that a signal strength for the first wireless signal is not below a threshold value;

determine, via the first computing device, that the first unit of data satisfies the first set of safety equipment criteria;

receive, from a second location beacon transmitter within a second geographical perimeter, a second unit of data at the first computing device, the second unit of data received via a second wireless signal between the first computing device and a second set of sensing devices, the second unit of data identifying a second set of safety equipment that includes the second set of sensing devices, the second set of sensing devices configured to transmit the second unit of data, the second unit of data including information about a second work task to be performed within the second geographical perimeter;

determine, via the first computing device, that the second unit of data does not satisfy the second set of safety equipment criteria; and

notify, via the first computing device, a second computing device, in response to the determining that the second unit of data does not satisfy the second set of safety equipment criteria, wherein the second computing device is not notified of the first unit of data satisfying the first set of safety equipment criteria.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions being executable to cause the system to notify the second computing device includes being executable to cause the system to generate an alert dialog on the first computing device for display on the first computing device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first and second computing devices are mobile smartphone devices.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions being executable to cause the system to notify the second computing device includes being executable to cause the system to transmit an audio signal to a radio device coupled to equipment of the set of safety equipment.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of safety equipment criteria is based on a PPE requirement protocol.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second computing device is the first computing device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the first location transmitter beacon is attached to an apparatus that a worker wearing the first set of safety equipment must use to perform the first work task, wherein the apparatus is not wearable.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first unit of data specifies that in order to work with the apparatus, the worker must wear the first set of safety equipment.

16. A computer program product for verifying a set of safety equipment criteria, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions the program instructions executable by a first computing device to cause the first computing device to:

receive, at the first computing device, user input indicating that the user will perform a particular job task;

transmit, over a network, the user input to a first server computing device, the first server computing device corresponding to a work order service, wherein the first server computing device transmits data associated with the particular job task that the user will perform to a second server computing device, the second server computing device corresponding to a safety service, the safety service stores safety equipment requirements for each stage of particular job tasks;

receive, from the second server computing device, a first unit of data at, the first unit of data received via a wireless signal between the first computing device and a set of sensing devices, the first unit of data identifying a set of safety equipment that includes the set of sensing devices, the set of sensing devices configured to transmit the first unit of data;

monitor the wireless signal between the first computing device and the set of sensing devices and determining that a signal strength for the wireless signal is not below a threshold value, the signal strength for the wireless signal being below the threshold value corresponding to a person not having in possession any articles of the set of safety equipment; and

notify a second computing device, in response to the determining that the signal strength for the wireless signal is not below the threshold value.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program instructions executable by the first computing device to cause the first computing device to notify the second computing device includes transmitting an audio signal to a radio device coupled to equipment of the set of safety equipment.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program instructions executable by the first computing device further cause the first computing device to:

determine, via the first computing device, that the first unit of data satisfies a set of safety equipment criteria; and

notifying the second computing device, in response to the determining that the first unit of data satisfies the set of safety equipment criteria.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions executable by the first computing device further cause the first computing device to:

receive, from a location transmitter beacon, a second unit of data, the location transmitter beacon being coupled to a unit of equipment that a person performs a job task with, the second unit of data being associated with specifying the set of safety equipment criteria required for the job task.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions executable by the first computing device further cause the first computing device to receive a second unit of data from a location transmitter, the second unit of data identifying the set of safety equipment criteria.