Robots At Work: A Look At Robotic Safety

ROBOTS AT WORK A LOOK AT ROBOT SAFETY One of the most important practices a successful business can have is safety in the workplace. With the growth of industrial robotics, it's imperative that companies keep their safety standards compliance current to keep workers out of harm's way. SAFETY REGULATIONS TIMELINE 1970 President Nixon signed the Occupational Safety and Health Act into US law, which led to OSHA, NIOSH, and the Independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. 1970 The General Duty Clause was written into the OSH Act to enforce that US employers furnish a work environment free from recognized hazards that can cause death or personal injury to workers. 1986 1989 The initial ANSI/RIA Industrial Robot Safety Standard was released to provide specific protection to workers using the specialized automation technology of robotics. It was later updated in 1992, 1999, and 2012. ISO 10218, the International Safety Standard for Industrial Robots was released. It was later updated in 2006 and 2011. This standard is now harmonized with the ANSI/RIA Industrial Robot Safety Standard to provide a uniform global standard. DANGER DO NOT OPERATE tOUPMENT 1992 ISO 10218, the International Safety 2003 Standard for Industrial Robots was released. It was later updated in 2006 The CAN/CSA-Z434-03 Industrial and 2011. This standard is now harmonized with the ANSI/RIA Industrial Robot Safety Standard to provide a uniform global standard. Robots and Robot Systems - General Safety Requirements standard is published and is a National Standard of Canada, It was updated in 2013. 2012 2010 The OSHA Injury and Illness Prevention The ANSI/RIA RI5.06 Industrial Robot Safety Standard was updated for current robot technology. The standard includes risk assessment and safeguarding guidelines and also addresses collaborative operation of robots. Program Initiative requires US companies to create and maintain a hazards prevention program in the workplace. BETWEEN 201O AND 2012 sales of industrial robots rose ANNUAL SUPPLY OF INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS ARE PROJECTED TO EXCEED 38% 190,000 WORLDWIDE IN THE YEAR 2016 ACCIDENT CLASSIFICATION IMPACT OR COLLISION CRUSHING AND TRAPPING MECHANICAL PARTS OTHER ACCIDENTS PAY UP Keeping employees safe doesn't have to include paying hefty fines. Don't pay up, keep up with regulations and protect your workers! Below are 2012's most violated regulations in the U.S. according to OSHA. FALL PROTECTION SCAFFOLDING LOCKOUT/TAGOUT INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS MACHINE GUARDING The most violated safety regulation across the industry. The construction industry receives the most citations in this category Regulations apply to both workers and equipment. Lockout/Tagout procedures must be implemented to keep employees working on machinery safe. Potentially hazardous energy that is stored by machines must first be released prior to the machine being locked out for safe access. TOTAL VIOLATIONS: TOTAL VIOLATIONS: TOTAL VIOLATIONS: 3,814 2,097 Leading causes of injury: driving off or falling between docks, workers getting hit by a forklift, and workers falling off pallets elevated by forklifts TOTAL VIOLATIONS: TOTAL VIOLATIONS: 1,250 Leading causes of accidents: platform giving out, slipping, or being struck by a falling object. 1,572 Violations are issued to those who fail to place protective barriers around machinery to prevent injury to operators when they are in use. 1,993 RESPIRATORY PROTECTION LADDERS ELECTRICAL HAZARD COMMUNICATION ELECTRICAL WIRING METHODS The bonding, grounding, and wiring of electrical components must follow both permanent and temporary wiring and splicing TOTAL VIOLATIONS: Manufacturers are required to educate employees about all chemical compounds on site. Without safety data sheets and an emergency action plan, companies are fined TOTAL VIOLATIONS: TOTAL VIOLATIONS: 2,310 2,371 1,332 requirements. Standards require the support of at least 4 times the maximum All electrical equipment must be approved and inspected by licensed personnel before use. Anything capable of causing harm must be installed by a certified electrician. TOTAL VIOLATIONS: Protection programs must be established and maintained if a TOTAL VIOLATIONS: intended weight. Factors such as ice buildup, step spacing, and side rail clearance are all leading 1,744 company wants to avoid fines. Greatest potential for exposure. occupational diseases and atmospheric contaminants. 4,696 concerns. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT IN THE JANUARY OCTOBER 2013 US ALONE THERE ARE ROUGHLY 17,645 ROBOTS INDUSTRIAL 230,000 ROBOTS IN USE WERE SHIPPED TO NORTH AMERICAN COMPANIES THE PRICE OF INJURY: PUTTING WORKERS IN HARM'S WAY September 12, 2013 $$$$S September 5, 2013 $$$$S August 28, 2013 $$$$S August 21, 2013 $S$$S An architectural metal manufacturer faces fines of $55,300 for a number of violations including the lack of guards near press breaks and drill presses. A custom foam product manufacturer was fined $65,000 A thermal systems company was fined $1.33 million after employee dies from being crushed by machinery that makes radiator cores. Management also instructed employees to bypass barrier guards to keep the machine running. after unguarded machinery resulted in two injuries to machine operators. Without these guards the company had created a serious threat of injury or amputation to employees. A pipefitting manufacturer was fined $48,000 for a number of violations including inadequate machine guards; and entry procedures for confined spaces in the building. March 22, 2013 $$$$$ February 2013 SS$$ June 29, 2012 $$$$S December 15, 2012 A temp worker at a bottling company was killed on his first day because of lack of lockout tags/procedures. These violations are said to An amusement park was fined $30,150 after a worker was A waste and recycling center was fined $111,935 when a worker sustained crushing injuries after attaching a hydraulic system to a garbage truck that was activated, A man working inside a robot work cell was crushed to struck by the vehicle of a rollercoaster while performing maintenance on another death when his cell was hit from behind by a transfer robot. vehicle, resulting in fractures and internal injuries. cost the company $192,000 in fines. forcing the employee into the packer. IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2013 ALONE, A TOTAL OF BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD BY 6. 5,736 ROBOTS 24.6% WERE SHIPPED TO NORTH AMERICA 60% THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY MAKES UP OF ALL INDUSTRIAL ROBOT ORDERS IN NORTH AMERICA. ROBOTICS SUPPLIERS IN NORTH AMERICA REPORT THAT THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS THEIR LARGEST CUSTOMER. SOURCES 1. https://www.osha.gov/osha40/timeline.html 9.http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2013/09/12/0sha-fines-downey-metal-pr oducts.html 2.http://webstore.ansi.org/Record Detail.aspx?sku-ANSI/RIA+R15.06+/+ANSI-BI1.0+/-ANS -BIL.19-Industrial-Robots-and-Machinery Safety Package 10.https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table-NEWS_RELE ASES&p_id-24738 3. http://www.statista.com/topics/1476/industrial-robots/ 11.https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table-NEWS_RELE ASES&p_id-24675 4.http://www.robotics.org/content-detail.cfm/Industrial-Robotics-News/North-Ameri can-Robotics-Companies-Set-New-Records-for-First-Half-of-2013/content_id/4224 12.https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table-NEWS_RELE ASES&p_id-24573 5.https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_iv/otm_iv_4.html#3 6.http://www.safetyservicescompany.com/industry-category/construction/top-10-os ha-fines-for-small-companies/ 13. http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/citation.html 14.http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ne/99ne017.html 7.http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-03-06/business/37501897_1_new-robots-da n-kara-human-workers 15. http://www.worldrobotics.org/index.php?id-home&news_id-267 8.http://www.robotics.org/content-detail.cfm/Industrial-Robotics-News/North-Ameri can-Robotics-Companies-Post-Strongest-Opening-Quarter-Ever/content_id/4081 16.http://www.worldrobotics.org/index.php?id-home&news_id-267 COPYRIGHT 2013 RIA | ROBOTICS.ORG | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED