Question

MAN4402

Discussion Assignment

1.) What do you think are the occupational safety and health implications of the increased use of robots in the workplace? What future safety considerations must managers evaluate before implementing robot workers?

Answer 1

ANS.

Technological advances have begun to allow for greater diversity of robotic systems in the workplace.

“Now, in addition to traditional industrial robots, we have professional service robots, collaborative robots who work side by side with workers, and mobile autonomous robots in a wide range of industries and enterprises.As these next-generation robots open new possibilities, their increasing interactivity and mobility may complicate the task of ensuring the safety of their human co-workers.

Industrial robots typically have been used for tasks considered undesirable for human workers – what RIA Vice President Bob Doyle described as “the three Ds: dull, dirty and dangerous jobs.”

In this capacity, automated systems offer considerable safety benefits to human workers. “Robots can help prevent injuries or adverse health effects resulting from working in hazardous conditions,” Murashov said. “Some examples are musculoskeletal disorders due to repetitive or awkward motions, or traumatic injuries (for example, in poultry processing, where cuts are common). They can also prevent multiple hazards in emergency response situations such as chemical spills.Next-generation robots still perform these types of tasks, but their ability to work in close proximity with humans creates the potential for a wider range of applications. Interactions between humans and collaborative robots can involve handing off parts and materials, or the worker “teaching” the robot by guiding it through a desired motion, which the robot then repeats.

The main approach to the industrial robot safety is maintenance of a safe distance between human workers and operating robots through the creation of “guarded areas.” Worker entrance into the safe guarded area would require a shutdown of the robot. Shutdown of one robot for safety reasons, in an assembly line of robots, can impair productivity and may be a disincentive to achieving the highest level of safety for the human worker.