What role does AI play in workplace safety?

 Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the science of embedding intelligence to machines. In the past few decades AI has rocked all realms of lives. 

 

From agriculture to forestry, from media communication to logistics operations, from telecom to cryptocurrency, from digital marketing to email marketing, from insurance to healthcare, everything around us is a venture of AI. 

 

In this blog we will read about the role of AI in workplace safety. We will also take a look at advantages and limitations of AI in the same.

 

 

What is Workplace Safety?

 

Workplace safety is a general term, quite easy to understand from its very own name. A workplace is the environment where the employees work. For example, a pharmaceutical industry is the workplace of a pharmacist while a garden is the workplace of a Gardener. 

 

Different professions have different workplaces. Workplace safety is basically defined as the safety of workers. Safety of workers can be defined as provision of a safe environment, safe procedures and safe equipment to workers. In other languages, occupational health and safety is defined as workplace safety. 

 

It is the precautions taken against workplace hazards. Protecting employees from work related illness and injury is the basic aim of workplace safety. Safety at the workplace starts with implementation of a workplace safety plan and program. It is followed by developing a company Environmental, Safety and Health Policy statement.

 

Workplace safety is important as it has a significant impact on the business KPIs. Safer working environments means fewer accidents, means less employee downtime, better employee retention, better consumer satisfaction and less retraining time.

 

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Types of hazards at workplace

 

Before reading the role of AI in the workplace, let us deal with the hazards that are likely to occur at the workplace.

 

Safety hazards

 

Safety hazards affect the employees who work directly with the machinery and construction sites. Casualty in this can lead to injury, illness and death. For example, falling from an elevated area or electrical risks.

 

Biological hazards

 

Biohazards or biological hazards are the damages caused by biological substances. It may arise while working with animals, people, and infectious plant material. For example, scientists working in pathology labs often get infected by molds.

 

Physical hazards

 

Unlike the name suggests, physical hazards aren’t caused by touch. They affect the workers who work in extremely harmful conditions. For example, radiation or ionization hazards.

 

Ergonomic hazards

 

Ergonomic safety hazards are caused by working conditions and body positions. For example, sore muscles and strain.

 

Chemical hazards

 

Chemical hazards are caused by exposure to chemicals. It basically affects the employees who are more sensitive to the chemicals, and cause illness, skin irritation and breathing problems. For example, people working in paint and fertilizer industries can lead to skin diseases.

 

Work organization hazards

 

Work organization includes mental stress. It may arise due to excess workload demands or deadline pressure.

 

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AI in workplace safety

 

There is no doubt that artificial intelligence is revolving around the world. AI, machine learning and the internet of things together are bringing drastic changes everywhere. 

 

In the workplace, it is transforming production, marketing, security, and job safety. The correct AI solution and techniques can assist in improving job safety, reducing hazards, and reducing the number of accidents. 

 

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Advantages of AI in the workplace safety process
 

AI is the future of safety and efficacy. Due to its advance and modern technologies it has been able to break several traditional parameters of the workplace. The major advantages of AI in the ensuring workplace safety are as follows:

 

Inability to take stress

This is so falling the best advantage of AI in ensuring workplace safety. In case you're wondering how, a fatigue, stressful or unwell human can cause many problems and may not be able to work with focus. 

 

This causes casualty, errors and accidents. And, yeah machines don't take stress, don't fall ill, have no mental or medical issues, thus, decreasing the chances of accidents.

AI-SAFE

AI-SAFE is a term related to PPE kits. PPE stands for personal protective equipment. Each workspace has a different PPE kit according to its requirements. 

 

For example, for a software developer PPE means wearing radiation protective classes, while for a laboratory technician, PPE kit is lab coat and safety glasses. In 2018, AI and its technologies have blessed the world with AI-SAFE. That checks the correct use of PPE kit according to the job and workplace.

CCTVs

CCTVs stand for closed circuit televisions. It is basically a video surveillance system, which is an application of AI. It helps in live checking a surrounding or organization. The use of CCTV has drastically increased in the last few decades. And many mysteries and accidents have been solved in the past because of them.

Drones

Drones are the other important assets of AI.  Drones can be used for difficult tasks. They check the progress and working of the places which is quite difficult for humans to perform. For example, at crowded or elevated places drones can be employed to keep a check or deliver some goods. 

 

Frame EHD regulations

 

AI gathers and analyzes the data. Later, produces reports for the same. These reports are used by the EHS department, i.e., the Environment health and safety department to frame rules and regulations related to workers safety.

 

Robotics assistant

 

At several work locations, robots are employed to deliver delicate and dangerous duties. For example, hotels, households, bomb diffusion cells, terrorist control departments etc.
 

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Limitations of AI in workplace safety process

 

The drawbacks of AI in ensuring workplace safety are quite similar to the general limitations of AI. The major limitations of AI in workplace safety are as follows:

 

High implementation costs

Though AI reduces the intermediate operational costs, the setup and implementation cost of machinery and technologies is quite high. many times, it is not affordable by small organizations.

Replacing humans

Machines can perform every function that humans can do. And this shrinks the human employment scale. In the future, we can accept a society where all work is done and delivered by machines and robots.

 

Not completely error free

Even AI and machineries have faults and errors. It is not completely error free. It sometimes risks the safety for which it is working for. Considering a case, in Arizona, a driverless Uber hit a woman a few years back.

Computing time

Though AI reduces the conduct time of the process but adds the computing time and designing hours. Thus, increasing the entire duration of the work.

Implementation time

The implementation time of machineries and technologies is quite high as compared to the appointment of manpower for the same tasks.

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Though we are concerned about the advantages and limitations of AI in workplace safety, we must keep in mind that different workplaces have different requirements and the same must be kept in mind while deciding safety technologies and machineries.