WO2009141474A1

WO2009141474A1 - Safety system for monitoring the use of personal work protection devices

Info

Publication number: WO2009141474A1
Application number: PCT/ES2009/000286
Authority: WO
Inventors: Juan Carlos ÁLVAREZ CORTÉS; Pedro Luis Garrido Cano; Isabel GARCÍA MORALES; Cristina QUERO GONZÁLEZ; Víctor Fernando MUÑOZ MARTÍNEZ; Miguel Ricardo Medina Del Pozo; Imanol PÉREZ IRIARTE; Inmaculada TRUJILLO LIÑAN
Original assignee: Universidad De Málaga
Priority date: 2008-05-23
Filing date: 2009-05-22
Publication date: 2009-11-26
Also published as: ES2334314A1; ES2334314B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a system which monitors the safety of workers that are obliged to use regulation personal protection devices. The safety system includes: elements (1) forming the user personal protection device (EPI), a central control system (2) which can be used to ascertain whether or not all personnel are using the elements forming the personal protection device, and elements (3) enabling communication between the elements forming the personal protection device (1) and the central control system (2). The absence or non-use of one or more elements forming the personal protection device (1) triggers the transmission of an alarm signal which alerts the safety manager, as well as directly alerting the user of the device.

Description

Title

Security system for the control of the use of individual labor protection equipment.

Technical sector

The field of application of the present invention corresponds to any industrial sector, preferably the construction sector, in which the legislation requires workers to use their personal protective or safety equipment.

Prior art

Although the legislation establishes specific safety measures to ensure the protection of workers, a significant number of accidents and work accidents occur daily.

In spite of the availability of protection elements, the control of their use is, in many cases, merely testimonial, often motivated by the manifest impossibility of carrying out an exhaustive control of the correct compliance of the worker's safety measures. for their individual protection (for example, a large number of workers forced to use protective measures would imply the hiring of many other security officers who will watch over the use of such measures). In addition, even if such control is possible and performed, this, being not automated or computerized, can lead to failures due to human error. In fact, in certain sectors the derivation of corporate responsibility is frequent through a written document in which the operator indicates to have received the personal protection equipment and for which he undertakes to use them.

The current legislation is developed in such a way that the non-use of personal protective equipment does not exempt from the classification of the accident or illness as a professional risk, since if it is the worker's responsibility it is understood as a “luck” of non-exempt professional imprudence of the protection and repair by the social protection system of the corresponding professional risk. On the other hand, the breach of the employer entails a responsibility in the social field of increase or surcharge of the benefits, and even the possibility of a civil lawsuit for which the operator requests the corresponding compensation for damages. The present invention has as main objective the fact of providing methods and systems to avoid current inconveniences, ensuring that the worker is protected as the law marks against a labor risk. This effectiveness in the use of individual protection measures, which currently does not occur, will undoubtedly result in the reduction of occupational accidents and, in line with this, in the requirement of civil or social responsibilities by those affected for professional risk.

As far as the closest state of the art is concerned, three documents have been identified that refer to the use of RPID technology, application technology in the present invention, although the security systems set forth therein differ significantly from the one set forth herein.

Thus, US 2006/0022823 proposes the use of RPID technology to control the correct location of objects and the need for their activation or replacement. Said invention, in no case, raises the security system aimed at monitoring the use by users or operators of mandatory individual security elements. Document US 2008/00084317 proposes the use of RPID technology to control the approach and use by users or operators of certain facilities or equipment, which are either dangerous or require authorization for their use. Said invention implies the use of "tags" both in the users or operators and in the equipment or facilities, but neither is it intended to control the use of the tagged element or elements by the users.

Finally, document US 2008/0018472 proposes the use of RFID technology especially aimed at preventing moving equipment or machines from colliding with operators. Said invention implies the use of labels both in some element of the dress of the operators and in the equipment or machines in movement. In any case, said invention is not intended to control whether or not the operators use the "tagging" element of their clothing.

The present invention aims to assimilate and understand all electronic and visual active and passive systems, available today, together with the existing and currently required protection measures. It is also compatible with future legal and regulatory technologies and regulations related to the achievement of the main objective described above.

Disclosure of the invention The present invention relates to a system that ensures the safety of workers forced to use personal protective regulatory equipment. The system is designed to ensure that the user effectively fulfills his obligation to carry the required health protective elements. In essence, the security system comprises the elements that make up the user's EPI, a central control system that allows determining whether each subject uses all the elements that make up the EPI (EPI that may differ depending on the work area and the user occupation), and elements that ultimately allow communication between the EPI elements and the central control system. Such a central control system is the one that keeps the absolute monitoring of the use by the workers of the media to which they are legally bound, both in time and in form, in addition to allowing the registration of all the information managed by the system of security object of the present invention. Said security system can be complemented with other systems or devices that allow efficient operation at all times. The non-presence or lack of use of one or more elements of the EPI, either because the user has not incorporated it at the beginning of their activity or because they have stopped using it in circumstances in which its use is still mandatory, ultimately determines the Issuance of an alarm signal, which alerts the person in charge of security control and even directly to the EPI user.

Description of the figures

Figure 1. General scheme of the invention where the elements that make up the EPI (1), marked or labeled with devices that allow data transmission, the central control system (2), and communication elements (3) are represented. . All the elements that make up the EPI (1) transmit data to the central control system (2) through the communication elements (3).

Figure 2. Scheme of the invention where the elements that make up the EPI are represented, distinguishing the element configured as an active control element (1 '), which in this case is the helmet, from the rest of the elements of the EPI (1 "), all of them marked or labeled with devices that allow the transmission of data; the central control system (2), and the communication elements (3). The active control element (1 ') is the one that detects the presence or use the rest of the elements of the EPI (1 ") and transmit the data to the central control system (2) through the communication elements (3).

Figure 3. Alternative scheme to that shown in figure 1 when the security system comprises auxiliary communication elements (4).

Figure 4. Alternative scheme to that represented in figure 2 when the security system comprises auxiliary communication elements (4).

Ways of carrying out the invention

Preferred embodiments of the present invention, of a non-limiting nature, are described below. Particularly, the following description refers to a security system for the control of the use of individual work protection equipment based on RFID technology, although without prejudice to the possible use of other transmission technologies, such as Bluetooth, WiFi, WiMax, etc. Figures 1 to 4 represent, in a simplified manner, the preferred embodiments discussed below.

It should be understood that the present invention has been described according to preferred embodiments, so it may be subject to modifications as long as it does not imply any alteration of the basis of said invention, such modifications being able to affect, in particular, the shape, the size and / or the manufacturing materials of the assembly or its parts, or even the electronic, telematic, visual, etc. technologies or means of activation and control included in the security system object of the present invention.

EPI elements

In a preferred embodiment, all the elements of the EPI (1) are marked or labeled by means of devices that allow communication between said elements and the central control system (2) through the communication elements (3) of the security system. Preferably, the mentioned elements (1) are marked by PvFID tags, attached or integrated into said elements (1). Such PvFID tags can be active or passive.

In another preferred embodiment, one of the elements of the EPI (for example, the one whose mandatory use is more widespread or more important) is configured as an element of active control (l ') ₅ being connected to the rest of the EPI elements (1 "), and allowing (1') to report both its own presence or use by the user and the presence or use of the rest of the EPI elements (one"). Both the active control element (1 ') and the rest of the EPI elements (1 ") are marked or labeled by means of devices that allow communication between the active control element (1') and the rest of the elements (1") , as between the active control element (1 ') and the central control system (2) through the communication elements (2) of the security system. Preferably, the mentioned elements (1 ', 1 ") are marked by RFID tags, active or passive, attached or integrated in said elements (1', 1"). In said preferred embodiment, the active control element (1 ') periodically checks or continuously monitors the existence, presence or use of the other elements of the EPI (1 "), for which it incorporates an RPID reader or transceiver. The active control element (1 ') transmits the corresponding data (existence / nonexistence, presence / absence, use / non-use, ...) to the central control system (2) through the communication elements (2) of the security system In a preferred embodiment, the active control element (1 ') continuously monitors the presence or use of the rest of the elements of the EPI (1 "), labeled for it by active, more precise, reliable and suitable RPID tags for frequent, continuous or unpredictable access. In another preferred embodiment, the active control element (T) periodically checks, but not continuously, the presence or use of the rest of the EPI elements (1 "), being sufficient in this case to mark these (1") by means of RFID tags passive

In another preferred embodiment, the monitoring or monitoring of the elements of the EPI (1, T, 1 ") comprises, regardless of whether one of the elements of the EPI is configured or not as an active control element, the use of sensors, preferably thermal and / or pressure, integrated or connected to the RFID tags, for example by means of an I2C type data bus, and the transmission of the data obtained by said sensors from the RFID tags to the central control system (2).

Additionally, the elements of the EPI (1, Y, 1 ") can incorporate visual marks detectable by cameras.

Central control system

In a preferred embodiment, the central control system (2) comprises both a local computer system and a remote computer system, with access to the first, for example via the Internet. In the event that all the elements of the EPI (1) are marked with RFID tags, active or passive, and that none of these elements is configured as an active control element, the security system individually monitors the presence or use of each one of the elements that make up the EPI (1), so that the central control system (2) alerts of the lack or non-use of the corresponding element or elements of the EPI (1).

In the event that one of the elements of the EPI is configured as an active control element (1 '), when it detects the non-presence or lack of use of one or more of the remaining elements of the EPI (1 "), it alerts to the central control system (2) of the existence of a situation of “underprotection.” The central control system (2), in turn, alerts the security officer of the failure or non-use of the EPI element or elements (1 ") that correspond as detected by the active control element (1 '). On the other hand, in another preferred embodiment, the active control element (1 '), in parallel to the alert generated by the central control system (2), can emit an alarm signal to alert the user that his EPI does not is complete. The absence of data sent to the central control system (2) will generally be interpreted as a lack of presence or use of the active control element (T) by the user, with the consequent alarm signal generated by the control system. central control (2).

Additionally, the central control system (2) can allow the recording of incidents in a database.

Communication elements between the EPI elements and the central control system

In the event that all the elements of the EPI (1) are marked by active RFID tags, with their own energy source that allows the active emission of signal periodically, and none of them is configured as an active control element, signals emitted by the different elements of the EPI (1) are detected by RFID readers (3) (or transceivers, which emit signals periodically in order to detect the next RFID tags) distributed throughout the work area, sending these (3) the information detected to the central control system (2). In the event that RFID tags are not active but passive, without their own source of energy and that emit signals (responses) only when they receive and are activated by signals from RFID readers (3), the network of RFID readers or transceivers (3) should be wider than in the case that active tags are used to mark the elements of the EPI (1), since the signals emitted by the passive RFID tags are weaker and of a smaller range than those emitted by the active ones Alternatively, the RFID reader network (3) may be supported by auxiliary communication elements (4). In the event that one of the elements of the EPI is configured as an active control element (1 ') and this does not allow the transmission of data to the central control system (2) directly through the communication elements (3) of the security system, the security system will comprise auxiliary communication elements (4) that cover the work area in which the use of PPE is mandatory.

In a preferred embodiment, the auxiliary communication elements (4) comprise a network of repeater antennas (receiving and data transmitting antennas) that serve as a link. In another preferred embodiment, said auxiliary communication elements (4) comprise portable manual recording / reading equipment. In another preferred embodiment, the auxiliary communication elements (4) comprise a network of cameras, which allow detecting the elements that make up the EPI (1, 1 ', 1 ") when they incorporate visual marks.

Claims

1. Security system characterized in that it allows the control of the use of individual labor protection equipment and includes - the elements that comprise the user's personal protection equipment (PPE) (1),

- a central control system (2) that allows to determine if each subject uses all the elements that make up the EPI ₅ and communication elements (3) that allow the transmission of data between the elements of the EPI (1) and the control system central (2).

2. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that all the elements of the EPI (1) are marked or labeled by means of devices that allow communication between said elements (1) and the central control system (2) through the elements of communication (3) for the follow-up or monitoring of the use of the elements of the EPI (1).

3. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the monitoring or monitoring of the use of the EPI elements (1) comprises the use of sensors, preferably thermal and / or pressure, integrated or connected in the devices with which they are marked or labeled the elements of the EPI (1); and the transmission of the data obtained by said sensors from the devices with which the elements of the PPE (1) are marked or labeled to the central control system

(2).

4. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the sensors are connected to the devices with which the elements of the EPI (1) are marked or labeled by means of an I2C data bus.

5. Security system according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the elements of the EPI (1) incorporate visual marks detectable by cameras.

6. Security system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it allows individual monitoring of the presence or use of each of the elements that make up the PPE (1).

7. Security system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that one of the elements of the EPI is configured as an active control element (1 '), being connected to the rest of the elements of the EPI (1 "), and allowing (1 ') inform so much of its own presence or use by the user as of the presence or use by the user of the rest of the elements of the EPI (1 ").

8. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the devices with which both the active control element (1 ') and the other elements of the EPI (1 ") are marked or labeled allow communication between both the control element active (1 ') and the rest of the elements (1 "), as from the active control element (1') to the central control system (2).

9. Security system according to any of claims 7 to 8 characterized in that the active control element (1 ') periodically checks or continuously monitors the existence, presence or use of the rest of the EPI elements (1 ") and transmits the corresponding data (existence / nonexistence, presence / absence, use / non-use, ...) towards central control system (2).

10. Security system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the non-presence or lack of use of one or more elements of the PPE (1, Y, 1 ") ultimately determines the emission of an alarm signal that alerts the Responsible for security control.

11. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the non-presence or lack of use of one or more elements of the PPE (1, Y, 1 ") additionally determines the emission of an alarm signal that alerts the user of the PPE itself .

12. Security system according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the central control system (2) comprises both a local computer system and a remote computer system, with access to the first.

13. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the remote computer system has access to the local computer system via the Internet.

14. Security system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central control system (2) allows the recording of the incidents in a database.

15. Security system according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the communication elements (3) of the security system comprise auxiliary communication elements (4) useful when the transmission of data from the EPI elements (I ₃ Y, 1 " ) towards the central control system (2) is not directly possible through the communication elements (3)

16. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the auxiliary communication elements (4) comprise a network of repeater antennas (receiving and data transmitting antennas) that serve as a link.

17. Security system according to any of claims 15 to 16, characterized in that the auxiliary communication elements (4) comprise portable manual data recording / reading equipment.

18. Security system according to any of claims 15 to 17 characterized in that the auxiliary communication elements (4) comprise a network of cameras connected to the central control system.

19. Security system according to claim 2 characterized in that the elements of the

PPE (1) are marked by RFID tags, active or passive, attached or integrated into said elements (1).

20. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the monitoring or monitoring of the use of the elements of the EPI (1) comprises the use of sensors, preferably thermal and / or pressure, integrated or connected in the devices with which they are marked or labeled the elements of the EPI (1); and the transmission of the data obtained by said sensors from the devices with which the elements of the PPE (1) are marked or labeled to the central control system (2).

21. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the sensors are connected to the devices with which the elements of the EPI (1) are marked or labeled by means of an I2C data bus.

22. Security system according to any of claims 19 to 21 characterized in that the elements of the EPI (1) incorporate visual marks detectable by cameras.

23. Security system according to any of claims 19 to 22, characterized in that it allows individual monitoring of the presence or use of each of the elements that make up the PPE (1).

24. Security system according to any of claims 19 to 23 characterized in that one of the elements of the PPE is configured as an active control element

(1 '), being connected to the rest of the elements of the EPI (1 "), and allowing (1') to report both its own presence or use by the user and the presence or use by the user of the other elements of the EPI (1 ").

25. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the devices with which both the active control element (1 ') and the other elements of the EPI (1 ") are marked or labeled allow communication both between the control element active (1 ') and the rest of the elements (1 ") as from the active control element (1') to the central control system (2).

26. Security system according to any of claims 24 to 25 characterized in that the active control element (1 ') incorporates an RFID reader or transceiver.

27. Security system according to any of claims 24 to 26 characterized in that the active control element (1 ') periodically checks or continuously monitors the existence, presence or use of the rest of the EPI elements (1 ") and transmits the corresponding data (existence / nonexistence, presence / absence, use / non-use, ...) towards central control system (2).

28. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the active control element (1 ') continuously monitors the presence or use of the rest of the EPI elements (1 "), labeled for it by means of active RFID tags.

29. Security system according to any of claims 19 to 28, characterized in that the communication elements (3) comprise RFID readers or transceivers distributed throughout the work area.

30. Security system according to any of claims 19 to 29 characterized in that the communication elements (3) of the security system comprise auxiliary communication elements (4) useful when the transmission of data from the elements of the EPI (1, Y, 1 ") towards the central control system (2) is not directly possible through the communication elements (3).

31. Security system according to the preceding claim characterized in that the auxiliary communication elements (4) comprise a network of repeater antennas (receiving and data transmitting antennas) that serve as a link.

32. Security system according to any of claims 30 to 31, characterized in that the auxiliary communication elements (4) comprise portable manual data recording / reading equipment.

33. Security system according to any of claims 30 to 32, characterized in that the auxiliary communication elements (4) comprise a network of cameras connected to the central control system.