WO2014184638A1

WO2014184638A1 - Method for the prevention of accidents and system implementing said method

Info

Publication number: WO2014184638A1
Application number: PCT/IB2014/000725
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giovanni Silvestri
Original assignee: Safe Way S.R.L.
Priority date: 2013-05-17
Filing date: 2014-05-12
Publication date: 2014-11-20
Also published as: ITAN20130095A1; EP2996558A1

Abstract

The object of the present invention is a method and the relative system implementing it suitable for preventing work accidents through a continuous monitoring of the operator's work performance during the execution of his/her tasks and the signalling of any situation considered as anomalous and potential cause of a work accident. In particular, according to the invention it is meant to check the actual work performance achieved by an operator during the execution of his/her tasks through a continuous monitoring of one or more representative physical quantities and to compare them to those representative of a work performance that is considered as normal.

Description

METHOD FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS AND SYSTEM IMPLEMENTING SAID METHOD

DESCRIPTION

The object of the present invention is a system for the prevention of work and/or home accidents and a shoe, for example, but not necessarily, of the safety type, implementing such system.

More in particular, the object of the present invention is a shoe provided with electronic devices capable of monitoring the work performance of the user wearing it during the execution of his/her usual duties and promptly signalling forewarning situations of a potential accident, and the relative monitoring and signalling method. The invention therefore falls within the typical field of footwear production.

The invention may be particularly useful in the field of production of safety shoes falling within the wider category of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The term "safety shoe" shall be used hereinafter to define "personal protection equipment" suitable for protecting the feet against external aggressions and in the contact with the ground, by the use of one or more technological devices such as the use of shoe caps made of steel or similar/equivalent materials and/or a pierce-proof sheet, arranging particular reliefs in the soles, waterproofing, imparting heat resistance, the use of a protection for the malleolus, a quick removal system or other.

In particular, the wide range of safety shoes includes different types of shoes, referred to as "safety", "protection" and "work" shoes (the features, peculiarities and uses whereof are well known to the man skilled in the art and which shall therefore not be discussed any further) which, while having different features and functions are made according to standard manufacturing processes generally consisting in stitching and preparing an upper-inter-sole group, preparing a sole moulded or glued to said group and fixing, according to timeframes and methods well known to the man skilled in the art, safety and protection elements such as shoe caps and/or pierce-proof sheets or other.

Said safety elements are provided also in shoes without upper, by way of a non- limiting example in rubber boots (or equivalent material), clogs and slippers made of EVA (or similar material), etc.

As known, most part of work and/or home accidents result from behaviours that are sometimes incorrect or careless, from an underestimation of the risk, distractions, malfunctioning and failures of the equipment handled, misuse of the tools used, unfavourable ambient conditions, organization issues or dangerousness of the type of activity to be carried out; the safety devices integrated in a safety shoe have, therefore, the only task of reducing the physical consequences (fractures, injuries and abrasions, chemical and/or flame or excessive heat aggressions, etc. ...) resulting from said incorrect behaviours or adverse causes.

Shoes equipped with a plurality of specific sensors suited to detect and signal an accident occurred are also currently known.

The current safety shoes can do nothing instead in terms of prevention of said incorrect behaviours so that, for example, the employer and/or the "Employee

Safety Manager can just acknowledge the accident and its entity (with all the subsequent known consequences) and promptly activate the most suitable aids.

For description simplicity, the person at risk of an accident during the execution of his/her tasks shall be referred to as "operator" while those who acknowledge said accident and intervene in order to minimize the consequences shall be generally referred to as "rescuers".

The object of the present invention is to obviate to at least part of the drawbacks outlined above, by providing a method and the relative system that implements it, suitable for the prevention of work and/or home accidents (hereinafter summarised without distinction, for simplicity, with "work") through a continuous monitoring of the operator's work performance during the execution of his/her duties and the signalling of any situation considered as anomalous and potential cause of an accident.

More precisely, the object of the present invention is to provide a method adapted to assess the non-suitability, even if temporary, of an operator to carry out the duties assigned to him/her.

These objects and other advantageous results, as it will clearly appear, are achieved with a system for the prevention of work accidents according to the annexed main claims.

The features of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following description of some preferred embodiments thereof, according to the patent claims and illustrated, by way of a non-limiting example, in the annexed drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a safety shoe integrating the system for the prevention of work accidents according to the invention.

The features of the invention are now described, making use of the references contained in the annexed figures. All components of the safety shoe of the invention common to those of the prior art shall not be listed except to mention those from time to time required. In the annexed figures, therefore, the various safety devices, such as, by way of a non-limiting example, caps, pierce-proof sheets, etc., are not shown, as they are per se conventional.

As already partly mentioned, what will be described shall be valid with reference to shoes of the type comprising an "upper", but may be obviously extended also to those without said upper, because they are made by moulding of plastic (or similar) material or of rubber, such as, by way of a non-limiting example, boots, clogs, slippers made of rubber or EVA or similar/equivalent materials.

In the description, reference shall be preferably made to a safety shoe, it being understood that what shall be said is absolutely extendible also to "traditional" shoes, that is, free from personal safety devices. It is also noted that the method which shall be described in detail has no therapeutic intent as it only limits to assess the work performance of an operator and his/her attitude in carrying out the duties assigned to him/her.

In Fig. 1, it is therefore shown a safety shoe 1 comprising an upper 10 and the relative sole 1 1 comprising, as known, the tread 12 and the inter-sole 13.

An "electronic system for the prevention of work accidents" 2 is provided integrated to the shoe 1, said system 2 being inserted within the sole 1 1 , preferably in the proximity of the heel pressure and support zone, substantially coinciding with the heel 14.

Without any limiting intent, the electronic system of the invention comprises at least means for detecting physical quantities GF, considered as indicative of the operator's work performance during the execution of his/her tasks, consisting in one or more special sensors S, one processing unit UC for managing said physical quantities GF detected by said sensors S, and known communication devices with an external information unit, the latter thus capable of receiving or sending data from/to said "electronic system for the prevention of a work accident" 2 so as to promptly alert at least the operator wearing the shoe 1 about the potential risk of accident and to provide any further measures to the advantage of safety.

The electronic system of the invention further comprises at least one power source for its electronic components and if this is of the "rechargeable" type, the relative charging system, as well as alarm means, such as acoustic and/or luminous alarms. Said one or more sensors S may be integrated to the safety shoe 1, applied without distinction to the upper 10 thereof (if available) and/or sole 11 ; of course, they shall be placed on the safety shoe 1 in the position that most fits their structural and operating features so as to detect with the maximum possible accuracy the corresponding physical quantity GF.

At this point, the main features of the "electronic system" 2 of the invention and its operation shall be described in detail.

It is known that many work accidents occur not directly- due to failures or other technical reasons but for responsibility or shared responsibility for an incorrect behaviour of the operator.

Said operator's incorrect behaviour, in turn, may be unconscious and due to his/her non-suitability, even if temporary, for the duties assigned to him/her, and/or generated by an altered and compromised environment (for example, due to an uneven or slippery floor, the presence of inevitable obstacles, etc.).

According to the invention, it is therefore intended to control the operator's work performance during the execution of the duties assigned to him/her, by identifying some representative physical quantities (as shall be seen, said parameters being, in turn, easily detectable by suitable sensors associated to the shoe) and by comparing them with those representative of a usual performance (also referred to as "standard" or "normal" or "optimal"), that is generally pre-recorded/predetermined. From studies and researches carried out in the field of work and/or home environment safety, it has been found particularly useful to consider as physical quantities GF representative of the "work performance" achieved by an operator during the execution of his/her tasks parameters related to his/her movements and/or posture, more precisely parameters related to movements and stresses underwent by the shoes 1 that he/she wears.

In fact, it has been verified that during his/her shift (or during his/her usual activities), an operator has to move many times within his/her operating area, according to methods and timeframes that reiterate substantially identical day by day, for example for an entire workweek, and to reiterate usual actions such as weight lifts, kneebends (e.g. to collect material or semi-finished product to be processed) and similar, resulting from the type of activity that he/she performs or that he/she has been ordered or carries out.

Any variation in such motion behaviours and usual actions may therefore be considered as indicative of an "anomaly", that is an operator's "work performance" that is not optimal which is capable to lead him/her to a potential accident. Hereinafter the term "anomalous" shall therefore mean any variation in the movements and/or posture of the operator not attributable to causes univocally definable or traceable (e.g., subsequent to a modification of the tasks assigned to him/her).

The "electronic system for the prevention of a work accident" 2 of the invention is therefore set up, as it shall be seen in detail in the description, to learn, first, a work performance of the operator, assumed as "standard" (i.e. such that to allow him/her carrying out his/her duties in full safety and according to timeframes and methods provided for them), and then the "actual" performance so as to assess and signal, by comparing it with the first one, forewarning situations of potential accidents.

To this end, it is provided that the method for the prevention of work accidents, implemented by the electronic system 2 of the invention, includes at least one initial "learning period", of ATa duration, and a subsequent "monitoring period", of ATm duration, during which the values are acquired for the physical quantities GF representative of the stresses and movements of the shoes 1 , in one word indicative of the work performance achieved by the operator wearing them during the learning and monitoring phases.

Said ATa and ATm sampling periods comprise N sub-phases, during each of which said sensors S carry out the detection of the corresponding physical quantities (GF) to be monitored, so as to provide a data set.

Said data, as it shall be seen, is suitably processed according to the objects of the invention.

More precisely, during the "learning phase" (or "training"), for each monitored physical quantity GF, N first data are collected that shall be considered as representative of a "standard" work performance of the operator during the provided activity whereas N second data, representative of his/her actual work performance (also referred to as "operating" or "real") shall be acquired for the same physical quantity GF, during the subsequent "monitoring phases".

Said first and second acquired data may be suitably arranged, through known software loaded in the control unit UC of the electronic system of the invention, to form, respectively, a "standard" and an "actual" profile of the operator's work performance, or alternatively processed in order to extrapolate a single synthetic value V representative of the N first and second acquired data. For the purposes of the invention, the synthetic value V of data detected during the learning phase shall be referred to as "standard value Vs" (or "usual") to distinguish it from that representing the subsequent monitoring phases, referred to as "actual value Ve".

Generally, such "standard Vs" or "actual Ve" synthetic values may be obtained from the mean of the N first and second detected values, during the respective sampling periods, from said one or more sensors S.

As it shall be seen with reference to specific practical examples, said "standard" and "actual" profiles, or the corresponding absolute values Vs, Ve, shall be compared to each other at least through known techniques and methods, so that any deviation thereof beyond a predetermined maximum threshold shall be indicative of an anomalous work performance of the operator during the observation period ΔΤηι, that is therefore at risk of accident.

According to a possible embodiment of the invention, each detected deviation, resulting from the comparison between "standard" and "actual" profiles (or between the corresponding median values Vs, Ve), may be assigned a specific score, proportional the relevant size, through known software on the market; said score is therefore compared by the control unit UC to an "anomaly scale", preloaded in its memory means, so as to associate the detected deviation to one of its "accident potential risk levels".

By way of a non-limiting example, the deviations detected by the comparison between standard and actual profiles (or between the correspondent synthetic values Vs, Ve) may be associated, according to their size, to a "low" or "medium" or "high" accident risk.

Finally, nothing prevents that the major deviations may be considered indicative of the certainty of an inevitable accident with consequences classifiable as "minor" or "serious".

In such cases, the alarm devices of the electronic system of the invention shall be activated warning at least the same operator and/or any other person in charge (e.g. the Employee Safety Manager). According to the invention, the emitted alarm signal shall be related to the specific types of "accident risk" found, so as to be immediately interpreted as an alert or live alarm signal.

In other words, such signals may be denoted by different and particular sound and light levels or by different tonalities (by way of a non-limiting example: sound more or less low, or high, in the case of sound alarms; light more or less warm in the case of light indicators).

GPS devices, also integrated to the safety shoe 1, shall allow a quick and immediate identification of the operator wearing the shoe 1 and/or of the area of the potential accident.

At this point some aspect of such "learning" and/or "monitoring" phases shall be analysed more in detail.

For example, it is preferable that the learning period starts at the time of first use of the shoe 1 or whenever it is necessary to take changes to the operator's work performance, due to known causes or orders, e.g. by the effect of variations in the duties assigned to him/her or in his/her habits, into consideration. The duration ATa of said "learning phase" is sufficiently long that any "anomalous" values which have remained such over a short period of time and as such not traceable back to risky or accident forewarning actions or movements may be considered as negligible.

In addition, for the detected standard profile (or the corresponding "standard" synthetic value) to be considered as such it is necessary to provide a verification system of said "learning phase" consisting in, according to a first simple embodiment, a direct verification by a person responsible for the operator's work performance aimed to instantly correct wrong situations and actions or, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, in a comparison with the reference profiles or safety values made known by the Manufacturer and resulting from statistical analysis carried out on the type of activity or task or role or duty assigned to a specific operator.

In case of inconsistency of the standard learnt profile (or standard value) with that of reference preloaded in the storage means of the control unit UC, the learning phase must be repeated, otherwise the standard profile will be stored as such.

The activation of the learning period, at the time of first use, may be automatic, e.g., through activation commands sent to the control unit UC integrated to the shoe from that external UR, managed remotely, or carried out by the same operator through known radio activation devices available, about which it is not necessary to dwell.

Likewise, at the beginning of each shift or operating period, the monitoring phases may be activated both automatically, for example by means of "endorsers" located at the entrance of the work area assigned to the operator and capable of communicating, through known protocols, with the control unit UC, and manually through the same radio device available to the operator.

Preferably, said learning period ATa has a duration equal to a number of sampling days GG equal to 1 or N, being N the number of weekly working (or more generally, operating) days.

However, nothing prevents the possibility to extend such sampling for a number of days equal to a multiple M.GG or to limit it to fractions of day GG, by providing, for example, hourly sampling or sampling by multiples of hours.

The duration ATm of the "monitoring phase" is preferably similar to that ATa of the "learning phase" when the comparison between an "actual" and a "standard" profile is desired, whereas it may also be different, for example lower, when the evaluation of a potential accident is carried out based on the above absolute mean values Vs, Ve.

In the light of the foregoing, said at least one or more sensors suited to detect physical quantities GF that are indicative of a potential risk of accident may advantageously consist in kinematic sensors capable of instantly detecting, as mentioned, data relative to the operator's work performance, that is relative to the movement and/or posture taken by the operator during said "learning" and "monitoring" phases.

More precisely, said kinematic sensors integrated to the safety shoe 1 may be of the type capable of detecting and outputting the three acceleration vector components relative to to its "x-y-z" reference axes and/or the relative angular speeds, said data being handled and processed according to the method and system for the prevention of work accidents already described.

By learning and detecting said data it is in fact possible to trace the step mean length, and/or the relative duration thereof, and/or the translation/rotation speed of the shoe whereon the sensors S are applied, parameters that are well suitable for a comparison between a "normal condition", in which they are assumed as typical of the movements normally performed by the operator in full safety, and a "potential accident condition" during which they take, on the contrary, values that are anomalous and far away from the first ones.

For this purpose, according to a possible embodiment of the invention, such kinematic sensors may consist in accelerometers or gyroscopes, both preferably with MEMS technology, but nothing prevents the possibility that said MEMS sensors are incorporated in a single construction solution known as "Inertial Measurement Unit" (IMU).

An example of parametrisable quantities shall be hereinafter described in order to observe an operator's work performance over time and to evaluate that variation which is potentially evocative of a likely or imminent work accident.

In particular, the mean length of an operator's steps is taken into consideration as a discriminant between a condition that is deemed normal and a forewarning condition of an accident. As already partly mentioned, it is in fact known that during the execution of his/her tasks he/she is subject to moving within the operation space according to methods and speeds that repeat similar over time and depending on the characteristics of the operation that is usually and repeatedly performed.

Using such accelerometer or the equivalent IMU sensor, in accordance with the method for the prevention of accidents already described in general terms, identification data of the movements in the three spatial components "x-y-z" of both shoes 1 worn by the operator are detected and stored in the storage means of the control unit UC (or of the external information unit UR); six parameters AXdx, AYdx, AZdx, AXsx, AYsx, AZsz, derived from the acquired acceleration samples that shape the length of the step are thus determined.

To this end, it is firstly provided a first "learning" period, having an ATa duration, wherein said six parameters shall be assumed as representative of the length of the operator's standard step while, subsequently, monitoring periods ATm are provided during which same data again acquired and processed, shall model the actual length of the step as resulting from the behaviour actually taken.

Deviations, beyond a certain predetermined safety threshold, of the parameters detected during the monitoring phase relative to those of the learning phase are considered indicative of a non-optimal work performance (and thence forewarning of possible or imminent work accidents) due to, for example, an operating environment more or less altered and/or to a non-suitability, even if temporary, of the operator to carry out the usual duties he/she has been assigned or some single operations and tasks. By way of a non-limiting example, said non-suitability may be due to failures in the equipment/tools normally used and/or to interferences/disagreements with other operators and/or because technically unfit to carry out the above duties or single operations of said duties.

By way of a non-limiting example, a positive or negative deviation of the length of the step ΔΧ along the spatial direction x may be indicative, respectively, of an operator running away (e.g. from flames) or of an operator walking on an uneven (e.g. due to collapses and ruins) or slippery (conditions that force him/her to maximum caution and to take small steps).

Likewise, substantial and evident differences, relative to standard ones, in the length Ay, Az of the steps along the spatial axes y and/or z are indicative of side slips of the operator's feet, due to slippery or skiddy floors, or of the need to proceed with hops due to the presence of obstacles that are difficult to clear with a "standard" advance.

The measure of the length of the step is regulated by the laws of kinematics.

In particular, said length can be calculated as the product between the mean speed of the step along each axis and its duration: - said mean speed being given by the ratio between the summation of the speeds obtained by the acceleration samples and the number N of samples taken in the respective "learning" or "monitoring" sampling period, and

- said duration of the step being the product between the number N of samples taken, with acceleration different from 0 and the detecting period by said one or more MEMS sensors.

Of course, because of the particular dynamics behind a step, some approximations are necessary so that the modelling of its length may be considered sufficiently accurate and representative of the behaviour taken by the operator both during the learning and monitoring phase.

In fact, it is known that during the execution of a step the foot speed is not constant, in none of the spatial directions; an increase of the foot speed shall be noted at the beginning of the step, that will reach a pick and then decrease up to a null value as soon as the shoe 1 rests again on the ground.

For these reasons, when determining the length of a step it is assumed that between an acquired acceleration sample and the following the acceleration is constant, in other words that in the sampling intervals the motion is uniformly accelerated.

As said, anomalous work performance may be attributable also to an environment that is more or less altered and compromised. A further physical quantity that is parametrisable as a discriminant between an optimal work performance (also referred to as "standard") and an anomalous one by the operator, and detectable through the same IMU sensor or dedicated gyroscopes, may be therefore the angular speed, in its components relative to the reference axes x-y-z, to which the safety shoe 1 may be subject.

Peaks of angular speed along one or more axes x-y-z may be interpreted, for example, as a consequence of a sudden sliding of at least one of his/her foots caused by a slippery or skiddy floor.

Likewise, data relative to the loads which an operator is subject to during the execution of his/her duties may be acquired.

For example, it has been verified that variations of the loads applied to one of the two operator's shoes may be indicative of a frequent movement of the bodily weight from one foot to the other, sign, for example, of uncomfortable and incorrect load lifting and/or transport methods, situations that may inevitably lead to a risk of accident.

Loads variations can be found also in case of lifting of weights heavier than expected from the operations usually carried out by the operator.

According to the invention, the acquisition of loads resting on the operator's safety shoes 1 is carried out by known extensometers or similar means.

Said known extensometers are in fact devices consisting of a grid of thin metal threads (resistor) which, if suitably mounted on a support, usually by gluing, undergoes the same deformations to which the support is subject.

The mechanical deformations applied to the extensometer determine a reversible variation of its characteristics, reflecting in a change in the nominal resistance value.

The variation of resistance can be detected through a measure of the voltage at its ends.

For this purpose, the extensometer is mounted within the sole 1 1 of a shoe 1 so as to evaluate the loads resting on it.

For the correct operation of the extensometer, it is necessary a first calibration with the only application of the operator's weight, so that the differences generated by the applied loads may be correctly evaluated; the mean values of the loads supported during each monitoring period shall be therefore compared to that identified at the end of the learning phase and assumed as identifying a standard performance. Similar comparisons may be carried out between the "standard" and "actual" profile of the loads resting on the operator.

Among the possible alternatives to such extensometers it is possible to use known FSR (Force Sensing Resistor) sensors capable of measuring directly the pressure exerted on a surface, thus without requiring said initial calibration.

Finally, nothing prevents that the detected parameters (step length and duration, angular speed, loads ...) may be combined to each other in order to have more evidence in foreseeing possible accidents.

In conclusion, it is clear that with the method for the prevention of work accidents and the relative system integrated, for example, to a safety shoe, the objects of the invention are achieved, in particular the possibility of monitoring the operator's work performance during the execution of his/her tasks so as to identify in good time any particular evidence that may define with good approximation that a work accidents is about to occur.

According to the invention, therefore, personal protection equipment (PPE), particularly the safety shoes 1, stop being only devices adapted to reduce the consequences of work accidents and become means for preventing the same.

In the practical embodiment of the invention, the various components described above may be finally replaced with technically equivalent ones and/or made with any material and technique suitable for the purposes they are designed for, as well as nothing prevents the possibility to provide future expansions of the "electronic system for detecting a work accident 2" by adding additional sensors for monitoring other parameters and physical quantities (for example, ambient temperatures, chemical composition of the atmosphere in the work environment, etc.).

From what described in the present description, it has been seen that, without any limiting intent, the parameters monitored with the aim to define the operator's work performance during the execution of his/her duties may be chosen beforehand (for example, based on statistical knowledge, specific studies, based on the detection difficulty) among all those that may be detected by the sensors available to date. However, nothing prevents the possibility to provide an experimental method adapted to identify which physical quantities GF, among those detectable, must actually be acquired because they are considered most representative of an operator's work performance during the execution of his/her duties and most sensitive to its variations induced by altered conditions of the operating environment and/or by his/her non-suitability for the same.

In particular, said experimental method includes the following steps:

- equipping said shoe (referred to as "tester") with the largest number of sensors S, each of which capable of acquiring a specific and different physical quantity GF representative of an operator's work performance;

- ordering the operator to keep, for a predetermined and significant period of time, a behaviour suited to the operations and duties he will be (or has already been) assigned, and recording the acquired values from the specific and dedicated sensors S (so as to identify "an optimal/standard work performance") for each monitored physical quantity GF;

- then ordering the operator to simulate a behaviour clear sign of an altered or compromised working and/or operating environment, and/or of his/her non- suitability for the assigned duties and recording, for the same physical quantities GF, the corresponding acquired values;

- verifying which physical quantities GF have shown a clearer deviation in the acquired values in normal and altered conditions.

Said physical quantities shall therefore be those that are assumed as representative of the operator's work performance to be analysed according to the methods and procedures described in details above.

Accordingly, it will suffice to equip the shoe 1 only with sensors S adapted for the detection of said physical quantities that are actually representative of the work performance achieved by the operator.

Claims

Method for the prevention of work and/or home accidents comprising the following functions:

- detect and acquire one or more physical quantities (GF) considered as indicative and representative of an operator's work performance during the execution of his/her tasks and/or duties;

- elaborate and manage the said one or more detected physical quantities (GF);

said physical quantities (GF) being parameters depending on the movements of and stresses underwent by the shoes (1) worn by said operator,

characterised in that it comprises at least:

- a "learning phase" lasting ATa, during which the first values of the said one or more detected and acquired physical quantities (GF) are assumed as representative of a "standard" work performance of said operator during the execution of his/her tasks and/or duties;

- at least a subsequent "monitoring phase" lasting ΔΤτη, during which the second values of said one or more physical quantities (GF) detected during said previous "learning phase" are detected and acquired, said second values being assumed as representative of said operator's "actual" work performance during the execution of his/her tasks and/or duties

said first and second acquired values, respectively representative of said "standard" and "actual" work performance of said operator, being compared to each other so as to assume their deviation beyond a predetermined maximum threshold as an indication of an anomalous work performance of said operator during said at least one "monitoring phase", said detected anomalous work performance:

- resulting from a compromised environment and /or an operator's non- suitability for carrying out said his tasks and/or duties; - being considered as a forewarning of possible or imminent accidents. Method for the prevention of accidents according to claim 1,

characterised in that

said ATa and ATm durations of said "learning" and "monitoring" phases comprise N sub-phases, during each of which said one or more physical quantities (GF) are detected and acquired, said first and second acquired values defining respectively first and second data sets.

Method for the prevention of accidents according to any previous claim, characterised in that

said first and second data sets acquired during said "learning" and "monitoring" phases are respectively organised into a "standard profile" and an "actual profile" of said work performance of said operator, said "standard" and "actual" profiles being compared to each other in order to identify their possible deviations.

Method for the prevention of accidents according to claim 2,

characterised in that

from each of said. first and second data sets, respectively acquired during said "learning" and "monitoring" phases, is extrapolated a corresponding "standard" (Vs) and "actual" (Ve) representative synthetic value;

- said "standard" (Vs) and "actual" (Va) values being respectively the mean of said N data of said first data set and of said N data of said second data set;

- being compared to each other in order to identify their possible deviations beyond said predetermined maximum threshold.

said "learning phase" starts at the moment of the first use of said shoes (1). Method for the prevention of accidents according to any previous claim, excluding claim 5,

characterised in that said "learning phase" starts whenever it is necessary to take into consideration changes in the operator's performance, due to known causes or orders.

the duration of the "learning phase" is such that possible "anomalous" values which have remained anomalous over a short period of time can be considered as negligible.

Method for the prevention of accidents according to any previous claim, characterised in that it further comprises a verification phase for said "learning phase" so that said "standard profile" or "standard value" (Vs), generated during said "learning phase", can actually be assumed and considered as such.

Method for the prevention of accidents according to the previous claim, characterised in that

said verification phase of said "learning phase" consists in the comparison of said "standard profile" or of said "standard value" (Vs) to a respective "reference" profile or value, said "reference" profile or value being the result of statistical analyses carried out on the type of activity or task or role assigned to said operator, said learning phase having to be repeated in case of a discrepancy between said standard profile or standard value (Vs) and said respective reference profile or value.

Method for the prevention of accidents according to claim 8,

characterised in that

said verification phase for said "learning phase" consists in a direct verification of said operator's work performance by a "Person responsible" aimed at the immediate correction of situations and actions deemed wrong, said learning phase having to be repeated in case of a discrepancy between said standard profile or standard value (Vs) and said respective reference profile or value. Method for the prevention of accidents according to any previous claim, characterised in that

said "learning phase" has a duration ATa equal to a number of sampling days (GG) equal to 1 or N, being N the number of weekly operating days of said operator.

said "learning phase" has a duration ATa equal to a "multiple of or "a fraction of said sampling days (GG).

said "monitoring phase" starts at each shift or operating period of the said operator.

said "monitoring phase" has a duration ATm equal to said duration ATa of said "learning phase", the evaluation of a potential accident being performed on the basis of said comparison between said "standard" and "actual" profiles.

said "monitoring phase" has a duration ATm different from said duration ATa of said "learning phase", the evaluation of a potential accident being performed on the basis of said comparison between said synthetic "standard" and "actual" values.

each detected deviation resulting from said comparison between said "standard" and "actual" profiles or between said "standard" (Vs) and "actual" (Ve) values is assigned a score proportional to its size, said score being compared to an "anomaly scale" so as to associate said detected deviation to one of the "accident potential risk levels" of said "anomaly scale".

said "anomaly scale" includes at least a "low" or "medium" or "high" accident risk level or a "inevitable accident" level with consequences classifiable, in turn, as "minor" or "serious".

said detected physical quantities (GF) may consist in the three components of the acceleration vector and/or in the relevant angular speeds, relative to the "x-y-z" spatial reference axes, from said physical quantities (GF) it being possible to trace the step mean length and/or its relative duration and/or the translation/rotation speed of said shoes (1).

said detected physical quantities (GF) may consist of the load resting on said shoes (1) worn by said operator, said load being able to identify the movement of the bodily weight from one foot to another of said operator or of the load lifted by said operator.

Electronic system (2) for the prevention of work and/or home accidents adapted to implement the method according to claims 1 to 19, comprising at least:

- one or more detection means (S) suited to detect and acquire one or more physical quantities (GF) considered as representative of the work performance of an operator during the execution of his/her tasks and/or duties;

- a control unit (UC) for managing and elaborating said physical quantities (GF), said control unit (UC) comprising in turn storage means;

characterised in that it is integrated in at least one shoe (1) worn by said operator.

Electronic system (2) for the prevention of accidents according to the previous claim,

characterised in that it is inserted within the sole (1 1) of said shoe (1), said electronic system (2) being preferably positioned in the proximity of the heel pressure and support zone substantially coinciding with the heel (14) of said shoe (1).

characterised in that it further comprises, integrated to said shoe (1):

- devices for the communication with an external remote information unit (UR), said external information unit (UR) being capable of receiving and/or sending data from/to said electronic system (2);

- alarm means, said alarm means being acoustic and/or luminous alarms;

- at least one power supply for its electronic components.

characterised in that it further comprises localisation devices, in particular GPS.

Electronic system (2) for the prevention of accidents according to any previous claim from 20 on,

characterised in that

said detection means (S) consist in one or more sensors (S).

characterised in that

said one or more sensors (S) consist in kinematic sensors, said one or more kinematic sensors (S) being of the type capable of detecting and outputting the three acceleration vector components relative to its x-y-z reference axes and/or the relative angular speed.

26. Electronic system (2) for the prevention of accidents according to the previous claim,

characterised in that

said one or more sensors (S) consist in an accelerometer or a gyroscope or a sensor incorporating an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

27. Electronic system (2) for the prevention of accidents according to any previous claim from 24 on,

characterised in that

said one or more sensors (S) are MEMS sensors.

28. Electronic system (2) for the prevention of accidents according to the claim 24,

characterised in that

said one or more sensors (S) consist in sensors capable of detecting loads resting on said shoe (1).

29. Electronic system ^Λ(2) for the prevention of accidents according to the previous claim,

characterised in that

said one or more sensors (S) consist in extensometers or in FSR sensors.

30. Electronic system (2) for the prevention of accidents according to any claim from 20 on,

characterised in that

said control unit (UC) is capable of communicating with known radio activation devices available to said operator or with suitable "endorsers" located at the entrance of said operator's work area.

31. Shoe (1) suited to integrate the electronic system (2) for the prevention of work and/or home accidents according to claims 20 to 30, said electronic system (2) implementing the method according to claims 1 to 19.

32. Shoe (1) according to the previous claim, characterised in that it is a safety shoe.

Method suitable for identifying which physical quantities (GF), depending on the movements of and the stresses underwent by the shoes (1) worn by an operator during the execution of his/her tasks and/or duties, have to be detected and acquired,

characterised in that it comprises at least the following steps:

- equipping said shoes (1) with a plurality of detection means, each one capable of acquiring a specific and different physical quantity (GF);

- ordering said operator to keep for a predetermined and significant period of time a behaviour suited to the operations and tasks he will be or has already been assigned, and recording the acquired values for each monitored physical quantity (GF), said behaviour corresponding to a "standard work performance";

- then ordering the said operator to simulate a behaviour clear sign of an altered or compromised working and/or operating environment, and/or of his/her forced non-suitability for the assigned tasks and recording, for the same physical quantities (GF), the corresponding acquired values; verifying which physical quantities (GF) have shown a clearer deviation in the acquired values in normal and in altered conditions, said physical quantities (GF) being the said physical quantities (GF) that shall be assumed as representative of the operator's work performance.