Electronic control systems and the safety of critical environments

Working injuries are often caused by workers’ inexperience, carelessness, haste or fatigue.
All these risk scenarios can be mitigated through technological innovation.
Technology not only improves production efficiency, it can help increase safety in critical environments. By using advanced tools, real-time data and monitoring systems, companies can prevent hazards and protect workers from engaging in risky behavior.

In critical working environments, smart devices make possible to improve the level of safety while safeguarding both the health of workers and the condition of machinery.
Wearable IoT sensors can be attached to gloves, shoes, helmets, coveralls and safety jackets to provide a real-time analysis of the environmental conditions in which the worker finds himself and give information on the correct use of safety measures. If the personal protective equipment is not being worn or is being used incorrectly, the sensors register the anomaly and send an alarm signal to the worker and to those in charge of the operations center.
In critical environments, where hazardous fumes develop, and in confined spaces, such as tunnels, excavations or tanks where oxygen is in short supply, ‘man-down’ devices monitor body posture. When the system detects a loss of uprightness, as if the operator had fainted due to illness or an accident, it automatically sends an emergency call for help.

Sensors and electronic boards can also be integrated into the machinery and vehicles used by workers to limit human error to a minimum and prevent critical situations. Electronic control makes possible to regulate and automate the operation of equipment. In this way, optimal conditions of use can be guaranteed, preventing overheating or overloading by the worker. If the control system registers too high temperatures or excessive workloads, it shuts down the equipment for safety reasons and to preserve it from failure.
Electronic systems can detect whether the operator is using the equipment correctly. Sensors under the seat detect whether the worker is sitting in the driver’s seat or may have accidentally fallen. Safety sensors stop the engine of equipment with blades and saws if the worker loses grip or control.

In agriculture work, the most frequent causes of accidents are overturning and loss of control of the vehicle. The operator of a lawn tractor or mower is often unaware of the technical limits of the vehicle he is using and does not always realize how dangerous the slope of the land he is working on can be. Technology, much better than man, is able to assess these risks.
Syen has developed an automatic system that regulates the switching on and off of the engine according to the gradient and the stability of the ground. If the slope is too steep, the electronic control stops the machine’s operation because the conditions would become too dangerous. On steep terrain the tractor does not have sufficient traction, is more difficult to steer and could tip over.
An additional electronic control system monitors whether the operator is sitting on the vehicle and switches off the engine if it does not detect the presence of the driver, who may have fallen off. If the vehicle continues on its course, it could run over or injure the worker.