Improving workplace safety using advanced industry 4.0 technologies

Abstract

Taking into account the fact that safety and health at work is one of the main components of financial success in all contemporary industrial systems that operate on lean principles, special attention is paid to the continuous improvement of safety and health of workers. A comprehensive transformation of industrial production and complete automation and digitalization of production processes is supported by Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 is characterized by intelligent networking of physical objects over the Internet, interactions, communications and data exchange between all physical entities and the application of modern advanced technologies (collaborative robots, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, virtual reality, augmented reality, Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing, 3D printers, drones and autonomous vehicles). It creates significant changes in production, work organization, and the way how workers perform their activities. Moreover, Industry 4.0 has a significant impact on workplace safety. The paper presents the connection between workplace safety and Industry 4.0 through the analysis of the most important research papers in this field. Also, the paper presents the most significant modern advanced digital technologies of Industry 4.0 that have applications in the field of safety and health of workers (sensors and wearable technologies, exoskeletons etc.). Special attention in the paper is paid to emphasizing the positive effects and benefits of the application of these modern advanced technologies. The main goal of the application of these modern innovative technologies is to improve workplace safety through the prevention of injuries at work, occupational diseases and deaths and to improve the general health and well-being of workers. The paper is a part of research activities in the field of research of possibilities for improving the effectiveness of production processes by applying modern advanced technologies of Industry 4.0.