SafetyTech News | Issue 010

This is issue #010 of SafetyTech News; a curation of the latest in #safetytech over the past two weeks. I'm your Ed. Cameron Stevens - let's dive straight in with a segment on robotics & automation.

Robotics in Logistics

Attitudes to robots are changing. Once seen as a threat to jobs and livelihoods, experience has shown that robots can be useful colleagues, working alongside people to make their roles easier, more fulfilling and more productive. And in the logistics sector, robots are not just good workmates, they are becoming an essential part of the industry.

This is a great overview showcasing how robotics in logistics is much more than warehouse floor bots. The opportunities to improve the safety of work are exponential.

So what about regulation when it comes to robotics and automation? Glad you asked.

OSHA alliance provides important workplace safety updates for technical guide assessing robot systems

The US Occupational Safety & Health Administration has just updated its guidance for industrial robot system safety. Check it out here...

So what about workers then? How do they feel about robots in the workplace?

Research: How do warehouse workers feel about automation?

HBR asked these three questions:

1. How do automation technologies help you do your current job?
2. How do you feel about working side by side with a robot? What do you like and dislike about it?
3. What safety challenges are you facing in the warehouse?

Clearly, the automation of warehouse operations has the potential to make a real, positive impact on workers — but it’s not without its downsides. Given the hopes and concerns our analyses revealed, we’ve identified a few strategies to help employers better support their workers while reaping the benefits of automation.

Get the full scoop below.

Shifting gears from robots to artificial intelligence...

Quantum Computing & AI

There is a lot of discussion & debate about the impact of Quantum Computing and AI for the future of work... but what is quantum computing and how is it related to AI? Here's a simple intro.

Northwestern Launches Research Hub for AI Safety

From facial recognition to autonomous vehicles, the adoption of artificial intelligence-driven applications has exploded so quickly that it has outpaced efforts to understand how these machine-learning technologies affect human life. To help examine artificial intelligence (AI) systems and evaluate their impact, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and Northwestern University announced on Feb. 15 the creation of a research hub that seeks to better incorporate safety and equity into the fast-growing technology.

Learn more about the initiatives and how to get involved via the links below.

Could 'expiration dates' for AI systems help prevent bias?

Biases in AI models are impacted by drift - basically an "AI that isn’t supplied fresh, new data eventually grows stale in its predictions"

A new proposal — inspired by food labels — is giving models an “expiration date,” or a point at which they’ll “expire” and cease to make drift-influenced predictions. AI models with an expiration date could automatically notify a developer that they need to be retrained or trigger the retraining automatically, kicking off a process to determine the causes of the model’s staleness.

An interesting concept - harder to actually do in practice but something to think about when discussing AI ethics as part of your #safetytech strategy.

Platform data transparency insights

Despite the potential societal benefits of granting independent researchers access to digital platform data, such as promotion of transparency and accountability, online platform companies have few legal obligations to do so and potentially stronger business incentives not to. Without legally binding mechanisms that provide greater clarity on what and how data can be shared with independent researchers in privacy-preserving ways, platforms are unlikely to share the breadth of data necessary for robust scientific inquiry and public oversight?

This paper discusses legislative efforts aimed at opening up platform data and is mandatory reading for #safetytech professionals wanting to improve transparency with the use of company data collected in their missions to improve the safety of work. This will continue to be a hotly debated topic and one to watch closely.

Boeing Exoskeleton Showcase

This showcase page provides a comprehensive overview of how Boeing are deploying Exoskeleton systems across their operations to improve worker safety.

Event heads up: The Future of EHS Summit

The 2022 Work to Zero Summit (cringeworthy name aside) is the premier #safetytech event of the year; dedicated 100% to #safetytech. It's happening next month - mark your calendars.

Event heads up: Immersion Learning & the Future of Work

Register here...

AIHA Tech Talks

This is a fabulous initiative by the American Industrial Hygiene Association - short tutorials on how to use common tech applications - I'll let Mwangi Ndonga explain in this video...

Techstars Industries of the Future Accelerator

In the days leading up to publishing this newsletter, I do a call out on the #safetytech community slack (join here if you are interested) for news worth sharing. For this issue, one of the community members, Nilay Parikh, founder of Be Global Safety (an AI powered manufacturing and construction safety platform) shared the news that there are some awesome #safetytech-related startups who have been invited to join the Techstars accelerator program. A big shout out and congratulations to Be Global Safety who is in good company with Armada IQ (a vision-based intelligence platform for integrated human-autonomous fleet operations); Grayscale AI (enabling robots to see using neuromorphic vision and computing) and Spiky AI (AI-based online meeting enhancement platform) along with a bunch of other great tech companies. Check out the program and check out their tech solutions...

Discovering Safety

Steven Naylor (Technical Lead at Discovering Safety) shared this on LinkedIn this week.

"The Discovering Safety Programme, now in its third year, is interested in exploring how it can widen its scope to other industry sectors that see the potential in using their routine datasets in new ways to improve health and safety performance. The initial focus of the early use cases was construction and the data generated by large infrastructure projects. However, we recognise that other data rich sectors such as manufacturing, utilities, transport and logistics, ports and docks and process industries, are increasingly look to see how they can exploit state of the art in data science, advanced analytics and AI as part of their health and safety practices. If that includes you then the programme would be interested in hearing from you.

The following video clip provides an introduction to the programme, what it's looking to achieve and how you can get in contact.

AR for Enterprise: Best practice safety playbook

The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance released an update to the best practice safety playbook that discusses:

• Risk factors to consider when using AR systems in work environments
• Risk assessment tools and methods
• Usability considerations
• User medical evaluation criteria
• Cleanliness and disinfection procedures
• Safety awareness training, and more

I was one of the contributing authors so please feel free to get in touch with me directly so I can work with the committee to continually iterate and update this valuable resource.

RiskTalk: Toolbox talks using your voice

Aussie SafetyTech startup and friends of ST News; RiskTalk have been featured in Sentinel - Check it out and check them out www.risktalk.com.au

3D collaboration in construction

Cundall and XYZ Reality released this video last week providing a glimpse of what 3D collaboration looks like in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. There is a lot of post-production in the video so it remains to be seen exactly what capabilities are available now and what is going to be available in the near future however the future definitely looks bright for 3D content visualization in 3D space using immersive heads up displays. The ability to plan and execute work with improved context for risk decision making is the prize for safety and there is a lot to be excited about - stay tuned for more on this - in the meantime learn more about XYZ and their solution Atom as featured on the BBC

I couldn't finish up this issue without a final customary nod to the industrial metaverse...

XR use cases in Field Service

In the field services landscape, the XR space offers a valuable way to bring experts together in a safe, secure, and creative environment. XR can transform the way specialists interact with customers, examine potential problems in a system, and deliver results. Plus, with things like Augmented Reality smart glasses on the rise, there are increasing opportunities for hands-free XR too.

Stronger team collaboration, improved employee experience, better training - these are some of the foundational ingredients to improve the design, experience and ultimately - the safety of work. A lot more of this to come in future issues of SafetyTech News.

That's it for this issue! Please provide feedback in the comments and share with your mates to help build the #safetytech community. See you in two weeks!

Be Safe & Stay Curious.

Cameron Stevens is a technologist & chartered safety professional, most comfortable exploring digital transformation and the intersection where safety & technology meet. Cameron is an industrial XR specialist at Lenovo deploying augmented & virtual reality for enterprise & volunteers on ISO Standards Committees for Artificial Intelligence, AR & Virtual Reality.

Cameron enjoys coaching individuals & teams to improve the design & experience of work with responsible innovation & emerging technologies.