The cleaning and janitorial industry has come to increasingly rely on robotic technology to perform a variety of tasks such as floor cleaning. That increased usage of robotic tech requires updated stringent standards.
As these systems become more widespread and evolve at a rapid rate, they can introduce new and intensified hazards for those who work with and alongside them.
Looking to tackle this head-on, the U.S Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has updated and expanded a chapter in its Technical Manual that relates directly to Industrial Robot Systems and Industrial Robot System Safety.
OSHA originally created the manual in 2017 in collaboration with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Association for Advancing Automation (formerly the Robotic Industries Association). The manual guides OSHA compliance officers as they perform inspections at facilities with robotic systems and provides a technical resource for safety and health professionals overseeing the use of robotic systems in workplaces.
Since its creation, this guidance has been subject to significant updates including up-to-date technical information on the hazards associated with industrial and emergent robot applications, safety considerations for employers and workers, and risk assessment and reduction measures.
Those updates are vital. The World Robotics 2021 Industrial Robots report estimates that more than 310,000 industrial robots now operate in U.S. factories, a huge increase on the numbers being recorded a few years ago.
RELATED: Assessing likely cleaning industry trends for 2022
An OSHA release notes the continuing rise of robotics increases the risks associated with robotic systems’ hazards such as struck-by/caught-between, crushing and trapping, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic and environmental.
“Robot use will continue to expand, and employers have a responsibility to assess the hazards these new applications may introduce and implement appropriate safety controls to protect the workers who operate and service them,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Douglas Parker.
