Prevention ecosystem integrated into digitalized manufacturing

Abstract

New technologies, machines and processes in manufacturing companies are also changing jobs. The increasing integration of information technology into all areas of the economy also has an impact on workers' health and occupational safety. The proportion of electronic components and software in production facilities is constantly increasing, but this also means that the service life of machines and equipment is decreasing. In addition, processes have to be changed and employees have to be retrained or further trained. The networking of plants, machines, databases, departments and companies is progressing ever faster and the collection of data as well as its storage and evaluation is becoming an ever greater challenge. Increasing networking requires continuous investment in the latest tools, hardware and innovative strategies to protect their networks. Very often, departments have to be restructured, new departments created and new employees hired. It can be observed that the training of new professionals cannot be adapted to the new technological developments at the same pace, so that companies have to invest more and more in the training of their own employees. In this environment, prevention services must continuously follow technological developments and contribute to designing safe technologies, developing new models and providing operators and safety professionals with fast and targeted information on machine safety and OSH. All communication channels should be used to exchange information with workers and employers. Industry 4.0 (new technologies) with integrated galloping digitalisation accordingly also requires digital prevention. The establishment of a prevention ecosystem should enable the networking of all service providers and provide information and updates on occupational safety and health directly to companies and workers. The concept of a prevention platform is described here, an ecosystem that continuously adapts prevention services to the technological change of digital production. Artificial intelligence (AI) assistance systems that have been successfully used to date are to be integrated into the ecosystem and support data analysis, enable automatic answers to the most frequently asked questions, identify hazards at specific workplaces and recommend anticipatory measures. The ecosystem is to be supported by national expert teams, networking with international partners is to be steadily expanded, interfaces are to be continuously developed and the latest technologies for increasing safety in the workplace are to be promoted. Because when technology changes rapidly, prevention must keep pace, and when the industry of things networks machines globally, prevention must also network globally.