Industrial robots are multi-jointed mechanical arms or multi-degree-of-freedom robotic devices widely used in industrial fields. They possess a certain degree of autonomy and can complete various complex industrial production tasks using their own power source and control capabilities. Compared to traditional industrial equipment, industrial robots have been widely used in various industrial fields such as electronics, automotive, food processing, packaging, logistics, and chemical industries, thanks to their advantages of ease of use, high level of intelligence, high production efficiency, ease of management, and significant economic benefits.
Industrial robots play a crucial role in modern manufacturing. However, while enjoying the benefits of high-speed operation and increased production efficiency, safety hazards are also quietly emerging. In automated production processes, collaborative work between robots and humans has become commonplace. In busy and complex environments, a lack of awareness of workshop safety risks among humans can easily lead to new safety hazards, and even escalate into sudden and serious accidents.
Industrial Robot Safety Risks
National standard GB11291.2. in its "List of Major Hazards of Robots and Robot Systems," categorizes the potential consequences of hazardous situations involving robots into the following 10 types:
1. Mechanical hazards: crushing, shearing, cutting or severing, entanglement, dragging in or trapping, collision, stabbing or puncturing, friction, abrasion, high-pressure fluid/gas injection or spraying.
2. Electrical hazards: electrocution, electric shock, burns, ejection of molten particles.
3. Thermal hazards: burns (hot or cold), radiation injury.
4. Noise hazards: hearing loss, loss of balance, loss of consciousness, disorientation, or any other consequences (such as mechanical) of surrounding circumstances or distraction.
5. Vibration hazards: fatigue, nerve damage, cardiovascular disease, impact.
6. Radiation hazards: burns, skin and eye damage, related diseases.
7. Material hazards: sensitization, fire, chemical burns, inhalation diseases.
8. Ergonomic hazards: poor posture or excessive effort (repetitive strain injury).
9. Hazards related to the machine's operating environment: burns, illness, slips, falls, respiratory damage, impact.
10. Hazards from a combination of factors: any other consequences resulting from a combination of factors or hazardous conditions.
According to safety theory, the two main unsafe factors leading to these potential consequences are unsafe human behavior and unsafe conditions of equipment.
Two Major Factors Leading to Safety Risks
Unsafe human behavior typically refers to actions caused by human error, negligence, or violations of operating procedures or safety regulations. Unsafe conditions of objects, on the other hand, refer to defects, aging, wear and tear, or malfunctions in equipment, facilities, tools, or raw materials during production or use. These two unsafe factors are strongly correlated, and when they act alone or together, they easily lead to accidents.
1. Unsafe Human Behavior
For example, production accidents caused by a lack of safety awareness among personnel. When individuals or teams lack sufficient safety awareness and preventive measures, they may overlook potential dangers, thereby increasing the likelihood of accidents. Industrial production is often repetitive and monotonous work. Some employees, after working in a certain position for a long time, mistakenly believe they are familiar with the process and ignore operating procedures, rushing to complete tasks, or even deliberately violating regulations. This behavior is extremely likely to cause production safety accidents.
2. Unsafe Conditions of Objects
For example, mechanical injury accidents caused by equipment wear and tear, malfunctions, or inadequate safety protection. When the moving parts of industrial robots operate at high speed, if the equipment malfunctions or safety protection is inadequate, it may lead to pinching, crushing, or other mechanical injuries. These injuries often occur within the robot's working range. If operators do not follow safety regulations and mistakenly enter the dangerous area, they may suffer injuries.
Industrial Robot Safety Protection Measures
Safety accidents often occur in the dangerous area where the human workspace and the mechanical workspace overlap. The basic principle of preventing mechanical injuries is to eliminate unsafe factors and ensure safe operating conditions for the robot. Therefore, industrial robot safety protection measures can be approached from two aspects: eliminating unsafe human behavior and eliminating unsafe conditions of objects.
Measures – Eliminating Unsafe Human Behavior
From the perspective of safe production, eliminating unsafe human behavior is a crucial link in ensuring a smooth production process and the personal safety of employees. The following measures can be adopted:
Measure 1: Strengthening Safety Education and Training
Focus on providing employees with systematic safety education, including safety production laws and regulations, safe operating procedures, and accident case analysis. Through repeated education and training, employees gradually develop correct safety awareness and master necessary safe operating skills, avoiding violations of regulations and neglecting safety during the production process.
Measure 2: Improving Safety Management Systems
Establish a comprehensive safety management system, clarifying the safety responsibilities and authority of personnel at all levels, and standardizing employee behavior during the production process. At the same time, supervision and inspection of safety management systems should be strengthened to ensure that all systems are effectively implemented. Violations of safety management regulations should be promptly corrected and punished to serve as a warning to others.
Measure 3: Implement Reward and Punishment Incentive Measures
By establishing a safety reward system, employees who perform outstandingly and comply with safety regulations during the production process will be commended and rewarded, stimulating their work enthusiasm and safety awareness.
Measure 4: Create a Positive Safety Culture Atmosphere
Through bulletin boards, slogans, and cultural activities, safety concepts, knowledge, and skills will be conveyed to employees. At the same time, employees will be encouraged to actively participate in safety culture activities, such as job benchmarking activities and standardized operation competitions, to help them reinforce good safety habits and behavioral patterns.
The implementation of these measures will help reduce safety accidents and casualties in the production process, ensuring safe production for the enterprise and the safety of employees' lives.
Measures – Eliminating Unsafe Conditions of Equipment
Ensuring the efficient operation of industrial robots in a safe environment is an effective means of eliminating unsafe conditions of equipment. There are two main methods to achieve this:
1. Isolation Principle – Separating the operation of humans and machinery spatially, i.e., providing safety protection through devices such as safety fences and safety light curtains;
2. Stop Principle – Separating them temporally, i.e., further strengthening safety protection through interlocking devices.
In conclusion, safeguarding industrial robots in modern manufacturing demands a dual-pronged approach: addressing unsafe human behaviors through education, systems, incentives, and cultural reinforcement, while simultaneously eliminating equipment-related risks via spatial isolation and temporal interlocking mechanisms. By integrating these strategies, enterprises can not only mitigate the 10 categories of hazards outlined in national standards—from mechanical and electrical risks to ergonomic and environmental threats—but also foster a resilient safety ecosystem where human-robot collaboration thrives without compromising productivity. Ultimately, this holistic framework ensures that the efficiency gains of industrial automation are matched by an equally robust commitment to operational safety, securing both worker well-being and long-term industrial competitiveness.
