Robotics Safety Report: Hazards, Accidents, and Safety Measures

This report focuses on robotics safety, addressing the critical aspects of human-robot interaction in industrial settings. It identifies various safety hazards, such as those arising during operation, programming, and maintenance, and emphasizes the importance of work cell design, proper grounding, and the use of protective equipment like helmets. The report outlines key safety measures, including the use of fencing, interlocking gates, and safety sensors to prevent accidents. It also discusses the significance of human error as a major safety hazard and highlights the need for training and adherence to safety protocols. Additionally, the report briefly outlines various robot configurations and their applications in different industrial tasks like picking objects, placing components, painting, welding, and insertion of pegs. It defines a robot's work envelope and includes sketches illustrating the work envelopes of cylindrical, Cartesian, anthropomorphic, and polar robots. The report also defines the term robot, discusses the relationship between robots and automation, and distinguishes between flexible automation and hand automation. Finally, it mentions various applications of robots in industries.

Running Head: ROBOTICS
Robotics
Client’s Name
Institution

ROBOTICS 2
Introduction
Robots are used in humanizing workplaces. Human operators that interact with these robots are
exposed to hazardous environment hence have to be protected through proper robot use. In industries,
activities that include welding, forging, spray painting, fettling, die casting and deburring involve the use
of robots.
These robots may impose dangers to such human operators in instances such as operation time,
programming or during robot maintenance. The personnel that interact with these robots have to take
precautions during testing of programmes at low speeds with an included panic button for use during
emergencies (Anibal, Alberto, Luis, Nuno, & Carlos, 2017).
The important robot safety features remain in the work cell design layouts. While the cells are being laid
out, it is important to ensure proper grounding of the electrical cables and arrangement of pneumatic
and hydraulic lines in the required manner. During maintenance, power from the mains has to be
switched off. When operations are being conducted, there has to be proper guarding and use of helmets
is recommended for avoiding physical injury.
Learning Outcome
1. Identification of sources of safety hazards.
2. Identification of types of accidents.
3. Identification of safety measures.
Safety measures
For the protection of human operatives, the following measures are key;
Fencing the work cell that contains the environment of robot interaction with peripheral machines.
There have to be gates that allow access and exit to and from the work cell. These gates can be installed

ROBOTICS 3
with interlocking devices for the purpose of interrupting the robot’s action in case the gate is open.
These gates have to be fitted with safety sensors to ensure foolproof safety (Kevin & Frank, 2017).
The figure below depicts an illustration of safety sensor location that can be installed in robot work cells.
This work cell has three distinct cones that are; zone A (periphery zone), zone B (work cell area) zone C
(robot’s envelope section).
The existence of pressure mats provide better sensing on the floor for improved safety in areas B and A.
if a person stands s on the mat, the sensors get activated and the robot’s action gets interrupted. These
pressure maps can also issue warning alarms. A proximity sensor can also be installed on the robot’s
wrist and arm or sensing and detecting intrusion into the work cell within the robot’s work envelope.
Also, there is a need for speed monitoring that reduces speed to a safe level with principled obstacle
avoidance that follows the sensor intrusion detection. This allows the robot to divert its motion for
avoiding a direct collision. Photosensitive devices having light sensors can be used in detecting the
operative presence of humans through light beams interruption when one enters the work cell zones
(Roman, Cezary, & Małgorzata, 2017).
Human Error is the biggest safety hazard so far that relates to robots. The basis of robots is the ability to
be programmed for specific tasks for repeated activity that may last for months or years without
varying. However, humans are unpredictable in their actions. People interacting with robots are

ROBOTICS 4
supposed to take caution not to make mistakes. Some examples of safety procedures include
tagout/lockout procedures, saying away from robot’s danger areas and having a better understanding of
the robot action to avoid accidents (First, 2017).
During an occurrence of a power surge, robots can cause serious damages to it. Such damages may arise
due to an overload of the robot’s motors leading to stronger and faster robot movement in a short time
span. This movement can cause damage to people or other equipment. Surges may be due to lightning
strikes or power outages. Another associated problem is an arc-flash that occur in poorly wired sections.
This may lead to fires or severe burns (First, 2017).
These safety precautions are an issue are important and should never be overlooked. Proper education
and training in more safety rules should also be implemented for the increased avoidance of accidents
and awareness.
Exercise
1. Briefly outline the various robot configurations. Which of the mentioned configurations below
would prove to be applicable in the following;
 Picking an object from a conveyor that is moving.
 Placing an object in a machine’s CNC tool.
 Placing a component in an oven for heating.
 Painting the car body of a motor.
 Welding of steel frames.
 Insertion of a peg into a dimensioned hole.
2. What is meant by a robot’s work envelope?
3. With the use of sketches, produce two views that indicate work envelopes of the following;
 Cylindrical robot.

ROBOTICS 5
 Cartesian root.
 Anthropomorphic robot.
 Polar robot.
4. What is meant by the term robot? Are robots automation? What is meant by the term flexible
automaton/ distinguish between flexible automation and hand automation?
5. Mention the various application of robots in industries.

ROBOTICS 6
References
Anibal, O., Alberto, S., Luis, M., Nuno, L., & Carlos, C. (2017). ROBOT 2017: Third Iberian Robotics
Conference, Volume 1. Toronto: Springer International Publishing.
First, R. (2017). First Robotics SteamPower 2017 Guide book: Property of First. Toronto: Team 6202-
(FIRST).
Kevin, M., & Frank, C. (2017). Modern Robotics. Winnipeg: Cambridge University Press.
Roman, S., Cezary, Z., & Małgorzata, K. (2017). Automation 2017: Innovations in Automation, Robotics
and Measurement Techniques. Regina: Springer International Publishing.