Assessing the influence of industry 4.0 technologies on occupational health and safety

The aim of this article is to know the impact that the different Industry 4.0 technologies have on occupational health and safety risks, with special attention to the new emerging risks generated. To achieve this objective, an analysis of the literature was carried out. It allowed us to design a sur...

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Main Authors: Germán Arana-Landín, Iker Laskurain-Iturbe, Mikel Iturrate, Beñat Landeta-Manzano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-03-01
Series:Heliyon
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023009271
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author Germán Arana-Landín
Iker Laskurain-Iturbe
Mikel Iturrate
Beñat Landeta-Manzano
author_facet Germán Arana-Landín
Iker Laskurain-Iturbe
Mikel Iturrate
Beñat Landeta-Manzano
author_sort Germán Arana-Landín
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this article is to know the impact that the different Industry 4.0 technologies have on occupational health and safety risks, with special attention to the new emerging risks generated. To achieve this objective, an analysis of the literature was carried out. It allowed us to design a survey that was answered by 130 managers and/or technicians of pioneering companies in the development of Industry 4.0 technologies. Next, 32 of these projects were selected and a multiple case study was conducted through 37 in-depth interviews. Moreover, other source of information were analysed (project reports, technical reports, websites..).The findings highlight that the analysed technologies (Additive Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Vision, Big Data and/or Advanced Analytics, Cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Robotics and Virtual and Augmented Reality) help to reduce occupational health and safety risks (physical and mechanical). However, its impact depends on the type of technology and the method of application. Influences in new emerging risks (mainly psychosocial and mechanical) have been detected in all technologies except in Internet of Things. In addition, additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, machine vision, the internet of things, robotics and virtual and augmented reality help to reduce ergonomic risks and artificial intelligence, big data and cybersecurity psychosocial risks. The results obtained have implications for policy makers, managers, consultants and those in charge of managing occupational health and safety risks in industrial companies.
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spelling doaj.art-4a2cc86ff3564deb80de976684f95c6e2023-04-05T08:15:54ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-03-0193e13720Assessing the influence of industry 4.0 technologies on occupational health and safetyGermán Arana-Landín0Iker Laskurain-Iturbe1Mikel Iturrate2Beñat Landeta-Manzano3University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Faculty of Engineering (Gipuzkoa), Plaza Europa 1, 20018, San Sebastian, SpainUniversity of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Faculty of Engineering (Gipuzkoa), Plaza Europa 1, 20018, San Sebastian, Spain; Corresponding author.University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Faculty of Engineering (Gipuzkoa), Plaza Europa 1, 20018, San Sebastian, SpainUniversity of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Faculty of Engineering (Bilbao), Ingeniero Torres Quevedo Plaza, 1, 48013 Bilbao, SpainThe aim of this article is to know the impact that the different Industry 4.0 technologies have on occupational health and safety risks, with special attention to the new emerging risks generated. To achieve this objective, an analysis of the literature was carried out. It allowed us to design a survey that was answered by 130 managers and/or technicians of pioneering companies in the development of Industry 4.0 technologies. Next, 32 of these projects were selected and a multiple case study was conducted through 37 in-depth interviews. Moreover, other source of information were analysed (project reports, technical reports, websites..).The findings highlight that the analysed technologies (Additive Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Vision, Big Data and/or Advanced Analytics, Cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Robotics and Virtual and Augmented Reality) help to reduce occupational health and safety risks (physical and mechanical). However, its impact depends on the type of technology and the method of application. Influences in new emerging risks (mainly psychosocial and mechanical) have been detected in all technologies except in Internet of Things. In addition, additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, machine vision, the internet of things, robotics and virtual and augmented reality help to reduce ergonomic risks and artificial intelligence, big data and cybersecurity psychosocial risks. The results obtained have implications for policy makers, managers, consultants and those in charge of managing occupational health and safety risks in industrial companies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023009271Industry 4.0 technologiesOccupational health and safetyOccupational risksISO 45001
spellingShingle Germán Arana-Landín
Iker Laskurain-Iturbe
Mikel Iturrate
Beñat Landeta-Manzano
Assessing the influence of industry 4.0 technologies on occupational health and safety
Heliyon
Industry 4.0 technologies
Occupational health and safety
Occupational risks
ISO 45001
title Assessing the influence of industry 4.0 technologies on occupational health and safety
title_full Assessing the influence of industry 4.0 technologies on occupational health and safety
title_fullStr Assessing the influence of industry 4.0 technologies on occupational health and safety
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the influence of industry 4.0 technologies on occupational health and safety
title_short Assessing the influence of industry 4.0 technologies on occupational health and safety
title_sort assessing the influence of industry 4 0 technologies on occupational health and safety
topic Industry 4.0 technologies
Occupational health and safety
Occupational risks
ISO 45001
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023009271
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