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In “Erin Brockovich,” the Hollywood field workplace hit from 2000 starring Julia Roberts, the title character heroically fights to assist win a lawsuit for residents of a California metropolis affected by groundwater contamination. Whereas many theatergoers noticed the film, which was based mostly on actual occasions, they most likely wouldn’t keep in mind that the chemical inflicting the widespread most cancers instances was hexavalent chromium.

In fact, the risks for people working with and round hazardous chemical compounds have lengthy been recognized. And, sadly, for much too lengthy, unsafe circumstances within the American office weren’t taken as severely as they need to have been. In recent times, that has been altering — and for instance, the Environmental Safety Company (EPA) not too long ago launched new really helpful tips for human publicity to hexavalent chromium. As highlighted in “Erin Brockovich,” hexavalent chromium, or Cr(VI), is a big group of chemical compounds, usually produced in industrial workspaces, that has been recognized to trigger a wide range of illnesses in people, together with lung most cancers.

Hexavalent chromium risks in aerospace trade

As documented by the Occupational Security and Well being Administration (OSHA), portray and sanding duties often carried out within the aerospace trade can pose severe dangers for people from publicity to hexavalent chromium. Vulnerability to respiratory issues brought on by inhalation of hexavalent chromium is important, largely because of potential injury to the lungs and airways — and the primary cause for the frequency of publicity is as a result of chromium is usually added to the paints used for airplane components.

Fortunately, the aerospace trade has begun paying extra consideration to this very severe matter, making a heightened consciousness of the hazards of working intently with these kinds of chemical compounds. However, along with rising consciousness and regulatory protections, there are additional methods to maintain people safely away from these and different hazardous substances — and robots are an vital a part of the equation.

Robots can maintain people from needing to work instantly with these and different hazardous chemical compounds. One of many strongest arguments for robots, on the whole, is their capacity to defend people from working within the sorts of uninteresting, soiled and harmful occupations that always compromise employee security.

A FANUC robotic sprays materials, permitting human staff to keep away from publicity to the fabric. | Credit score: Aerobotix

Avoiding different office accidents

Along with hexavalent chromium publicity, there are additional dangers for staff within the aerospace portray trade. As an example, when jet-engine inlets are manually recoated, the work usually requires upkeep staff to put on protecting fits and respirators and spend a whole lot of hours crawling round on their arms and knees.

It’s practically not possible, underneath these circumstances, to manually apply the coatings at constant speeds and thicknesses. Resulting from labor circumstances in these cramped, tight areas, the U.S. Air Drive has reported a major quantity of shoulder accidents associated to this work. In these circumstances, robots can obtain higher outcomes whereas lowering or eliminating these kinds of employee accidents.

Up to now, a 2022 examine by the Nationwide Library of Medication discovered that the usage of robots for repetitive website work can scale back unsafe, monotonous duties by 25-90%, reducing human publicity to hazardous conditions by a mean of 72%.

How do they do it? One efficient technique is teleoperation, which permits for distant management of robots from secure distances, protecting people away from harm, or publicity to chemical hazards.

A FANUC paint robotic inside an accudraft-enclosed sales space, which additional protects human staff from publicity to sprayed supplies. | Credit score: Aerobotix

Implementing the suitable robotic, the suitable means

To reduce human publicity to hazard whereas additionally gaining the advantage of potential cost-savings, it’s vital to make the most of and set up the suitable robotic, and with the proper implementation.

It’s vital to work with a robotic integrator affiliated with the Robotic Business Affiliation (RIA) who may also help select which type of robotic is correct for the duty. As well as, any robotic set-up ought to have a threat evaluation carried out to make sure that RIA requirements are met.

Among the many methods to fulfill these requirements is by utilizing additional sensors, emergency cease buttons, and scanners that detect human presence in unsafe areas, and by fencing off robotic work areas. These are just some of the measures {that a} compliant robotic integrator may arrange and take a look at for security.

Making a secure office tradition

On the finish of “Erin Brockovich,” the choose guidelines towards the power firm that polluted the groundwater, and a hefty settlement is received for Erin’s facet. The film implies that the corporate had a tradition of not caring about human well being, which led to their detached dealing with of hexavalent chromium and a subsequent rise in most cancers instances.

Making a secure office within the aerospace trade that protects people from the consequences of this chemical, and different occupational risks, is simpler to implement with the suitable security options in place. These embrace robotic staff, which by no means get most cancers, respiratory illnesses or shoulder accidents. Finally, they merely can’t get sick or injured.

There’s a mistaken perception amongst some that robotic installations take jobs away from individuals. As a substitute, within the aerospace trade, these are sometimes the identical personnel who’re then retrained to load, run, clear up and preserve the brand new robots. Consequently, human staff get pleasure from a safer working setting whereas concurrently including worthwhile technical expertise to their resumes.

They’re robots — they usually’re right here to assist people promote a safer office — an idea that Erin Brockovich would most probably help.

Concerning the Creator

Chris Kolb is vice chairman of gross sales at Aerobotix, an progressive chief in robotic options for the aerospace and protection industries. Headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, the corporate specializes within the creation of cutting-edge automated robotic options for high-value, high-precision parts, plane and automobiles.