Survey of robot safety in industry

摘要

Abstract A questionnaire was mailed to 55 industrial robot users in the United States to determine what safety measures were used in the field. Nineteen companies using a total of over 580 robots responded to the survey. The questionnaire investigated types of robots, types of safety devices, optimal work range, ability to enclose, and response to error condition. Only 20% of robots were found to be completely enclosed, while 60% had a limited barrier or no barrier. Active safety measures such as light curtains and floor mats were found to be the most widely used safety devices at 67% and 59%, respectively. In addition, industrial users demonstrated poor conformance to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and to the American National Standards Institute/Robot Industries Association (ANSI/RIA) standards.