Your browser does not support JavaScript!
Skip to content Skip to navigation menu

IDEC safety concept | USA

IDEC safety concept

IDEC Safety Policy

IDEC, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2020, has contributed to the prevention and reduction of accidents and disasters at industrial sites for 70 years since releasing its first safety control product in 1950.
Mindful of our corporate creed “Respect for Humanity,” the IDEC Group pledges to conduct all business activities in ways that contribute to the economy and the global community. Based on this fundamental policy, we strive to create a safe and comfortable environment within the IDEC Group and throughout the global community. The IDEC Group, unrivalled in the pursuit of safety, aspires to a higher level of safety in all operations.


IDEC will pursue and achieve the highest level of safety and security in the world through the promotion of “Safety2.0”,which is a new-generation safety concept, and the spread of safety-related equipment. 


 

Transition(Changes) in Our Approach to Safety

Our approach to the concept of safety in the industrial field has changed with the times.
The most primitive approach is “Safety0.0,”, which ensures safety by relying only on the attention and judgment of people.
Put simply, the idea is for people to avoid accidents by paying attention when there are hazardous machines nearby.
However, people make mistakes and machines fail.
The concept of “Safety0.0” is insufficient to ensure safety if someone makes a mistake or a machine fails. So, there was a transition to “Safety1.0,”, in which safety is ensured at the stage of designing mechanical systems.

Further, in order to achieve greater flexibility and higher productivity, we are currently transitioning toward a new concept called “Collaborative Safety / Safety2.0”, in which people, things (machines), and environments share information and collaborate in order to achieve safety.
 

Method of Ensuring Safety:
Demonstration of Safety Functions
PrincipleSpecific DetailsFeaturesMain Concept of SafetyClassification in Safety Science
Safety 0.0Human attentionProtect oneselfEducation, training, management, work standards, work manualsPriority on productionWork safetyPeople: Human aspect (humanities)
Safety 1.0(Human attention) + technologySafe machines and equipmentInherently safety, Safeguarding,
safety control, standards
Priority on safetyMachine safetyThings: Technical aspect (science) is added
Safety 2.0(Human attention + technology)
+ environment, information, and organization
Safety through CollaborationUtilization of ICT technology, sharing of informationBalance of production and safetyCollaborative SafetyEnvironment: Organizational aspect (social science) is added



If we compare a hazardous mechanical system to a lion, there is no risk as long as there is only a lion and no people nearby.
“Safety0.0” is a situation in which a person and the lion exist in the same space, and only human attention is relied upon to prevent injury. This involves a very high level of risk, and an accident could occur at any time. Next, “Safety1.0” ensures safety by enclosing the hazardous lion inside a cage, isolating it from people. Then, with “Safety2.0,”, the lion is removed from the cage to again coexist in the same environment as people after first conducting sufficient risk assessment and implementing new safety and security measures.
 

New Approach to realize New Safety

Until now, safety personnel and safety engineers have achieved safety by creating mechanical systems that incorporate risk assessment and risk reduction measures based on international safety standards.
However, in addition to the safety relying on control technology that uses safety equipment the new wave of safety  (the safety trend in the future) is for parts manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, and users to use a common language of safety through the development of human resources, and for employers to have a strong will to prevent disasters by building systems that take occupational safety and health management into consideration. This makes it necessary to comply with social rules such as standards.
 

Since achieving safety is a highly efficient investment, there is a need for a holistic approach to these four aspects - technology, human resources, management, and rule-making.

Working in a safe environment is a basic human right. This idea is consistent with the SDGs advocated by the United Nations, and Vision Zero advocated by ISSA (International Social Security Association) under the ILO (International Labor Organization). (Vision Zero is an innovative approach to prevent accidents and illness in all workplaces: https://visionzero.global.)

Products and Systems that Utilize “Collaborative Safety / Safety2.0”

By utilizing the technology of “Collaborative Safety / Safety2.0”, it is possible to achieve both safety and productivity, which was difficult with conventional machine safety alone.
IDEC proposes the following “Collaborative Safety / Safety2.0” products and systems.

 ・ "ANSHIN sensor”
  A sensor that uses the principle of capacitance for collaborative robots to detect people, and a non-contact method to stop robots and machines
 
 ・ “Emergency stop assist syem”
  A wearable stop switch that mechanically stops machines that are equipped with an emergency stop assist function