Occupational risk management and machinery technology in the digital age

¹ National Research and Development Institute on Occupational Safety – INCDPM “Alexandru Darabont”, Certification Body, Ghencea 35A, Bucharest
² National Research and Development Institute on Occupational Safety – INCDPM “Alexandru Darabont”, Electrical and Mechanical Risks Laboratory, Ghencea 35A, Bucharest, Romania
³ National Research and Development Institute on Occupational Safety – INCDPM “Alexandru Darabont”, Ergonomics of Work Systems Laboratory, Ghencea 35A, Bucharest, Romania
⁴ Safety1st Test SRL, Str. Moinesti 61A, Bucharest, Romania

^* Corresponding author: anca.antonov@gmail.com

Abstract

The machinery sector is considered one of the main industrial pillars of the European Union. The design and manufacture of safe machinery guarantee the occupational safety and health of workers, resulting in a considerable reduction in the costs of occupational accidents caused by their use. The advanced technology of machinery enables the reduction of human operator intervention through improvements in emerging digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and robotics, which present new challenges in terms of machinery safety. The research study carried out aimed to identify the risks generated by digital technologies and the implications in terms of occupational safety and health and responsibility arising from the introduction of more advanced machinery already on the market or to be designed and manufactured with these new improvements, taking into account the latest regulations established by Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. Research study conducts a synthetic analysis of the safety implications of machinery in the digital age and the measures necessary to manage occupational risks, enabling safe use under conditions that allow for new actions and increased autonomy.