MANUFACTURING/FACILITIES – CORONAVIRUS
launched as a training and enforcement
device for safe personal distancing
in the workplace, including factories,
warehouses, logistics hubs and
construction sites.
The device, which is worn on a lanyard
or attached by clip, is said to use ultrawideband,
low-power technology to scan
for nearby colleagues, providing a 360°
eld of detection. The devices then emit
a short audible alarm or vibration when
wearers move within two metres of
one another. Ben Sturgess, co-founder
and CTO at Path ndr, explains: “The
aim of the Safe Distancing Assistant
is to enable work to safely continue
– providing control to organisations
and individuals working within them to
prevent the spread of infection.”
Wearables provider ProGlove also
adapted its MARK family of wearable
barcode scanners and Connect application
for Android to produce a product upgrade
that activates proximity sensing for frontline
workers in manufacturing, distribution
and logistics (pictured, main image and
below right). When personally equipped
with the MARK wearable scanner and
paired Android device, workers coming
within close proximity of each other are
alerted. Those alerts include audio sound,
optic LED light, and haptic vibration
signals.
In addition, Ubisense has launched
a tracking system for a range of
industries, including manufacturing,
healthcare, warehousing and logistics,
which is said to monitor the real-time
location, interactions and status
of people, tools and facilities
(pictured bottom right of
p37). The Ubisense
SmartSpace utilises ultrawideband
mobile tags
and xed sensors so
that businesses can
alert workers to safe
distances and respond to
Covid-19 cases by tracking
workers or spaces at risk. The
rm adds that the technology
has been proven for long-term use
cases; once implemented within a
facility, the technology used for contacttracing
can naturally extend to ongoing
evaluation, monitoring and improvement
of entire operations.
Wearables are, of course, just one
additional mitigation measure that can
Safe and productive warehousing
What intralogistics solutions can keep
warehouses Covid-compliant, while allowing
sta to work safely and productively? Edward
Hutchison, MD of BITO Storage Systems, o ers some
suggestions.
Live storage ow racks: They have a long-established
advantage of goods being replenished – often using forklift trucks
– from the aisle behind the rack of ow lanes and picked – often
by pedestrians – from the aisle in front. Add a conveyor to the pick
face and zones can be created to allow a picker to remain within a
localised area, being responsible for picking items for an order in
that zone before sending the order tote on the conveyor to the
next zone.
be implemented to
keep social distancing
prevalent in the
workplace. Another
areas to explore
involves camera
systems, such
as CCTV (closed
circuit television)
and IP (internet
protocol) cameras.
Matthew Marriott, Stanley Security
general manager for UK, Ireland and
Portugal, explains that electronic
security is prevalent throughout
business premises to deter crime, but
these systems are often multi-functional
Driverless transport devices: These can o er greater agility than
a xed conveyor when it comes to transferring goods from a pick
zone. They can take over transport journeys from sta , allowing
them to remain in the pick zones where they are most productive.
Mezzanine oors: These can o er a means of creating
additional space, quite literally out of thin air – where warehouse
height allows. A structural mezzanine oor with load capacities
of up to 1,000 kg/m2 can serve a variety of applications – such
as o ce space, multi-tiered order picking or packing areas for
multiple benches, to give people the room required for social
distancing. Combining a mezzanine with carton ow storage and
the integration of suitable conveying equipment, such as powered
vertical conveyors or lifts, will help optimise warehouse space.
38 www.operationsengineer.org.uk Autumn 2020
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