Use of video surveillance in the workplace for safety reasons

The process of protecting workers, the surrounding communities and the environment for future generation have important common elements, such as pollution control and exposure reduction, which underlie the concept of sustainable production. According with the principles of sustainable production, workers’ exposure to safety and health risk factors must be assessed and working activities must be organized to ensure and enhance their safety and efficiency. Having evaluated various alternatives, the authors identified technological innovation as an opportunity to improve the safety in the workplace. Among the new available technologies, the present research project aims to study and test the use of video surveillance for safety reasons. On the basis of these considerations, the authors intend to study and define standards, methods, rules and technical tools to support the conception, design, use and management of video surveillance systems. The research project includes a case study in a medium-sized company which carries out heat treatment on large pieces and is characterized by a significant risk level. The authors aim to assess the possible advantage arising from video surveillance, either by recording or by monitoring in real-time. For example the analysis of recorded videos could be used to understand the causes of injuries, accidents or near accidents. Information about causation and contributory factors are essential to understand why accidents occurred and how the occurrence of similar events may be prevented. Video monitoring in real-time could also play a key role for the employees’ safety. For example video monitoring could be fundamental in any emergency situation or disaster to protect human life by enabling safety officials to see remote locations, allowing to realize what is happening and where in order to understand how to act.