Safe Digital Control of Work for High Hazard Environments
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Hear from Yokogawa’s Head of Solutions CoE Center, Takashi Naito, about what the future holds for worker safety: ‘We have a vision to improve worker safety at industrial facilities by promoting ‘Smarter, Safer Working,’ where field tasks in hazardous areas are supported by robots. We focus on ‘Autonomy in Harmony’ that enables humans and robots to work hand in hand. Other digital technologies such as AI, wearables and VR/AR can be leveraged to deliver further support to workers in terms of guidance, awareness and training of risks.’
Hear from Yokogawa RAP Managing Director, Neil Northwood, about where we have been and where we are going: ‘At Yokogawa, we’ve been building digital control of work platforms for more than 30 years. Industry has evolved massively in that time, but so have we. As Industry 5.0 approaches, we’re still innovating and evolving our OpreX™ Control of Work solutions to help companies keep their people safe in this new and exciting interconnected world of work.’
Originally introduced many decades ago, the concept of Control of Work (CoW) has been central to high hazard worker safety for many years. With the advent of Industry 4.0 and digital technology, many new solution providers have entered the market and strong growth is projected for CoW software with revenues calculated to increase from $722 million in 2023 to $1.27 billion in 2026 (source=Verdantix). However, it is key to choose a CoW solution that is in line with your industry’s operational risk level as there are vastly different solutions available on the market.
High Hazard vs Low Hazard Solutions
Industries with high hazards, high risks, and asset-heavy operations require robust and comprehensive Control of Work (CoW) software, featuring advanced capabilities to effectively manage risks faced by frontline workers. Key functionalities include robust isolation management, plant-wide overviews, SIMOPS (simultaneous operations), and libraries of controls and hazards to thoroughly assess and mitigate risks before issuing permits to work. In contrast, lower-risk industries prioritise streamlined workflows and real-time communication between frontline workers and the control room to enhance both productivity and safety.
Why is Safe Control of Work important?
The UN Global Compact reports an estimated 2.78 million workers are fatally injured, and an additional 374 million suffer non-fatal injury through occupational health and safety accidents each year.
How can Yokogawa help?
At its core, safe Control of Work consists of 3 main areas, Risk Assessment, Isolation Management and Permit to Work. These 3 should be consistently represented and linked together and digital solutions are the easiest way to achieve this. And this is where Yokogawa’s OpreX™ Control of Work, RAP4 software fits in.
We have been a leader in high hazard digital control of work for over 30 years. Our commitment to keep workers safe has never wavered and we continuously improve our offering reflecting best practice and new technologies.
Our RAP4 control of work software and approach to safety provides a fresh intuitive gateway to a safer workforce culture. This is achieved through a smart system of simple, clear, intuitive modules, with the intelligence to assure complete Control of Work audit compliance and drive continuous safety improvement.
What does the future of Control of Work look like?
When new technologies arise Yokogawa will be at the forefront of delivering the solutions to industry, enabling workforces to work safely and build a culture of safety excellence.
Interested in Smarter, Safer Working? Get in touch.
About the Author
Experienced Marketing Professional with a history spanning 30 years in the software, services, and manufacturing industries. Proficient in Marketing Management, Project Management, Product Marketing, and Market Research.
For over 14 years, I have dedicated my expertise to the Digital Control of Work sector, promoting the adoption of best practice safety and smarter, safer working environments for workforces and contractors worldwide through Yokogawa RAP's intelligent and innovative software solutions.
