JP7764288B2 - Safety belt usage status management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a safety belt usage status management system.

Workers working at heights wear safety harnesses, which are fall prevention devices, and attach the hooks on the harness to lifelines while working to prevent falls. Workers move around the work site while working, and as they do so, they change the hooks on their safety harnesses. This type of hook change needs to be done properly, but it is a task that is performed frequently, making it difficult for managers to constantly monitor.

In order to reduce the management burden on managers, technology has been proposed to check the usage status of safety harnesses by incorporating switches and cameras into the safety harness hooks (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, this requires all workers to wear dedicated safety harnesses, which is expensive. Also, because the hooks are frequently hooked onto the lifeline, there is a risk that the switches and cameras may break down due to impacts, etc.

In response, technology has been proposed to monitor the use of safety harnesses from on-site images taken at work sites. For example, Patent Document 3 describes technology in which the safety harness hook and the lifeline or handrail are each colored differently across the entire surface, and when the color image of the hook intersects with the color image of the lifeline or handrail, it is determined that the hook is in use.

Patent No. 6409748 Patent No. 6505555 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-129953

However, the technology described in Patent Document 3 requires that the life rope and handrail be uniformly colored throughout, and if the color peels off or becomes dirty due to friction or other factors, there is a risk of erroneous judgment.

In light of the above, the present invention aims to provide a safety belt usage status management system and method that can easily and reliably manage the usage status of safety belt hooks.

The safety harness usage status management system of the present invention is characterized by comprising an image acquisition unit that acquires a site image of a work site where a worker wearing a safety harness is working; a hook position identification unit that identifies the position of a hook on the safety harness from the site image; a support position identification unit that identifies the position of a support from the site image based on the position of an identifier provided on the support or on a part within a predetermined range from the support; a lifeline path identification unit that identifies the path of a lifeline stretched between the supports based on the identified positions of the support from the site image; and a discrimination unit that determines whether the hook is engaged with the lifeline based on the positional relationship between the position of the hook and the lifeline path.

The safety harness usage management method of the present invention comprises the steps of: acquiring a work site image of a work site where a worker wearing a safety harness is working; identifying the position of a hook on the safety harness from the work site image; identifying the position of a support from the work site image based on the position of an identifier provided on the support or a portion within a predetermined range from the support; identifying the path of a life rope stretched between the supports from the work site image based on the identified positions of the support; and determining whether the hook is engaged with the life rope based on the positional relationship between the position of the hook and the path of the life rope.

The safety harness usage management system and method of the present invention identifies the position of a support from an on-site image based on the position of an identifier provided on that support or on a portion within a specified range from that support. Therefore, the support between which the life rope is strung can be identified based on the presence or absence of an identifier. This makes it possible to identify the support that actually supports the life rope, excluding supports that do not support the life rope depending on the progress of the work, etc., making it possible to simply and easily identify the path of the life rope.

In the safety harness usage status management system of the present invention, for example, the support body is a support part provided at the top of a pole installed at the site and on which one end of the life rope is supported, and the identification part is a colored part of the support part, or a component that has a color different from the support part and is installed on the support part.

Furthermore, in the safety harness usage management system of the present invention, for example, the portion located within a predetermined range from the front support is the end of the life rope, one end of which is supported by the support, and the identification part is a colored portion of the end, or a component that has a color different from the support part and is installed on the support part.

1 is a schematic diagram of a construction site managed using a safety belt usage status management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Block diagram of a safety belt usage status management system. 3 is a flowchart showing a safety belt use status management method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This section describes a safety harness usage status management system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The safety harness usage status management system 100 is a system that manages the usage status of safety harnesses, which are fall prevention devices worn by workers performing work at height.

First, a construction site managed using the safety harness usage management system 100 will be described with reference to Figure 1. This construction site is where workers A perform work at height, and each worker A is wearing a safety harness 10.

The safety belt 10 comprises a belt 11 for wearing around the body, a rope 12 connected at one end to the back of the belt 11 as a lifeline, and a hook 13 connected to the other end of the rope 12. The safety belt 10 has two sets of ropes 12 and hooks 13, and by always having at least one of the hooks 13 attached to a lifeline 30 stretched between posts 20 or the like, worker A is prevented from falling or falling. The posts 20 are fixed to the frame of a building or temporary scaffolding, and are configured to be able to support the load on the lifeline 30 in the event of worker A falling.

The safety belt 10 preferably includes a full-harness type belt 11 that supports the entire body by passing it around the thighs, shoulders, etc. in addition to the waist belt. In the case of a full-harness type, it is recommended that the hook 13 be hooked onto the shoulder belt and positioned around the chest when not working at height.

The lifeline 30 is usually stretched between two posts 20 so that it is positioned at a predetermined height, approximately at worker A's waist. The lifeline 30 consists of a rope 32 with hooks 31 attached to both ends. It is preferable to use a tensioning device (not shown) to reduce the slack in the lifeline 30 stretched between the posts 20.

The support pole 20 comprises a support pole body 21 extending vertically and a ring-shaped retaining bracket 22 attached to the upper end of the support pole body 21 for hooking the hook portion of the life rope 20. Although not shown, the lower end of the support pole body 21 is attached using a vise-like fixing jig to a flange portion of a steel frame that constitutes the building frame or temporary scaffolding.

Although not shown, the main rope 30 may be configured so that the hook portion 31 can be hooked onto a retaining bracket attached to the steel frame of a building or temporary scaffolding, for example, using an H-beam clamp or a single-tube pipe clamp with a ring-shaped retaining bracket.

In this way, the hook portions 31 on both ends of the main rope 30 are supported by the retaining fittings 22 on the support pole 20 or by retaining fittings provided on clamps (not shown). These retaining fittings 22 correspond to the support body and supporting portion of the present invention. Below, we will explain the case where the hook portion 31 of the main rope 30 is supported by the retaining fittings 22 on the support pole 20, and the retaining fittings 22 will also be referred to as the support body 22.

Here, an identification section 40 is provided on the top of the support 22. The identification section 40 allows the identification section 40 to be easily distinguished from other components in an image captured of the site. The identification section 40 is, for example, a colored portion of the support 22, or a component of a different color from the support 22 and installed on top of the support 22. The identification section 40 is preferably colored in a color not commonly used for components used on site, such as a fluorescent color, or is easily attached and detached, such as a fluorescent magnet, sticker, or ribbon. The identification section 40 may also be provided on other parts of the support 20, such as the bottom or end of the support 22, or may be provided on a part of the top of the support body 21.

The identification section 40 may also be provided at a portion that is located at a predetermined distance from the support 22. In this case, it is preferable that this portion be located in a position that makes it possible to identify the path of the life rope 30 when the life rope 30 is strung between the supports 20. For example, a member may be provided on the top of the support 22, and the identification section 40 may be provided by coloring a portion of this member a predetermined distance away from the support 22. The identification section 40 may also be provided on a steel frame a predetermined distance away from the clamp.

Furthermore, the identification part 40 may be provided on the hook part 31 of the life rope 30 supported by the support body 22. The identification part 40 may also be provided on a portion of the rope 32 a predetermined distance away from the hook part 31 of the life rope 30.

It is preferable that the positional relationship of the identification unit 40 with respect to the support body 22 is the same at sites where the same imaging device 50 is used to capture images. If the positional relationship in which the identification unit 40 is provided varies, it is preferable that the color or shape of the identification unit 40 differ depending on the positional relationship in which the identification unit 40 is provided. For example, it is preferable that the identification unit 40 provided on the support body 22 and the identification unit 40 provided on the clamp be different colors, such as yellow fluorescent and orange fluorescent, or rectangular and triangular. In this specification, the terms "positional relationship" and "position" can also mean direction.

An imaging device 50 is installed at the work site to capture images of the site where work at height is being performed. It is preferable to install multiple imaging devices 50, such as cameras or video cameras, and capture images of the site from multiple directions, making it possible to obtain the three-dimensional position of the imaged object. 3D cameras or 3D video cameras that can obtain the three-dimensional position of the imaged object may also be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the safety harness usage management system 100 manages the usage of the safety harness 10 using on-site images captured by an imaging device 50 and transmitted via a network N. The network N may be either wired or wireless, and any type of communication network such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), or a virtual private network (VPN) may be used.

The safety belt usage status management system 100 is composed of a computer such as a PC computer, which is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) executing programs stored in an internal storage device using RAM as a working area.

The safety harness usage status management system 100 comprises an image acquisition unit 110, a worker position identification unit 120, a hook position identification unit 130, a support position identification unit 140, a main rope range setting unit 150, a main rope path identification unit 160, a virtual main rope estimation unit 170, a judgment unit 160, and a warning unit 190. The processing in the worker position identification unit 120, hook position identification unit 130, a support position identification unit 140, a main rope range setting unit 150, a main rope path identification unit 160, a virtual main rope estimation unit 170, and a judgment unit 180 may be performed using AI.

The image acquisition unit 110 acquires, via the network N, site images captured by the imaging device 50 of the site where worker A, wearing the safety belt 10, is working.

The worker position identification unit 120 identifies worker A from the site images acquired by the image acquisition unit 110 and locates worker A's position. Existing image identification technology can be used to identify worker A's image, but worker A can be easily identified by focusing on the helmet and safety belt 10 worn by worker A. Note that if there are multiple workers A, it is not necessary to distinguish between each worker A; it is sufficient to check whether each worker A is using the safety belt 10 appropriately and identify any workers A who are not using it appropriately.

Worker A may be identified within the entire range shown in the site image captured above a predetermined height, or worker A may be identified only within a predetermined range. When identifying the range in this way, the range for identifying worker A may be set based on the position of the support 22 identified by the support position identification unit 140. This is because, since the main rope 30 is strung between the supports 22, it is considered that safety assurance by the main rope 30 is not necessary in work areas where there are no supports 22.

However, a support 22 is installed to set up the lifeline 30 in a work area where there is a risk of falling or tripping, and an identification unit 40 is installed to easily and reliably identify the position of this support 22. Therefore, in work areas where the risk of workers falling or tripping has disappeared as the work progresses and the lifeline 30 is no longer necessary, it is preferable to remove the identification unit 40 before detaching the lifeline. However, in some cases, the identification unit 40 and lifeline 30 may remain in an area where the lifeline 30 is no longer necessary. Therefore, it is preferable for the administrator to confirm the setting of the range for identifying worker A.

Furthermore, even when working above a specified height, there may be work areas where safety measures using a safety harness 10 are not required depending on the installation conditions of the deck slab, formwork, etc. In such cases, the manager or other person may set the work area, and worker A within this work area may not be identified.

The hook position identification unit 130 identifies the hook 13 attached to the safety belt 10 worn by worker A identified by the worker position identification unit 120 from the on-site image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110, and identifies the position of the hook 13. Existing image identification technology can be used to identify the hook 13, and since the hook 13 is large, identification is relatively easy. Furthermore, coloring the hook 13 with a fluorescent color or the like makes identification even easier. Since the safety belt 10 worn by worker A is equipped with two hooks 13, the positions of the two hooks 13 are identified for each identified worker A.

The support position identification unit 140 identifies the identification unit 40 from the site image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110, and identifies the position of the support 22 based on the position of the identified identification unit 40. The support position identification unit 140 first identifies the image of the identification unit 40 from the site image and identifies the position of the identification unit 40. The identification unit 40 is colored or otherwise applied to make it easier to identify in the image compared to other parts of the construction site. Therefore, the image of the identification unit 40 can be easily identified from the site image using existing image identification technology. Note that if the hook 13 is colored, it is preferable to color the identification unit 40 a different color.

As mentioned above, the positional relationship between the identification unit 40 and the support 22 is known, so the position of the support 22 can be determined from the identified position of the identification unit 40.

The main rope range setting unit 150 determines the range in which the main rope 30 may exist based on the position of the support 22 identified by the support position identification unit 140 from the site image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110.

The lifeline 30 is strung between adjacent supports 22. Therefore, based on the identified positions of the supports 22, the range in which the lifeline 30 is estimated to be located so that it spans between the supports 22 is identified. By limiting it to this range, it is possible to simplify and speed up the work required for identification compared to identifying an image of the lifeline 30 from the entire site image. The lifeline 30 is thin, and identification can be difficult depending on weather conditions such as backlighting and the background image, but within a specified range, it is possible to identify it with high accuracy.

Here, the range in which the image of the life rope 30 can be identified is between the supports 22, but because the life rope 30 hangs down due to its own weight, it is never positioned above the supports 22; it is positioned at its lowest point near the center of the adjacent supports 22, and is positioned slightly below the supports 22 in the areas close to them. Furthermore, because the life rope 30 is stretched and tensioned using a tensioner or the like, it does not bend significantly downward, and is straight when viewed from above. Therefore, the range in which the life rope 30 can exist can be estimated to be a predetermined narrow range.

The master rope path identification unit 160 determines the path of the master rope 30 within the range set by the master rope range setting unit 150 from the site images acquired by the image acquisition unit 110. Note that if the master rope range setting unit 150 is not present, the master rope path identification unit 160 may directly identify the master rope 30 from the site images acquired by the image acquisition unit 110 and determine the path of the master rope 30.

In addition, identification sections may be provided by coloring a specified area of the rope 32 of the main rope 30, such as both ends or the center, and the route of the main rope 30 may be identified by identifying this identification section from an on-site image. However, if the rope 32 is colored, it is preferable to color it a different color from the hook 13 and support 22.

If the master rope path identification unit 160 cannot identify the path of the master rope 30 within the range set by the master rope range setting unit 150, the virtual master rope position estimation unit 170 estimates the range of the virtual master rope path, assuming that the master rope 30 exists within the range.

As mentioned above, the lifeline 30 is difficult to distinguish from site images, so it may not be possible to identify the lifeline 30 from site images within the range set by the lifeline range setting unit 150. However, the identification unit 40 is provided to indicate that the hook portion 31 of the lifeline 30 is hooked onto the support body 22 identified by this identification unit 40. Therefore, even if the lifeline 30 cannot be identified from site images, it is possible to estimate that the hook portion 31 of the lifeline 30 is hooked onto the support body 22 identified by the identified identification unit 40.

Therefore, if the master rope 30 cannot be recognized within the range set by the master rope range setting unit 150, the master rope 30 is assumed to be stretched between adjacent supports 22, and the path of the virtual master rope is estimated. At this time, the master rope 30 is assumed to be stretched between adjacent supports 22 with a predetermined range of deflection, and is estimated to be present within the predetermined range. Note that the range of deflection may be changed depending on the spacing between the supports 22. The range set by the master rope range setting unit 150 may also be estimated as the range of the virtual master rope path.

In addition, not only when the master rope 30 stretched between two supports 22 cannot be identified at all, but also when the master rope 30 cannot be identified partially, a partial path of the virtual master rope may be estimated by assuming that a master rope 30 exists within a specified range connecting the identified master ropes 30.

The determination unit 180 determines whether the hook 13 is caught on the main rope 30 or virtual main rope based on the positional relationship between the position of the main rope 30 or virtual main rope and the position of the hook 13. Based on these positional relationships, it may be determined that the hook 13 is caught not only when it is definitely caught, but also when there is some error in these positional relationships. This is because, for worker A wearing the safety belt 10, there is a large difference in height between the hook 13 and the main rope 30, except when the hook 13 of the safety belt 10 is caught on the main rope 30 or is about to be caught on it.

The warning unit 190 issues a warning based on the results of the determination made by the determination unit 180. If the determination unit determines that one or neither of the two hooks 13 of the safety belt 10 is caught on the lifeline 30, it issues a warning to the worker A wearing the safety belt 10 or to the manager. The warning is given by emitting a warning sound, instruction, or warning light from a speaker or warning light (not shown) attached to the work site, the worker, or a management building. The warning unit 190 may also display warning information on a display unit such as an LCD display.

Below, a safety belt usage status management method according to an embodiment of the present invention using the above-described safety belt usage status management system 100 will be described with reference to Figure 3.

First, an image acquisition process (S1) is performed in which the image acquisition unit 110 acquires site images captured by the imaging device 50.

Next, a worker position identification process (S2) is performed in which worker A is identified from the site images acquired by the image acquisition unit 110 and the position of worker A is determined.

Next, a hook position identification process (S3) is performed in which the hook 13 attached to the safety belt 10 worn by worker A, identified by the worker position identification unit 120, is identified from the site image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110, and the position of the hook 13 is identified. Then, a support position identification process (S4) is performed in which the identification unit 40 is identified from the site image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110, and the position of the support 22 is identified based on the position of the identified identification unit 40. Furthermore, a main rope range setting process (S5) is performed in which the range in which the main rope 30 can exist is determined based on the position of the support 22 identified by the support position identification unit 140 from the site image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110.

Next, a master rope path identification process (S6) is performed to determine the path of the master rope 30 within the range set by the master rope range setting unit 150 from the site images acquired by the image acquisition unit 110. If the master rope path identification unit 160 cannot identify the path of the master rope 30 within the range set by the master rope range setting unit 150 (S6: NO), a virtual master rope position estimation process (S7) is performed to estimate the range of the path of a virtual master rope assuming that the master rope 30 exists within the range.

Next, a determination step (S8) is performed to determine whether both or at least one of the hooks 13 of the safety belt 10 worn by each worker A is caught on the main rope 30 or virtual main rope, based on the positional relationship between the position of the main rope 30 or virtual main rope and the position of the hook 13.

If it is determined that both or at least one of the hooks 13 of the safety belts 10 worn by each worker A are caught on the life rope 30 or virtual life rope (S8: YES), it is determined that all safety belts 10 are being used properly, and the image acquisition process (S1) and subsequent steps are repeated.

If it is determined that both or at least one of the hooks 13 of any of the safety belts 10 worn by worker A is not caught on the life rope 30 or virtual life rope (S8: NO), a warning step (S9) is performed to issue a warning.

Even if the main rope 30 is not present within the specified work area, the main rope will remain in that area until safety is ensured. In other words, the main rope 30 will continue to exist along the same path until the manager issues an instruction to remove the main rope 30. Therefore, until the main rope 30 is removed, the position of the support 22 identified by the support position identification unit 140, the range in which the main rope 30 may exist set by the main rope range setting unit 150, and the path of the main rope 30 identified by the main rope path identification unit 160 will not change. Therefore, the support position identification process (S4) through the virtual main rope position estimation process (S7) may be omitted until the main rope 30 is removed.

Furthermore, even if the master rope path identification unit 160 cannot identify the path of the master rope 30 within the range set by the master rope range setting unit 150 (S6: NO), as long as the master rope 30 does not change, the path of the master rope 30 identified previously may be used as the path of the virtual master rope.

The safety harness usage management system 100 and the safety harness usage management method using it described above identify the positions of the supports 22 from site images based on the positions of identification parts that are easily identifiable from site images. Therefore, the supports 22 across which the life rope 30 is strung can be identified based on the presence or absence of an identification part 40. This makes it possible to identify the supports 22 that actually support the life rope 30, excluding supports 22 that do not support the life rope 30 depending on the progress of the work, etc., and therefore makes it possible to easily and reliably identify the path of the life rope 30.

In addition, even if the route of the main rope 30 cannot be identified from the site image, it is possible to determine whether the hook 13 is caught on the main rope 30 based on the range of the virtual main rope route estimated by the virtual main rope estimation unit 170 and the positional relationship between the hook 13. This makes it possible to easily and reliably determine the usage status of the hook 13 even when an image of the main rope 30 cannot be identified from the site image due to weather conditions such as backlighting or the background image.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the virtual main rope position estimation unit 170 and the virtual main rope position estimation process (S7) may not be included.

10...Safety belt, 11...Belt, 12...Rope, 13...Hook, 20...Support pole, 21...Support pole body, 22...Retaining bracket, support body (support part), 30...Life rope, 31...Hook part, 32...Rope, 40...Identification part, 50...Imaging device, 100...Safety belt usage status management system, 110...Image acquisition part, 120...Worker position identification part, 130...Hook position identification part, 140...Support body position identification part, 150...Life rope range setting part, 160...Life rope path identification part, 170...Virtual life rope estimation part, 180...Determination part, 190...Warning part, A...Worker, N...Network.

Claims (4)

an image acquisition unit that acquires site images of a site where a worker wearing a safety belt is working;
a hook position identifying unit that identifies the position of a hook provided on the safety belt from the site image;
a support position identifying unit that identifies the position of the support from the on-site image based on the position of an identification unit provided on the support or on a portion within a predetermined range from the support;
a lifeline path identifying unit that identifies a path of the lifeline stretched between the supports based on the identified positions of the supports from the on-site image;
a determination unit that determines whether the hook is hooked on the life rope based on the positional relationship between the position of the hook and the path of the life rope ,
A safety belt usage status management system characterized in that the support body is a support portion provided at the top of a pole installed at the site and supporting one end of the life rope . 2. The safety belt use status management system according to claim 1, wherein the identification part is a colored part of the support part, or a member having a color different from that of the support part and installed on the support part. The portion within a predetermined range from the support body is an end of the life rope, one end of which is supported by the support body,
2. The safety belt use status management system according to claim 1, wherein the identification part is a colored part of the end part or a member that has a color different from that of the support part and is installed on the support part. A step of acquiring site images of a site where a worker wearing a safety belt is working;
A step of identifying a position of a hook provided on the safety belt from the site image;
a step of identifying a position of a support from the on-site image based on a position of an identification part provided on the support or on a part within a predetermined range from the support;
a step of identifying a path of a life rope stretched between the supports from the on-site image based on the identified positions of the supports;
and a step of determining whether or not the hook is hooked on the life rope based on a positional relationship between the position of the hook and the path of the life rope ,
A safety belt usage status management method characterized in that the support body is a support part provided at the top of a pole installed at the site and supporting one end of the life rope .