Aiming to Become the World Leader in Pursuing and Achieving Safety
and Security as Part of the IDEC Group
Our parent company, IDEC Corporation, has the vision of "becoming the world's leading company in pursuing and realizing safety and security."
Technology development, Human resource development, Management, and Standards (rule-making and certification)
We are promoting various initiatives from a four-dimensional perspective, aiming to realize our vision.
In addition to technological development utilizing the safety technologies cultivated since the company's founding, we also utilize the Safety Assessor Program and the Robot Safety Assessor Program.
Strengthening management through the development of safety professionals, promotion of occupational safety and health, and thorough implementation of machine safety,
We take the lead in shaping social rules from a global perspective, including international standardization. As one of our activities to promote such safety and security businesses, IDEC Corporation became the first Japanese company to register for "Vision Zero" in January 2018.
What is Vision Zero?
Vision Zero is an European approach to occupational health and safety, with the aim of workplace safety, health, and wellbeing, with the participation of many of the world's leading companies. Vision Zero, which also meets the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), is aiming in the same direction as IDEC, which protects the safety of industrial sites through cooperative safety of humans and machines (Safety 2.0).
"Cooperative Safety / Safety 2.0" promoted by IDEC Group
The introduction of collaborative robots and AGVs (automated guided vehicles) / AMRs (automated guided vehicles) is progressing at various sites. The purposes are various, such as improving productivity, dealing with labor shortages due to the declining birthrate and aging population, and reducing the burden on workers. With the advance of robots into the human work area, a new proposal has been made to connect people, machines, and the environment with IT, and to maintain safety by utilizing sensing and connectivity technologies, that is, "Cooperative Safety / Safety 2.0".
Changes to the Definition of Safety and the Way of Thinking about Ensuring People’s Safety
"Safety" is defined in international standards as "the absence of unacceptable risks" (from ISO/IEC Guide 51).
Up until now, methods for ensuring human safety have evolved from a stage that relied on human attention (Safety 0.0) to safety that involved isolating people from machines or stopping machines (Safety 1.0), as shown in the diagram below. Furthermore, in this new era where technological innovation is leading to smarter environments and environments where people and machines coexist are increasing, the concept of "collaborative safety/Safety 2.0" has been proposed and established as a necessary safety concept.
● Changes to the Way of Thinking about Ensuring People’s Safety
Safety 0.0
People must use dangerous machines with caution → People protect themselves
Safety 1.0
Make dangerous machines safer → Moving away from or stopping machines is the principle
This technology ensures safety by adding functions to machines and equipment that let them move away from other people and machines or stopping when people approach.
Safety 2.0
Connecting people, things (machines), and environments through ICT technology → Cooperative safety is the principle
Safety 2.0 is a technical way to achieve cooperative safety and is defined as “achieving cooperative safety by sharing information between humans, machines, and environments". Safety 2.0 is technology that effectively ensures safety by flexibly changing the state equipment is in based on information from people, machines, and the environment, in environments where people and machines coexist.
Cooperative Safety/Safety 2.0 is a concept that goes beyond Safety 0.0, which ensures safety through human attention, and Safety 1.0, which ensures safety between people and machines based on the "principle of isolation and stopping."
Safety and security have been part of the IDEC Group's DNA since its founding, and we have been quick to adopt the latest safety concept, "Collaborative Safety/Safety 2.0."
What Can be Achieved with Cooperative Safety / Safety 2.0
● Safety without stopping
By controlling machine speed and defining zones according to human capabilities, it becomes possible to achieve both safety and productivity.
For example, by identifying the skill level and health condition of workers, it is possible to implement optimal "control that ensures safety while minimizing machine downtime" for each worker.
To achieve improved safety and productivity.
● Visualizing safety
By using ICT to constantly monitor people’s physical conditions and equipment conditions, it becomes possible to visualize how safe a situation is and take appropriate measures when an abnormality occurs.
● Collaborative fail-safes
Traditional fail-safe design was a design concept where, in the event of a failure of a component, machine, or equipment itself, the system would safely fail.
Collaborative Safety/Safety 2.0 enables fail-safe systems that integrate machines, people, and the environment through ICT.
● Saving space in areas with equipment
By allowing humans and machines to coexist, safety fencing is no longer required and machines/equipment take up less space.
We also provide a wide range of services such as safety consulting.
The IDEC Group also provides safety consulting.
Many employees have acquired the safety assessor qualification, robot safety assessor qualification, and management safety qualification implemented by Japan certification.
Among them, there are several safety lead assessor qualification holders with high difficulty, and from the latest safety standard trend seminar including Safety 2.0,
We provide a wide range of services, including the implementation of corporate safety education.
Contact UsWe, IDEC Factory Solutions
support customers' concerns about "safety".
Please feel free to contact us for more information.
