AITX's Subsidiary, Robotic Assistance Devices, Announces Worksite Safety AI Analytic

RAD’s Advanced AI Empowers Businesses to Improve Worker Safety & Compliance

A demonstration is now available featuring streaming video captured by RAD ROSA™ devices autonomously detecting the presence of PPE in its field of view. View the demonstration video by clicking this link.

“As usual we created this analytic in response to client requests,” said Steve Reinharz, CEO of AITX and RAD. “Organizations and persons required to follow OSHA regulations often run afoul of those requirements due to the difficulty of enforcing basic use of PPE. This has resulted in escalating compliance fines as well as often unnecessary injury to workers. Construction sites and industrial factories are the target market for this analytic. Since our ROSS solution can apply this to existing cameras, much like our firearm detection analytic, we expect clients to use a combination of existing cameras and RAD devices to provide employee PPE protection all the while we run other appropriate analytics for security. It’s quite exciting to us.”

OSHA regulations require employers to provide PPE to each employee, depending on their job duties and position. PPE typically consists of gear worn to reduce the risk of severe workplace injuries and illnesses resulting from exposure to various hazards. Among the typical PPE used in workplaces are safety hard hats and protective clothing such as high visibility vests. OSHA suggests that a workplace’s PPE program be periodically reviewed, updated, and evaluated.

Reinharz added, “With this PPE detection and our proven loitering and trespassing analytics, we’re about to roll out a targeted penetration into the U.S. construction industry with our safety and security solutions. There are over 750,000 construction employers needing to ensure the safety of over 7.5 million employees. We’d be more than happy to help them.”

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), a common occupational injury, accounts for between 20% and 25% of work-related trauma. The construction industry has experienced the greatest number of both fatal and nonfatal work-related TBI among U.S. workplaces. From 2003 to 2010, 2,210 construction workers died because of a TBI. These deaths represented 25% of all construction fatalities and 24% of all work-related TBI fatalities among all industries during that period.

When a hazard in the workplace poses a potential risk of injury or death, and the business owner or manager fails to address it, OSHA deems it a ‘serious violation’. The fines imposed depend on the gravity of the violation and may go as high as $13,653 for each occurrence. If the violation is repeated within three years, the company will be subject to more severe penalties from OSHA, reaching up to $145,027. In 2020, OSHA conducted around 20,000 inspections and issued over $1.1 billion in fines for violations of all types.

“Failing to comply with stringent OSHA PPE regulations can be very costly to employers who can’t document their compliance or performance,” said Mark Folmer, CPP, PSP, FSyI, President of RAD. “With RAD’s secure cloud-based data storage network, employers can now easily gather their PPE compliance data.”

The Company noted that this new advanced AI feature will be available for activation upon request on all RAD security device platforms including ROSS™, RAD’s software-based video management application. PPE detection functionality will be included at no additional charge for ROSA and RIO™ deployments.

“RAD’s sales pipeline has many large opportunities in the construction sector waiting for the release of this PPE analytic,” added Folmer. “This announcement is expected to move these through at an accelerated pace, resulting in possible additions to our recurring monthly revenue numbers.”