How Does Safety Management Change with Location Information? Visualizing the Site to Prevent Accidents

Table of Contents

• What “visualizing the site” means in safety management

• How the use of location information changes safety management

• Main benefits of using location information

• Concrete measures to prevent accidents using location information

• Challenges and points for implementation when using location information

• Simple surveying with LRTK

• FAQ

What “visualizing the site” means in safety management

Safety management at worksites is one of the most important efforts to protect the lives and health of those involved in operations. Nevertheless, occupational accidents continue to occur, and serious incidents happen across the country. According to an [announcement by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_40395.html), the number of deaths due to occupational accidents in 2023 fell to a record low of 755, while the number of casualties requiring four or more days off work exceeded 130,000 and is on the rise. In particular, construction and manufacturing sites involve many hazardous tasks such as working at height and operating heavy machinery, where a minor mistake or lapse in attention can lead to serious accidents.

Against this backdrop, “visualizing the site” has attracted attention. In safety management, visualizing the site literally means making the site situation visible. It is a method of incorporating digital technology into safety management, which traditionally relied on human observation and experience, so that conditions can be grasped in real time. Specifically, by using various sensors and location information systems, the aim is to visualize “who is where and what they are doing” on site and detect signs of danger early. By visualizing the site with data in this way, quick decision-making and responses to prevent accidents become possible.

How the use of location information changes safety management

Among methods to visualize the site in safety management, the use of location information is bringing particularly large changes. Location information refers to acquiring the current positions of workers, machines, vehicles, and so on as data. Applied to safety management, this greatly improves the “spatial awareness” that was easily overlooked in the past.

For example, supervisors traditionally used to periodically patrol or check surveillance camera footage to confirm the safety of work areas. However, manual monitoring inevitably leaves blind spots and omissions. By introducing a location information system, you can monitor the whereabouts of all workers and all heavy equipment on a wide worksite in real time. You get the sense of a “digital map” that lets you survey the entire site.

With visualization of location information, managers can instantly see who is working where even from a remote location, and notice immediately if a dangerous situation is about to occur. By accumulating and analyzing past location data, it is also possible to identify safety issues based on data—such as “where near-miss incidents often occur” or “whether risky behaviors are being repeated.” Furthermore, because multiple sites can be monitored remotely without being tied to a location, this facilitates safety management with a small team and enables rapid decision-making. In this way, the use of location information is the key to evolving safety management from a world of intuition and experience to data-driven preventive management.

Main benefits of using location information

Incorporating location information into safety management brings many benefits to the site. Here are the main advantages.

• Eliminating blind spots through continuous monitoring: By knowing the real-time positions of all workers and all equipment, you can cover monitoring blind spots that the human eye cannot reach. As a result, small anomalies are more likely to be detected early.

• Early detection of danger and accident prevention: Because the system can detect signs of accidents—such as entry into hazardous areas or dangerously close approaches—and issue immediate warnings, it is possible to take action before an accident occurs. This can reduce the likelihood of major disasters.

• Rapid response during anomalies: Even if an accident or emergency occurs, rapid identification of the occurrence location shortens the time to start rescue and response. This helps prevent the expansion of damage and secondary disasters.

• Improved operational efficiency: When the locations of people and objects on site are visible at a glance, inefficiencies like “walking around looking for people or tools” decrease. Also, you can maintain safety while minimizing work interruptions for safety checks, making it easier to balance productivity and safety.

• Fostering safety awareness: When hazards are “visualized,” it is expected to raise each worker’s safety awareness. Recognizing that one’s actions are being monitored can naturally encourage more careful work habits. In addition, location information data can help share near-miss cases, activating workplace communication about safety across the entire organization.

• Economic benefits from reduced accidents: A reduction in occupational accidents leads to decreased time and monetary costs for accident response, stabilization of construction schedules, and potential reductions in insurance premiums—benefits that impact management. Investment in safety also improves corporate credibility, positively affecting talent acquisition and business dealings.

Thus, the use of location information not only improves safety itself but also spreads benefits to site operations and the organization as a whole. Of course, to fully realize these effects, it is important to appropriately combine technology and on-site operations.

Concrete measures to prevent accidents using location information

How exactly can location information be used to help prevent accidents? Below are some representative cases.

Preventing collisions between people and heavy machinery

In warehouses, factories, and construction sites, heavy machinery such as forklifts and excavators often move around in the same area as workers. If a person and heavy machinery meet at a blind intersection or in a blind spot, it can lead to a serious contact accident. One effective solution is a proximity detection system using location information. Position information transmitted by sensors mounted on the machinery is checked in real time against the position information from tags or wearable devices carried by workers, and an alarm sounds when they approach within a certain distance. Because warnings are issued to both the operator and the worker, such systems can prevent sudden collision accidents. In practice, sites that have introduced such systems have reported that ensuring a safe distance between people and machinery lowered accident risks and even allowed for relaxation of forklift speed limits, thereby improving operational efficiency.

Monitoring entry into hazardous areas

Worksites may contain hazardous areas where entry alone is prohibited—such as high places, deep pits, or areas where toxic gases may be present—because if an accident occurs during solitary entry, discovery and rescue may be delayed. Traditionally, warnings and surveillance cameras were used, but it is difficult for human resources to keep constant watch. Using location information, an effective mechanism is to detect when a worker has entered a hazardous area alone and immediately trigger an alarm. Not only does this alert the worker, but it also notifies managers, allowing quick correction of rule violations or forgetfulness that lead to lone entry. The introduction of such location-linked alerts dramatically improves the accuracy of managing entry into hazardous zones.

Preventing accidental activation during machine maintenance

For large industrial machines and equipment, maintenance and inspection sometimes require workers to enter the interior of the machine. Normally, the main power is turned off during inspections to prevent accidental activation, but human error occasionally leads to the terrible case where the machine is started even though a worker is inside. To prevent such accidents, measures using location information are possible. Specifically, inspection personnel carry positioning devices, and while a person is detected inside the machine, the machine’s power is locked out (cannot be started), or if another worker attempts to operate the machine, a warning like “There is a person working inside” is displayed. Technology can cover human oversight and help prevent entanglement accidents with machinery.

Detecting worker falls or emergencies and enabling rapid response

Falls from height or slips on scaffolding are major causes of serious accidents in construction. Similarly, if a worker collapses from sudden illness in a factory, discovery may be delayed if they are alone. By combining location information with sensors, response speed to such emergencies can be dramatically increased. For example, if an accelerometer in a device worn by a worker detects an impact from a fall or collapse, it can automatically send an alarm to managers and notify the worker’s current location. This makes it possible to quickly reach and provide aid even in a large site. There are also systems that detect a lack of movement for a certain period and alert for abnormalities; while they need to distinguish from break or standby times, such functions help prevent situations where no one notices an incident. These mechanisms not only help prevent accidents themselves but also limit damage expansion if an accident does occur.

Challenges and points for implementation when using location information

Location-based safety management systems are highly useful, but there are points to keep in mind during introduction and operation. Below are challenges and countermeasures to maximize effectiveness.

• Choose appropriate positioning technologies for indoor and outdoor use: For large outdoor construction sites or quarries, GPS or GNSS-based positioning is common. Conversely, in indoor environments like factories or plants where satellite signals don’t reach, it is necessary to combine indoor positioning technologies such as BLE beacons (Bluetooth Low Energy) or UWB (ultra-wideband). Consider the optimal positioning method based on the site environment.

• Balance required accuracy and cost: The accuracy of location information varies by technology. In some cases, a rough grasp at the scale of several meters is sufficient, while for detecting entry into the boundary of hazardous areas, accuracy of less than 1 m (3.3 ft) or, in some cases, on the order of several centimeters (cm level accuracy (half-inch accuracy)) may be required. Higher-precision systems tend to increase costs and equipment, so determine how much accuracy is truly necessary and consider the trade-off with return on investment.

• Device operation and burden on site: Sensors and tags carried by workers should be as lightweight and unobtrusive as possible. There are various forms such as helmet-mounted devices and wearables; choose one suited to the site’s work. Also consider battery replacement and charging. Thorough regular maintenance and battery management are necessary to prevent situations where a device “did not function due to a dead battery” when needed.

• Privacy and acceptance at the site: Workers may feel resistance to being constantly tracked. To avoid creating anxiety about being “monitored,” it is important during introduction to thoroughly communicate that the purpose is safety assurance. Handle acquired data with privacy in mind and establish operational rules that avoid unnecessary personal scrutiny. For example, settings that do not record location information during breaks or outside working hours can help provide reassurance to the workforce.

• System integration and site operation: Location-based safety management systems do not operate in isolation; they are more effective when linked with other site systems like daily report management and equipment management. For example, integrating with an entry/exit management system can automate work-hour management, or comparing movement on a map with work plans can pre-identify hazardous locations. Centralizing data and using it comprehensively enables both safety and efficiency. Also, on-site training is indispensable to embed new mechanisms. Conduct training on device usage and response procedures for alerts in advance.

Simple surveying with LRTK

To utilize location information for safety management, accurate site maps and coordinate data are needed first. Whether defining the boundaries of hazardous areas or arranging work zones, measuring and understanding the positions of points on site is the starting line. However, traditional surveying requires specialist knowledge and expensive equipment, making frequent surveying difficult.

A solution that lowers this hurdle is a new positioning solution called “LRTK.” LRTK is an ultra-compact RTK-GNSS receiver that can be attached to a smartphone or tablet, allowing anyone to easily perform centimeter-level high-precision positioning. RTK (Real Time Kinematic) is a technique in which a reference station and a rover simultaneously perform satellite positioning and cancel errors to obtain highly accurate position information. While dedicated expensive equipment and communication environments were previously required, LRTK is designed so that you can perform on-site surveying simply by attaching a compact device weighing about 125 g to a smartphone.

For example, if you want to install sensors in a hazardous area, you can immediately measure the exact coordinates of that area with LRTK and digitize them. Acquired coordinate data can be shared from the smartphone to the cloud instantly, allowing office managers to share information in real time. It is devised to be usable even in mountainous areas or underground spaces without internet coverage, and is useful in a wide range of environments from civil engineering and construction sites to factory interiors. By using LRTK, you can quickly perform surveying work in-house that previously required outsourcing to specialists in time-consuming and costly ways, and rapidly establish the high-precision location information infrastructure needed for safety management. For example, not only site supervisors but also workers who notice dangerous spots themselves can measure them with LRTK and immediately share the information with everyone. If site safety information can be shared quickly in this way, it will help nip accident seeds in the bud. Everyone carrying a pocket-sized surveying tool and measuring whenever necessary—this convenience will accelerate site DX and lead to further advancement of safety management.

FAQ

Q: What equipment is needed to use location information on site? A: Basically, you need position-measuring sensors (GPS/GNSS receivers, beacon tags, etc.) and a system to aggregate and display that information. Outdoors, high-precision GPS terminals are used; indoors, BLE beacons or UWB tags and receivers are used. You also need computers or tablets to view the data and management software.

Q: Can small to medium-sized sites introduce location-based safety management? A: Yes. In recent years, miniaturization and cost reduction of equipment and services have progressed, making it easier for small-scale operations to adopt them. For example, you can start by using a smartphone and a few beacons to track worker positions in a limited area. It’s a good idea to pilot within a manageable scope according to your company’s size and expand while observing the effects.

Q: How accurate is GNSS positioning? A: General GPS receivers have errors on the order of several meters. However, by using correction methods such as RTK with a reference station, errors can be reduced to a few centimeters or less. Using RTK-capable devices like LRTK enables centimeter-level positioning on site. Note, however, that accuracy can vary depending on signal conditions affected by surrounding buildings and terrain.

Q: Won’t workers dislike being required to carry devices at all times? A: Some may feel resistance at first, but it’s important to carefully explain that the purpose is safety assurance, not surveillance. Once operations begin, many workers feel reassured that the system “protects them in case of emergency.” Choosing lightweight, comfortable devices and turning off location recording during breaks are among the measures to reduce the burden on the workforce.

Q: Will accidents become zero after introduction? A: Unfortunately, no system can completely eliminate the possibility of accidents. The most important factor is that each person on site maintains safety awareness and thoroughly practices hazard prediction and speaking up. Location information systems are tools to support this. However, by visualizing hazards, you can notice risks that were previously overlooked and respond more quickly and appropriately, which is a powerful means to move closer to zero accidents. Even if an accident does occur, swift situational awareness and communication enabled by a location information system can minimize damage and prevent secondary disasters. Let technology and human awareness act as two wheels to raise safety management levels.