Safety harness motion detector systems and methods for use
AssigneeUS Safety Technologies LLC
InventorsGeorge Altemose, Daniel W. Marino, John Gedde
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for monitoring elevations of a set of workers at a job site include reference devices for capturing barometric pressures at different installation elevations on a structure and portable barometric pressure sensors carried by the workers. An atmospheric pressure offset may be calculated using the reference barometric pressures and installation elevations. The atmospheric pressure offset may be applied to atmospheric pressure measurements captured by the barometric pressure sensors carried by the workers to determine worker elevations. The worker elevations may be converted to corresponding floors of the structure.
Claims20
A system for verifying a worker positioned on a building structure is compliant in wearing necessary safety equipment, wherein the safety equipment comprises
- a safety harness configured to be worn by the worker, and
- a lifeline assembly comprising an anchor tether configured to releasably connect the safety harness to an anchoring point on the building structure,
- the system comprising:
- a motion detector module configured to identify movement of the worker indicative of attachment of the safety harness of the worker to the anchor tether of the lifeline assembly, the motion detector module comprising a housing, wherein the housing contains
- a motion sensor configured to detect motion of the safety harness and/or anchor tether,
- conditioning circuitry configured to detect, from signals provided by the motion sensor, motions indicative of movement of the worker, and
- timing circuitry configured to determine a length of time between significant motions indicative of movement of the worker, and
- a communications transceiver;
- and
- a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to
- receive, from the communications transceiver, a plurality of signals related to detection of motions indicative of movement of the worker and/or the length of time between motions indicative of movement of the worker, and
- translate one or more of the plurality of signals into motion information, the motion information comprising information indicative of compliance or noncompliance of the worker with wearing necessary safety equipment.
A method for monitoring safety compliance by a worker positioned on a building structure, the method comprising:
- providing a safety harness configured to be worn by the worker;
- providing a lifeline assembly comprising an anchor tether configured to releasably connect the safety harness to an anchoring point on the building structure;
- providing a motion detector module comprising:
- a motion sensor configured to detect motion in the safety harness and/or the anchor tether,
- detection circuitry configured to detect, from motion signals provided by the motion sensor, motions indicative of movement of the worker,
- a timer module configured to determine a lack of motions indicative of movement of the worker over a threshold period of time, wherein
- determining the lack of motions indicative of movement of the worker over the threshold period of time is indicative of noncompliance with connection of the safety harness to the anchor tether, and
- a communications transceiver,
- monitoring, by processing circuitry of a computing device, signals from the communications transceiver to determine safety compliance of the worker, wherein monitoring comprises receiving, from the communications transceiver, a plurality of signals relating to the detection of motions indicative of movement of the worker and/or lack of motions indicative of movement of the worker, and
- deriving safety compliance information from the plurality of signals.
A system for monitoring attachment of a safety harness worn by a worker to a lifeline assembly positioned on a building structure, the system comprising:
- a motion detector module for monitoring motion of a worker wearing a harness comprising a lifeline strap configured for releasable attachment to an anchor tether, the motion detector module comprising a housing, wherein the housing contains
- a motion sensor,
- conditioning circuitry configured to detect, from signals provided by the motion sensor, motions indicative of movement of the worker,
- timing circuitry configured to determine a length of time between motions indicative of movement of the worker, and
- a radio frequency transceiver, wherein
- the anchor tether is configured to releasably connect to an anchoring point on a building structure;
- and
- a software application for installing on a portable computing device, the software application configured to, upon execution by processing circuitry of the portable computing device,
- receive, from the radio frequency transceiver, a plurality of signals related to detection of motions indicative of movement of the worker and/or the length of time between motions indicative of movement of the worker, and
- process one or more of the plurality of signals into motion information, wherein at least a portion of the motion information is indicative of the attachment or non-attachment of the lifeline strap of the harness worn by the worker to the anchor tether.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.