Why real-time video can upgrade health and safety in manufacturing and logistics

In a dynamic industry that relies on the free movement of people, assets and data, how can you better protect people, equipment, inventory and materials — both inside and outside the facility?

Health and safety in manufacturing and logistics are key concerns for decision-makers, managers and employees. Ones that are inherently challenging due to the presence of numerous potential hazards — from heavy machinery to hazardous materials.

Workplace injuries remain a significant issue across this sector, with manufacturing considered the third-most dangerous industry for work-related accidents (behind construction and agriculture). As such, improved safety practices and risk assessments are required across all aspects of production, warehousing, transport and logistics. However, maintaining visibility and management insight — especially in remote or hard-to-reach areas — is an ongoing problem.

Traditional safety measures and monitoring systems often fall short of providing real-time updates and comprehensive coverage, leading to potential hazards going unnoticed. This is where real-time video surveillance and analytics come into play, offering a transformative solution to upgrade workplace safety across manufacturing and logistics.

How do real-time video analytics improve workplace safety?

Large warehouses or outdoor logistics hubs are sprawling operations where it’s almost impossible to maintain a constant physical presence. This issue is only made more challenging when dealing with multiple sites or remote facilities.

Real-time video surveillance and analytics bridge the gap between workers on the ground and managers in the control room — enabling decision-makers to monitor operations from any location, ensure safety protocols are consistently followed, and promptly address any deviations.

With real-time video monitoring, safety officers can quickly identify and respond to unsafe safety practices and potential hazards. This includes detecting the improper handling of hazardous materials, dangerous operation of heavy machinery and inappropriate use of personal protection equipment (PPE) — for example, removing PPE from the site or sharing PPE intended for use by one person with others. Additionally, real-time video surveillance can help when implementing sterile zones designed to assist in the detection of unauthorised personnel in areas with restricted access.

The immediate availability of video footage also aids in investigating workplace injuries, helping to determine their causes and prevent future incidents.

Another key benefit of real-time video monitoring in manufacturing is the ability to conduct more comprehensive risk assessments.

Traditional risk assessments often rely on periodic checks and historical data, which may not accurately reflect current conditions. In comparison, real-time video surveillance provides immediate insights, allowing safety officers to identify and address risks as they arise. This capability is particularly valuable in manufacturing and logistics environments where conditions can change rapidly, such as when handling hazardous materials or heavy machinery.

Equally, real-time video footage serves as a valuable resource for safety training. By analysing actual incidents or near-misses, managers can educate their employees on best safety practices. Not only can this proactive approach protect employees, but it can also help manufacturing and logistics companies improve compliance with regulatory safety requirements.

What else can real-time video surveillance offer the logistics industry?

On top of improving workplace safety, real-time video surveillance also brings other benefits to manufacturing and logistics — from driving operational efficiency to enhancing quality control.

By providing complete visibility across operations, real-time video helps to optimise workflows and reduce downtime. For instance, managers can monitor loading docks and transport areas to streamline logistics processes, guaranteeing timely dispatches and deliveries. This visibility also supports inventory management to help reduce errors and losses.

Continuous monitoring also ensures every step of the manufacturing process adheres to high-quality standards. With real-time video analytics, managers can instantly be alerted to suspicious or non-compliant activities, such as deviations in assembly processes or unauthorised access to sterile zones. This allows quality assurance teams to address issues immediately, preventing defects and ensuring products meet the required specifications.

Remote video surveillance also facilitates better maintenance capabilities, which are crucial for maintaining operational efficiency across multiple sites. With real-time video feeds, maintenance teams can remotely diagnose and troubleshoot issues to make quick, informed decisions and rapidly deploy necessary fixes — helping to keep production on track by reducing the need for on-site visits and costly interruptions.

Real-time video: a necessity for manufacturing and logistics

Remote, real-time video surveillance is not a luxury for health and safety in manufacturing and logistics; it’s a necessity.

By providing complete visibility and immediate insights, real-time video empowers decision-makers to address safety concerns proactively, ensuring potential hazards are identified and mitigated before they escalate.

But the benefits of real-time video surveillance extend beyond safety.

Not only does this technology enhance workplace safety, but it also drives operational efficiency, boosts quality control and facilitates remote maintenance capabilities. And in a dynamic environment such as manufacturing and logistics — where efficiency and compliance are critical — the ability to monitor and optimise processes in real time is an advantage that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Digital Barriers delivers reliable, secure and cost-optimised real-time video over cellular to maximise Industry 4.0 investments.

Our EdgeVis solution allows users to view real-time video and alerts from their entire camera system (fixed, mobile and body-worn devices) all in one place, enabling the effective monitoring of multiple manufacturing sites.

EdgeVis encompasses advanced, hybrid edge-to-cloud analytics, enabling data to be transmitted to the cloud or processed locally at the edge of the network, closer to its source. As edge analytics requires less bandwidth, it can be deployed in places where bandwidth is limited — such as remote manufacturing and logistics facilities — minimising latency to enable truly real-time data analysis and decision-making.

From production and warehousing to transport and logistics, EdgeVis gives managers complete visibility over their operations to improve health and safety in manufacturing and logistics. All while significantly reducing the high bandwidth and data costs associated with Industry 4.0 analysis and operations.

To find out how real-time video can improve health and safety across your manufacturing and logistics operations, contact Digital Barriers today at hello@digitalbarriers.com.