Collaborative Robotics and Worker Safety: An Ergonomic Perspective on Benefits and Risks

Abstract

Collaborative robotics represents one of the main pillars of the latest industrial revolutions. With the goal of innovation and primarily to address the need for improved efficiency and productivity, cooperation between human workers and robots has emerged as a simple, effective, and relatively low-cost solution that does not require significant adaptation—whether in the work environment or in workers’ level of expertise. Indeed, collaborative robots are financially accessible and quite user-friendly, easy to install and program, which facilitates their integration into the workplace.From a health and safety perspective, particularly in ergonomics, collaborative robots offer many advantages in preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A robot is useful for performing difficult tasks such as handling heavy loads, repetitive tasks, or tasks requiring high precision. The robot helps prevent human workers from being exposed to high physical strain and significant injury risk or from being forced into awkward postures that increase the risk of MSDs.On the other hand, sharing the same work environment between robots and humans also presents risks. The balance of power between humans and robots is not equivalent, and an unexpected movement, poor coordination, or programming or design issues can have a significant impact on a person’s safety—either instantly or over the long term due to repeated exposure to the same conditions. Therefore, integrating collaborative robots into workplaces must be done cautiously, considering ergonomic aspects during the design, installation, and programming phases to maximize benefits and minimize risks. This requires focusing on the human worker who will collaborate with the robot, considering their capabilities and limitations.

Keywords: Industry 5.0, Human–robot Collaboration, Collaborative Robots, Occupational Health And Safety (OHS), Ergonomics, MSD Prevention

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007923