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Domain ExpertBeginner

Safety in daily use

Beginner

For: anyone who works near the robot, whether or not they operate it. Before you start: nothing. This page comes before you touch anything. When you finish: you will know the rules, and the reasoning behind each one.

Framework document

This page states network-wide practice. It is not a substitute for a risk assessment of your own site, and it is not legal or regulatory advice. Requirements differ by country and by workplace. Anything jurisdiction-specific must be confirmed locally.

The one thing to remember

The red E-STOP on the screen is not an emergency stop.

It sends one zero-velocity command and asks the navigation system to cancel its goal. That is a software request travelling over a network, through a browser, a bridge and a controller. If any part of that chain has failed — which is exactly the situation in which you reach for an emergency stop — pressing it may do nothing at all.

The physical emergency stop must be implemented independently of the browser and network and must stop hazardous motion according to the validated safety design. It remains available when the software path does not. It is the one you use in an emergency.

Every session, before the robot moves: locate the physical stop and confirm that its required inspection or test has been completed using the approved site procedure.

Before the robot moves

Every time. On real hardware.

  1. Demo Mode off, and you have confirmed it
  2. Correct robot selected
  3. Connection indicator green
  4. Health page shows fresh topics
  5. Map and robot pose on screen match the physical robot
  6. Conservative speed limits set
  7. Operating area clear of people and obstructions
  8. Physical emergency stop located and its required check recorded

Step 5 is the one people skip, and it is the one that causes the worst outcomes. If the robot on screen is not the robot in the room, every command is aimed somewhere else.

While it is moving

  • Someone watches the robot, not the screen. The screen shows what the robot believes; only a person sees what is actually happening.
  • Stay out of its path. Do not test whether it will stop for you.
  • Do not walk behind it while it is reversing. Rear sensing is limited on most platforms.
  • Do not ride on it, lean on it, or use it to carry a person. It is not designed for it.
  • Keep the area clear of trailing cables, spills and loose objects.
  • Watch the load, if it is carrying something. A shifting load changes how the robot handles.

Docking is a blind manoeuvre

Warning

In the current simulated docking path, scanning, alignment and final approach publish motion commands directly rather than through Nav2 obstacle handling. Do not assume software obstacle checking will stop the robot during this manoeuvre.

Keep the dock approach clear. Do not stand in it. Do not reach into it.

Around the arm and lift

Where fitted:

  • The arm's reach is larger than it looks. Stay outside it while it is powered.
  • Never place a hand inside the arm's workspace while a program is running.
  • The lift can move without the base moving. A stationary robot is not necessarily a still robot.
  • Elevated mass changes stability. A robot with a raised lift tips more easily than one without.

Batteries

  • Do not charge a damaged, swollen or wet battery.
  • Do not leave a charging robot unattended in an unoccupied building unless the installation was designed for it.
  • Report any heat, smell, swelling or deformation immediately and stop using the robot.
  • Follow local rules for storage and disposal. These differ by country.

Stop and escalate immediately if

  • The robot contacts a person
  • The robot moves without a command
  • The physical emergency stop does not stop it
  • You see smoke, smell burning, or hear an unusual noise
  • A battery is hot, swollen or damaged
  • Any part of the structure is visibly damaged or loose

Do not restart to see whether it repeats. Report it, and record what happened.

Reporting

Report every incident, and every near miss.

A near miss is information about a failure that has not hurt anyone yet. A site that only reports injuries learns the same lesson at a much higher price.

Record: what happened, when, who was present, what the robot was doing, what the dashboard showed, and what you did.

Who is responsible

The Domain Expert is responsible for following the approved operating procedure and maintaining the immediate operating boundary during use.

The deployment owner is responsible for the risk assessment, for training, for the physical emergency stop being present and tested, and for regulatory compliance in their jurisdiction.

The platform is provided for research, education and development. Validating safety for a specific deployment — emergency stop behaviour, watchdogs, fault handling, suitability, compliance — is the responsibility of whoever deploys it.

When something goes wrong · Working safely · Safety limits · Docking and charging

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