A Safety System based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to prevent the misuse of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in construction

In this paper we address the issue of safety in the use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in construction, industrial, or similar sites where power tools are used. We propose a novel solution that can control actively the power of the tool depending on the worker–tool distance. It is based on RSSI information transmitted by BLE devices arranged in a particular rig, combined with a Bayesian distance estimator. Such an approach minimizes the required instrumentation of the workplace and also the number of configuration parameters; therefore it enables a wide range of applications. Our aim is not only to signal risky situations caused by the misuse of the PPE (either due to its bad fitting or a wrong distance to the tool), but to intervene in a fast and robust way to avoid the safety risk.