Polish companies increasingly use robots

According to A.T. Kearney’s data, 34 pct of Western European companies and 54 pct of American ones use robots in their operations. Finance and insurance are in the forefront of the sectors that appreciate the benefits of automation. One in four surveyed companies in this sector use this type of technology. The next positions are occupied by: the health industry, telecommunications and media, trade and production as well as transport and logistics. In Poland, there has been a gradual increase in robots used for work for several years. According to data from the International Federation of Robotics, between 2011 and 2016, the number of such devices grew by 20 pct per year on average. 2015 was a record year – Polish companies used almost 1,500 such devices then. 10,000 robots were used last year,. One of the sectors where automation has the greatest potential for development is logistics. “Because of the better and better infrastructure and availability of qualified staff, we are at the forefront of services in this sector. We are a logistics hub between East and West,” says Jan Obojski, a proxy for logistics management at ILS Grupa InterCars, a member of the Safe at Work Coalition. “Our distribution centres are becoming more and more automated. The most modern racks, sorters and transport devices provide a better and safer use of logistics potential. The nature of the work is also changing. People take over conceptual tasks to a great extent whereas machines support physical work. Physical work is often completely automated. This has a significant impact on safety,” adds Jan Obojski. Therefore, Health and Safety specialists face a new challenge: organization of safe work of people in an environment where some of the tasks are performed by robots. Machine parks are increasingly equipped with safety sensors and a number of protections (separate zones, power cut, personal protection equipment), which are designed to minimize the risk of accidents. “Companies realize how important it is for employees to be safe, that is why they use technological achievements in order to provide them with safe working conditions,” says Łukasz Włodyga, who is responsible for safety and quality management at DHLSupply Chain, a member of the Safe at Work Coalition. One example of such systems is the Turkish branch of DHL Supply Chain, which organized training sessions for employees with the use of virtual reality, modelled on a computer game. Each participant received special glasses with interactive 3D movies which use 12 situations involving a high risk of an accident at work. According to the A.T. Kearney's report, robotics and automation market will exceed USD 5 bln in 2020. The Safe at Work Coalition was established on the initiative of CWS-boco Polska, PW Krystian, LafargeHolcim and TenCate Protective Fabrics in 2014 in order to promote a workplace safety culture among employees and employers. The following companies have joined the group in recent years: SEKA, Inter Cars and DHL represented by: DHL Express, DHL Parcel and DHL Supply Chain.