The Day the Silence of Steel Was Broken - The Boundary Between Robots and People, December 1981.

The Day the Silence of Steel Was Broken - The Boundary Between Robots and People, December 1981.

On December 6, 1981, Japan's first fatal accident involving an industrial robot occurred at Kawasaki Heavy Industries' Akashi Works in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture. The victim, a 35-year-old male worker, was performing maintenance work inside a robot arm when he was struck in the head by the arm that suddenly activated, killing him instantly. The cause of the accident was a combination of work being performed while the power was not completely turned off, the failure to use the emergency stop device, inadequate inspection procedures, and inadequate safety training. This accident was widely reported throughout Japan as the fact that "a machine killed a man," and shocked society.

After the accident, the Ministry of Labor issued "Guidelines for the Safe Use of Industrial Robots" in 1982, requiring thorough shutdown of the power supply, installation of safety devices, and strengthening of worker education. In 1983, the "JIS B 8433 (Industrial Robot Safety Standard)" was established, requiring risk assessment and safety measures from the robot design stage.

This accident provided an important opportunity for society to recognize the dangers of robots and humans coexisting in the same space, and was the starting point for the safety philosophy that has led to the development of today's cooperative robots. On that day when the silence of the machines was suddenly broken, we were asked what we should learn about coexistence with technology.