The endless shame of workplace deaths in Italy and also in Tuscany recently claimed two more lives, simultaneously devastating the lives of their families: on August 5, 44-year-old Aldo Gullotti was trapped under a “pastello” of marble slabs inside Santucci Group in Carrara, and less than 48 hours later, around midnight on August 7, 61-year-old Kumara Gedera was crushed by a toppled pallet at Capp Plast in Campi Bisenzio. To these two victims, statistics rightly add 24-year-old Mauro Ducceschi, from Prunetta in the Pistoia Apennines, who died on August 7 after feeling unwell at the end of his delivery shift for the local butcher shop he worked for, and 52-year-old Poste Italiane employee Michela Pierattini, who died yesterday – August 11 – during service in a road accident in Agliana.
Two carousels continue to turn relentlessly, at the same speed: that of murders caused by killer work and that of rhetoric and the usual clichés and circumstances, steeped in a condolence that is self-serving and merely superficial, never constructive or proactive, which in turn promote politicians of every faction and union leaders of any organization.
A flash of light comes from Alberto Lenzi, the regional councilor to whom President Eugenio Giani has entrusted, among other things, the portfolios of labor, technological innovation, and digital infrastructure. Il Tirreno met him precisely with the aim of stopping the two carousels as soon as possible and trying to reverse a trend far from any shred of dignity that unfortunately reflects in the cold numbers of the long trail of deaths: 30 just in Tuscany since the beginning of the year.
The councilor Lenzi
“Lately – explains councilor Lenzi – we have significantly strengthened training in companies, allocating six million more for additional courses to be held for workers. But we know well that this does not solve the problems; it is only about raising awareness on the issue among entrepreneurs and workers, which in any case must exist and rightly so. Something more concrete must be done in the field of true prevention, especially since labor inspectors available in our territory continue to be significantly understaffed and hiring more people certainly does not depend on the Region. The partnership to look to with confidence is definitely that between companies and digitalization. It is from technological tools that decisive help can come to save lives and prevent serious or fatal accidents. A worker engaged in particularly risky operations, such as repetitive ones near conveyor belts or suspended loads, must be put in a position to equip themselves with a tool that signals in real time the imminence of danger to their person.”
The project
The project is called “Reg4IA” and it is not something still on paper. In the coming weeks, it will take its first operational steps thanks to the start of an experiment that in an initial phase will consider one of the largest companies in Tuscany, Baker Hughes (formerly Nuova Pignone), at its sites in Florence and Massa-Carrara. A system of integration between smart cameras, bodycams, and wearable devices capable of alerting workers through a strong vibration when they are in a potentially risky situation, such as when they are about to pass under suspended loads, has been conceived. These technologies will be accompanied by 3D reconstruction of construction sites and intelligent monitoring of attendance and increasingly advanced systems for emergency management. “Because innovating – Lenzi himself emphasizes – also means better protecting those who work.”
The “Reg4IA” was developed by the Tuscany Region in synergy with the University of Siena, particularly with Professor Domenico Prattichizzo, professor of Robotics and coordinator of the Sirs Lab, whose research activity focuses on applying tactile technologies and robotics to workplace safety. Tactile technologies mean all those devices and interfaces that digitize the sense of touch to guide the operator to avoid errors and to which specific devices must be added in workplaces that signal imminent dangers through vibrations or immediate physical feedback.
“Initially – notes regional councilor Lenzi – we will start with the experimental provision of bracelets equipped with sensors capable of emitting a strong vibration when needed. I am convinced they can be of great help. Luana D’Orazio (the very young worker sucked into a loom in Prato in 2021, editor’s note) and the horrible way she lost her life immediately come to mind. If she had had those wearable sensors available, she might still be with us.”
Finally, regarding the more specific sector of construction sites, the Tuscany Region is developing an integrated system that combines already operational tools and new technologies. “In large public construction sites – Lenzi points out – the attendance register is already active. Through the health card, the access of each worker is recorded, allowing real-time verification of mandatory safety training, monitoring attendance, combating irregular work and unauthorized subcontracting, and knowing, in case of emergency, who is inside the site at that moment.”
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