Workplace environment measurement system for harassment-related comments such as "power harassment"

Abstract

To provide technology that enables regular (or special) workplace environment measurements to determine whether or not there is any harassment utterances, such as "power harassment", in a workplace environment.SOLUTION: In order to detect harmful factors in a workplace environment (harassment utterance such as "power harassment"), one or more sound collection devices are installed in a workplace based on a design, and these sound collection devices are linked to smartphones, etc. using functions such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and audio data is transmitted to a workplace computer (information terminal / server) or a cloud via a communication network using a specified app, etc. on the smartphones, etc. for detection and determination. The workplace where the detection and determination is carried out determines the workplace environment by detecting presence or absence of the harmful factors by utilizing AI technology using a computer for transmitted voice data, to provide information of results of the workplace environment detection and determination to a labor manager, etc. of the workplace in question.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to a technology for conducting regular (or special) measurements of the workplace environment to determine whether or not there is harassing remarks such as "power harassment" and for judging the workplace environment. [Background technology]

[0002] Regarding the prevention of "power harassment" and other forms of harassment, relevant labor laws have been enacted in recent years, but the number of consultations about power harassment to supervisory authorities and the number of suicides and mental illnesses among workers caused by power harassment are increasing year by year, making it a social issue. Although the number of workplaces taking measures such as raising awareness about harassment, educating managers and others, and setting up consultation desks is certainly increasing, the aforementioned increasing trend has not been halted, and there is a need for more in-depth efforts. The following issues have been identified as workplaces facing challenges in taking steps to prevent and resolve harassment (Survey on the Actual Situation of Workplace Harassment (Project commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in FY2020)). "It is difficult to judge whether it is harassment or not" (approximately 66% of responding workplaces: the most common answer) "It is difficult to grasp the outbreak situation" (approximately 32%, the second most common answer) One of the reasons for these issues is thought to be the lack of objective evidence (such as pointless arguments between parties about what was said and what was not). This invention involves regular (or special) workplace environment measurements (collection of "audio data"), and is expected to be a new method of objectively observing the workplace environment. It is similar in form to Article 65 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (work environment measurements), and we believe that the technology for implementing and judging workplace environment measurements will be useful. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] An example of prior art related to such a social problem is JP 2008-165097 A. Patent Document 1 describes the provision of a voice recording device and the like for the purpose of early detection and prevention of bullying, and describes how a schedule is registered in advance for the time periods when children's behavior will be out of reach of adults, voice recording is made according to the schedule, and keywords intended for slander are detected from the recorded voice data, thereby enabling early detection of bullying. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Harassment in the workplace, such as "power harassment," is often overlooked because records are not kept, even if it is made in the course of daily work. In some cases, however, these remarks can have a detrimental effect on the work environment, lowering productivity, leading to the onset of mental illness, and causing the loss of human resources. Workplaces cite the challenges of advancing efforts to prevent and resolve harassment as "difficult to determine whether something is harassment" and "difficult to grasp the circumstances under which it occurs," pointing out that the inability to make a judgment based on objective evidence (audio data) is a problem. Conventionally, technology that uses information processing systems to periodically collect and analyze "voice data" in the workplace has not been recognized as a measure to prevent "power harassment" and other harassment in the workplace. Note that the aforementioned Patent Document 1 targets children such as elementary school students and does not assume a workplace environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to detect harmful factors in the work environment (harassing remarks such as "power harassment"), one or more sound collecting devices are installed in the workplace based on the design. These sound collectors are linked to a smartphone (hereafter referred to as "smartphone") using functions such as Bluetooth, and the sound data is sent via a communications network from a designated app on the smartphone to a computer (information terminal / server) or cloud at the workplace where detection and assessment are performed. The workplace performing the detection and assessment will use a computer to detect the presence or absence of harmful factors from the transmitted voice data, for example by utilizing AI technology, and assess the work environment. The detection results and judgments regarding the workplace environment are then provided to the labor personnel in charge of the workplace. Effect of the Invention

[0006] This invention involves regular (or special) measurements of the workplace environment (such as the collection of "audio data") and is expected to be a new method for the prevention and resolution of harassment in that it objectively observes the workplace environment. In addition, we plan to conduct workplace environment measurements and their assessment in a manner similar to Article 65 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (Work Environment Measurement), which we believe will be useful in contributing to the prevention of harassment, such as "power harassment," which is a social issue. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 shows an example of how to install a sound collector when implementing the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] FIG. 1 shows a representative embodiment of the present invention. To conduct workplace environment measurements, first install one or more hearing aids in the target workplace based on the design. Next, these hearing aids are connected to a smartphone using Bluetooth functionality. Next, the voice data is sent from a specific app on the smartphone via a communications network to a computer or other device at the workplace that will perform detection and assessment. Next, the workplace performing the detection and assessment uses an information system equipped with AI technology to detect and assess the presence or absence of harmful factors from the collected voice data. The results are then provided to the labor officer or other relevant person in charge of the workplace. This invention is a new method for preventing and resolving harassment, and is a system that aims to ensure a safe and secure working environment. FIG. 2 shows an example of a mounting design for a sound collector used in implementing the present invention. When conducting regular workplace environment measurements, in order to improve the accuracy of sound collection, sound collectors will be installed in the workplace approximately every 6 meters to collect sound. The length of time for sound collection is optional, but is planned to be approximately 8 hours (excluding breaks), which is the statutory working hours per day. In addition, for departments that are identified as having "high stress" as a result of stress checks (group analysis), it is anticipated that special workplace environment measurements will be carried out, and examples of the design of the installation of hearing aids for such purposes are also provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0009] 01...Work environment, 02...Harassment remarks such as "power harassment", 03...Sound amplifier 04...Subscriber's terminal (smartphone), 05...Communication network, 06...Cloud 07... Business establishment where detection and judgment are performed, 08... Computer (information terminal, server), 09... Detection results and judgment

Claims

[Claim 1] In order to detect harmful factors in the work environment (harassing comments such as "power harassment"), one or more sound collectors are installed in the workplace based on the design. By connecting these sound collectors to communication devices such as smartphones using Bluetooth functions, and transmitting sound data from a specific app on a smartphone or other device via a communication network to a computer (information terminal / server) or cloud at the workplace where detection and judgment are performed, The workplace that performs the detection and assessment will use the transmitted voice data with a computer to detect the presence or absence of harmful factors, etc., and assess the work environment. The system aims to ensure a safe and secure working environment by providing the results of that information to labor personnel in the workplace.

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