Using IoT enabled multi-monitoring data for next-generation EHS compliance management systems

Environment, health, and safety (EHS) regulations require companies to frequently inspect their infrastructure and machinery equipment as well as to monitor their operations with respect to regulation compliance. When problems are discovered effective measures need to be determined and completed. This involves human-lead tasks that like compliance management tasks in general need to be completed carefully and reliably. The adoption of "Internet-of-Things" (IoT) technologies will transform today's prevailing factory automation to a new level of automation with unprecedented possibilities. Our research targets to investigate these possibilities in order to develop next-generation compliance management systems. Unlike today's compliance management systems, these systems are expected to offer automation capabilities and smart assistance for compliance managers. The article introduces a conceptual framework for a corresponding system that makes use of IoT-enabled heterogeneous multi-monitoring data. The system uses data from a diverse set of classical monitoring devices and from business information systems. Through a rule-based approach the users can obtain compliance status information and advice for compliance enforcement actions. The framework is exemplified by describing typical monitoring data and decision rules.