In modern manufacturing factories, occupational safety depends not only on protective equipment or technical procedures but is also closely tied to very small behaviors during work. One of the most common groups of accidents in industrial environments is accidents caused by slipping or collisions while moving. These incidents often occur within very short moments, but the consequences can last for many months or even cause permanent disability. According to many occupational safety statistics, slipping and tripping are among the most common causes of injuries in the workplace. In the United States, occupational accident studies show that hundreds of thousands of injury cases each year are related to slips, trips, or falls during work. In 2020, there were more than 211,000 serious injuries due to falls that caused workers to miss work for several days, and more than 800 fatalities due to fall-related workplace accidents. These numbers show that seemingly small risks during movement can actually become serious issues for businesses. In the safety culture of Japanese companies, a well-known method used to reduce these risks is a behavioral rule set called Poketenashi. This is a way to remember five safe walking principles in factories. These principles help workers maintain focus and form safe movement habits in the production environment. The first principle of Poketenashi is Po, short for “Pocket.” This principle requires workers not to put their hands in their pockets when walking in the factory. At first glance, this may seem like a very small rule, but upon deeper analysis, it is directly related to reaction ability and worker safety in the production environment. WHY PUTTING HANDS IN POCKETS WHILE WALKING IS DANGEROUS In factories, the working floor is rarely in an ideal condition like in an office. The floor surface may contain many slippery factors such as oil, water, metal dust, or small material fragments. In some areas, electrical wires, pallets, or moving equipment can also become unexpected obstacles. Occupational safety studies indicate that most slip and fall accidents occur in seemingly normal situations such as walking through corridors, stepping down stairs, or turning along walkways. These incidents often happen in an instant. When the body begins to lose balance, the natural human reflex is to extend the hands forward or to the side to maintain balance and reduce impact force. If both hands are in the pockets, this reflex is delayed or cannot be performed in time. Even a fraction of a second of delay can prevent the body from adjusting its center of gravity. The consequence may be falling directly onto the floor or colliding with surrounding equipment. Falls in industrial environments often cause more serious injuries than in office environments. In addition to broken arms or sprains, many cases also result in head or spinal injuries. Occupational safety studies show that about 20 to 30 percent of workplace falls can cause significant injuries such as fractures or concussions. Another less noticed factor is that putting hands in pockets changes how the body maintains balance while walking. When both arms are freely moving, they swing in rhythm with the steps and help the body maintain stability. This is a natural mechanism that helps humans maintain balance while moving. When the arms are fixed inside the pockets, this balancing movement is restricted, increasing the risk of losing balance. In factory environments with forklifts, autonomous robots, or material handling equipment, quick reflexes play an especially important role. When a moving device suddenly appears, workers must be able to stop or evade immediately. Free hands help the body be more flexible in such situations. SAFETY CULTURE AND BEHAVIORAL DISCIPLINE IN JAPANESE FACTORIES Japanese companies are well known for building a safety culture based on behavioral discipline. Instead of relying only on protective equipment, they focus on forming correct working habits starting from the smallest actions. Poketenashi is a typical example of this approach. By associating each principle with an easy-to-remember letter, factories help workers remember safety rules during movement. Not putting hands in pockets while walking becomes a common behavioral standard in the factory. When all employees follow the same behavioral standard, the working environment becomes more consistent and predictable. This is especially important in areas where humans interact with automated machines. However, in practice, maintaining absolute compliance is still a challenge. After a period of working, people tend to return to personal habits. Fatigue at the end of a shift or complacency in familiar areas may cause workers to unintentionally violate safety rules. LIMITATIONS OF MANUAL MONITORING In large factories, hundreds or even thousands of employees may be moving at the same time. Production areas, warehouses, and connecting corridors form a very large spatial system. Relying entirely on managers or safety staff to observe each person’s behavior is almost impossible. Even when factories have surveillance camera systems, most traditional cameras only record footage without the ability to analyze behavior. This means that many dangerous behaviors are only detected after incidents have already occurred. Meanwhile, the goal of modern safety management is to detect risks before accidents happen. AI CAMERAS HELP DETECT HAND-IN-POCKET BEHAVIOR WHILE MOVING The development of computer vision technology has provided an effective solution to this problem. AI cameras not only record like traditional systems but also have the ability to analyze images in real time to recognize human behavior in the working environment. Through human recognition and posture analysis models, the system can determine the position of the arms, direction of movement, and motion state of workers within the frame. When a person is detected moving with both hands fixed close to the body or placed in their pockets, the system can recognize this as a violation of safety rules in the factory. This detection capability is particularly useful in high-risk areas such as shared walkways, corridors between production lines, or intersections with forklifts. When hand-in-pocket behavior is detected, the system can record the event and send alerts to management or display notifications directly in the work area. As a result, workers can adjust their behavior immediately before an incident occurs. In addition to real-time detection, AI cameras also help businesses collect behavioral data during factory operations. This data allows safety departments to analyze violation trends by area, shift, or time of day. By understanding when and where high-risk situations occur, businesses can proactively adjust operational processes, improve walkway design, or enhance safety training for workers. EYEFIRE SAFETY AND BEHAVIOR MONITORING SOLUTIONS IN FACTORIES The EYEFIRE Safety AI camera solution is developed to support businesses in monitoring safety behavior in production environments. The system uses Edge AI technology to analyze image data directly on the camera or processing device near the data source. Thanks to its ability to recognize humans and analyze posture, the system can determine the position of the arms relative to the body when a person is moving. When it detects a worker moving with both hands fixed close to the body and without natural arm movement, the system can identify this as hand-in-pocket behavior. After detecting dangerous behavior, the system can send alerts to the control center or display notifications in the work area. This helps workers recognize their behavior and adjust immediately. Another important benefit of the system is its ability to store and analyze behavioral data over time. Instead of only handling individual events, businesses can use the data to better understand risk trends in the factory. For example, if the system detects that hand-in-pocket behavior occurs more frequently at the end of a shift, this may reflect worker fatigue. From this, businesses can adjust break times or improve working conditions to reduce risks. CONCLUSION The Po principle in Poketenashi shows that very small behaviors during movement can directly affect occupational safety. Not putting hands in pockets while walking helps workers maintain reaction ability, keep better balance, and be ready to handle unexpected situations in the factory. However, in modern manufacturing environments with large scale and high work pace, monitoring behavior by humans alone is not sufficient. AI camera technology provides an additional layer of protection by monitoring behavior in real time and detecting risks early. When combined with safety culture and employee training, solutions such as EYEFIRE Safety can help businesses shift from a reactive approach after accidents to a proactive prevention model. This not only helps reduce workplace accidents but also contributes to building a safer and more sustainable manufacturing environment in the long term.

In a modern manufacturing environment, where humans and machines operate together in a high-density space, maintaining concentration while moving is an important factor in ensuring occupational safety. Just one moment of inattention can lead to collisions with equipment, forklifts, or obstacles on the floor. Among the most common causes of distraction today, using a mobile phone while walking is considered an increasingly serious risk in factories and industrial zones. Japanese companies have long recognized this risk. In the Poketenashi safety behavior rules, a method that helps workers remember five safe walking principles in factories, the second principle is called Ke, short for Keitai, meaning mobile phone. This principle requires workers not to use mobile phones while moving within production areas. At first glance, this may seem like a simple rule. However, in reality, the behavior of walking while using a phone can significantly reduce awareness of the surrounding environment and increase the risk of accidents in factories. When combined with modern monitoring technologies such as AI cameras, the Ke principle does not stop at reminders but becomes part of a data-driven safety management system. WHY USING A MOBILE PHONE WHILE WALKING IN A FACTORY IS DANGEROUS Smartphones have become a familiar part of modern life. However, in a manufacturing environment, using this device while moving can create many serious risks. When a person focuses on their phone screen, most of their attention shifts to the content being viewed. This significantly reduces their ability to observe ahead and their peripheral vision. Workers may not notice changes in their surroundings, such as a forklift approaching, an autonomous robot moving, or a colleague carrying heavy objects passing by. Occupational safety studies show that distraction while walking can significantly increase the risk of collisions and falls. According to many studies on movement behavior, when people use mobile phones while walking, their reaction speed to unexpected situations can be significantly reduced compared to a normal focused state. In industrial environments where many devices are in motion, this delay can lead to accidents within just a few seconds. Another issue is that using a mobile phone often causes workers to change their walking posture. They tend to lower their heads toward the screen, narrowing their field of vision and reducing awareness of their surroundings. In a factory, where floors may be slippery or contain many small obstacles, such reduced visibility can increase the risk of tripping. In addition, when holding a phone in one hand, part of the body’s reflex capability is also limited. In situations requiring evasion or balance recovery, workers may not be able to react in time because one hand is occupied holding the device. THE KE PRINCIPLE IN POKETENASHI AND JAPANESE SAFETY CULTURE Poketenashi is a method for remembering safe walking rules used in many Japanese manufacturing companies. Each letter in the name represents a behavior to avoid or perform when moving in the factory. Ke, short for Keitai, emphasizes not using a mobile phone while walking. This principle stems from Japanese safety management philosophy, where human behavior is considered the most important factor in accident prevention. In many Japanese factories, the use of mobile phones in production areas is strictly restricted. Workers are only allowed to use devices in designated areas such as break rooms or office areas. When communication is necessary during work, they must stop at a safe location before using their phone. Maintaining this rule ensures that everyone remains focused while moving within production areas. When all employees follow the same behavioral standard, the working environment becomes more predictable, and the risk of accidents is significantly reduced. However, in practice, ensuring that all employees always comply with this rule is not always easy. Work pressure, personal habits, or the need for quick communication may cause some individuals to unintentionally use their phones while moving. LIMITATIONS OF TRADITIONAL MONITORING METHODS In many factories, controlling phone usage behavior is often based on observation by managers or safety staff. However, this method has many limitations. Production areas are often very large, with many corridors and walkways. A small team of safety staff cannot monitor all activities happening in the factory at once. In addition, behaviors such as looking at a phone often occur within just a few seconds, making them difficult to detect with the naked eye. Even when surveillance camera systems are installed, most traditional cameras only have recording functions. Reviewing all video data to find violations is almost impossible due to the massive amount of data. Therefore, many businesses are turning to new technological solutions to support safety behavior monitoring in manufacturing environments. AI CAMERAS HELP DETECT PHONE USAGE WHILE MOVING The development of computer vision technology has opened a new approach to occupational safety monitoring. AI cameras can analyze images in real time and recognize human behavior within the frame. Through object detection and posture analysis models, the system can detect when a person is holding a phone while also moving within the production area. When these two factors occur simultaneously, the system can identify this as walking while using a mobile phone. This recognition capability is particularly useful in high-risk areas such as shared walkways, intersections between pedestrians and forklifts, or corridors near production lines. When dangerous behavior is detected, the system can record the event and send alerts to management in real time. Thanks to this, businesses can remind workers to adjust their behavior immediately before an accident occurs. In addition to alert functions, AI cameras also allow the collection of behavioral data over time. This data helps businesses better understand risk trends in the factory. For example, if the system detects that phone use while walking occurs frequently at the start or end of shifts, this may reflect factors related to worker habits or levels of attention. From this data, businesses can improve safety training programs, adjust operational procedures, or redesign workspaces to minimize risks. EYEFIRE SAFETY AND AI CAMERA-BASED SAFETY MONITORING SOLUTIONS The EYEFIRE Safety AI camera solution is developed to support manufacturing businesses in monitoring safety behavior in the workplace. The system uses Edge AI technology to analyze image data directly on the device, reducing latency and ensuring real-time processing capability. Through human recognition and object detection algorithms, the system can identify when a person is holding a phone while moving in a production area. When this behavior is detected, the system can send alerts to the control center or display notifications in the work area to remind workers. In addition, the system allows the setup of virtual monitoring zones within the factory. Businesses can configure high-risk areas such as intersections with forklifts or areas near production lines to enhance monitoring of phone usage behavior. Data from the system can also be aggregated into reports that help the safety department evaluate worker compliance levels. As a result, businesses can shift from manual observation-based management to a data-driven safety management model. CONCLUSION The Ke principle in Poketenashi emphasizes that not using a mobile phone while walking in the factory is an important behavior to ensure occupational safety. When workers maintain focus while moving, they can recognize surrounding hazards early and respond promptly to unexpected situations. However, in modern manufacturing environments with large scale, ensuring that everyone always follows this rule is a challenge. AI camera technology provides an effective solution by monitoring behavior in real time and detecting risks early. By combining safety culture based on the Poketenashi spirit with technological solutions such as EYEFIRE Safety, businesses can build a proactive safety management system. This not only helps reduce workplace accidents but also contributes to creating a more efficient and sustainable manufacturing environment.

In an industrial manufacturing environment, areas such as production lines, transport corridors, and warehouses are often designed across multiple levels. This makes staircases an indispensable part of the factory structure. However, these seemingly simple areas actually contain many accident risks if workers do not comply with proper safety rules when moving. According to many occupational safety reports worldwide, accidents related to staircases account for a significant proportion of total slip-and-fall incidents in the workplace. Just one missed step or a moment of imbalance can lead to serious injuries to the knees, wrists, or spine. In industrial environments, where workers often wear heavy safety shoes or carry tools, this risk becomes even greater. Therefore, in the safety culture of Japanese companies, the use of handrails when going up and down stairs is considered a basic but extremely important behavior. This principle is called Te in the Poketenashi rules. The term Tesuri in Japanese means stair handrail, and the Te principle emphasizes that workers must always hold the handrail when moving on stairs in the factory. Although it is just a small action, holding the handrail can make a big difference in preventing workplace accidents. WHY STAIRCASES ARE HIGH-RISK AREAS IN FACTORIES In an office environment, staircases are usually used at low density and are less affected by production factors. However, in factories, the situation is completely different. Workers may have to move between floors multiple times during a shift. During this process, they may carry equipment, components, or documents for work. When body weight shifts or vision is limited by objects in hand, the ability to maintain balance when going up or down stairs is significantly reduced. In addition, the surface of staircases in factories can sometimes be affected by industrial dust, grease, or water. These factors increase the risk of slipping. When a person misses a step on the stairs, the impact force is often greater than slipping on a flat surface due to the height difference between steps. In such situations, the handrail acts as a support point to help workers maintain balance and reduce impact force. With just one hand holding the rail, the body can quickly stabilize when a slip occurs. Another factor that makes staircases dangerous is the high traffic density at certain times of the day, such as the start of shifts, break times, or the end of shifts. When many people move at the same time in a narrow space, the risk of collision or loss of balance increases. THE TESURI PRINCIPLE IN JAPANESE POKETENASHI In the Poketenashi system, the Te principle reminds workers to always hold the handrail when going up and down stairs. This is a small behavior but carries important meaning in maintaining safety when moving in factories. Japanese safety philosophy often focuses on standardizing human behavior rather than relying solely on protective equipment or technology. When everyone in the factory follows the same rules, the working environment becomes more disciplined and predictable. Holding the handrail also helps workers form a controlled movement habit. Instead of walking quickly by inertia, they tend to pay more attention to each step when going up or down stairs. In many Japanese factories, this principle is frequently reinforced in safety training programs. Signs at stair areas also often remind workers to use handrails when moving. However, like many other safety rules, maintaining long-term compliance is not always easy. When workers become familiar with the work environment, they may unintentionally overlook small actions such as holding the handrail, especially when in a hurry or carrying items. CHALLENGES IN MONITORING HANDRAIL USAGE BEHAVIOR In large factories, staircases can be located in many different places, connecting production areas, warehouses, and offices. Monitoring whether each person holds the handrail when going up and down stairs is a difficult task if relying only on human observation. Safety staff cannot stand at every staircase throughout the entire factory operating time. Even when surveillance cameras are installed, traditional cameras usually only record footage without the ability to analyze behavior. This makes violation detection passive and often only happens after an accident has occurred. In the context of factories increasingly moving toward smart manufacturing models, many businesses are seeking technological solutions that can support automatic monitoring of safety behavior. AI CAMERAS HELP DETECT NON-HANDRAIL BEHAVIOR ON STAIRS Computer vision technology has brought a new advancement in occupational safety monitoring. AI cameras can analyze images in real time and recognize human behavior within the frame. In staircase areas, the system can be configured to recognize workers going up and down. By analyzing posture and arm position, the system can determine whether the person is holding the handrail. If a person moves on the stairs without any contact between their hand and the handrail during ascent or descent, the system can record this as behavior that needs to be reminded. This detection capability is especially useful in high-traffic stair areas. When the system detects dangerous behavior, alerts can be sent to management or displayed directly in the work area to remind workers. In addition to real-time alerts, AI cameras also help businesses collect behavioral data over time. From this data, safety departments can analyze compliance levels of workers at different staircase areas in the factory. If a staircase location has a high rate of non-handrail usage, this may indicate a need to improve handrail design, add warning signs, or strengthen safety training. EYEFIRE SAFETY AND BEHAVIOR MONITORING SOLUTIONS AT STAIR AREAS The EYEFIRE Safety AI camera solution is designed to support businesses in monitoring safety behavior in manufacturing environments. The system uses Edge AI technology to analyze image data directly on the device, enabling real-time detection of dangerous behavior. In staircase areas, the system can be configured to track worker movement and analyze the position of the arms relative to the handrail. When detecting stair usage without holding the handrail, the system can record the event and send alerts to the control center. In addition to alert functions, the system also provides statistical data that helps businesses evaluate behavioral trends in the factory. Through these reports, safety departments can identify high-risk areas and implement appropriate improvement measures. The combination of Poketenashi safety principles and AI camera technology helps businesses build a proactive safety management system. Instead of only reacting after accidents occur, businesses can detect risky behaviors early and prevent incidents before they happen. CONCLUSION The Te principle in Poketenashi emphasizes that holding the handrail when going up and down stairs is a simple action but can significantly reduce the risk of accidents in factories. When workers maintain this habit, they can keep better balance and react faster in situations of slipping or instability. However, in modern factories with large scale and high work pace, monitoring safety behavior using humans alone is not sufficient. AI camera technology provides an effective solution by monitoring behavior in real time and detecting risks early. By combining Japanese safety culture with technological solutions such as EYEFIRE Safety, businesses can build a safer working environment, reduce workplace accidents, and improve operational efficiency in the long term.