Definition
PPE detection is the automatic check, performed on a camera image, of whether a person in frame is wearing the required personal protective equipment - most often a helmet, a high-visibility vest, safety glasses or gloves. A vision model evaluates every frame and reports only those situations where an item required in that particular zone is missing.
How it works
The system reads the stream from an IP camera and passes successive frames to a model that first finds people in the image and then checks for the required items of clothing. The result is matched against a rule describing the zone: a welding bay may require a face shield, while twenty metres away, in the office area, the same absence is not a violation.
Only the combination of detection and a zone rule produces a useful alert. The bare fact that someone has no helmet, without the context of place and time, generates so many reports that operators stop responding to them.
What the system detects, and what it does not
The system recognises items visible in the image: helmet, high-visibility vest, safety glasses, gloves, and in some deployments footwear and hearing protection. Detection concerns the presence of an item, not its technical condition or certification.
Everything invisible to a camera stays out of reach: correct fit, inspection validity, inserts in use. PPE detection is a preventive tool, not a replacement for equipment inspection.
Accuracy and false alarms
Detection quality depends first on framing and lighting, and only then on the model itself. A camera shooting at a sharp angle, against the light, or from a distance where a person occupies a few dozen pixels will make mistakes regardless of the algorithm used.
An honest deployment therefore starts with a review of camera views, not with a promised accuracy figure. Points that do not meet the conditions are named explicitly, together with a proposal to adjust the mounting or lighting.
Frequently asked questions
Does PPE detection require replacing cameras?
Usually not. Existing IP cameras supporting RTSP or ONVIF are enough, provided the view covers the controlled area and the resolution allows a person and their clothing to be recognised.
Does the system identify which worker has no helmet?
Not by default. Detection concerns objects and behaviour, without establishing identity. The data scope is agreed during deployment and reports can be limited to aggregate figures.
Is this GDPR compliant?
Analysis without identifying individuals considerably simplifies the data protection impact assessment, but it does not remove the duty to inform employees or the need for internal agreements.