Does occupational injury promote industrial robot applications?. (August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Siying; Liu, Fengshuo; Lu, Jingjing; He, Xiaogang
• Is Part Of: Technology in society. Volume 70(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-08
• Subjects: Occupational injury -- Industrial robot application -- Industrial policy -- Public medical expenditure; Technology -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 303.483
• DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.101998
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-791X

Abstract

Abstract: In theory, replacing workers with robots in dangerous working environments can protect workers' safety. Therefore, a higher frequency of occupational injuries (OIs) may force more industrial robot applications (IRAs). Based on panel data from cities in Guangdong Province from 2003 to 2015, this paper uses a fixed effects panel Tobit model to test the impact of OIs on IRAs. Considering the possibility of a reverse causal relationship between IRAs and OIs, we also use the number of urban cultural academies as an instrumental variable to overcome the endogeneity problem. This study shows that more frequent OIs force more IRAs. The government's industrial policies promote industrial intellectualization but also weaken the promotion effect of OIs on IRAs to a certain extent. The mechanism analysis shows that the heavy burden of public medical expenditure is an important mechanism of OIs forcing IRAs. This paper confirms the driving mechanism of OIs on IRAs, reveals the moderating effect of industrial policy on the impact of OIs on IRAs, and clarifies the mechanism of OIs on IRAs from the perspective of public medical expenditure. Highlights: Frequent occupational injuries force more robot applications. The industrial policy weakens this effect. The heavy burden of public medical expenditure is an important mechanism. Urban cultural atmosphere is used as an instrumental variable.