Transcript Ergonomics_in_Risk_Assessment_09-09

European Month of Ergonomics 2009
Risk Assessment and Ergonomics
FEES disseminate information for
Healthy Workplaces - Good for you. Good for
business. - A European campaign on Risk
Assessment
http://osha.europa.eu/en/campaigns/hw2008/
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
Are You Ready to Act?
Every three-and-a-half minutes, somebody in the EU dies
from work-related causes.
Every four-and-a-half seconds, a worker in the EU is involved
in an accident that forces him/her to stay at home for at
least three working days.
You Can Do Something
- Time to Risk Assessment!
Source: http://osha.europa.eu/en/campaigns/hw2008/why/index_html
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
What is Risk?
• Risk relates to personal circumstances, society and
business
• Risk has two characteristics: it is related to uncertainty and
it has consequences
 “Risk is uncertainty that matters” or
 “An uncertainty that could have a positive or negative
effect on one or more objectives”
 Risk includes both threats and opportunities
( Hillson, D. & Murray-Webster, R., 2007)
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
Risk assessment in occupational health and safety is
traditionally a process of evaluation to estimate the risk that
can be caused by a hazard at work for the health or safety
of the employees
Risk = Probability x Consequences
Risk assessment can also be a process of evaluation to
estimate the opportunities for health and well being
Risk assessment is equally important in home and leisure
time environment
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
CHARACTERISTICS
OF A PERSON
HAZARDS
CIRCUMSTANCES
PROBABLE UNWANTED EVENTS
SEVERITY
SLIGHT HARM
MODERATE HARM
EXTREME HARM
UNLIKELY
TRIVIAL RISK
TOLERABLE RISK
MODERATE RISK
POSSIBLE
TOLERABLE RISK
MODERATE RISK
SUBSTANTIAL RISK
PROBABLE
MODERATE RISK
SUBSTANTIAL RISK
INTOLERABLE RISK
LIKELIHOOD
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
Risk assessment is to find
out the hazards,
to evaluate the probability of
an unwanted event
and the severity of the harm
that such an event
could cause for a person.
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
But risk assessment
can also offer
valuable information
of issues that have a
positive effect for
health, safety,
usability, quality
and/or productivity
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
Phases of Risk Assessment
Plan the assessment process
Identify the hazards
Determine seriousness
Follow up and
Consequences
Probability
feed back
Determine tolerability
Select the action plan and
implementation
FEES
Communication
& Promotionpositive
Committeefeatures
/ 09-09-18
Phases of risk assessment process can be
used
also for identifying
Ergonomics in Risk Assessment
ERGONOMICS
THE DEMANDS CAUSED BY
MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
PRACTICES, WORK METHODS AND
EQUIPMENT, PRACTICES OF THE
WORKING GROUP AND WORK
ENVIRONMENT
WORKERS
PROFESSIONAL
SKILLS, MOTIVATION,
AND INDIVIDUAL
CHARACTERISTICS
Balance produces health, safety, quality and
productivity
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
The Ergonomics Approach:
Stress-Strain Model
STRESSORS
• Task
Workload
Implementation
• Organization
• Environment
• physical
• biomechanical
STRAIN FACTORS
Objective factors
Human
capacity
• Physiological
Thresholds
Proposals
• Functional
• Psycho-mental
• Behavioral
Subjective factors
• SWI experiences
(SWI=subjective workload index)
Vanvonterghem, K., 2008
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
Expertise Area of Ergonomics
The work environment is examined from several
points of view simultaneously: work environment
and circumstances, usability of the equipment, work
organization, share of work, leadership and
management, co-operation and communication.
Solutions, that respect human characteristics –
opportunities and constraints – and that utilize
human capability comprehensively, can stimulate
the worker to improve continuously her or his own
work and can be identified through ergonomics.
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
Challenges for Risk Assessment
1. Willingness to recognize dangers and be aware of the events
dangerous/harmful for health and safety
2. Capability to evaluate the events at workplaces, at work that is done in
clients’ homes and at own home and in leisure time activities.
3. Combine the workers’ knowledge and external expertise of the hazards
in the best possible way.
4. The principles of safety management are included. Risk assessment is a
part of safety and quality management system.
5. Risk assessments in transformation situations and in unusual conditions
require a versatile point of view and expertise.
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
Professional ergonomist
• Combines different points of view
• Interprets pre-indicators and is able to anticipate and act
before problems arise
The best results can be reached by appropriate timing of risk
assessments - in the planning and design phases.
Ergonomics risk assessment processes cover the whole
activity chain and represent sustainable progress and
development.
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18
Good practices for co-operation
• Analyse – many methods are available
• Use discussion groups – encourage more information and
useful solutions
• Use available information and knowledge – at least basic
information on safety and health situations are needed
• Teach and use practical demonstrations – people gain a
better understanding for the usability of the results
• Publish and market ergonomics solutions – workplaces get
information of services and other specialists acquire a
better understanding of the area of ergonomics
FEES Communication & Promotion Committee / 09-09-18