Examples of success practical experience of preventive activities

1
Examples of success practical experience of
preventive activities

• Jukka Takala and Tim Tregenza
• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

2
Case studies

• Case studies are descriptions of real life
  situations where a change has been made resulting
  in an elimination or reduction of risks to
  workers
• Case studies are a useful tool for raising
  awareness of risks and potential solutions
• While case studies cannot be directly copied from
  one workplace to another, they can transmit
  approaches, ideas, and techniques that can be
  applied within a safety and health management
  system including risk assessment

3
The good practice award scheme

• As part of each European campaign, EU-OSHA runs
  the good practice awards (GPA) competition
• The GPAs are an effective method to promote and
  encourage practical workplace solutions
• The GPAs invite businesses and organisations to
  submit case studies of innovative solutions to
  real workplace health and safety challenges
• The scheme has been running since 2000

4
Good practice awards competitions

• 2000 Turn your Back on MSDs
• 2001 Success is no Accident
• 2002 Working on Stress
• 2003 Dangerous Substances
• 2004 Building in Safety
• 2005 Stop that Noise!
• 2006 Safe Start
• 2007 Lighten the Load
• 2008-09 Risk assessment

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Requirements for submitted entries

• Improve the working conditions
• Promote health, safety, and efficiency
• Focus on eliminating or preventing risks at
  source
• Achievable, identifiable and permanent benefit
• At least meet the relevant legislative standards,
  and preferably go beyond these minimum
  requirements
• Have a participatory approach between workers and
  employers
• Have the support of senior management
• Be clearly identifiable as the action that causes
  the elimination or reduction of risk

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Good practice not just for enterprises

• The sharing of approaches and examples is not
  just for enterprises
• EU-OSHA also publishes examples of successful
  interventions by
• Sector organisations
• Regional bodies
• Employer and worker groups
• The same success factors apply at whatever level
  of intervention a methodical, collaborative,
  multidisciplinary approach engaging all relevant
  stakeholders

7
The GPA procedure

• Member States hold their own national
  competition, the winners of which are submitted
  to EU-OSHA
• A tripartite jury of European experts select the
  winning and highly commended entries
• The European winners are recognised at a European
  event
• The successful entries are then published and
  made available online to add to the database of
  case studies
• The following are examples of successful entries

8
Moving concrete structures in the Netherlands
(2007)

• A building company had problems handling concrete
  floor structures
• Small product redesign led to an elimination of a
  manual handling risk
• EURO 96 000 annual saving after EURO 137 000
  outlay

9
E-Learning for Czech medical school students
(2006)

• A teaching hospital needed to provide OSH
  training for medical students
• An online training programme was implemented that
  was accessible and more interesting than the
  traditional lecture format
• Training was found to be more systematic,
  available, easier to update, and remained an
  information source even after the student had
  graduated

10
Campaigning in Spanish Primary schools (2006)

• The European Centres for Businesses and
  Innovation of Castilla and León run a school risk
  awareness and prevention campaign
• The campaign covers 120 000 students and uses a
  broad range of tools, games, and promotional
  materials
• For a cost of less than EUR 4 per student,
  students gain knowledge of existing risks and
  future workplace hazards

11
Tools for noise prevention in Denmark (2005)

• The Sector Work Environment Council for
  Agriculture identified noise as a significant
  risk on Danish farms
• Following an investigation into the noise
  sources, tools were produced the help farmers
  reduce exposures to noise
• Tools included a website that allows farmers to
  assess their noise exposure without measurement,
  prevention guidance, and practical examples

12
Sound design in a Swedish music club (2005)

• Workers in a music club were being exposed to
  high noise levels
• The club layout was redesigned, changes made to
  the work organisation, and awareness raising
  carried out on the noise risks
• Worker exposures were much reduced, and the
  quality of sound was improved for performers and
  audience

13
Reducing risks during demolition in Poland (2004)

• Workers demolishing industrial premises were
  being exposed to dust, noise, and hazardous
  substances
• A hydraulic device was designed by a management
  and worker team
• Using the tool removed workers from the most
  hazardous areas and greatly reduced their
  exposure to hazardous substances, dust, noise and
  vibration

14
Low-temperature asphalt in Germany (2003)

• Asphalt is usually laid at high temperatures with
  hazardous fumes being given off in the process
• A low-temperature asphalt was developed by an
  industry group
• The new asphalt is laid at lower temperatures,
  reducing workers exposure, environmental
  emissions, and saving energy

15
Reducing stress in a Spanish old peoples home
(2002)

• Staff working in the old peoples home were
  suffering high mental and physical strain
• Analysis of the situation through surveys and
  risk assessment was followed by a range of
  improvements in work organisation and activities
• Absenteeism dropped from 18 to 2, industrial
  relations have improved, and staff have better
  working conditions

16
Cooperative problem solving in the UK (2001)

• In a car factory, a risk of workers being injured
  by lift trucks was identified
• A team of the effective workers supported by
  management developed an effective solution
• Not only has the risk greatly been reduced but
  the workers have ownership of the preventive
  measure

17
Ergonomics for Finnish SMEs (2000)

• MSDs are a significant problem in SMEs, but they
  frequently do not have the knowledge on how to
  prevent them
• A regional occupational health body in Finland
  ran a programme with 24 SMEs analysing the
  workplace, finding solutions, and sharing
  knowledge
• In the SMEs, preventive measures were
  implemented, long term planning for prevention
  initiated, and worker involvement developed

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Key success factors for case studies

• Analysis of case studies have found the following
  success factors
• A methodical approach, based on a structured risk
  assessment, to identify the challenges and
  implement the solutions
• participatory approach - the involvement of the
  workers and their representatives throughout the
  process
• multidisciplinary approach - collaboration of
  people with expertise in different areas (e.g.
  ergonomics, engineering, psychology, etc.)
• sponsorship from the management so that
  appropriate resources are made available to
  improve the working environment

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• Thank you for your attention
• All case studies are available online at
  http//osha.europa.eu/