European Month of Ergonomics

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• European Month of Ergonomics
• 2008
• Risk Assessment and Ergonomics

FEES disseminate information for Healthy
Workplaces - Good for you. Good for business. - A
European campaign on Risk Assessment http//osha.e
uropa.eu/en/campaigns/hw2008/
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• 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
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• Risk Assessment in occupational health and safety
  is 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

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CHARACTERISTICS OF A PERSON
CIRCUMSTANCES
HAZARDS
PROBABLE UNWANTED EVENTS
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• 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.

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Phases of Risk Assessment
Plan the assessment process
Identify the hazards
Determine seriousness
Follow up and feed back
Consequences
Probability
Determine tolerability
Select the action plan and implementation
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Ergonomics in Risk Assessment
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
ERGONOMICS
Balance produces health, safety, quality and
productivity
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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.

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• Challenges for Risk Assessment
• Willingness to recognize dangers and be aware of
  the events dangerous/harmful for health and
  safety
• Capability to evaluate the events at workplaces,
  at work that is done in clients homes and at own
  home and in leisure time activities.
• Combine the workers knowledge and external
  expertise of the hazards in the best possible
  way.
• The principles of safety management are included.
  Risk assessment is a part of safety and quality
  management system.
• Risk assessments in transformation situations and
  in unusual conditions require a versatile point
  of view and expertise.

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• 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.

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• 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