European Month of Ergonomics 2009 Risk Assessment and Ergonomics

1. 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/

2. 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

3. 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)

4. 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

5. SEVERITY LIKELIHOOD 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 CHARACTERISTICS OF A PERSON CIRCUMSTANCES HAZARDS PROBABLE UNWANTED EVENTS

6. 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.

7. Butrisk assessment can also offer valuable information of issues that have a positive effect for health, safety, usability, quality and/or productivity

8. 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 Phases of risk assessment process can be used also for identifying positive features

9. 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

10. The Ergonomics Approach:Stress-Strain Model • STRESSORS • Task • Organization • Environment • physical • biomechanical Implementation Workload • STRAIN FACTORS • Objective factors • Physiological • Functional • Psycho-mental • Behavioral • Subjective factors • SWI experiences (SWI=subjective workload index) Proposals Human capacity Thresholds Vanvonterghem, K., 2008

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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