E-facts
‘E-facts’ is a series of online only articles aimed at workers, employers and occupational safety and health professionals. They are intended to give a straightforward and practical overview on specific topics in OSH.
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published 13.07.2011
- Poor vehicle maintenance is an important contributor to road traffic accidents. In road transport operations, vehicle maintenance, and other work-related road safety issues should be integrated into arrangements for managing health and safety at work, which in turn should be part of everyday business management.
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published 17.03.2011
- Maintenance of fishing vessels includes surveys and repairs in dry-dock undertaken by ship yard workers and contractors as well as minor and routine repairs undertaken by ship’s crew at sea or in wet dock. Emergency repairs carried out at sea are particularly risky, due to possible adverse weather conditions, the need to complete the repairs quickly, the lack of adequate tools or equipment, or the lack of necessary skills. This e-fact provides information on the hazards associated with maintenance of fishing vessels and summarises the essential principles to assure safe and effective maintenance operations on board fishing vessels and contains some recommendations for preventive measures to control the risks during those operations.
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published 17.03.2011
- Poorly maintained portable tools in construction (either hand tools or powered tools) present significant health and safety risks to the workers using them. Constant care and adequate maintenance and storage are essential for the safe use of portable tools at construction sites. In practice, this involves daily visual inspections aimed at detecting signs of possible fault. Proper service and maintenance helps eliminating / minimising the hazards and risks related to the use of portable tools, but maintenance of portable tools also bears some specific risks and it has to be done safely. This e-facts provides information on hazards and risks associated with portable tools on construction sites and how to manage those risks.
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published 25.10.2010
- Following a brief introduction to biological agents and the hazards generated by these agents, e-fact includes sections on ‘How to do a Risk Assessment’ and ‘How to use a Checklist’. A checklist is then presented to help identify the hazards potentially posed by biological agents. An extensive list of ‘proposed solutions and examples of preventive measures’ is then considered in the light of some of the questions raised in the general checklist. An example of risk assessment relating to legionella is then presented. Finally, sources of further information are presented at the end of the e-fact.
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published 22.10.2010
- Food and drink manufacturing comprises many different industries. It ranges from fruit and vegetable processing, bakeries, grain milling or dairy processing to sugar refineries and slaughterhouses. The beverage manufacturing includes beer, wine and spirits production as well as soft drinks and mineral water. Although food and beverages are processed in a strictly controlled environment to ensure a high standard of hygienic and safe food production, it is not at all a ‘low risk’ sector in terms of the safety and health of workers.
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published 08.10.2010
- Psychosocial risk factors for professional cleaning workers are many and varied. Psychosocial risks include any psychological and social factors that can affect people’s health and well-being, such as stress, violence and bullying.
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published 28.09.2010
- Two examples that investigate the costs and benefits of incentive schemes are presented. The first example is the financial incentive system of the Fleischerei -Berufsgenossenschaft (institution for statutory accident insurance and prevention in the meat-processing industry) in Germany (Krüger H., 2008). The second example looks into an incentivising scheme for return to work initiatives in the UK (Nera, 2006).
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published 27.04.2010
- Quarrying is one of the most dangerous industries to work in: quarry workers are twice as likely to be killed in an accident at work as construction workers, and 13 times more likely to die at work as those in manufacturing industries . The use of large earth-moving vehicles and machines, the handling of explosives and heavy loads, ever-present airborne dust, and simply working on dangerous sites are all aspects of quarrying that increase the risk of both accidents and occupational diseases. A significant proportion of fatalities in the quarrying sector are associated with maintenance work, the use of vehicles and fixed machinery, and falls from height . Many accidents happen during maintenance work and these might affect not only maintenance staff but also other workers on site.
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published 26.04.2010
- Asbestos is the collective name for several naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals that can be separated into thin, durable threads. It was once widely used because of its properties: it is heat resistant, withstands acids and other chemicals, and it is a good insulator. Although the use of asbestos has been banned in EU, millions of cubic metres of materials containing asbestos are still in place in existing buildings. Building maintenance workers are at a high risk of coming into contact with asbestos when working on insulations in buildings and industrial installations such as pipes, roofs, walls etc. This E-fact will help building maintenance companies and workers become more aware of the risks of asbestos, and develop the knowledge and skills to avoid exposure to the hazardous fibres.
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published 22.01.2010
- Promoting health at the workplace requires a holistic approach. Any initiatives should consider the worker’s private life, their working life, and the interaction between the two. Working conditions are known to influence the general health of workers; for example, sedentary work can contribute to obesity. Similarly, workers’ personal habits, attitudes and lifestyle choices affect their health and wellbeing, and also can have an impact on their work performance.
