In 1996, the Occupational Health and Safety Act ushered in a new era for systematic occupational health and safety. Since then, the central element has been risk assessment. At the time, however, it was unclear how the requirements of §§ 5 and 6 could best be implemented in practice. The legislator left a lot open here in order to fulfil the different requirements of different industries.
The system
The then BG Chemie did not develop industry- or activity-specific checklists, but a system for cross-industry classification and identification of hazards and exposures based on hazard and exposure factors.
This system was first published in 1997 as a catalogue of hazards in the form of leaflet A 017. From the outset, the system also included the organisation of occupational health and safety. Its prominent positioning made it clear that operating instructions and briefings are elementary components of systematic occupational health and safety. The risk assessment is a tool for managers and can only be successful in conjunction with operating instructions and briefings (Figure 1).
Fig. 1. The risk assessment can only be successful in conjunction with operating instructions and instructions. // Bild 1. Die Gefährdungsbeurteilung kann nur in Verbindung mit Betriebsanweisungen und Unterweisungen erfolgreich sein. Source/Quelle: BG RCI
This is because the findings from the risk assessment must be communicated to employees in the form of knowledge and instructions. Following the merger to form the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Raw Materials and Chemical Industry (BG RCI), this system has been continuously developed in line with the logic described above.
Risk assessments
Fig. 2. The catalogue of hazards in leaflet A 017 enables the systematic recording of significant hazards and stresses in the company. // Bild 2. Der Gefährdungskatalog aus dem Merkblatt A 017 ermöglicht die systematische Erfassung wesentlicher Gefährdungen und Belastungen im Unternehmen. Source/Quelle: BG RCI
The catalogue of hazards in leaflet A 017 can be used in all sectors thanks to its structure based on basic hazard and exposure factors (Figure 2). It enables the systematic and complete recording of hazards and stresses in order to improve the safety and health protection of employees (Figure 3). The catalogue also provides extensive assistance in the form of examples of protective measures and references to the relevant regulations. The system fulfils all the requirements of the “Guideline on Risk Assessment and Documentation” published much later by the “Joint German Occupational Health and Safety Strategy” (GDA).
Fig. 3. A system with many dimensions. // Bild 3. Ein System mit vielen Dimensionen. Source/Quelle: BG RCI
Over the years, it has become clear that such a universal catalogue is better suited to the needs of the multifaceted world of work than purely activity-specific checklists. This is because the latter always harbour the risk of suggesting completeness, which could lead to essential aspects being overlooked. Probably also due to their universal applicability, the BG RCI system and the catalogue of hazards are now also used by many other accident insurance institutions and in almost all sectors, from “A” for “Abfallwirtschaft” (waste management) to “Z” for „Zuchthaus“ (prison). Large energy and technology companies use the system, as do local authorities, districts, commercial enterprises and, of course, the member companies of BG RCI.
Over the years, BG RCI has developed the K series of supplementary catalogues for small and medium-sized companies. In addition, further information sheets have been and are being developed on specific topics such as mental stress (A 019) and laboratories (T 034). These build on the general catalogue of hazards in accordance with A 017 and concretise its content.
Of course, suitable software tools are available for documenting the risk assessment with GefDok light, GefDok KMU and GefDok Pro for companies of all sizes.
Operating instructions
Operating instructions ensure that safety-relevant information is always available to employees in written form at the workplace. The catalogue of hazards in leaflet A 017 devotes the entire section 1.2 to this topic and also refers to the need for operating instructions at all relevant points, e.g. for hazardous substances.
The catalogue is flanked by other BG RCI media:
- Brochure A 010 “Operating instructions for activities involving hazardous substances” contains valuable basic information, including on the topic of group operating instructions.
- The “GisChem” hazardous substances portal can be used to create high-quality operating instruction templates for countless hazardous substances.
- The BG RCI download centre contains a large number of sample operating instructions for work equipment and machinery.
Instructions
Managers should use instructions to provide employees with knowledge from the risk assessment and give instructions on how to work safely. Almost every hazard results in the need for such instructions. In order to support instructors with suggested topics and content, BG RCI has developed leaflet A 026 “Hazard-orientated instruction – media and design suggestions according to hazard factors”. This medium is also based on the BG RCI system and provides a large number of instruction suggestions for each factor of the A 017 in the catalogue of hazards.
Instructions always become lively and credible when they contain examples. The folder “Learning from accidents at work” contains elaborately didactically prepared accident examples in printed and electronic form, organised according to the structure of the A 017 in the catalogue of hazards.
Case studies of the most common occupational diseases can be found in the “Learning from occupational diseases” folder, which is also structured according to the A 017 system. It contains elaborately prepared examples of the most common occupational diseases. Similar to a time machine, they each depict the entire working life as well as the consequences of the illness for work and private life.
Conclusion
The BG RCI supports systematic occupational health and safety by providing media that build on each other with a standardised and logical basic structure. The starting point for this is the catalogue of hazards in leaflet A 017, which is regularly updated by the risk assessment working group with the participation of all BG RCI departments. This provides companies with a high-quality system that is legally compliant if used correctly.
The above-mentioned and numerous other media and software applications can be accessed or downloaded via the selection assistant (awa.bgrci.de).