{"id":17447,"date":"2024-01-30T13:04:31","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T12:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2025.mining-report.de\/english\/?page_id=17447"},"modified":"2024-02-09T10:03:14","modified_gmt":"2024-02-09T09:03:14","slug":"all-good-things-come-in-threes-risk-assessment-operating-instructions-and-briefings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mining-report.de\/english\/all-good-things-come-in-threes-risk-assessment-operating-instructions-and-briefings\/","title":{"rendered":"All Good Things Come in Threes: Risk Assessment, Operating Instructions and Briefings"},"content":{"rendered":"I<\/span>dentifying hazards and stresses at work, informing employees about them and the protective measures to be taken are the foundations of systematic occupational health and safety. This article was first published in the BG RCI magazine, issue 3\/2023 on pages 14\/15.<\/p>\n\n\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\n\n\t\t
Download article as PDF<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\t\t
Authors\/Autoren: <\/strong>Dr. Harald Wellh\u00e4u\u00dfer, Dr. Imke Birkenstock, Dr. Holger Weychardt, Berufsgenossenschaft Rohstoffe und chemische Industrie (BG RCI), Heidelberg\/Germany\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\n\n\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\n

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 \u00a7\u00a7\u00a05 and\u00a06 could best be implemented in practice. The legislator left a lot open here in order to fulfil the different requirements of \u00addifferent industries.<\/p>\n\n\t\t

<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\n

The system<\/h4>\n\n\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\n

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.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Fig. 1. The risk assessment can only be successful in conjunction with operating instructions and instructions. \/\/ Bild 1. Die Gef\u00e4hrdungsbeurteilung kann nur in Verbindung mit Betriebsanweisungen und Unterweisungen \u00aderfolgreich sein. Source\/Quelle: BG RCI<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\t\t

<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\n

Risk assessments<\/h4>\n\n\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\n
\"\"<\/a>
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 Gef\u00e4hrdungskatalog aus dem Merkblatt A 017 erm\u00f6glicht die systematische Erfassung wesentlicher Gef\u00e4hrdungen und Belastungen im Unternehmen. Source\/Quelle: BG RCI<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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 \u201cGuideline on Risk Assessment and Documentation\u201d published much later by the \u201cJoint German Occupational Health and Safety Strategy\u201d (GDA).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Fig. 3. A system with many dimensions. \/\/ Bild 3. Ein System mit vielen Dimensionen. Source\/Quelle: BG RCI<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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 \u201cA\u201d for \u00a0\u201cAbfallwirtschaft\u201d (waste management) to \u201cZ\u201d for \u201eZucht\u00adhaus\u201c (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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\t\t

<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\n

Operating instructions<\/h4>\n\n\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\n

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.<\/p>\n

The catalogue is flanked by other BG RCI media:<\/p>\n