FAULT TREE ANALYSIS FEATURES IN INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS SAFETY ASSESSMENT: A CASE STUDY

Fault tree analysis is useful both in designing new products/services or in dealing with identified problems in existing ones. In the quality planning process, the analysis can be used to optimize process features and goals and to design for critical factors and human error. As part of safety process improvement, as it is emphasized in the present paper, it can be used to help identify root causes of undesired events such as occupational injuries and illnesses. A case study of application in industrial safety systems illustrates the aim, principle and structure of the technique, allowing better prevention measures selection and implementation

Industrial pollution and control measures in romanian foundries

Over the last decades significant improvements have been achieved in industry regarding the control of major polluting substanccs and gradually the environmental impact has shifted towards the so-callcd diffuse sources of pollution. Nevertheless, industrial processes still account for a considerable share of the overall pollution in Europe and it is very important to further reduce their contribution to "unsustainability". The European Union (EU) has a set of common rules on permitting of industrial installations. These rules are set out in the so-called Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive of 1996 (IPPC). Romania is one of the countries which became a full member of the EU and is currently in the implementation process, in order to fulfill ail the obligations that apply to the Member States. A large number of these obligations derive from the IPPC Directive, which aims at the protection of the environment as a whole and the public health as well. In this framework, the paper aims to present a synthesis of the findings issued after a thorough examination of a large number of documents relevant to the Best Available Technologies. On this basis, guidelines were developed for the application of BATs for several categories of the industry branches in Romania. This paper concerns the developed guidelines for foundries. It was concluded that in order to reduce the emissions and to keep the emissions as low as necessary it is not sufficient to implement technical measures only. It is also important to consider the "human factor" in the environmental regulations. Therefore it is suggested that a log file of the maintenance actions be required to be reported in the future regulations

Chemical risk ranking and evaluation: case study in a paint manufacturing company

As economies grow and the use of chemicals becomes more and more widespread, the adoption of effective control measures allows for safer use of chemicals on an industrial scale. Chemical hazards can have severe negative consequences for both the health of employees, the safety of personnel and facilities (fire and explosion risk) and the environment. To characterize them, it is necessary to combine the inherent hazards associated to chemicals with their conditions of use that may generate emissions and exposures. Various methods, both qualitative and quantitative are available worldwide for chemical risk assessment, but unfortunately in Romania this important aspect is treated in a minimalist manner, which can often be considered as insufficiently rigorous. In this perspective, the present paper aims to validate through a practical case study conducted in a Romanian paint manufacturing company, the application of a simplified method of chemical risks prioritization and assessment. The obtained results allowed the substantiation of the control measures of these risks, being also able to constitute an instrument of raising awareness for all the interested parties (occupational safety and health inspectors, managers, safety officers, supervisors, workers), in the effective management of the chemical risks

Occupational hazards counteraction in industrial work environment - selected management problems

The aim of the article is to present the basic strategies for counteracting threats that are used in an industrial work environment, with particular emphasis on strategies based on the concept of safety barriers. The article presents the main categories of safety barriers and the basic safety functions implemented within the key barrier systems. In addition, the most commonly used criteria for assessing safety barrier systems as well as safety functions are presented. The most characteristic examples in this regard are given. The analysis was carried out in terms of the implementation of barrier management towards reducing the risk of adverse events in the industrial work environment

Improved Education and Trainings in the Field of Fire Protection

The article presents the characteristics of the subject "Fire and rescue protection" carried out at the Faculty of Management at the Czestochowa University of Technology in the field of "Work Safety and Hygiene". The modified program consists of lectures and exercises and also presents a practical way of implementing the selected issues in a given building. Next, the methodology of research and the results of questionnaire surveys conducted in the target group of students are presented, referring to the improved content and methods of education and training in the field of fire protection. The article ends with conclusions from the conducted research and the proposed concept of activities for the future

APPROACHING THE ECONOMIC COSTS ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES AND DISEASES: PRINCIPLES, CONCEPTS AND STRUCTURE

Occupational Health and Safety management is more and more strongly related to the costs of occupational injuries and illnesses, as a top priority in most companies. The present article presents a synthesis of authors’ attempts to identify the elements which should be taken into account in determining the cost of occupational injuries and diseases at the national level, with a focus on basic influence factors. Our aim is to help companies managers to emphasize the economic costs of not improving workplace safety and health – to employers, to workers and to society as a whole – and to inform decision-makers on further developments to be considered in the occupational risk management processes

Improved Education and Trainings in the Field of Fire Protection

The article presents the characteristics of the subject "Fire and rescue protection" carried out at the Faculty of Management at the Czestochowa University of Technology in the field of "Work Safety and Hygiene". The modified program consists of lectures and exercises and also presents a practical way of implementing the selected issues in a given building. Next, the methodology of research and the results of questionnaire surveys conducted in the target group of students are presented, referring to the improved content and methods of education and training in the field of fire protection. The article ends with conclusions from the conducted research and the proposed concept of activities for the future

Applying elvie - tool for psychosocial risk assessment: results of a case study

About half of European workers believe that stress is common in their workplace and that it is the cause of about half of all lost working days. In Europe, 25% of workers report suffering from work stress all the time or most of their working time, with a similar percentage reporting that stress adversely affects their health. Estimates of costs borne by employers and society are considerable, amounting to tens of billions of euros at European level. Considering the exponential increase in the last decade of the impact of occupational stress and the direct implications on the health and well-being of workers, coupled with the low level of attention paid to this risk by employers and labor inspectorates in Romania, this paper aimed at developing a company-level research to validate the applicability of a specific psychosocial risk assessment tool. The preliminary results obtained confirmed the need to increase the real attention paid to this component of the health status of workers - and implicitly of enterprises - allowing the substantiation of a plan of measures designed to minimize psychosocial risks in the investigated company

Chemical risk assessment in a selected Romanian stainless steel processing company

The production and use of chemicals are continuously increasing worldwide. For example, the global output of chemicals increased approximately 12 times between 1970 and 2020. The burden of disease attributable to exposure to chemicals is significant. World Health Organization estimates that globally, about 5 million deaths and 90 million disability - adjusted life years are attributable to occupational, environmental exposure and management. Public authorities and employers need access to reliable information on chemicals and practical, widely-accepted risk assessment methods in order to effectively control and minimize this threat. To support the management of chemical substances in small and mediumsized enterprises, the UK Health and Safety Executive developed the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Essentials (COSHH Essentials), a control banding technique that determines the management method by assigning the qualitative work environment characteristics of the enterprises to a hazard and exposure prediction band. Qualitative tools were used for assessing the risk of these chemicals, creating solutions, and implementing control measures in various industrial fields. The present paper synthesizes the results of an extensive research study, dedicated to the evaluation of chemical risks within a Romanian company which has as object of activity the mechanical processing of steel laminates and their treatment by methods of electrochemical deposition of hard chromium / electrochemical nickel plating. The application of the simplified health, safety and environmental risk assessment methodology developed by the French National Security Research Institute (INRS) was considered to be the most appropriate in the preliminary phase of identifying and prioritizing the risks associated with chemicals used in technological processes in selected company. Based on the obtained results, the prevention and protection plan regarding the chemical risks was elaborated, the implementation of which led to the reduction of the workers' exposure and to the minimization of the probability and severity of the potential consequences