Risk maps for industrial occupational health and safety

Abstract

Risk assessment is a complex process, of which the outputs are often to be used by decision makers for policy development and risk management. Risk communication in Environmental sciences is often made simpler using risk maps, a method introduced in the early 60s in the United States, but evolved and rapidly developed following the advances in computer science and wide availability of personal computers. This methodology is widely used in Environmental sciences, but due to many similarities, it can be successfully applied to occupational health and safety, where workers may be exposed to multiple chemical, physical or biological agents. In this article we introduce the basic principles of risk mapping, and demonstrate an example of exploring risk using risk maps in a theoretical industrial site where workers are exposed to noise. Advantages and disadvantages of this system are discussed, and recommendations for successful use of risk maps in the field of occupational health and safety are outlined.

Procena rizika je kompleksan proces čiji se rezultati koriste za kreiranje politike bezbednosti i upravljanje rizikom. Za komunikaciju rizika u oblasti zaštite životne sredine često se koriste mape rizika, najpre u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama početkom 60-tih godina. Ova metodologija u širokoj je upotrebi u oblasti zaštite životne sredine, a s obzirom na mnoge sličnosti, može se uspešno primeniti i na bezbednost i zdravlje na radu, gde su radnici često izloženi velikom broju hemijskih, fizičkih i bioloških štetnosti. U ovom radu su prikazani osnovni principi mapiranja rizika, praćeni teoretskim primerom konstrukcije mape rizika za industrijsko postrojenje gde su radnici izloženi buci. Predstavljene su prednosti i mane ove metodologije, uz preporuke za uspešnu upotrebu mapa rizika u oblasti bezbednosti i zdravlja na radu.