Identification of ergonomic hazards and risk assessment for the workplace of operator of a bucket-wheel excavator - case study

Abstract

The subject of this paper is the identification of hazards for the workplace of the operator of bucket-wheel excavator, as well as risk assessment. The original HRN (Hazard Rating Number) method was used to assess the risk. The modification that has been proposed in this paper consists of determining the MPLi values for each identified hazard. This means that risk assessment in line with this new approach involves calculating more than one MPL value. In this way, unlike the classical approach, the variety of hazards in intensity or quantity over time is taken into account. In addition, this new approach takes into account the exposure time of workers. In this way, the effect of different consequences on the health of workers for each identified hazard is included. This further allows a preventive/corrective strategy to be developed depending on the calculated HRNi values. It also opens the possibility to apply adequate corrective action depending on the current situation, which provides significant savings in the system. In this way, the company's management has a number of strategies at its disposal that it can activate in the event of a change in the situation.