Does Europe Need an EU Product Safety Directive for Access Scaffolding?

The main requirement established for the development of European Union product safety directives is to ensure a high level of safety for users. This research aims to analyze whether Europe needs a product safety directive for scaffolding and identify the main factors to be defined in public policies on the use of standardized scaffolding in the absence of such a directive. The principal types of scaffolding were reviewed, along with European regulations, and their risk levels. Finally, a qualitative study using a panel of experts was conducted to determine the differences between types of scaffolding and whether the enactment of such a directive would be justified. Key results were that the risk level associated with scaffolding positioned it third or fourth between material agents more hazardous in relation to falls from height. There is no existing product safety directive for scaffolding, despite the fact that there are directives for other products less dangerous than or as dangerous as scaffolding. However, there are noncompulsory standards EN 12810-1-2 and EN 12811-1-2-3-4 for scaffolding, which would form the basis of the essential requirements contained in a directive if it were created. The experts highlighted significant differences between "standardized" and "nonstandardized" scaffolding, with higher safety levels and productivity, and better maintenance, inspection, assembly, and dismantling associated with the former, and lower costs with the latter. Thus, they found that the enacting of an EU product safety directive for scaffolding would be justifiable, and in its absence supported the promotion of the use of standardized scaffolding.

Comparative study of resilience engineering in solid waste treatment plants: A case study in two European cities.

BACKGROUND: Municipal solid waste treatment plants are industrial facilities with important occupational health and safety issues. Hence, a risk assessment system would be very useful to help workers to cope successfully with complexity when they are under pressure situations, such as loss of control or failures of the system safety. In recent years, Resilience Engineering has come up as a new proactive approach to improve and keep safety the complex systems. To evaluate Resilience Engineering the methods at our disposal are mostly qualitative, which are complex and difficult to compare due to their external validity. OBJECTIVE: The present research proposes a method for the quantitative assessment of Resilience Engineering in the municipal solid waste treatment sector. METHODS: The study was carried out as part of an EU SAFERA project in two European cities. The data were obtained from a survey of a sample of 328 workers of treatment plants. RESULTS: The results indicated that priority must be given to improving top-level commitment, culture, preparedness and learning culture, while awareness and opacity emerges as positive results. Significant differences can be seen in the Resilience Engineering evaluation for different posts. CONCLUSION: These findings allow practitioners and management with a view to implementing appropriate corrective measures to achieve high Resilience Engineering in the plant.