Innovative workplace risk assessment tool OiRA goes global
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has welcomed the implementation of its Online interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) project at multinational car manufacturer Daimler. The company’s German Health and Safety department has developed and adapted a workplace risk assessment tool on the basis of OiRA for company specific use.
The use of OiRA by such a large, multinational company raises it's profile and reinforces its reputation as an effective risk assessment platform.
EU-OSHA and Daimler are both supporters of the global Vision Zero scheme, which is based on the belief that all accidents, diseases, and harm at work are preventable. With that in mind, Daimler’s German Health and Safety department work together with EU-OSHA to make workplaces as safe as possible. EU-OSHA’s Executive Director Dr. Sedlatschek stresses that ’Daimler’s efforts not only serve to meet its own specific risk assessment needs but also benefit the wider OiRA community, as the software features developed can be easily adapted and implemented by other organisations, saving time and money. In addition, the use of OiRA by such a large, multinational company raises it's profile and reinforces its reputation as an effective risk assessment platform.’
Dr. Sedlatschek, along with other agency staff and representatives of the German focal point network recently exchanged views with Daimler’s Health & Safety department on the further rollout and promotion of OiRA. The continual improvement and development of the OiRA software is very much a collaborative effort, involving the exchange of knowledge and good practice among EU-OSHA, the OiRA community, and EU and national partners.
Why use OiRA?
The OiRA platform was originally developed to provide EU-OSHA’s national partners (such as Ministries or Labour Inspectorates) with occupational safety and health risk assessment tools that are sector specific and tailored to national contexts.
The OiRA platform was initially designed with the needs of micro and small enterprises — which often lack the resources and know-how to effectively assess and manage OSH risks — in mind. The OiRA software can easily be adapted to satisfy the needs of companies of all sizes and across all sectors.
Four key reasons for using OiRA:
It is free and easy to use.
It provides guidance and practical solutions.
It allows a sector-specific approach to risk assessment.
It can help companies comply with legal requirements.
The growing success of OiRA is clear: in 2018, more than 85,000 risk assessments were carried out using OiRA tools and more than 20 new tools were published online, amounting up to more than 160 tools in total. In addition, some countries — Italy, Lithuania and Slovenia — now recommend the use of OiRA in their national legislation or national OSH strategies. Such endorsement of OiRA at a national level — combined with efforts at EU level and examples of good practice at the company level — is key to raising awareness of the OiRA platform’s capabilities and encouraging its use as part of everyday OSH management in companies across Europe.
