Related Experiment Videos
Solbase: a databank of solutions for occupational hazards and risks
Paul Swuste1, Andrew Hale, Sheila Pantry
1Safety Science Group, Delft University of Technology, PO Box 5015, NL-2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands. p.h.j.j.swuste@tbm.tudelft.nl
The Annals of Occupational Hygiene
|October 8, 2003
Summary
The Solbase databank offers effective workplace hazard solutions. This European project
Area of Science:
- Occupational Safety and Health
- Information Science
- Risk Management
Background:
- Workplace hazards require effective control strategies.
- Existing solutions for occupational risks are fragmented.
- A need exists for a centralized, accessible repository of hazard control measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the Solbase databank, a European project for managing occupational hazards and risks.
- To evaluate the effectiveness and usability of the Solbase software and its intelligent navigation system.
- To assess the potential for cross-industry and cross-border dissemination of safety solutions.
Main Methods:
- Development of the Solbase databank with two primary navigation entry points: production process and hazard/emission.
- Gathering 535 new and existing occupational safety solutions from European partners.
- Conducting a field study to test the software's search capabilities and the usability of the solutions.
Main Results:
- 54% of search actions in the field study yielded practical and suitable solutions for companies.
- The Solbase software was characterized by users as very user-friendly.
- The coding system and classification tree demonstrated satisfactory reproducibility and consistency.
Conclusions:
- Solbase serves as an effective search tool for workplace safety solutions.
- The classification of production processes facilitates information exchange across companies and industries.
- The databank demonstrates potential for improving occupational safety management through accessible, categorized solutions.