Risk assessment software - Information, regulations, law - online at secova.de
Risk Assessment Instruction Online – Questions & Answers
Risk assessment – what does it mean?
It is used to systematically identify and assess all relevant hazards that employees may encounter during their work activities
Why do I need risk assessment software?
Ideal tool for implementation, documentation, creation and tracking of measures
What are the advantages of risk assessment software?
Employees can be assigned their individual, workplace-specific information at any time, which greatly eases work and saves time, very easy to use.
Further questions and answers
as well as information from the specialists on the subject of risk assessment:
- How can I manage my risk assessment online?
- Is my risk assessment with sam® also compliant with standards?
The “right” risk assessment – despite all the technical and organizational advances, it is becoming increasingly important for occupational health and safety in companies. Despite the numerous efforts and measures to prevent accidents, the accident figures are still alarmingly high. According to the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), a total of 873,000 workplace accidents occurred in Germany in 2019, 507 of which were fatal (an increase of over 20 percent on the previous year!).
In order to prevent infection and accidents at work, the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires an activity- or location-specific risk assessment in addition to regular instruction.
With the outbreak and spread of the coronavirus, many employers have had to reassess occupational health and safety for their employees. To prevent infection and accidents at work, however, the Occupational Health and Safety Act not only requires all employees to be given sufficient information about regulations, rules and correct behavior. This is because, in addition to regular instruction, a job- or site-specific risk assessment is also required by law – the Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG) stipulates that this must be carried out properly in accordance with Section 5.
But how can this creation and proper implementation be guaranteed equally reliably and without great effort? And what options are there to make it easier to meet the requirements for a risk assessment with software or online?
secova has developed the sam® software solution to provide companies with the best possible support in fulfilling their numerous tasks and obligations relating to occupational health and safety.
This holistic EHS system for professional occupational health and safety management provides users with numerous functional modules that complement each other perfectly and can be combined according to company-specific requirements – a great help and relief in everyday working life.
The software also offers a suitable module for risk assessment. This enables companies to provide each individual employee with the specific information they need for their job at any time. Whether it’s distributing measures, creating operating instructions or audit-proof documentation – you can do it all in no time at all.
It is also possible to actively involve employees in the GBU process (keyword “risk inventory”). Risk assessments can also be linked directly to the relevant instruction in the sam® EHS basic system. The module also supports the inspection of work equipment and recurring inspections.
sam® users can use the tried-and-tested EMKG (simple measures concept for hazardous substances) from the BAuA (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) in the system to create GBUs.
The module can also be used to assess psychological stress or the various hazardous substances. The link from the assessed workplace to the employee also enables direct access to “my work and activity-related GBU”. This includes relevant safety data sheets and operating instructions – they are also available in mobile kiosk terminal mode for tablet or smartphone use.
sam® provides its EHS Manager app for mobile use directly on site.
How can I use the risk assessment software with mobile devices? For mobile use directly on site, sam® provides its EHS Manager app – to record all the essentials with just a few clicks on a mobile device and update them directly in the sam® database.
The app combines two advantages: Not only can I use it to create, carry out and “tick off” a GBU as completed, upload photos of hazards and derive appropriate measures. It also offers the possibility of making access to the risk assessment available to everyone.
And with a QR code, location XY is quickly linked so that employees there can quickly pick up and use the GBU. In contrast to the conventional way, the information from the GBU can be used directly in everyday life and does not “get moldy” in some file folder.
The sam® modules Incident Management, External Company Management and Hazardous Substance Management are an ideal addition to the GBU. It should not be neglected that sufficient up-to-date GBU documentation minimizes the liability risk and increases the legal certainty of companies. However, the decisive advantage for all users (as with the sam® EHS software as a whole) remains the ease of use itself: It’s as easy as using an ATM!
Companies can provide each individual employee with the specific information they need for their job at any time.
Whether it’s distributing measures, creating operating instructions or audit-proof documentation – you can do it all in no time at all.
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What are the regulations for the “proper implementation” of a risk assessment according to the law? What are the main requirements for implementation?
The law has stipulated an obligation to carry out a risk assessment since 1996 – it includes the assessment, taking preventive measures including monitoring and the corresponding documentation. Section 5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act states that the health and safety of employees must be guaranteed by occupational health and safety measures. This can only be achieved with a risk analysis in the form of a corresponding risk assessment (GBU). Their implementation by the employer is therefore a central requirement of the ArbSchG, as this allows hazards to be recognized in advance and then eliminated preventively. The GBU must have been carried out before starting work.
According to the requirements of the German Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health ( BetrSichV ), the same applies before selecting and procuring work equipment to ensure that it is as suitable as possible for the respective activities. Their regulations thus serve to ensure occupational safety when handling machines, tools or systems, for example. In addition to this, the Hazardous Substances Ordinance (GefStoffV) serves to protect against “hazardous substances (according to § 2)”. It applies to companies and persons who manufacture, import, use, store or place such hazardous substances on the market. In addition to the substance-related risk assessment, instructions for hazardous substances or operating instructions are also prescribed.
How can I manage my risk assessment online?
From anywhere – at work, at home and even on the go with the sam® EHS Manager app
How standard-compliant is a risk assessment with sam®?
This was examined by TÜV Thüringen and the process quality was finally certified as fully effective
Which employees actually need a risk assessment?
Basically, every employee needs the right protective measures for occupational safety
What should a risk assessment look like in detail?
In contrast to the implementation obligation, the exact form is not explicitly prescribed by law. This gives companies a certain amount of leeway in terms of design and operational organization in order to adapt them precisely to their individual circumstances and work situations. The guidelines of the LASI (Länderausschuss für Arbeitsschutz und Sicherheitstechnik) and the GDA (Gemeinsame Deutsche Arbeitsschutzstrategie) have proven to be a helpful basis for creating these. In addition to the list of criteria or legal bases, you will also find an overview of the various risk factors. These are – with more precise subdivision (according to GDA):
- Mechanical hazards
- Electrical hazards
- Hazardous substances
- Biological agents
- Fire and explosion hazards
- Thermal hazards
- Hazards due to special physical effects (noise, radiation, etc.)
- Hazards due to working environment conditions
- Mental stress/work severity
- Psychological factors
- Other hazards (from humans, animals, plants)
The sam® software solution from secova is a great help in everyday working life, not only in terms of design, but also in terms of risk assessment in general. For example, the “Guideline on risk assessment and documentation”, the “Guideline on the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health LV35” and the “Catalog of bus fines for the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health LV62” are already integrated into the system. The standards, regulations, rules etc. supplied are also updated when relevant changes are made – so the GBU manager can decide whether changes need to be adopted for his company and whether certain topics need to be reconsidered.
In addition, a “reading room” can be set up where employees can obtain additional information on various topics if they are interested.
In contrast to the implementation obligation, the exact form is not explicitly prescribed by law.
In addition to the topics of equipment and working materials, the prevention of health hazards is becoming increasingly important. In addition to physical hazards, the focus is increasingly shifting to mental stress as a risk factor for health. Occupational medicine in companies is increasingly confronted with questions of prevention and (in the case of illness) appropriate care. Here too, sam® helps with the creation of suitable measures, tracking and corresponding effectiveness checks.
Now also with TÜV certificate! Against the background of extensive enhancements, secova has had its risk assessment software module tested and certified by TÜV Thüringen:
The process that a customer follows when creating a risk assessment online with sam® meets the legal requirements for a GBU.
The secova function module is fully standard-compliant and fully effective. For the TÜV certification, development planning and process flow, the individual process phases (such as reviews and release steps), the communication structure and the documentation were examined.