Systematic Injury Prevention – Using National Data to Intervene against Traditional OHS Risks

Versión en Español

The prevention department of the Swedish workers’ compensation and injury information (AFA) system can initiate and carry out prevention projects if and when risk priorities have been identified through screening of the national claims database or when Unions or Employer Organisations (who jointly own the Insurance) suggest that an injury problem should be addressed.

The Printing industry in 2003 initiated, through one of its largest member companies, a prevention project into the manufacturing process of plastic bags and wrapping, where poor ergonomics seemed to be associated with large proportions of long-term sickleave among operators.

In a pilot study, the actual numbers for sickleave and other injury consequences due to work injury among the exposed operators in this branch of manufacturing were calculated with the help of the AFA claims register and information from the companies involved. A preliminary ergonomic analysis was undertaken at six manufacturing plants operating the equipment in question, and it was suggested that new machinery had to be developed in order to reduce manual load, improve ergonomics, rationalize handling and packaging and increase productivity.

The printing industry partners commissioned a full-scale development work site at one of the small plastic bag manufacturers, where retro-fit machine equipment is developed and tested. The site is open to the whole of the industry and the produced equipment will be available to all interested companies at nominal cost.

Introduction of the new machinery will be evaluated, in terms of ergonomics and productivity, in cooperation with participating companies.

The project is seen as a model project for the systematic reduction and elimination of unacceptable risks in traditional industries with considerable manual handling exposure, eg. within small-scale manufacturing, healthcare, retail, transport.

Profesor Larsson will be present on the 3rd International Conference on Occupational Risk Prevention, ORP2004. For further information, please visit the conference's website: http://www.orp2004.com

Dr. Larsson's Curriculum Vitae