Objectives

Each individual element of the system Man - Machine - Environment may be the cause of system weaknesses and thus lead to risks.

The tasks of the International Section of the ISSA on Machine and System Safety are to

• describe the approach to achieving system safety and provide pragmatic aid to practitioners in evaluating their task;
• organize practice-oriented conferences and seminars;
• produce and publish complex technical solutions for practical applications taking into account scientific principles and research results;
• show how risk assessment can be applied in conjunction with new and established experiences and findings in the fields of safety technology, ergonomics, occupational psychology and occupational medicine;
• initiate cross-sectoral prevention measures in co-operation with other Sections.

Structure

The Section on Machine and System Safety is composed of members . Its two executive bodies are: the General Assembly  and the Bureau . The Bureau is elected by the General Assembly.

Members of the Bureau

The members' assembly elected the new Bureau in its meeting May 8th, 2008 in Rome.

President:

Norbert Weis, Institution for statutory accident insurance and prevention in the foodstuffs industry and the catering trade (BGN), Mannheim, Germany.

Vice-presidents:

René Marbach
Directeur, Carsat Alsace-Moselle, Strasbourg, France

Ester Rotoli
INAIL, Direzione Centrale Prevenzione, Rome, Italy

Dr. Peter Rüdin
Delegierter der Geschäftsleitung, Schweizerische Unfallversicherungsanstalt (Suva), Lucerne, Switzerland;

WORKPLACE SAFETY & PREVENTION SERVICES

Secretary General:

Dr. Hans-Jürgen Bischoff, Institution for statutory accident insurance and prevention in the foodstuffs industry and the catering trade (BGN), Mannheim, Germany

Working Groups

Experts from about 12 countries - from insurance carriers, research institutes, companies, associations and individuals - work together in the following four working groups:

(1) Risk Management

The working group 'Risk Management' aims at showing the importance of risk governance and risk management for successful, safe and healthy working, in accordance with international legal regulations, and to make transparent its complexity. Special attention is given to new trends and new risks in the modern society and world of work. It is directed at insurers and prevention services of occupational risks as well as to risk managers and other responsible persons in the enterprise for questions of principle and to experts for special issues.

Current activities:

• Book "Risks in the modern societies", focussing on risk profiles of modern work life, the governance and the management of traditional and modern risks has been published in March 2008.
• International seminars to present and discuss essential results
• Discussions on complexity of risk, focusing on changing character of work in globalized economy
• Provide guidelines for Risk Management and Risk Governance
• Develop an expert network.

Coordinator:  Prof. Siegfried Radandt, Technical Adivsor of the Section Machine and System Safety, Gartenstr. 16, D - 68782 Brühl, siegfried@radandt.de.

Members:
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Bischoff, Section Machine and System Safety, Mannheim, Germany
Domenico Geraci, Istituto Superiore per la Prevenzione e la Sicurezza del Lavoro (ISPESL), Rome, Italy
Suvi Lehtinen, Finnish Institute for Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
Prof. Jorma Rantanen, Finnish Institute for Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
Prof. Ortwin Renn, Center of Technology Assessment in Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart, Germany
Leonard Sassano, Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA), Toronto, Canada  

(2) Control Devices

The working group 'Control Devices' aims to prepare safety on machines and plants in a comprehensible and user-appropriate manner and to promote qualified discussion between interested persons. It is addressed above all to manufacturers, designers and enterprises as well as to consultants for questions concerning safety of machines and plants.

Current work:

• Disussion of current questions concerning control engineering (for example EN 13849-1)
• Servo or hybrid presses (short information, safety-related requirements)
• Discussion of current questions conferning the new Machinery Directive (2006/42/EG)
• Participation in the project group "stop tampering with safeguards on machines"
• Workshop concerning EN 13849-2 "Safety of machinery - Safety-related parts of control systems - Part 2: Validation", probably 2011/2012

New publication: Safety Flyers

The present safety flyers are addressed to enterprises (users,  installers of presses, supervisors) as well as to safety experts and controllers.
The safety flyers have been written as short information in order to  clarify the requirements fixed in the Directives but also to present new technologies (servo or hybrid presses). We would like to draw attention to the  requirements to technical safety and to control points for the user and  installer of presses before and during the production.    
We thank all participating institutions within the ISSA-Section Machine and System Safety, in particular the members of the project group "control devices, for a very cooperative co-operation.

The following safety flyers can be downloaded free of charge:

Introduction (English see above)

(1) Servo presses:

(2) Two-hand-control devices at presses

(3) Light curtains / light grids

The contents of these flyers shall serve as aid to orientation for a quick overview and make no claim to be complete.

Further information also under:

• Berufsgenossenschaft Nahrungsmittel und Gastgewerbe, Mannheim, Germany: www.bgn.de
• Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance, Sankt Augustin, German: www.dguv.de/ifa
• Institut National de Recherce et de Sécurité, Paris, France: www.inrs.fr
• Berufsgenossenschaft Metall und Holz, Düsseldorf, Germany: www.bg-metall.de
• Schweizerische Unfallversicherungsanstalt, Luzern, Switzerland: www.suva.ch/pressen

Co-ordinator:

Rolf Bösch, Schweizerische Unfallversicherungsanstalt (Suva), Rösslimattstr. 39, CH - 6002 Luzern, rolf.boesch@suva.ch

Members:

• Klaus-Dieter Becker, Berufsgenossenschaft Energie Textil Elektro Medienerzeugnisse, Wiesbaden, Germany
• Philippe Charpentier, Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Vandouvre, France
• Jacques Gillot, JG Sécurité, Chelles, France
• Otto Görnemann, SICK AG, Waldkirch, Germany
• Berthold Heinke, Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metall, Düsseldorf, Germany
• Bernard Mysliwiec, Siemens AG, Nürnberg, Germany
• Fabio Pera, Istituto Superiore per la Prevenzione e la Sicurezza del Lavoro (ISPESL), Rome, Italy
• Pierre Le Roy de Présalé, LRP Services, Ferrières en Gatinais, France
• Dr. Michael Schaefer, Institut für Arbeitsschutz der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung, Sankt Augustin, Germany
• Thomas Schulz, Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metall, Düsseldorf, Germany

(3) Explosion Protection

The Working Group "Explosion Protection" has published a practical guide to document working areas with explosive atmospheres: "Practical assistance for the preparation of an explosion protection document" as users are obliged to such an document according to the "Directive 1999/92/EC. It is addressed above all to users and to consultants for safety and health in the enterprises

Current work:

• Collection of examples from different branches (bakeries, breweries, chemical industry) for such a document, in order to integrate it into an informatiom system for users, in particular small-sized enterprises.

Co-ordinator:  Dr. Martin Gschwind, Schweizerische Unfallversicherungsanstalt (Suva), Rösslimattstr. 39, CH - 6002 Luzern; martin.gschwind@suva.ch

Members:

(4) Market Observation

The Working Group "Market Observation" aims at:

• collecting practical information on questions concerning market observation in the EC;
• creating a network of organisations able to supply consultation and support for manufacturers, developers and/or users/operators in order to fulfil the corresponding duties;
• developing an European network to describe and forward information concerning problems at the moment of the purchase of machinery/working tools in order to achieve quick problem solutions between the parties involved.

It is addressed above all to designers, manufacturers; users, operators; consultants and controllers concerning safety at work (safety of machines and installations). Its strategy is to win European partners for the project group, develop a working program and put together a list of organisations playing a role in the relation manufacturer - operator and describe the activities of the participating countries.

First Results:  Some new machines used in the enterprises cause problems for the safety and health of the users. Not all manufacturers or designers have sufficient knowledge of the regulations and standards valid in the European Union or do not apply them correctly. In each member state authorities have been put into charge of the market surveillance. This system could be improved by a stronger integration of competent prevention bodies which are in a close contact with the users as well as with the manufacturers of machines. They would be able to facilitate the communication between the concerned parties and could benefit from all the observations and information in order to promote the prevention. This is the contribution which this working group can do for the system of market surveillance.

Download first results here: Foreword, Market surveillance in Finland, Market surveillance in France, Market surveillance in Germany, Market surveillance in Italy, Market surveillance in Switzerland.

Coordinator: Bernard Leseux, Caisse Régionale d'Assurance Alsace-Moselle, 14, rue A. Seyboth, 67010 Strasbourg, France, bernard.leseux@cramam.cnamts.fr

Members:
Rolf Bösch, Schweizerische Unfallversicherungsanstalt (Suva), Lucerne, Switzerland
Karl-Heinz Grass, Berufsgenossenschaft Nahrungsmittel und Gaststätten, Mannheim, Germany
Bernard Leseux, Caisse Régionale d'Assurance Alsace-Moselle, Strasbourg, France
Dominique Saitta, Direction des Risques Professionnels, Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie Paris, France
Katri Tytykoski, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Tampere, Finland