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Safety and health protection at the workplace are characteristics of a competitive and humane enterprise. Occupational health and safety means, first and foremost, the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases and work-related health hazards. However, it also has the function of preventing losses in production, of motivating staff, and thereby of assuring the economic viability of an enterprise in the long term. In the era of globalization and increasing automation of production processes, the issues facing occupational health and safety are increasing in their complexity, and necessitate complex and often interdisciplinary research and studies. It is therefore all the more important that the solutions offered be suitable for practical application in enterprises, and that they be made available in a suitable form to the parties to occupational health and safety. For some time now, the BG Institute for occupational safety and health (BIA) has been developing practical solutions for greater safety and health protection at the workplace. These solutions are compiled in the BIA Manual. This manual also gives consideration to developments at a European level of relevance to occupational health and safety. In the key areas of chemical and biological exposure (including measurment and sampling instruments), fire and explosion proofing, physical exposure (noise, vibration, radiation), work design, safety of machinery and technical work equipment, personal protective equipment and equipment for protection against falls from a height, and structural objects, the BIA Manual provides practical information, instructions, and guides to selection with regard to hazard identification and assessment, risk management, protective measures, measurement and test procedures, safety parameters, positive test results of work equipment, personal protective equipment, and components. The BIA Manual is the forward-thinking basic reference for safety engineers and safety officers, company and plant physicians, the technical inspectorates of the BGs, the factory inspectorate and other institutions charged with surveillance functions, and designers, developers and architects responsible for designs with a safety aspect. |