CERA, An Integrated Tool for Ergonomic Risk Assessment

Abstract

Despite decades of efforts the rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) is still very high. In case of WMSD the solution should be prevention that requires both safe machinery/equipment design and risk management at the workplace. To identify WMSD risk factors a wide range of ergonomic methods are available internationally, starting with simple check lists for hazard identification through paper and pencil based or spread sheet implemented software for screening or for risk assessment, ending with the now maturing computer technology with motion capture based imagining techniques. Although various collections exist that contain hundreds of ergonomic risk assessment tools very few of these are generally accepted and widely applied. The difficulty in particular is that a ’universal tool’ cannot be chosen because each method is valid for different situations some are for special activities others for distinct body parts, therefore selecting the appropriate method is an additional issue. At University of Obuda R&D project aims the development of a complex Ergonomics Risk Assessment methodology based on the EN 1005 standard series that allows the composite ergonomic risk assessment of workplaces regarding position, force, manual handling and repetitive motion. The newly invented methodology called CERA is for occupational safety and health practitioners with basic knowledge to apply it several versions according to different application conditions. For basic evaluation a paper and pencil method and for more detailed analysis a spread sheet is provided in which, all assessments of the EN 1005 standard series are included.