Citation

Swuste PHJJ, Hale AR, Zimmerman G. Safety Sci. 1997; 26(1-2): 95-104.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The need to exchange information on solutions and control measures to reduce occupational hazards has become an important issue amongst occupational safety and health professionals. During the first conference of the IOHA this issue was discussed during the successful workshop "Sharing knowledge on preventive measures". An expert working group of the European Commission has recently drawn up a report advising the development of a European initiative in this area, and in September 1994 a WHO working group was formed on this topic. Data banks on solutions are one of the possible ways to supply this information. This article summarizes the conclusions of the review of existing data banks and specifies the objectives and structure of a proposed bank. Based upon a consideration of the available classification systems for information on solutions, it specifies how data on solutions could be stored, and provides intelligent assistance to users in locating solutions close to the source or in gaining access to information on comparable processes which are intrinsically less hazardous. The proposed data bank has a navigation system with two principle entry points, corresponding to two basic types of solution: firstly based on the production process, subdivided into the production principle and function as an access point to substitute methods of production; secondly the hazard and its emission and transmission process as an access point for more conventional hygiene control measures. A third access directly to control measures can be used by expert users.