All human activities generate impacts on the environment and represent risks on a greater or lesser scale for human beings.
These impacts and risks must be mitigated and / or controlled in order to promote the development of humanity, which is environmentally sustainable and which guarantees maximum quality and life expectancy for man (1).
The Environmental Management Systems (2) and Occupational Safety and Health (3) are based on the management of the elements that generate these adverse consequences in organizations. The success of these Management Systems depends to a great extent on an exhaustive identification of all the points that may be vulnerable in relation to the environment and to safety and health at work, in addition to the objective evaluation of the risk or potential impact that it is derived from each of those identified points.
Many organizations design their own methodologies for the evaluation of occupational risks and environmental aspects, as a general rule these are separately and use criteria that could be unified to evaluate both elements.
To facilitate work in Integrated Management Systems (GIS), it would be more feasible to use a single methodology for evaluation.
objective
- Design a methodology for the integrated evaluation of environmental aspects and occupational risks.
Materials and methods
NC-ISO 14001: 2004 standards were consulted. Environmental Management System - Requirements with Guidance for its use, NC-ISO 14004: 2004. Environmental management systems - General guidelines on supporting principles, systems and techniques and NC 18001: 2005. Safety and Health at Work - Management System for Safety and Health at Work. Requirements
For the design of an evaluation methodology that encompasses environmental aspects and occupational risks, several methodologies of both Management Systems that have been implemented in various organizations were reviewed.
Results and Discussion
It is essential for GIS planning to identify the hazards and environmental aspects associated with the processes of work activity, assess the occupational risks derived from the identified hazards and environmental aspects, and if necessary take action (4).
For the identification, the organization, all the processes and the activities, products and services associated with these, the areas and jobs, must be thoroughly studied, as well as taking into account both normal and abnormal operating situations (stop and start)., such as emergency and accidents (4).
In the case of environmental aspects, the organization's past, present and future planned activities, products and services, the direct aspects over which the organization may have control and those that are inherent to suppliers, customers and the community must be taken into account. neighbor who can be influenced. In addition, complaints from interested parties are included (4).
Assessment methodologies
In the methodologies studied, it is observed that in some cases for the evaluation of occupational risks they use criteria of a qualitative nature and in others quantitative, while the methodologies of evaluation of environmental aspects generally use quantitative criteria.
Methodologies for the evaluation of occupational risks
The methodology of William T. Fine, for example, proposes the evaluation of occupational risks using the formula Risk = Consequences x Exposure x Probability, and assigns values to these parameters so that the result is quantified and depending on the value that it assumes, This will be the magnitude of the risk and the actions to be taken (5).
One of the methods proposed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) uses quantitative criteria (Risk Matrix) in which numerical values are given to probability and consequences and a result is obtained using the formula Risk = Probability x Consequence (6).
The Institute for Standardization Research (ININ) uses a methodology that uses qualitative criteria taken from BSI 8800: 2004 (7). In this method, the risk is evaluated according to the combination of probability & damage.
Environmental aspects assessment methodologies
Although the methodologies of the different organizations are based on quantitative criteria in general, if there are differences in terms of their scope. Some organizations decide to use a general method applicable to all environmental aspects and others design different methods for each category or typology of environmental aspect.
Criteria such as magnitude, frequency, probability, severity, danger, toxicity, sensitivity of the receiving environment, among others, are commonly used. Several of these criteria are combined and the numerical values they reach are added or multiplied to give a final result according to which the environmental aspects are classified as significant or not.
Integrated methodology for evaluating environmental aspects and occupational risks
In this methodology, qualitative criteria are used to assess risks and quantitative for environmental aspects because it has been proven in practice in multiple organizations that objective results are thus obtained that allow proper management in correspondence with the nature of the operations of the companies. organizations that have implemented it.
It is essential to specify in each case which criteria will be measured and what each grade or class (low, medium, high or other) means so that the evaluation can be as objective as possible.
Table 1 shows the integrated model for evaluating environmental aspects and occupational risks.
Table 1: Integrated evaluation model for Environmental Aspects and Occupational Risks.
The following formulas apply in this model:
AA: environmental aspect, AAS: significant environmental aspect.
AAS if Σx≥12, then AA = 1
AA if Σx then AA = 1 and it would be an AAS.
A: risk
If R = trivial or tolerable, then R = 0, if it complies with the legislation.
If R = Moderate, Important or Intolerable, then R = 1
In cases where it is an environmental aspect but does not constitute a risk, then R = 0 and if it is considered a risk but not an environmental aspect, then AA = 0.
Q: Management Program
Where: P = AA + R
If: P = 0, then Tracking is set
P = 1, then an Integrated Management Program is established that will only include environmental or occupational health and safety goals.
P = 2, then the Integrated Management Program is established with environmental and occupational health and safety goals.
For environmental aspects, the indicator may vary depending on the nature, size and complexity of the organization. When there are no data, an intermediate value is given to the indicator in question y. For each indicator, the terms very high, high, medium, low and very low will be defined.
For consumption (c) (of electricity, water, gas, fuels, raw materials, materials, and others), it will be evaluated taking into account the relationship Real consumption (C) between activity level (N) (c = C / N) and comparing it with previous periods as established by the organization.
The evaluation of indirect environmental aspects is carried out considering the influence that the environmental aspects of suppliers and customers have on legal compliance and on the public image of the organization. For this the organization must establish the corresponding evaluation scales for these criteria and with them will ensure the same result is obtained in evaluations carried out by different members of the organization.
Proceeding in planning to reach the management program would then be as shown in figure 1.
Figure 1: Identification, Evaluation and Management Program.
(*) If the Environmental Aspect is significant and the risk is not tolerable, the decision is "YES" and it is "NO" if the environmental aspect is not significant and if the risk is tolerable.
Bibliographic references
1. War, 2006 (Standardization 1 2006)
2. NC-ISO 14001: 2004. Environmental Management System - Requirements with Guidance for its use.
3. NC 18001: 2005. Safety and Health at Work - Management System for Safety and Health at Work - Requirements.
4. NC-ISO 14004: 2004. Environmental Management System - General guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques.
5. Fine, W., 2001. Method by William T. Fine. http://prevention-world.com/
6. García, E. 2004. Basic Course on Occupational Safety and Health Management.
7. BS 8800: 2004 Occupational health and safety management systems-Guide.
