Development of risk assessment process evaluating dangers of chemicals in Škoda Transtech

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to develop the chemical management process in Škoda Transtech and to include risk assessment tools in it. These were suggested in order to improve general health and safety of the working environment. The business of Škoda Transtech Oy operates in manufacturing and maintenance of rolling-stock in several major cities in Finland.

The development tasks included coming up with a way to assess the risks posed by work chemicals and how to incorporate this evaluation tool into the company chemical management process. In order to do that, national and international legislation concerning chemicals, risk management and occupational health and safety was thoroughly studied and analyzed. Additionally, data concerning approaches to the topic, processes and stakeholders involved in these processes were presented.

The aforementioned document analysis and interviews with experts were used as qualitative research methods in this thesis. These were chosen in order to provide both legal guidelines and practical experiences of the experts. The subsequent combination of findings was used as a basis for developing the evaluation tool and suggesting development of the chemical management process.

The outcome of this thesis is a risk assessment matrix that has been tailored to the needs of the company in cooperation with its Occupational Safety and Health Manager. This has been done in order to ensure all necessary elements are in place. The secondary outcome is a suggestion to the company how to include this matrix into their chemical management process to periodically assess chemicals before they enter the company system. Recommendations for further research include exploring the option of including periodical in-depth analysis of employee chemical exposure and the use of assessment data as a basis for further planning and targeting of safety and security measures.