Technical information

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Work 4.0: New challenges for prevention
Digitalization of the world of work, or "Work 4.0", places new demands upon occupational safety and health. Networking, reachability, monitoring by computers and information technologies, and the closely linked intensification of work, are topics ...

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Occupational exposure limit values (OELs)
Occupational exposure limit values are an important tool for the protection of employees from risks to their health and safety due to hazardous substances. According to Art. 2, Sec. 8 of the German Hazardous Substances Ordinance (GefStoffV), the ...

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Ergonomics
The term "ergonomics" is formed from the Greek words "ergon" (work) and "nomos" (science, law). It refers to the science of human work, i.e. the ideal adaptation of work to the characteristics and abilities of the working human being. The ...

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Aids to working with the EU GHS Regulation
GHS-Helpdesk and further assistance concerning the GHS Regulation REACH CLP help desk of the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) Aids to working with the GHS , provided by the BG responsible for the raw ...

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Industrial Security
Functional safety components protect life and health when working on plants and machinery. For instance, a safety locking function can prevent a safety gate to a hazardous zone of a plant or machine from being opened. To ensure that safety ...

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Collaborative robots (COBOTS)
Collaborative industrial robots are complex machines which work hand in hand with human beings. In a shared work process, they support and relieve the human operator. One example: a robot lifts and positions a heavy workpiece whilst a human worker ...

Artificial Intelligence

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Noise
Noise is undesired sound that can cause nuisance or harm to health. Sound may be perceived as a nuisance and disturbing even at relatively low sound pressure levels. This in turn may cause stress reactions, which have a negative impact on workers' ...

Mobile IT-supported work

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Ultrafine aerosols and nanoparticles at the workplace
Together with biotechnology and information technology, nanotechnology is regarded as one of the driving forces behind a new industrial revolution which will impact upon the lives of all people in various ways. According to estimates, nanoscale ...

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NoRA OSH standards search tool
NoRA is a powerful tool for searching for OSH-related standards. It was developed jointly by KAN and DIN Software GmbH and is available for use free of charge. English and German user interfaces are available. The database contains ...

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The REACH Chemical Regulation and occupational safety and health
REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) is the regulation underpinning chemicals legislation in the European Union (EU). REACH has harmonized EU legislation governing chemicals throughout Europe. REACH was ...

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Reference materials for workplace air measurements
Reference materials are becoming increasingly important for workplace air measurements as they are absolutely essential for calibration and quality control processes, as well as for verification of the accuracy and reliability of analytical ...

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Proficiency testing at the IFA
Since 1989, the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA) has been providing proficiency testing (PT) schemes for laboratories and measuring stations worldwide for the purpose of self-examination and ...

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Radiation
For many people, the term "radiation" has negative connotations. The hazards of radioactive radiation are known, and radiation from mobile phones, for example, is a cause for concern. In physics, the term "radiation" is used much more generally for ...

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Whole-body and hand-arm vibration
The effects of vibration upon human beings may range from annoyance and a deterioration in performance, through the endangering of health, to actual harm to health. Workplace exposure of human beings to vibration is classified as whole-body or ...

Virtual reality in human-system interaction