Nanomaterials at the workplace: Development of an information and training platform and three "Nanorama" e-learing modules for occupational health and safety topics

Status:

completed 11/2014

Aims:

The increasing use and spreading of nanomaterials in products and in industrial applications poses new challenges for occupational health and safety experts. Key issues in this emerging field are education and training.

Aim of the project "Nano-Qualificationplatform": to set up an online based platform for prevention safety experts and to develop three different "Nanorama" e-learning modules for providing a user-specific, innovative qualification tool in order to improve the knowledge of prevention experts in terms of practical aspects of occupational health and safety issues of nanomaterials and nanoproducts in professional use. Focal points:

• Awareness raising for nanomaterials and nanotechnology among prevention experts
• Highlighting the importance of nanospecific issues for occupational health and safety aspects
• Education and advanced training and the consulting of employers and management

Activities/Methods:

The purpose of the research project was to develop an online qualification platform (DGUV Nano-Portal "Safe Handling of Nanomaterials"). The Nano-Portal is a publicly available website providing information on effective and appropriate prevention of risks arising when handling nanomaterials, complemented with extensive additional information. The platform includes three "Nanoramas", interactive e-learning tools which cover the safe handling of nanomaterials in the work environments "construction site", "laboratory" and "car workshop". Suggestions on the incorporation of the contents of the platform into qualification trainings are presented in a qualification concept.

Results:

- April 2014: Launch of the DGUV Nano-Portal "Safe Handling of Nanomaterials" (http://nano.dguv.de/ ()). Beside the "Nanorama", further materials (power-point-presentations, guidelines and so on) are available on the portal.

- April 2014: Launch of the "Nanorama Construction" (http://nano.dguv.de/nanorama/bgbau/ ()). The practice-oriented "Nanorama Construction" offers insights into applications of and occupations with nanomaterials on construction sites (like in all "Nanoramas", the focus is on materials, exposure and protection measures). Trough integrated links and videos, further relevant information is provided.

- August 2014: Launch of the "Nanorama Lab" (http://nano.dguv.de/nanorama/bgrci/ ()) on the safe handling of nanomaterials in laboratories. The "Nanorama Lab" offers an excellent introduction to the topic of occupational safety regarding the handling of nanomaterials.

- September 2014: Launch of the "Nanorama Car Workshop" (http://nano.dguv.de/nanorama/bghm/ ()). A total of 28 clickable items provide the users of the "Nanorama Car Workshop" with information on nanomaterials in car garages. The tool is specially convenient for the qualification of young workforce and apprentices.

- September 2014: Development of the qualification concept, comprising suggestions for the structuring of a three-day event on the topic "occupational safety regarding the handling of nanomaterials" (background information on nanotechnology, occupational safety, regulation and practical experiments in the laboratory).

The Nano-Portal and the "Nanorama" provide access to comprehensible information on the topic "Safe Handling of Nanomaterials" to a target group consisting of interested professionals as well as laymen. All contents of the portal focus on practically existing conditions in the respective work environments. With this project, the DGUV takes an innovative approach towards the nano-specific developments evolving in many sectors and offers information on adequate occupational safety. The portal can be extended by further "Nanorama" anytime.

The Nano-Portal substantially contributes to the realization of the points stated in the "position paper on the responsible use of nanomaterials" issued by the Members’ Meeting of the DGUV in 2010. With the platform, the DGUV provides "information for specific target Groups", supporting prevention experts as well as companies in the fulfillment of their functions and in finding information. The information has been published "on the Internet in the form of practical guides". By means of training events based on the qualification concept, the link to the practice can be enhanced further.

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