Update of the ergonomic machine design checklist (BGI 5048 Parts 1 and 2)

Status:

completed 03/2011

Aims:

In 2004, a checklist was developed at the BG Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BIA; since 1 January 2010: the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA)) for the ergonomic design of selected metal machining tools (Project No BIA5088 "Development of a checklist for testing and certification of ergonomic machinery design"). The checklist was based upon the most relevant standards, recognized scientific findings, and the institute's own observations on machinery. Based upon the results of this project, BGI 5048 Parts 1 and 2 were published in 2006. Since rules and findings in this area are changing dynamically, regular updates were planned from the outset.

The download statistics for the checklist are indicative of strong demand. Project IFA 5109 therefore had the objective of updating BGI 5048 for the first time, taking account of the following developments: the new 2006/42/EC Machinery Directive, with extended ergonomic requirements; updates of individual ergonomics standards upon which the checklist is based; and extension of the scope to include the grinding machines studied in 2007 in conjunction with the "Metal and surface treatment" expert committee.

Activities/Methods:

The structure of the checklist and of all associated documents was retained. The updates of the sources referred to (Machinery Directive, standards, further rules and regulations) were first analysed. This resulted in the associated questions on the checklist being revised. The introductory passages of BGI 5048 were also brought into line with the new underlying conditions referred to above.

Further inspections of machines and renewed evaluation of the checklist such as had been performed in the preceding project were not planned. Conversely, feedback from the checklist's users on its content was taken into account during the update. The database application originally developed was retained as the tool for processing of the checklist. The project was edited once again by the interdisciplinary team of experts from the areas of occupational biomechanics and stresses and of man-machine interfaces and machine safety.

Results:

The results of the project have appeared in the form of the following publications: the second edition (December 2010) of BG informative publication BGI/GUV-I 5048-1 on the ergonomic design of metal machining tools/checklist and evaluation sheet, and the second edition checklist.

The two BG informative publications can be applied to the following machine tools: CNC machining centres, CNC automated lathes, manually operated lathes, manually operated milling machines, box-column drilling machines, hack sawing machines, folding presses, guillotine shears, CNC face grinding machines, external cylindrical grinding machines, internal cylindrical grinding machines.

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