THE RISK ASSESSMENT

The Italian Legislative Decree 81/2008, commonly known as the 'Consolidated Law on Occupational Health and Safety' or ‘Testo unico in materia di salute e sicurezza sul lavoro’, defines the non-transferable obligations of employers in Article 17. One of these obligations is to conduct a risk assessment of all potential hazards and prepare a Risk Assessment Document.

Article 28 outlines the specific features that this document needs to include:

• The risk assessment should focus on the selection of work equipment, ensuring that it is safe and appropriate for the employees' job requirements (refer to articles 70-71 of Legislative Decree 81/2008).

• All risks to safety and health during work activities must be evaluated.

• The document should provide information on the prevention and protection measures implemented, as well as the personal protective equipment being used.

• It is important to establish and plan measures aimed at continually improving safety levels and managing this program effectively.

• Procedures for implementing the identified measures should be identified, and the roles within the organization responsible for carrying them out should be assigned to qualified individuals.

Our consultancy

With over 20 years of experience in various sectors of production, at mtm consulting srl we specialize in the design and development of risk assessment documents, procedures, and operating instructions in compliance with the requirements of Legislative Decree 81/2008.

We also provide support in assessing specific risks, including:

• Fire risk
• Risk of potentially explosive atmospheres
• Risk associated with handling heavy loads: >3 kg NIOSH method, Snook and Cirillo method, Ocra method for cumulative trauma disorders
• Chemical risk
• Work-related stress risk
• Risk for working mothers
• Risk from artificial optical radiation
• Emergency Plan drafting
• Assessment of the minimum safety requirements for machines used in the company without the CE marking (as outlined in Annex V).

In addition to our consulting and document drafting services, we offer customers the assurance of our work through our Digital Document Validation service.

If you would like to learn more about specific risks, please visit the news section of our website and subscribe to our newsletter for updates (available in Italian only). Alternatively, if you would like dedicated advice, please do not hesitate to contact us by clicking the button below.

MACHINERY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT SAFETY

Articles 70, 71, and 72 of the Italian Legislative Decree 81/2008 outline the employer's obligations regarding workplace equipment. These obligations include:

1. Ensuring that the equipment provided to workers meets safety requirements. This is determined by:

• Annex V for equipment that was made available to workers before the implementation of European Community product directives.
• Annex VI, which aims to minimize risks associated with equipment use and prevent its unsuitable usage.

2. Establishing methods for selecting work equipment intended for use by employees.

3. Properly installing, maintaining, and updating equipment to ensure its continued safety during use, maintenance, and other operations.

4. Managing any modifications made to equipment to better suit production needs or cycles.

5. Providing training to equipment users to ensure safe and proper usage.

6. Ensuring that accompanying documentation is available and complies with legal requirements. This includes the EC Declaration of Conformity for Machinery, the Declaration of Incorporation for Partly Completed Machinery, the Instruction Manual for Machinery, and Assembly Instructions for Almost All Machinery.

7. Verifying that purchased equipment from suppliers complies with applicable safety requirements outlined in Directive 2006/42/EC. It's important to note that the presence of the CE marking on equipment does not exempt the employer from responsibility in the event of an accident.

8. Managing the maintenance and maintenance activities for equipment.

9. Conducting periodic and scheduled checks to ensure equipment remains in good condition and safe.

10. Fulfilling registration obligations related to equipment.

11. Conducting regular checks for specific types of equipment, as indicated in Annex VII to Legislative Decree 81/2008.

12. Ensuring that renters and lessors of equipment fulfill their obligations regarding its usage.

Our consultancy

With over twenty years of experience in the CE marking machinery field, mtm consulting srl offers comprehensive assistance to employers in navigating product directives such as the Machinery Directive, ATEX Directive, PED Directive, and Medical Devices Regulation. We are committed to providing full support to employers in addressing all the points above.

In addition to our consulting and support services, mtm also offers a guarantee of our work through our digital Document Validation Service.

Would you like to learn more? Simply click the button below to get in touch with us!

THE MANUAL HANDLING OF LOADS

The term 'manual handling of loads' refers to the tasks involved in transporting or supporting a load by one or more workers. These tasks include lifting, setting down, pushing, pulling, carrying, or moving a load that, due to its characteristics or unfavorable ergonomic conditions, carries the risk of biomechanical overload-related pathologies, particularly in the back-lumbar and musculoskeletal areas, among others.

The obligation to assess the risk associated with manual handling of loads is governed by Articles 167, 168, 169, and 170 of Italian Legislative Decree 81/2008. Additionally, the attached document will assist employers in fulfilling their obligations outlined in Annex XXXIII of Legislative Decree 81/2008, along with a series of specific technical standards from UNI EN ISO 11228.

Our consultancy

With over 20 years of experience in the field, at mtm consulting srl we provide assistance in evaluating various manual handling of loads activities, for which we also provide the necessary equipment:

• Lifting activities, following the NIOSH method as described in the technical standard ISO 11228-1.
• Towing and pushing activities, following the Snook and Ciriello method as described in the technical standard ISO 11228-2.
• Repetitive Movements, following the OCRA method (or OCRA checklist) as described in the technical standard ISO 11228-3.

In addition to our consulting and support services, mtm also offers a guarantee of our work through our Digital Document Validation service.

If you would like to learn more, please click the button below to contact us!

THE ATEX ZONING

A potentially explosive atmosphere refers to a mixture, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the form of gas, vapor, mists, or dust, where combustion can propagate throughout the unburned mixture once ignited.

The assessment of the risk of potentially explosive atmospheres forming within work areas is governed by Articles 287–297 of the Italian Legislative Decree 81/2008. According to these regulations, employers are required to:

• Evaluate the risk of potentially explosive atmospheres in the workplace.
• Classify areas where explosive atmospheres can form into zones (refer to Attachment XLIX of Legislative Decree 81/2008).
• Develop and regularly update the explosion protection document.
• Determine the minimum requirements to comply with (refer to Attachment L of Legislative Decree 81/2008).
• Utilize properly ATEX marked equipment in classified areas.

Our consultancy

Leveraging our extensive experience in applying Legislative Decree 81/2008 and the ATEX Product Directive 2014/34/EU, mtm consulting srl offers support to employers in the following areas:

• Zoning of areas, distinguishing between zones 0, 1, and 2 for gas presence, and zones 20, 21, and 22 for dust presence.
• Development and updating of explosion protection documents.
• Evaluation of equipment suitability for installation in classified areas.
• Determination of equipment requirements for use in classified areas.

In addition to our consulting and support services, mtm also offers a guarantee of our work through our Digital Document Validation service.

If you would like to learn more, please click the button below and contact us for a dedicated consultation. 

DIGITAL DOCUMENT VALIDATION

At mtm consulting srl, we not only provide consulting and document drafting services, but we also offer a validation certificate for the content of the documents we produce. That's because we are confident in the high quality of our services and that your products will comply with the applicable regulations.

Furthermore, we can also validate the content of existing documents created by you or third parties after checking their quality.

Our validation service has two main benefits:

• Assures that your product conforms to the relevant directives and regulations.

• Demonstrates that you have correctly followed the CE procedure, including the necessary documentation, without the need to share it with third parties (customers, supervisory authorities, branches, representatives, importers, exporters, etc.). Confidentiality is important to us!

Please note that this service is also available for UKCA marking.

If you would like to learn more, click the button below to contact us for more information!