Formalized Approach in Prevention through Design and Detailed Definition of the Input Data on the Basis of Occurred Accidents: Some Experiences at Italian Extractive Activities

The paper deals with the principia and results of a formalized approach in Prevention Through Design applied to a number of North Western Italian extractive activities. The goal of an effective occupational Risk Analysis and Management, coherent to the national enforcements of the European safety regulations for the exploitation plan and development, nvolves a pro-active approach. The statistical data confirms in fact that the extractive activities should be considered with special care, due to the impressive figures of work related accidents (in number and seriousness), and of the health impairments associated with the presence of quite noxious pollutants at the workplaces. Taken into account on one hand the impressive developments in the geotechnics – geomechanic sciences, and in the mining techniques and technologies, and on the other hand the results of the recent epidemiologic surveys, in particular with reference to the possible criticality of the silica dust, a Prevention through Design approach appears to be the only solution to correctly manage the substantially modified overall safety situation. Obviously, the availability of reliable input data drawn from occurred accidents is essential for the development of an exhaustive Risk Analysis and Management in the Prevention through Design proactive approach. To overcome the physiological limits to the work related accidents available databases, and to get detailed information on the chain of intermediate events up to the root causes laying at the very base on an accident, a special technique was developed, useful also to pinpoint the safety measures necessary to prevent the accident. The characteristic of the technique and the possible results are discussed, together with the possibilities and advantages of its implementation in a computer assisted tool.