by Shane Henson — September 19, 2011—The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently announced the approval of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ASSE Z590.3 standard, Prevention through Design: Guidelines for Addressing Occupational Risks in Design and Redesign Processes. Facilities personnel working in all industries and in various types of buildings will likely appreciate the breadth of standard Z590.3 as it focuses on the avoidance, elimination, reduction and control of occupational safety and health hazards and risks in the design and redesign process, as well as reducing the cost of retrofitting needed.
Through the application of the concepts presented in the standard, decisions about occupational hazards and risks can be incorporated into the process of design and redesign of work areas, tools, equipment, machinery, substances and work processes. Design and redesign also includes construction, manufacture, use, maintenance and disposal or reuse of equipment used on the job.
One of the key elements of this standard is that it provides guidance for “life-cycle” assessments and a design model that balances environmental and occupational safety and health goals over the life span of a facility, process or product. The Z590.3 focuses on the four key stages of occupational risk management. The pre-operational, operational, post incident and post operational stages are all addressed within.
According to ASSE, Z590.3 complements, but does not replace, performance objectives existing in other specific standards and procedures. The goals of applying prevention through design concepts in an occupational setting are to: achieve acceptable risk level; prevent or reduce occupationally related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities; and reduce the cost of retrofitting necessary to mitigate hazards and risks that were not sufficiently addressed in the design or redesign processes.
The newly approved Z590.3 standard will be available soon in print and electronically.
