Evaluation of the health and safety status in the Porcelain Manufacturing Industry Using the Elmeri index

In order to prevent accidents and protect workers' health, identifying and assessing risks is a basic priority. Most studies that have evaluated occupational health and safety performance have used retrospective methods, and few studies have used preventive methods. This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating health and safety using the Elmeri quantitative index and the JSA method.

This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in the work units of a porcelain factory and 105 workstations. Nine units, including raw material preparation, forming, molding and casting, pressing, polishing, glazing, oven, decoration, and packaging were investigated. The results were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software.

According to the JSA, the highest amount of risk was in packaging and the lowest in payment. The total Elmeri index was 59.8. The highest total score of the Elmeri index was related to the pre-pressing unit with a score of 76% and at a good level, and the scores of the molding and casting, forming, polishing, furnace, glazing, and packaging units were 63, 60, 55, 55.6, 67.6, and 58.4, respectively, which were at a medium level. The decor unit was at a weak level with a total Elmeri index score of 46.1.

Considering that the observational Elmeri index can show the level of safety and health very quickly, it is recommended to first prioritize the units in the industry based on the results obtained from this method and conduct a comprehensive review of these units using more accurate methods if needed.