Riesgos mecánicos en el departamento de obras públicas del GAD Latacunga

Abstract

The safety of workers is a matter of utmost relevance today, both for private and public companies. For this reason, the current research project aims to identify and assess the risks most prevalent in the activities carried out by workers in the metal-mechanical industrial workshop of the GAD Latacunga. The risk assessment focused specifically on mechanical risks. The absence of occupational risk management means that workshop workers are exposed to various risks that threaten their safety, health, and physical integrity. In order to detect risk factors in the activities conducted in the industrial workshop, various tools were utilized, including interviews, checklists, description sheets, and a triple-criteria matrix. These tools allowed for detailing the risks to which workers are exposed. By applying the PGV methodology (Probability, Severity, Vulnerability), it was possible to identify and evaluate risk factors, resulting in a total of 262 identified elements. Out of these, 35 correspond to physical factors, 143 to mechanical factors, 28 to chemical factors, 29 to biological factors, 12 to ergonomic factors, 15 to psychosocial factors, and no major explosion risks were identified. Once the risks with the highest prevalence in the workshop were identified, their assessment was carried out using the technical standard NTP 330. This standard allowed for evaluating each of the mechanical risks present in the activity, assigning them a level of action classified as acceptable, improvable, correctable, or critical situation. Finally, a prevention plan for mechanical risks was developed, consisting of three phases: an initial phase establishing policies and objectives, an operational phase covering identification, evaluation, and prevention, and lastly, a supervision phase involving monitoring and control. The goal of this plan is to minimize and prevent risks in the work areas