Physical Agents and Working Environment

Physical agents, such as noise, radiation or vibrations, continue to represent significant occupational stress factors alongside badly designed aspects of the working environment, such as unfavourable climatic conditions in the workplace.

Inside a pulp mill
© Uwe Völkner, Fotoagentur FOX

For the most part, the concepts behind the corresponding limit values are complex and the relevant parameters for risk assessment are not easily determined. This poses a challenge, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, which often lack the necessary skills or resources. As a result, risk assessments are often carried out inadequately if conducted at all.

Development of practicable methods

Essentially, the aim of BAuA's activities in research and development projects is to set out practicable methods for determining physical parameters, which can then be used to assess risks. To this end, experts at BAuA work to refine models and calculation and assessment methods on a continual basis.

Guidance for businesses

In addition, BAuA uses research results to derive practicable protective measures, as well as offering a series of guidelines and decision-making aids for those involved in occupational safety. These make it easier not only to conduct a proper risk assessment but also, for example, to purchase safe work equipment.

Policy advice and regulation

BAuA incorporates the findings of research and development projects into its policy advice and into the formulation of standards and regulations. To this end, experts at BAuA play an active role in panels and committees at the national and European level.

Research Projects

Project numberF 2495 StatusCompleted Project Practice-oriented simplification of noise emission measurement methods - SP 4: Determining the local environmental correction for the emission sound pressure level according to DIN EN ISO 11202

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Research completed

Project numberF 2483 StatusCompleted Project Simplified risk assessment of incoherent high-power spotlights

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Research completed

Project numberF 2475 StatusCompleted Project Interactions of indoor climate, noise and lighting in workplaces

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Research completed

Project numberF 2451 StatusCompleted Project Practical Approach for Sound Prediction on the Basis of Noise Emission Data

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Research completed

Project numberF 2450 StatusCompleted Project Practice-oriented simplification of noise emission measurement methods, Sub-project 2: Improving the practicability of the sound intensity method

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Research completed

Project numberF 2449 StatusCompleted Project Occupational circadian effective light exposure

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Research completed

Project numberF 2448 StatusCompleted Project Effect of light on the alertness during the day: Dependence on the spectral composition of light and the exposure time

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Research completed

Project numberF 2443 StatusCompleted Project Headphones and Headsets for reducing background speech in office work

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Research completed

Project numberF 2442 StatusCompleted Project Ageing resistance of laser protection filters

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Research completed

Project numberF 2439 StatusOngoing Project Effects of background noise on cognitive performance at work

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Research ongoing

Project numberF 2438 StatusCompleted Project Noise emissions from machines - simple approximate determination of the environmental correction for the noise emission determination

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Research completed

Project numberF 2427 StatusCompleted Project Effects of the acoustical work environment on reading performance and well-being in employees

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Research completed

Project numberF 2422 StatusCompleted Project UV radiation exposure during welding, Subproject 3 "Requirements for protective components during welding"

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Research completed

Project numberF 2391 StatusCompleted Project Interactive guidance for the measurement of physical agents within the scope of risk assessment

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Research completed

Project numberF 2392 StatusCompleted Project Simulated room acoustics of exemplary offices

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Research completed

Project numberF 2377 StatusCompleted Project UV radiation exposure during welding, Subproject 2 "Biological efficacy of intermittent and pulsed incoherent optical radiation"

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Research completed

Project numberF 2368 StatusCompleted Project UV radiation exposure during welding, Subproject 1 "Determination of UV exposure during welding"

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Research completed

Project numberF 2355 StatusCompleted Project Determination of the actual light exposure from natural and artificial sources with regard to circadian effects in shift-working employees - Joint project between BAuA and PHE

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Research completed

Project numberF 2347 StatusCompleted Project Simplification of noise emission measurement methods for the application in practice

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Research completed

Project numberF 2335 StatusCompleted Project Laser resistance of protective filters as a function of beam diameter

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Research completed

Project numberF 2310 StatusCompleted Project Dazzling by artificial optical radiation under mesopic conditions

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Research completed

Project numberF 2299 StatusCompleted Project Impact of AmI-based-ventilation and air conditioning machines (RLT) on indoor climate applied on the phenomenon "dry climate" - AmI-based regulation of indoor climate

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Research completed

Project numberF 2254 StatusCompleted Project Applicable measurement procedures for risk assessments of physical agents

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Research completed

Project numberF 2170 StatusCompleted Project Noise exposure of pupils

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Research completed

Project numberF 2161 StatusCompleted Project Auralization for office design

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Research completed

Project numberF 2158 StatusCompleted Project Safety installations for hand-guided laser machining

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Research completed

Project numberF 2115 StatusCompleted Project Measurement procedure for the risk assessment of light emitting diodes (LEDs)

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Research completed

Project numberF 2060 StatusCompleted Project Noise emission classes of office computer systems

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Research completed

Project numberF 2039 StatusCompleted Project Assessment of the thermal stress in working premises where there are elevated outdoor temperatures

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Research completed

Project numberF 2036 StatusCompleted Project Protective components to reduce solar UV exposure at outdoor workers

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Research completed

Publications

Search results

Adapting workplaces to climate change

Article 2024

The complete article "Adapting workplaces to climate change" can be purchased at the Website "Social Europe".

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Arc Welding Exposure Disk

Wheel 2024

It is absolutely essential for every welder to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to prevent severe UV-induced …

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Machine Noise - Experimental Study of the Local Environmental Correction for the Emission Sound Pressure Level

Article 2024

Determining reliable noise emission values for machinery is key to successfully implement the Sell and Buy Quiet concept. ISO …

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Non-auditory effects of noise at work: an overview and perspective

Article 2024

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Occupational solar exposure and basal cell carcinoma. A review of the epidemiologic literature with meta-analysis focusing on particular methodological aspects

Article 2024

Background: Numerous epidemiologic studies and a few systematic reviews have investigated the association between occupational …

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Proposal and practicality of an alternative blue-light hazard risk assessment method for high-intensity white-light sources at workplaces

Article 2024

Objectives: It is prescribed to determine blue-light hazard (BLH) weighted radiances, LB, for an assessment of spotlights with …

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Report on the NOMAD pre-market surveillance exercise regarding noise information in sales literature of machines

baua: Fokus 2024

This report, prepared by the NOMAD Task Force and presented to the Machinery ADCO in June 2023, focuses on a pre-market …

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Sound power determination by intensity - Are field indicators and criteria in ISO 9614 meaningful?

Article 2024

The three parts of ISO 9614 describe methods for the determination of the sound power level of noise sources. According to these …

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Audio-visual induced mental workload: research methodology with disruptive soundscapes and electroencephalography

Article 2023

Attention is a cognitive function necessary at work. Attention needs to be continuously controlled by the employee to reach …

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Built-in safety - Safe design of hand-held and hand-operated laser tools

baua: Guidance brief 2023

Hand-held and hand-operated laser tools (HLTs) for material processing are established in a number of fields of application in …

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