Practical Resources - Publications

This comparative report presents findings on how the Online interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) operates and is utilised across diverse national and contextual settings. It is built on qualitative research done in France, Cyprus, Slovenia and Lithuania. Results confirm that OiRA is specifically suitable for MSEs. The study gives insights into how OiRA is used and what features end-users appreciate on OiRA. It shows that beyond the intended target group of MSEs OiRA also succeeds in reaching out to  companies of all sizes as well as external OSH service providers. In addition, its added value for educational purposes was highlighted in a range of different contexts.

This report presents findings on the use and effectiveness of Online interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) in workplaces in Lithuania.OiRA is assessed by Lithuanian users as very useful for supporting them in the risk assessment process. The application was valued for being free of charge as well as supporting the transition from external to internal risk assessments.The report shows diverse ways of using OiRA, as a stand-alone tool or as a complementary information provision tool to support companies with knowledge. In both cases companies are motivated to use OiRA tools. Areas for improvement to realise more widespread use of OiRA in Lithuania include technical issues, the need for increased support and training, and more sector-specific and topic-specific coverage.

This report presents findings from a study on the use and effectiveness of using the Online interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) in workplaces in Slovenia. A key takeaway is that in Slovenia external OSH service providers play a prominent role in risk assessments and in using OiRA. Additionally, OiRA seems to be often used as a complementary tool for assuring legal coverage of the broad range of topics that are to be included in a RA.OiRA was also assessed as very user-friendly. Its capability to support employers in learning about OSH and RA were appreciated by companies and OSH service providers equally. 

This report presents findings on the use and effectiveness of Online interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) in workplaces in Cyprus.The qualitative research reveals that OiRA in Cyprus is regarded as user friendly and enables users with little to no prior knowledge of occupational safety and health to conduct a risk assessment. Apart from the usability, another key strength of OiRA is its reference to Cypriot safety and health legislation. Further the research shows that not only MSEs but also larger companies as well as OSH experts and service providers benefit from OiRA. 

Risk assessment is the basis for occupational safety and health, and the key to proper risk assessment is choosing an approach that is standardised and easy to use. Just ask the French!France is home to one third of all small and micro companies currently using EU-OSHA’s Online interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA) tool. Before trying the platform, they did not use any systematic risk assessment system or they relied on paper-based tools. From the study of 40 companies in France, the report presents a set of recommendations on how to best approach and support companies for better use of OiRA.In addition to the full report there is also a summary available here.

This case study highlights the ambitious implementation of the Cypriot promotional strategy by the Cypriot OiRA Partner and its strategic partners during the last few years. It shows the success story of Cyprus in raising awareness of the importance of conducting a risks assessment in a quick and reliable way.The promotional measures for the 11 Oira tools tailored for various activity sectors in Cyprus can serve as an example for promotion of OiRA tools in other Member States.

This OSHwiki article gives background information about the OiRA approach. 

This case study presents the latest developments and promotional activities implemented within the French OiRA approach.

The article gives and an overview on how OiRA is reflected in national OSH strategies and legislation.

This case study looks at how a multinational car manufacturer has successfully adapted EU-OSHA’s OiRA software to support coordinated, company-wide risk assessment. Although the software was originally created with micro and small enterprises in mind, this example demonstrates OiRA’s versatility. It explores the challenges that the company faced initially, what has been achieved and the opportunities that implementing the software has created — including cost savings, promoting worker involvement and the potential to roll out the software in several languages. The case study also highlights how this company’s approach to tailoring the OiRA software is transferable, offering potential other multinationals.