RAMP – a risk management tool for manual handling
R&D-project: The project, which is a collaboration between KTH, Arla Foods, Scania and some smaller companies, has the objective to develop, implement and disseminate an IT- based assessment tool for physical ergonomics designated to assess work and provide a structure to find and take appropriate actions when needed.
Background
The initiative for this project comes from one of the major food industry companies in Sweden, Arla Foods, which identified the need for a method of managing stress ergonomic risks in manual handling work and which can be used to support systematic work environment work at companies to reduce the risk of and the effects of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A project was formed to meet this need.
Objective
The objective was to develop a freely available risk management tool for assessing and managing risks in manual handling work, focusing on physical stress, as well as providing a structure and support for finding and taking appropriate measures to reduce risks. The aim has also been that the method should be research based. The long-term objective of the project is to reduce musculoskeletal disorders and sickness absence caused by them. The goal has been to develop a risk management method, spread it and evaluate its implementation.
Organization, financing and expected results
The project's expected results were a new risk management method, its dissemination and an evaluation of its implementation. The tool has been developed in collaboration between mainly KTH and some participating companies, an expert group and a reference group and based on scientific basis. The work has been financed mainly by AFA Insurance (AFA Försäkring), the participating companies and by part of FORTE (the research program "Future Occupational Health Care"). The project was conducted by the Unit of Ergonomics at KTH Royal Institute of Technology with Linda Rose as PI and Carl Lind employed as a PhD student in the project.
Results
RAMP (Risk Assessment and Management tool for manual handling Proactively) is a new risk management tool for assessing and managing the risks associated with manual handling. It consists of four modules: RAMP I - a checklist for screening load ergonomic risk factors; RAMP II - enabling an in-depth analysis; A Results module where the results can be visualized with different level of detail and scope and an Action module that supports the systematic work environment work, including Action suggestions and a template for designing Action plans to reduce the risks.
Current state
Information about the RAMP tool and tool in a digitized form is freely available via the ramp.proj.kth.se website since May 2017. RAMP has been implemented in some companies and an implementation study has been completed. Information about the method has been spread and will continue to be spread through various channels, including conferences, scientific publications and articles in various media, education, KTH STH's website, the FHV program website and the newsletters and via the participating organizations' contact networks.
Project duration
2010-2014 and release of RAMP in digital form 2017
Key-words
model, physical ergonomics, assessment tool, Work related musculoskeletal injuries, manual handling.
More information
Read more about the RAMP tool and download the digitized RAMP tools on the website ramp.proj.kth.se .
Contact
Linda Rose, PI for RAMP, Associate Professor. E-mail: Mail to Linda Rose Phone: +46(8) 790 94 96
Jörgen Eklund, Professor. E-mail: jorgen.eklund@sth.kth.se. Phone: +46(8) 790 48 66.
Carl Lind, PhD Student. Mail to Carl Lind Phone: +46(8) 790 97 21.