CUELA Introductory Project

Status:

completed 03/2005

Aims:

The BG Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BGIA) has developed a prototype of a personal measurement system (CUELA), the purpose of which is to provide objective measurement of the musculo-skeletal loading in prevention activity, and also to facilitate rulings upon cases of occupational disease BK 2108. This system enables spinal stress to be measured at workplaces under practical conditions and over longer periods of time. It has been tested for approximately five years at a large number of different workplaces. As it is not yet ready for series production, the measurement system could be used only by the developers within BGIA. BGIA personnel were therefore still required for performance of any measurements. As a commercial manufacturer has not yet been found to conduct the necessary further development, simplify the system's use and market a complete, turnkey product, BGIA launched a short production run of the CUELA system for interested institutions for statutory accident insurance and prevention (BGs), and trained experts of the BGs concerned in its use.

Activities/Methods:

As the current system could be operated only by its developers in the BGIA, it required further development in order to simplify user operation. In addition, technical developments in electronics and PC technology also permitted further improvements in the system. In the first year of the project, the existing CUELA system was therefore developed further, and improvements were made in wearer comfort, weight, ease of use, and data evaluation functionality incorporated into it. Thereafter the system was manufactured for interested BGs. Production was followed by a training phase, involving intensive instruction for the future users of the CUELA system. The support was extended from training, through real-case measurement, to evaluation of the data. In the final year of the project, the BGIA continued to be available to the users to answer queries and provide service support.

Results:

The CUELA measurement system has been fundamentally upgraded for external use in the technical inspectorates of the BGs. A comprehensive user manual has also been produced. The measurement system was delivered to seven BGs in early 2004, accompanied by intensive training courses. The measurement system was then used for a large number of plant measurements in the member companies of the BGs taking part in the project. The measured data were analysed by the BGs in close co-operation with the BGIA. Technical issues are discussed by all CUELA users within the BGs in a CUELA user group, which meets regularly. These users are now able to use the complex measurement system independently.

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