Environmental and occupational risk analysis in an asphalt manufacturing plant

Abstract

The risks inherent to the asphalt production process are related, among other things, also to atmospheric emissions of chemical pollutants, which can also affect the health of workers involved in its production and use. It is in this context that the present research was developed, in which an evaluation of environmental and occupational risks was carried out at an asphalt plant located in the city of Pelotas, in the southern region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the city's port region. This plant produces an average of about 450 tons of asphalt per month. All the production is applied daily in the maintenance of the city's municipal roads, in paving projects, and in the requalification of paved roads. To this end, an analysis of the risks in the process was performed, both in environmental and occupational terms. Some typical management tools were used, such as the Preliminary Risk Analysis (PRA) and the application of the Ishikawa Diagram, Action Plans (5W1H), within the four main stages of the production flow of the study's asphalt manufacturing plant: aggregates, plant operation, plant maintenance, and asphalt unloading. The PRA brought into direct evidence the risks and their probabilities. The Ishikawa Diagram helped in the identification of risks in the process stages. These two tools used in an integrated way showed the main problems during the execution of the activities that are part of the process under study. The need for standardization in the performance of activities and training programs for workers, both related to the production process and to Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) for the recognition of the risks they are exposed to, stood out in the use of the two risk analysis tools. The PRA method contributed strongly in the survey and evaluation of risks. The 5W1H technique, in turn, helped in the organization and planning of actions aimed at risk mitigation, through process improvements.