Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance
The Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA) is a German institute located in Sankt Augustin near Bonn and is a main department of the German Social Accident Insurance. Belonging to the Statutory Accident Insurance means that IFA is a non-profit institution.
Tasks
The IFA supports the German institutions for social accident insurance and their organisations in solving scientific and technical problems relating to occupational safety and health. The missions of IFA contain the following objectives:
research, development and investigations
testing of products and material samples
workplace measurements and advice
participation in standardisation and regulation setting bodies
technical information and expertise
testing and certification of products and quality management systems for producers and companies. The certified products and manufacturers can be found in the certificate database
The IFA provides international proficiency testing (PT) schemes for laboratories and measuring stations.
The IFA works closely with 23 international OSH institutes and is member of PEROSH, a European research federation.
The director of the IFA is member of the Zero Accident Forum.
Fields of activity of the IFA
Chemical/biological hazards (dusts, gases, vapours)
Analysis of metals and selected inorganic pollutants
Analysis of organic and inorganic pollutants (Liquid chromatography)
Analysis of organic pollutants (Gas chromatography)
Biological agents
Dust - Fibres
Emission of hazardous substances
Exposure assessment
Exposure database (MEGA)
Measuring system exposure assessment of the German Social Accident Insurance Institutions (MGU)
Personal protective equipment (PPE) against chemical/biological hazards
Protective measures
Substance- and product-related data (GESTIS, e.g. GESTIS Substance Database, ISi, GESTIS-Stoffenmanager)
Techniques for measurement of vapours and gases
Techniques for particle measurement
Toxicology of industrial chemicals
Dust explosions
Physical hazards
Database on physical exposure
Hand-arm vibration
Hot/cold surfaces
Noise measurement
Noise protection/Hearing protection
PPE against physical hazards
Radiation
Whole body vibration
Ergonomics
Ergonomic methods and processes for recording and evaluating work-induced load on the musculo-skeletal system
Conducting measurements using the CUELA system. CUELA is a personal measurement system employing modern sensor technology to be worn on the work clothing. The associated software interprets the measured data automatically in accordance with ergonomic criteria and helps to implement prevention measures.
Ergonomic design of human-machine interfaces
Planning and setting up exposure databases on physical loads
Ergonomic aspects of head-mounted displays and smart glasses
Risk assessment of exoskeletons
Studies into the promotion of physical activity by means of dynamic office workplaces
Epidemiology
Accident prevention/Product safety
Fluid power
Material science and tools
Protective devices and control systems
Safety of machines and installations
Structural engineering/Constructional elements
Transport and traffic
Collaborative robots (COBOTS)
Virtual reality in human-system interaction
Industrial security
Trustworthy artificial intelligence
Interdisciplinary services
Basic and further training
Co-operations
Information management
Information technology
Media contact
Risk assessment
Publications
Publications referring the work results of IFA can be found in a database.
The IFA is editor of Databases on hazardous substances (GESTIS): GESTIS Substance Database offers information to about 8,800 substances and is free of charge. A mobile version suitable for smartphones and tablets is also available. The GESTIS Biological Agents Database contains information for safe handling of biological agents at the workplace. GESTIS-Stoffenmanager® is an online tool for risk assessment during activities with hazardous substances. GESTIS-DUST-EX is a database on combustion and explosion characteristics of dusts. GESTIS also offers a database with a collection of international occupational limit values for hazardous substances, additionally available as a mobile app.
IFA’s exposure database MEGA provides data on hazardous chemicals gathered through atmospheric measurements and material analyses since 1972. It is determined to support the institutions for statutory accident insurance and prevention with epidemiological issues or retrospective considerations related to occupational diseases.
History
The precursor institute of the IFA – dedicated to dust abatement - was founded in 1935 and reestablished in 1953. In 1976 the institute for noise abatement in Mainz was included. In 1980 the institute – then named BIA – moved to Sankt Augustin near Bonn. In 2003 the name changed to BGIA and in 2007 the institute obtained its present-day name on occasion of the fusion of the German social accident insurance institutions in the commercial and the public sector. Since the beginning of 2010 the abbreviated designation is IFA.
External links
IFA website
IFA/IAG-Database publications
IFA-Manual
IFA-Arbeitsmappe
References
Occupational safety and health organizations
Medical and health organisations based in North Rhine-Westphalia
Organisations based in Bonn