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EFFECT OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RISK MANAGEMENT ON

THE RATE OF WORK-RELATED ACCIDENTS IN THE BULGARIAN FURNITURE
INDUSTRY

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 ISSN 1857 - 8381 (print)
ISSN 1857 - 9140 (on-line)
UDC 674

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University - Skopje

Faculty of Design and Technologies of Furniture and Interior - Skopje

WOOD,
Design
&
Technology

Volume 7. No. 1.
Skopje 2018
INTERNATIONAL INDEXED JOURNAL

ISSN 1857 - 8381 (PRINT) ISSN 1857 - 9140 (ONLINE)

SS. CYRIL AND METHODIUS UNIVERSITY IN SKOPJE

FACULTY OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGIES
OF FURNITURE AND INTERIOR – SKOPJE
REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

WOOD, DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

JOURNAL OF

WOOD SCIENCE, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Vol. 7, No 1, Pg. 1-68

Skopje, 2018
WOOD, DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY
Scientific, Professional and Information Journal of Wood Science, Design and Technology
Vol. 7, No.1 / Pg. 1- 68, Skopje, 2018
UDC 674
ISSN 1857-8381(print)
ISSN 1857-9140(online)

Published by
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia
Faculty of Design and Technologies of Furniture and Interior, Skopje
Dean
Zoran TRPOSKI, Ph.D.

Editor in chief
Goran ZLATESKI, Ph.D. Faculty of Design and Technologies of Furniture and Interior, Skopje, Macedonia

Editors:
Borche ILIEV, Ph.D. Faculty of Design and Technologies of Furniture and Interior – Skopje, Macedonia
Vladimir KARANAKOV, Ph.D. Faculty of Design and Technologies of Furniture and Interior, Skopje,
Macedonia
Goran ZLATESKI, Ph.D. Faculty of Design and Technologies of Furniture and Interior, Skopje, Macedonia

Editorial Board:
Remy MARCHAL, LaBoMaP / A&M ParisTech Rue Porte de Paris 71250 Cluny, France
Jan SEDLIACIK, Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G.Masasyka 24
96053 Zvolen, Slovakia
Ottaviano ALLEGRETTI, CNR IVALSA - Timber and Trees Institute via Biasi 75 38010, San Michele
all'Adige (TN), Italy
Zeljko GORISEK, Department of Wood Science and Technology, Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana,
Slovenija
Mladen BREZOVIC, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Forestry, Croatia
Julija MIHAJLOVA DIMITROVA, University of Forestry, Faculty of Forest Industry, Sofia, Bulgaria
Anatolii CHUBINSKII, Saint-Petersburg State Forest Technical University, Faculty of Mechanical Technology
of Wood, Russia
Atif HODZIC, University of Bihac, Faculty of Technical Engineering, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sergej MEDVED, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Slovenija
Alan ANTONOVIC, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Forestry, Croatia
Mitko NACEVSKI, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia, Faculty of Design and
Technologies of Furniture and Interior, Skopje
Branko RABADJISKI, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia, Faculty of Design and
Technologies of Furniture and Interior, Skopje
Konstantin BAHCHEVANDJIEV, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia, Faculty of Design
and Technologies of Furniture and Interior, Skopje

Language Editor: Marija AVSHAR

Editorial Office :
Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje
Faculty of Design and Technologies of Furniture and Interior – Skopje
Ul. 16 Makedonska Brigada br. 3, PO box 223, 1000 Skopje, Macedonia
Phone/Fax: +389(2)6154590
E – mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.fdtme.ukim.edu.mk/en/wood_journal/index.html

All rights reserved

©2018 Faculty of Design and Technologies of Furniture and Interior, Skopje, Macedonia
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying recording or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without written permission from the copyright holder.

Printed by KUKOM – Skopje, Macedonia

 Preface

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to present, with great pleasure, the seventh volume of the Journal “Wood, Design
& Technology”. This volume includes six research papers.
In the first paper Antov et al. analyzed the effects of occupational safety and health (OSH)
management practices on the rate of work – related accidents in Bulgarian furniture industry, and
identified the main occupational hazards. The authors concluded that general OSH awareness of
furniture enterprises in the country is related primarily to the fundamental occupational hazards,
identified by clustering analysis.
Veizović et al. studied the effect of heat treatment on colour, density and dimensional stability of
subfossil oak wood. The research showed that after heat treatment, subfossil oak wood retained its
natural colour, but its density decreased and its dimensional stability was reduced.
In their original research Deliiski et al. obtained polynomial equations which describe the change
in the processing air medium temperature Tm during freezing in a freezer and the subsequent defrosting
of logs using a software package Table Curve 2D. It was established that in the software of Visual
Fortran there are constraints which cause a sharp deterioration of the accuracy of calculation of Tm
when the polynomial equations contain members with a degree higher than 3.
Nikoljski Panevski and Takovska analysed the furniture in the Monastery complex in Berovo
from the beginning of the XIX century. The authors conclude that creating (designing) furniture and
interiors based on our spiritual and esthetic components brings us closer to the goal - designing
furniture that will make even the most subtle wishes come true and will meet the most basic functional
needs of people.
In the fifth paper Nikoljski Panevski and Trajkovska, made a thematic examination of the
constructive and aesthetical values in traditional Macedonian architecture in the city of Veles, in order
to endorse the architectural categories raised in all national constructive creations on Macedonian
ground. It was found that the peculiar relationship between tradition and modernity has always been
one of the main issues regarding the future of the furniture design.
The paper by Asemota and Ayoola describes the sawdust inhalation problem in a sawmill
environment. The research showed that in a sawmill safety measures should be taken, such as use of
hand gloves, wearing and putting on breathing masks so as to reduce exposure and in that way to
reduce the risk of being affected by any of the resultant disorders or diseases caused by sawdust. In
addition to that, the working space should be relatively large in order to decrease concentration of
inhalable sawdust in the air.
In the last, also original paper, Antonović et al explored group chemical composition of the
Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) anatomical (macroscopic) wood parts before and after the impact
of low ground fire and high fire of the treetops at the height of the trees of 0, 2 m. and 4 m. The results
indicate that forest fires do not have any effect on Aleppo pine overall sapwood and heartwood.

Yours Sincerely,

Goran ZLATESKI

Editor-in-Chief
 CONTENTS

EFFECT OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RISK MANAGEMENT

ON THE RATE OF WORK – RELATED ACCIDENTS IN THE
BULGARIAN FURNITURE INDUSTRY
Petar Antov, Nikolay Neykov, Victor Savov ............................................................................................1

EFFECT OF HEAT TREATMENT ON COLOUR, DENSITY AND DIMENSIONAL

STABILITY OF SUBFOSSIL OAK WOOD
Marko Veizović, Zdravko Popović, Nebojša Todorović, Goran Milić .................................................10

COMPUTATION BY VISUAL FORTRAN OF POLINOMS, OBTAINED

BY MEANS OF SOFTWARE PACKAGE TABLE CURVE 2D
Nencho Deliiski, Natalia Tumbarkova, Goran Zlateski .........................................................................15

DECORATIVE VALUE OF THE BUILT-IN FURNITURE

IN BEROVO MONASTERY FACILITY FROM THE BEGINNING
OF THE XIX CENTURY
Elena Nikoljski Panevski, Elena Takovska ............................................................................................23

MACEDONIAN HOUSE FROM THE BEGINNING

OF THE XIX CENTURY IN VELES
Elena Nikoljski Panevski, Dragana Trajkovska ....................................................................................31

THE SAWDUST INHALATION PROBLEM IN

A SAWMILL ENVIRONMENT
Osazuwa Sidney Asemota, Sunday Ayoola Oke ...................................................................................39

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FIRED

ALEPPO PINE (Pinus halepensis Mill.) BIOMASS
Alan Antonović , Damir Barčić, Nikola Španić , Sergej Medved ,
Juraj Stanešić, Tomislav Podvorec , Matija Lozančić,
Sebastijan Štriga , Josip Ištvanić ...........................................................................................................54
 Antov, Neykov, Savov: Effect of occupational safety and health risk management on the rate of work ...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Original scientific paper

UDC:331.45/.46:684(497.2)”2001/2017”

EFFECT OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RISK MANAGEMENT

ON THE RATE OF WORK – RELATED ACCIDENTS IN THE
BULGARIAN FURNITURE INDUSTRY

Petar Antov1, Nikolay Neykov2, Victor Savov3

1
University of Forestry, Faculty of Forest Industry, Sofia, Bulgaria,
e-mail: [email protected]
2
University of Forestry, Faculty of Business Management, Sofia, Bulgaria,
e-mail: [email protected]
3
University of Forestry, Faculty of Forest Industry, Sofia, Bulgaria,
e-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of occupational safety and health (OSH)
management practices (in terms of comprehensive risk assessment) on the rate of work-related
accidents in the Bulgarian furniture industry, and to identify the main occupational hazards. Materials
and methods: The research was performed on basis of the officially published statistical data of
occupational accidents in Bulgaria and the developed risk assessment questionnaire, tailored to the
specific furniture industry characteristics. K-means clustering analysis was used for data interpretation
and analysis. Results: The adoption of strict OSH legislation and the implementation of risk
assessment procedures resulted in drop in occupational accident rate in the Bulgarian furniture
industry by 76.9% during the studied period, from 2001 to 2017. The questionnaire and k-means
analysis revealed different OSH awareness levels among the studied furniture enterprises.
Conclusions: The findings of the study can be applied for sustainable improvement of the existing
OSH measures and initiatives in the Bulgarian furniture industry.

Key words: occupational safety and health (OSH) management; risk assessment, work-related
accidents; accident rate; furniture industry

1. INTRODUCTION

Despite the significant improvements of working conditions in most of the European countries,
the rate of occupational accidents has remained persistently high in the recent decades. According to
some authors (Hämäläinen, P., Takala, J., & Kiat, T. B, 2017), an estimated 2.78 million workers lose
their lives every year as a direct consequence of occupational accidents and/or work-related disease -
higher values than the 2.33 million cases estimated by the International Labour Organization in 2014
(ILO, 2014). As a result, approximately 6300 people die every day due to occupational accidents and
work-related diseases. In addition, it was estimated that another 313 million people have suffered from
work-related injuries resulting in absence from work of four or more days. This represents an average
of 850,000 injuries per day. At the European level, in 2014 there were approximately 3.2 million non-
fatal accidents that resulted in at least four calendar days of absence from work and 3 739 fatal
accidents in the EU countries (Eurostat, 2014). The costs of work-related injuries and illness can be
substantial. The ILO has estimated that the direct and indirect costs of occupational accidents and
diseases lead to about 1.8% - 6% loss of annual gross domestic product worldwide, the average being
4% according to the ILO (Takala et al, 2014). Work-related injuries and illnesses result in the loss of
3.9% of all work-years globally and 3.3% of those in the EU, equivalent to a cost of approximately
2.680 billion and 476 billion, respectively (EU-OSHA, 2017). In general, 123.3 million disability-
adjusted life years (calculated as the sum of the years of life lost due to premature mortality in the

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 Antov, Neykov, Savov: Effect of occupational safety and health risk management on the rate of work ...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

population and the years lived with disability) for people living with the health condition or its
consequences.) are lost globally as a result of work-related injury and illness and 7,1 million in the
EU. 67.8 million of these are years of life lost due to fatal injury or illness (3.4 million in the EU) and
55.5 million are lived with disability (3.7 million in the EU) (EU-OSHA, 2017).
The number of occupational accidents is directly related to the respective economic sectors and
the total number of persons employed. In terms of industries, there are several sectors, characterized
by high levels of occupational risks, such as the construction, manufacturing, forestry, woodworking
and furniture industries, which account for more than two-thirds of all fatal accidents at work.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are particularly vulnerable to occupational risks as
they have fewer resources to put complex systems for worker protection in place. On the other hand,
the Bulgarian furniture industry is a dynamic and labour intensive economic sector with substantial
technological advances, comprised mainly by SMEs and micro firms (European Commission, 2018).
This puts the workers and employees in these companies in a highly dangerous work environment.
The main health and safety risk factors include working with machinery and equipment (25% of all
major accidents); fire and explosion; slips, trips and falls (HSE, OSHA); exposure to wood dust and
other hazardous substances (Mohan, Aprajita, & Panwar, 2013; Driscoll, Takala, Steenland, Corvalan,
& Fingerhut, 2005; Alonso-Sardón et al., 2015; Ratnasingam, Natthondan, Ioras, & McNulty, 2010);
exposure to increased levels of noise and vibrations at work (HSE, 2014; Ratnasingam & Ioras, 2010;
Skovgaard Nielsen, & Stewart, 2007); manual handling operations and musculoskeletal disorders
(Punnett et al., 2005; Thetkathuek & Meepradit, 2016), etc. These work-related injuries not only cause
human suffering for workers and their families but also result in significant economic costs to
individuals, businesses and society as a whole. The improvement of work environment in furniture
enterprises is desirable not only from the perspective of workers, but also contributes substantially to
labour productivity and promotes economic growth. The adoption of adequate occupational safety and
health practices increases the competitiveness and productivity of enterprises by reducing the costs
resulting from occupational accidents and by enhancing workers’ motivation. Moreover, a decrease in
work-related accidents and illness relieves the pressure on public and private social protection and
insurance systems.
In order to achieve continuous improvement of workers' safety and health, a systematic,
integrated, proactive, participative, and multiple-strategy approach towards Occupational Safety and
Health (OSH) management is needed. This is addressed by the Framework Directive 89/391/EEC
(European Union, 1989). The application of OSH management is based on relevant OSH criteria and
standards, and is aimed at preventing workplace incidents (Kjellén, 2000). Sound OSH management in
terms of adequate risk assessment and follow-up preventive measures, incorporated into the overall
management of an organization, and addressing regulatory, technical/engineering, organizational, and
managerial aspects, is critical to ensure OSH excellence (EU-OSHA, 2010).
The five-step risk assessment method, developed by the Health and Safety Executive in the
United Kingdom as a simple approach to manage risks, particularly in SMEs, has been endorsed
globally (ILO, 2011). This risk assessment procedure can be easily adapted to the size and scope of the
enterprise, as well as to the available human and financial resources.
The present study is aimed at analyzing and estimating the effects of applying OSH management
practices (in terms of comprehensive risk assessment) on the rate of work-related accidents in the
Bulgarian furniture industry on the basis of the officially published statistical data and the developed
risk assessment questionnaire, tailored to the specific furniture industry characteristics.

2. METHODS

According to the official definition of the ILO, occupational accident is “any unexpected and
unplanned occurrence arising out of or in the course of work which results in one or more workers
incurring a personal injury, disease or death” (OECD, 2002). The so called commuting accidents,
occurring on the direct way between the place of work and the worker’s residence, the place where the
worker usually takes his/her meals, or the place where the worker usually receives his/her
remuneration, which result in death or personal injury involving loss of working time, are considered
as occupational accidents. According to the applicable Bulgarian legislation, the term occupational
accident includes any sudden health impairment occurring during and in relation with the course of

2 International Journal - Wood, Design & Technology, Vol.7, No.1,(2018):1-9

 Antov, Neykov, Savov: Effect of occupational safety and health risk management on the rate of work ...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

work, as well as any work activity performed in the interest of the company which has caused
temporary incapacity for work, has permanently reduced working capacity or has led to death.
Pathological conditions due to diseases of any nature, such as epilepsy, chronic ischemic heart disease
(all clinical forms, including myocardial infarction), stroke, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, high
blood pressure and mental illness are not considered as sudden health impairments and cannot be
reported as occupational accidents (SSC, 1999). The national methodology and guidance for studying
and assessing the occupational traumatism is provided in the Statistical System Occupational
Accidents (NSI, 2014), adopted in 2001, which includes all the aspects of determining and classifying
the accidents at work. The national statistical system is developed on basis of the European Statistics
on Accidents at Work (ESAW) and ensures full compliance between the existing national legislation
and the requirements for reporting work-related accidents in the EU countries. Occupational accident
is defined in the ESAW methodology as “a discrete occurrence during the course of work which leads
to physical or mental harm” (ESAW, 2001).
The phrase ‘in the course of work’ means whilst engaged in an occupational activity or during the
time spent at work. Fatal accidents at work are those that lead to death of the victim within one year of
the accident. Non-fatal accidents at work are those that imply at least four full calendar days of
absence from work (also called ‘serious accidents at work’).
According to the applicable legislation, the risk assessment in Bulgaria should be performed by
the employer in compliance with the requirements of the Labour Code, Law on Safety and Health at
Work and the Decree No. 5 of 11 May 1999 on means, procedure and periodicity of risk assessment
(Labour Code, 1986; Law on Safety and Health at Work, 1997; Decree No. 5, 1999).
A detailed risk assessment questionnaire, adapted to the specific characteristics of the furniture
industry, was developed and sent to 50 Bulgarian furniture companies, mainly micro and SMEs. The
questionnaire consisted of 82 questions, divided into the following 12 sections, covering key
occupational safety and health aspects in the furniture industry: Occupational Safety and Health
Management; Work Premises; Electrical Safety; Fire and Emergency Safety; Physical and Chemical
Factors of the Working Environment (occupational microclimate, lighting, noise, vibrations, etc.);
Hazardous and Harmful Factors; Manual Handling Operations; Machinery and Equipment;
Compressed Air Systems; Warehouse Facilities and Vehicles; Explosive Work Environment; Surface
Treatment of Furniture.
The respondents were given statements to react to in a 5-point Likert scale (Likert, 1932) where 1-
strongly disagree (SA), 2-disagree (D), 3-neutral (N), 4-Agree (A), 5-Strongly agree (SA).
K-means clustering approach was used for data interpretation. According to MacQueen (1967) this
method represents a simple way to classify a given data set through a certain number of clusters (k
clusters) fixed a priori. The partition clustering is a data analysis technique that intends to unveil the
inherent structure of a set of points by partitioning it into a number of disjoint groups, called clusters
(Capó, Pérez & Lozano, 2015; Stefanova, 2013; Levrard, 2018). For the purpose of the present study
the SPSS Statistics version 19.0 software was used.

3. RESULTS

The furniture industry in Bulgaria is among the economic sectors characterised by sustainable
development. At present the sector accounts for about 2.4% of the manufacturing industry added
value. According to the current classification of economic activities (NSI, 2008) the Bulgarian
furniture industry includes the following subsectors: "Manufacture of office and shop furniture",
"Manufacture of kitchen furniture", "Manufacture of mattresses and beddings", "Manufacture of other
furniture". The total number of companies in Bulgaria registered with an activity related to production
of furniture and other wood products is about 2600. These are mainly micro and small enterprises -
about 95% of the companies in the industry, a trend that is also characteristic for the rest of the
European Union member states. Due to the nature of their activity, most furniture industry companies
are located in certain areas close to the raw material base or the major consumer centers. The territorial
distribution of furniture enterprises provides the framework for development of networks, partnerships
and industry clusters as some of the modern approaches to stimulate the entrepreneurship, enhance the
competitiveness and access to technological innovation.

International Journal - Wood, Design & Technology, Vol.7, No.1,(2018):1-9 3

 Antov, Neykov, Savov: Effect of occupational safety and health risk management on the rate of work ...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

During the period 2001-2015 the sector provided employment for about 23000 people, as shown on
Fig. 1.

Figure. 1. Employment rate in Bulgarian furniture industry, 2001-2015 (source: NSSI, 2018)

In the period 2001-2008 there was a steady trend of increase in the number of employees in the
respective sector, followed by a sharp decrease until 2010 as a direct consequence of the unfolding of
the global financial and economic crisis in 2008. After that period the number of employees remained
relatively stable.
Bulgarian furniture sector faces huge competition from countries having lower production costs,
for example China. The reliance on foreign markets is a competitive advantage of the Bulgarian
furniture industry – due to the long-term partnerships between Bulgarian furniture SMEs and leading
UK retail chains, a 25% growth in furniture exports to the UK was determined in 2016.
The furniture sector is also faced by serious structural problems in terms of ageing workforce and
difficulties to attract young workers and engineering specialists, which may lead to serious problems
in maintaining a skilled and motivated workforce. Moreover, the operational costs of furniture
enterprises are continuously increased by different environmental, sustainability and technical
standards and legislative regulations. All these factors, combined with the severe consequences of the
recent economic crisis, have led to an appreciable decrease in the number of companies, jobs and
turnover, from which the sector is still trying to recover.
Data about the total number of occupational accidents in the Bulgarian furniture industry for the
period 2001-2017 is presented on Fig. 2. The figures for the last two years are operational, since there
is a great number of occupational accidents which are still under investigation.

4 International Journal - Wood, Design & Technology, Vol.7, No.1,(2018):1-9

 Antov, Neykov, Savov: Effect of occupational safety and health risk management on the rate of work ...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 2. Occupational accidents in Bulgarian furniture industry, 2001-2017 (source: NSSI, 2018)

The woodworking and furniture industry in the country is characterized by one of the highest
accident rates of all manufacturing industries. As seen from the figure, the number of occupational
accidents for the studied period tends to decrease. This can be attributed to the adoption of the uniform
methodology of accident reporting, as well as to the serious legislative efforts and implementation of
national OSH policy measures in terms of comprehensive occupational risk assessment, which has
directly affected the level of safety and health at work in the sector.
K-means clustering provides a new perspective of the conducted questionnaire survey. It forms
new sections in the form of safety management implementation fields. The prerequisite for at least two
sections per cluster has been met. After performing the K-means clustering analysis it was determined
that the number of actual sections is four. We found that the number of actual sections is four. The
results are presented in Fig. 3.

Figure 3. Sections of the survey questionnaire and their belonging to the clusters

International Journal - Wood, Design & Technology, Vol.7, No.1,(2018):1-9 5

 Antov, Neykov, Savov: Effect of occupational safety and health risk management on the rate of work ...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The results, given on the figure above clearly present the manner and understanding of OSH
management in Bulgarian furniture enterprises. The first cluster is a combination of the following
three sections of the questionnaire – surface treatment of furniture, compressed air systems and OSH
management. If not properly implemented, surface coating operations may have a serious impact on
health and safety of workers, as well as some significant environmental impacts due to the hazardous
substances used (paints, varnishes, solvents, etc.). In 39.2% of the enterprises surveyed surface
coatings applied with a handgun was performed in spraying booths with the required local exhaust
ventilation. Although 59.1 % of the respondents stated that the necessary personal protective
equipment is used in operations involving manual dosing and preparation of paints and varnishes, only
11.6% answered that the preparation of the work mixtures is made in isolated premises equipped with
the necessary ventilation systems.
Compressed air, vacuum and pneumatic air systems all play an important role in the furniture
industry, and if not operated and managed properly, they represent a serious risk to employees’ safety.
That is why they should be regularly checked and properly guarded, which is recognized by 45.6% of
the surveyed enterprises.
The second cluster includes four sections of the survey questionnaire. Physical and chemical
factors of the working environment, such as microclimatic factors (workplace temperature, relative
humidity and air velocity) go along with the occupational hazards due to logistic and supplementary
activities. Manual handling operations are quite common in the Bulgarian furniture industry and cause
a large number of occupational accidents each year due to handling timber and panel materials,
machine operations and assembly, handling and storage of the final products, etc. Although 58.8% of
the respondents stated that the enterprises have introduced specific rules for carrying out loading and
unloading activities, only 7.5% agreed that these operations are mechanized or automated. Lifting and
handling aids can significantly reduce the risk of injury and various manual handling solutions have
been introduced in almost 80% of the surveyed enterprises.
Wood dust, apart from the numerous health hazards, is considered to be explosive, especially if
the mean particle size is less than 200 µm. Approximately ¼ (25.6%) of the respondents clearly stated
that the places with high risk of explosive atmosphere are properly identified and marked with the
respective warning signs and labels (59%). A major concern is that automatically operating emergency
ventilation system is available in only 31.7% of the surveyed furniture companies.
The third cluster includes only two sections of the survey questionnaire – electrical safety and
work premises. Electrical injuries (shock, burns, loss of muscle control, etc.) are not among the most
common occupational accidents in the Bulgarian furniture industry and the electrical safety issues are
recognized by the vast majority of the surveyed enterprises. Electrical equipment is maintained by
qualified personnel (62%), machines and installations are safe and secure (58.8%) and workers are
familiar with the safety requirements and precautions (93.2%).
Although 24.6% of the enterprises answered that the work premises are maintained in good
condition, only 9.9% strongly agreed that the enterprise territory is thoroughly and regularly cleaned,
and 16.7% stated that the work floors are clean, level and secured against slips and trips, which are the
most common cause of occupational accidents and may lead to other serious accidents, such as falls
from height.
The fourth cluster comprises three sections of the questionnaire related to major occupational
safety issues - machinery and equipment, hazardous and harmful factors and fire and emergency
safety. Machinery accidents, caused by contact with the moving parts/tools, kickbacks, inadequate
guarding, poor work practices, insufficient training of operators, etc. are the main cause of serious
injuries in Bulgarian furniture industry. Although according to the questionnaire results woodworking
machines are properly guarded (67.8%), equipped with the necessary command panels, emergency
stop devices and locks (67.2%), and machining is performed with appropriate and sharp cutting
tools/blades (82.2%), most of the machinery and equipment is rather old, which is a prerequisite for
occupational injuries. More than two-thirds of the reported machinery accidents occurred on circular
saws, surface planers and vertical spindle moulders.
Wood dust and some chemicals used in furniture industry (adhesives, solvents, varnishes, paints,
wood preservatives, etc.), can have serious adverse effects on human health. According to the
respondents’ answers, the dangerous chemicals are stored properly and separately (82.8%), the
necessary Material Safety Data Sheets are available (91.2%) and the workers are provided with the

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 Antov, Neykov, Savov: Effect of occupational safety and health risk management on the rate of work ...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

necessary personal protective equipment, determined in accordance with the risk assessment (80.7%).
However, only 12% of the respondents strongly agreed that the hazardous waste treatment and
transportation is performed in accordance with the legal requirements.
Fire and emergency safety measures are developed and introduced in the surveyed enterprises.
Work premises and dust extractions systems are regularly cleaned from wood dust (68.2%), fire
extinguishing equipment is available and easily accessible (97%), and is regularly checked (91%).

4. CONCLUSIONS

The general OSH awareness of furniture enterprises in the country is related primarily to the
fundamental occupational hazards, identified by the clustering analysis. However, underestimation of
all other “secondary” occupational hazards could have serious negative effects on the overall safety
and health in Bulgarian furniture companies, resulting in considerable human and economic costs. In
this respect, the collective efforts of the state, companies and workers should continue in terms of
creating, implementing and strengthening a preventative safety culture among current and future
professionals in the furniture sector. Measures should include control and management of occupational
risks, constant investments in OSH as well as provision of training, including necessary further
training and qualification development of workers.

Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the support of the project BG05M2OP001-2.009-0034 “Support for the
Development of Scientific Capacity in the University of Forestry“, funded by the Operational Program
“Science and Education for Smart Growth” (2014-2020) and implemented by the University of
Forestry, Sofia, Bulgaria.

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Corresponding author: Assoc. Prof. Petar Antov, PhD, e-mail: [email protected]; ORCID ID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3837-5380; postal address: University of Forestry - Sofia, Faculty of
Forest Industry, Department Mechanical Technology of Wood, 10 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1797
Sofia, Bulgaria

International Journal - Wood, Design & Technology, Vol.7, No.1,(2018):1-9 9

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