Der kontinuierliche Verbesserungsprozess im Bereich der Arbeitssicherheit in Elektroversorgungsunternehmen

Abstract

In electric utility companies (EUCs), there are significant safety and health risks for employees due to the partially hazardous nature of their work, such as working under voltage or near voltage-carrying parts. Despite comprehensive legal regulations in the field of occupational safety and health, EUCs partly lack concrete approaches for the further development of occupational safety. In implementing specific measures for the continuous improvement of occupational safety, companies often face challenges due to organizational or personnelrelated factors. The Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) offers a structured approach to achieving a gradual improvement in occupational safety. This thesis addresses the research question: "Which specific CIP-measures do electric utility companies use to achieve a continuous improvement in occupational safety?" and the sub-question: "Which factors facilitate or hinder a successful CIP in occupational safety?". To answer these questions, the qualitative research method “expert interviews” was applied. Based on an extensive literature review, seven safety engineers from seven EUCs in Austria were interviewed regarding the design and implementation of the continuous improvement process as well as the implementation of the applied CIP measures in their respective companies. The insights gained from the interviews were subjected to a qualitative content analysis and incorporated into the practical section of this thesis. The structure of this thesis thus includes theoretical foundations on electric utility companies, occupational safety and CIP, the results of the expert interviews and finally a critical discussion with conclusion and forecast. The results show, that a wide variety of CIP measures are used in practice, such as holding committees and sessions or applying digital tools. A beneficial factor for a successful CIP in occupational safety is, for example, a high prioritization of occupational safety by senior management. Hindering factors include a shortage of personnel resources and the associated increased workload. Furthermore, establishing a direct causal link between the use of CIP measures and developments in accident occurrence proves difficult. Nevertheless, a clear improvement in the frequency and severity of accidents can be observed over a longer period, which is largely attributable to the ongoing and continuous development of occupational safety

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Nicole Scheidleder (Supervisor)