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What is SicurFad 4.0

Introduction

The Prato Textile and Fashion District is a production system of international relevance, built on a centuries-old manufacturing tradition and a strong capacity for innovation.

With over 7,000 businesses, also expressed through the vast multicultural community of the territory, it represents an economic and social heritage that deserves to be protected and enhanced.

In this context, workplace safety is not merely an obligation, but a collective commitment and a strategic investment for the future. For this reason, the District Table chose to allocate part of its extraordinary resources to the SicurFad 4.0 project, an innovative digital platform that offers concrete and accessible tools to spread knowledge, prevention and awareness.

Through multimedia content, operational cards and interactive learning paths, SicurFad 4.0 supports businesses, workers, professionals and new generations, guiding the district towards ever higher standards of quality, respect for rules and social values, and competitiveness.

Because safety is a fundamental right, a shared responsibility, and a decisive lever for building a better working life and future for everyone.

SicurFad 4.0

SicurFad 4.0 is a digital platform whose objective is to promote and support a constant and effective effort in the areas of prevention, information and training on the topic of workplace safety, specifically in companies within the textile district, with references also to ancillary processes and general safety management.

Within the field of professional training, information and training on workplace safety is becoming increasingly important, including the growing awareness of the risks and hazards that accompany work activities and of how these can be eliminated or reduced through preventive measures.

SicurFad 4.0 moves in this direction, offering an interactive model based primarily on images, videos and information presented in a clear and concise manner.

The materials produced are the result of a cultural, technical and scientific exchange between Nume Plus, Flod and Technologies 2000, who developed the platform, and the Municipality of Prato, local businesses, trade associations, workers' unions and the Local Health Authority.

The value of these contents lies in the potential of their dissemination and in the further insights that will subsequently be developed within companies through targeted training programmes.

The Platform Structure

SicurFad 4.0 consists of 12 modules:

1. 1 module introducing the topic of safety, addressing the concepts of risk and hazard across various work environments;
2. 7 modules dedicated to the various stages that make up the production cycle of the textile sector;
3. 1 module dedicated to operations carried out in mechanical workshops;
4. 1 module covering various topics of general interest on the subject of health and safety in the workplace;
5. 1 manual module with basic guidelines and procedures for organising a safety management system within a company;
6. 1 Glossary linked to all modules and available for independent consultation.

Here is the detailed index of the modules available on SicurFad 4.0:

1. General introduction. Hazards and risks
2. Working safely
3. Willowing
4. Worsted spinning
5. Carded spinning
6. Weaving preparation and weaving
7. Textile finishing
8. Woollen mills
9. Production of technical fabrics
10. Mechanical processing
11. Safety management manual
12. Glossary

Module 1 – "General introduction. Hazards and risks"

The module "General introduction. Hazards and risks" contains a card with an introductory and cross-cutting value. It analyses how hazard (an intrinsic property of a factor such as a chemical substance or a machine that has the potential to cause harm) and risk (i.e. the probability that such harm will occur) must be taken into account in order to prevent damage and accidents.

Module 2 – "Working safely"

The module "Working safely" consists of numerous cards addressing topics of general interest on the subject of workers' health and safety: the effects of alcohol and diet, protections for pregnant workers and mothers, work at height, exposure to chemical and physical agents, risks arising from activities carried out in confined spaces, night work and lone working, microclimate, work-related stress, fire risk, interference risk, manual handling of loads, exposure to display screen equipment, and pathways for transversal skills and guidance. These topics are likewise not specific to a single production sector but have a cross-cutting relevance.

Modules relating to machines and/or processes in the textile and metalworking sectors

Modules 3–10 relate to machines and/or processes in the textile and metalworking sectors and consist of:

• detailed cards on the machines and/or processes. Each card includes links to glossary terms, grouped in the Glossary module shared across the entire platform.
• the PDF version of the cards, which can be viewed and downloaded by the user;
• an assessment test.
• where available, links to reference materials.

Module 11 – "Safety management manual"

The module "Safety management manual" is a genuine manual providing basic guidelines and procedures for organising a safety management system within a company. It is structured into chapters in which an explanatory section on each topic is followed by a practical section consisting of implementation procedures and sample forms, designed to make it immediately and concretely applicable within a company.

Structure of the individual cards

Machine-related cards

The machine-related cards have a fixed structure, consisting of six sections:

• Purpose of the process. The function of the machine and the purpose of the process are briefly described.
• Description. The operation and the main components of the machine are described concisely, accompanied by images, photographs and, in some cases, videos. Important: some machines present in a company may differ in part from those shown on the platform, depending on the year of manufacture or the brand and model. In any case, the information relating to the components indicated and the highlighted points of attention remains valid.
• Hazards. The hazards that may arise due to the absence or failure of guards and safety devices, or that may occur in particular situations such as loading the machine, cleaning, maintenance, etc., are indicated.
• Safety requirements. The main safety requirements that must be in place on the machine to ensure its safe use, in accordance with current legislation and technical standards, are set out. Important: given the characteristics of individual machines and the differences that may exist even between machines of the same type, the safety requirements indicated must not be considered binding and/or exhaustive, but only a useful practical reference.
• Behavioural guidelines. A series of behaviours that operators must adopt in order to work safely is provided, aimed at ensuring their own safety and that of others, particularly in special situations such as loading the machine, cleaning, maintenance, etc. Important: given the characteristics of individual machines and the differences that may exist even between machines of the same type, the behavioural guidelines must not be considered binding and/or exhaustive, but may be supplemented with internal company instructions and procedures specific to each machine and/or process.
• Personal protective equipment. The personal protective equipment required for the safe use of the machine and for the correct performance of specific activities is indicated. Important: the personal protective equipment indicated must not be considered binding and/or exhaustive; the selection of appropriate personal protective equipment remains in any case the responsibility of the employer following the risk assessment.

Activity/specific process cards

Some cards, relating to specific activities and/or processes carried out at the machines, have a different structure, consisting of six sections:

• Purpose of the operation. The aim of the operation and the result to be achieved are briefly described.
• Hazards. The hazards that may arise during the performance of the operation are indicated.
• Working methods. The preliminary operations are described, i.e. any activities preparatory to carrying out the main operation (stopping the machine, removing guards, etc.). The various steps that must be followed in order to perform the operation safely are then described, with particular emphasis on the hazardous elements and situations the operator may encounter during the activity. Finally, any additional operational guidance may be provided, including different methods for performing the operation. Important: given the characteristics of individual machines and the differences that may exist even between machines of the same type, the working methods must not be considered binding and/or exhaustive, but may be supplemented with internal company instructions and procedures specific to each activity to be performed.
• Equipment used during the process. The equipment typically used to carry out the operation is listed and briefly described.
• Behavioural guidelines. A series of behaviours that operators must adopt in order to work safely is provided, aimed at ensuring their own safety and that of others. Important: given the characteristics of individual machines and the differences that may exist even between machines of the same type, the behavioural guidelines must not be considered binding and/or exhaustive, but may be supplemented with internal company instructions and procedures specific to each activity to be performed.
• Personal protective equipment. The personal protective equipment required for the correct performance of the operation is indicated. Important: the personal protective equipment indicated must not be considered binding and/or exhaustive; the selection of appropriate personal protective equipment remains in any case the responsibility of the employer following the risk assessment.

Use of the platform

Target users: Employers, HSE Managers, Workers' Safety Representatives, trainers, consultants, operators.

Uses: training support, hazard identification, procedures, risk assessment documents, direct information to operators.

The platform can be used by employers, company safety managers, prevention and protection service managers and staff, workers' safety representatives, trainers and consultants in the field of occupational health and safety, and is intended primarily as a tool to support operator training on workplace safety. The platform provides topics and insights that can be used for operator training, and also serves as a valuable support for identifying hazards, machine safety requirements and behavioural guidelines, developing operational procedures and risk assessment documents; it can also be used directly by operators, who can thus be informed about the hazards, safety requirements, behavioural guidelines and personal protective equipment applicable to the machines they use. The content of the platform must in any case be compared and verified against the specific reality of the company concerned, and supplemented with the hazards and related prevention and protection measures applicable within that company. In any event, use of the platform does not constitute compliance with obligations relating to training, information and instruction, but may be used as a support tool in carrying out such activities.

Disclaimer

• Content to be verified and integrated with your specific company situation.
• Does not replace mandatory training.
• Not a technical or design protocol.