Who develops the tools
EU-OSHA provides the software and project framework. National authorities and sector social partners can develop tools for specific activities. OiRA is therefore not one universal questionnaire.
The official project page lists published tools and partners. Selection must reflect actual activity and the context for which content was written, not merely a title resembling the business.
Who can benefit
The initiative helps small organisations needing accessible guidance with assessment. It can help organise questions, identify overlooked matters and turn findings into an action plan.
Use must fit the preventive arrangements and competence required in the country. Free availability of an application does not by itself authorise anyone to conduct assessments requiring qualifications or specialisation.
How to use it thoughtfully
Start by defining sites, activities, tasks and exposed people. Then work through the tool, checking each answer against observations, documentation and consultation with those doing the work.
Identified risks must translate into measures with an owner and deadline. The resulting report is a working basis, not the end of the process. Preventive planning requires implementation, verification and review when conditions change.
What a questionnaire cannot resolve
An activity may involve exposures or situations outside the selected tool’s scope. Occupational hygiene measurements, specific ergonomic problems or complex installations may need appropriate procedures and professionals.
Do not mark favourable answers simply because a document exists. A safeguard must work and be used, an instruction must be understood and a measure must suit the task. Uncertainty needs investigation, not an answer chosen to finish the form.
Difference from Prevencion10
OiRA is a European initiative with sector and national tools. Prevencion10 and Evalúa-t belong to the Spanish INSST public service, with their own scope and conditions. The names are not interchangeable.
Selection requires checking jurisdiction, covered activity, intended user and support resources. In both cases, the tool should support an appropriate risk assessment and keep it connected to preventive action.
Hypothetical example: a small establishment
A shop manager finds an OiRA tool for the sector and country. They review it with people serving customers, replenishing stock and unloading goods. They find an occasional task is insufficiently covered and seek assessment support.
Agreed measures are incorporated into the plan with follow-up. When the warehouse layout changes, the assessment is reviewed; retaining the old report does not represent conditions that have changed.
