Pattern 

Definition

A work area type with which you can create standardized exposure profiles and risk assessments for certain activities and work areas.

Several patterns can be grouped in one collective pattern.

To edit patterns, choose Work Areas ® Edit Patterns in the Industrial Hygiene and Safety menu.

Use

You can reuse the exposure profile and dependent risk assessments of the pattern in other objects by assigning the pattern to these objects or vice versa. The table shows which assignments are possible.

Pattern	Û	Work area, collective pattern
Collective pattern	Û	Work area, pattern

The assignment creates a reference to the exposure profile of the pattern. This means that the data in the exposure profile entries is passed on as a reference. It is not copied.

As a risk assessment is always dependent on an exposure profile entry, the risk assessments are also referenced indirectly as a result of the assignment. This is not a genuine reference.

Referencing the data instead of copying it has the advantage that any changes made to the pattern are automatically passed on to the assigned objects.

Example

You can assign a pattern to a work area as follows:

...

       1.      Run a search query for the required work area. See Searching for Work Areas.

       2.      Select the work area in the hit list and choose Goto ® Pattern Assignment.

       3.      Assign the required pattern and save your entry.

Alternatively you can open the pattern and assign the work area to it.

Integration

Exposure profile entries that originate from patterns are marked as references in the local exposure profiles of the assigned objects by the  icon. As long as the reference exists, you cannot edit these entries but you can delete the reference.

This copies the entry physically to the local exposure profile. Here you have the option of transferring or rejecting the rating and the additional information.

When you have deleted the reference, you can edit the exposure profile entry.

When the reference is deleted, the link to the dependent risk assessments is also lost. The data in the risk assessments is not copied.

Structure

The data structure of the pattern is similar to that of the work area. In contrast to the work area, however, patterns do not have the following, for example:

·        Plant assignment

·        Cost center assignment

·        Coordinates

·        Hierarchy (in the sense of a work area hierarchy)

·        Accident locations

·        Integration objects

·        Safety measures

·        Industrial hygiene and safety data