Geographic information Systems enforced to Occupational Health and Safety Practices: A short literature review

Introduction: Risk assessment methods are commonly used in health and safety and require rapid response tools that allow an analysis of multiple scenarios in order to reduce the loss of life, environmental and materials damages. This work is a systematic review of the available literature of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), addressing issues related to the occupational sciences of Health and Safety and/or Emergency. Methodology: The method used for the review was based on the PRISMA-Statement. It was developed through 4 databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Springer Link, and Science Direct). The keywords used followed the logic (Occupational OR work) AND (hygiene OR health OR safety) AND (GIS). The applied databases filters were: document type limited to Article (research) and Article in the press, Journals source, and English and Portuguese languages. Results: It was identified a total of 667 items, 21 of which were selected for full-text reading. As a result, five articles were selected, and the other two were identified through their reference screening. The articles comprise the years 2009 to 2017, with authors of 9 nationalities and the use of monitoring being the most present method. ArcGIS (ESRI) software was the most frequently used. Information on the risk management methods, and the GIS as a platform, were obtained in mining, construction, industry, mainly, and addressed security issues (one article), emergency (two articles) and occupational hygiene (four articles).
Discussion: The results of the identified articles helped on issues such as decision making, escape routes, gas concentration information records, dust and fumes, temperature monitoring, humidity, identifying areas with exposure to ionizing radiation, noise, spots identification diseases and visualization of medical complaints conditions for the workplace. It also identified the evolution of the use of GIS information platform with other technologies allowing expansion of new types of evaluation. Conclusions: The developed search identified addressing issues in the areas of analysis and management of risks and emergencies, even those that are not exactly worked in safety and occupational hygiene, although it can be seen that the use of the experience is feasible, information and existing approaches to develop the concept of an integrated risk analysis and dynamics within the GIS.