Using the Grey-TOPSIS Method to Assess the Functioning of the Occupational Risk Management

The objective of this paper is to analyse the possibility to use the Grey-TOPSIS method to assess the occupational risk management (ORM), in the situation whereby linguistic variables were used in the assessment process. The TOPSIS method has already been in use for a number of years to assess alternative solutions in many areas other than the work safety area. This paper remedies some shortcomings in using the Grey Systems Theory (GST) in ORM, and constitutes an original application of Grey-TOPSIS in the work safety area. Considering that assessment of the ORM process involves estimation of performance particular components of this process, the eight sub-processes were adopted for assessment purposes. The degree of fulfilment of a given sub-processes was assigned a respective verbal grade from Completely Wrong to Perfect. In performing this assessment, systems being in place in four furniture-manufacturing companies were selected to minimise impacts of external factors upon the ORM in these companies. By using the Grey-TOPSIS method, it was possible to rank these companies from the point of view of functioning of the ORM process, and to identify the best and the weakest company in this respect. Further research work should be conducted with the aim to develop some new hybrid, multi-criterion assessment methods, which will develop within the frameworks of the GST.