Julio Miño-Terrancle, J. M. León-Rubio, José M. León-Pérez, David Cobos-Sanchiz
Leaders that focus on preventing risks and promoting safe and healthy behaviors are essential to reducing workplace accidents and illnesses, particularly in a changing environment where technology and the complex interconnection of systems create emerging risks with unpredictable consequences for employee wellbeing and organizational productivity. In that sense, this multiple focus group study with 32 experts in occupational safety and health (OSH) aims at providing valuable insight into the most effective strategies for promoting health and productivity in a changing context. Results indicate that a safety and prevention culture is crucial for successful risk prevention and management, with commitment required from both top management and workers. Moreover, transformational leadership is identified as a key to achieving a safety and prevention culture. In addition, training is considered a pivotal mechanism to introduce appropriate safety practices into daily work routines. This requires an interdisciplinary, integrated, and collaborative perspective. Finally, integrating risk prevention into higher education prepares professionals to face current labor market challenges. These results can guide decision making for both training OSH professionals and introducing effective OSH practices in organizations.
{"title":"Leadership and the Promotion of Health and Productivity in a Changing Environment: A Multiple Focus Groups Study","authors":"Julio Miño-Terrancle, J. M. León-Rubio, José M. León-Pérez, David Cobos-Sanchiz","doi":"10.3390/safety9030045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9030045","url":null,"abstract":"Leaders that focus on preventing risks and promoting safe and healthy behaviors are essential to reducing workplace accidents and illnesses, particularly in a changing environment where technology and the complex interconnection of systems create emerging risks with unpredictable consequences for employee wellbeing and organizational productivity. In that sense, this multiple focus group study with 32 experts in occupational safety and health (OSH) aims at providing valuable insight into the most effective strategies for promoting health and productivity in a changing context. Results indicate that a safety and prevention culture is crucial for successful risk prevention and management, with commitment required from both top management and workers. Moreover, transformational leadership is identified as a key to achieving a safety and prevention culture. In addition, training is considered a pivotal mechanism to introduce appropriate safety practices into daily work routines. This requires an interdisciplinary, integrated, and collaborative perspective. Finally, integrating risk prevention into higher education prepares professionals to face current labor market challenges. These results can guide decision making for both training OSH professionals and introducing effective OSH practices in organizations.","PeriodicalId":36827,"journal":{"name":"Safety","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41756752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Accidents in gas stations may cause injury or even death to people. Moreover, an accident in a gas station might halt its operation for some time. When an accident takes place in a region with scant amount of gas stations, it may lead to fuel scarcity in the area, affecting the economy and sparking other issues. Therefore, safety climate and safety performance in gas stations need to be evaluated. Safety climate has been used as a tool to assess the safety performance of an organization at a given time. The aim of this study was to understand the influence of safety climate on safety performance in gas stations in Indonesia. A total of 129 gas stations were selected. To assess safety climate, a safety climate questionnaire was used, while the safety performance was captured by conducting on site structured observations. The assessment shows that gas stations have a good level of safety climate, especially when it is compared with other industrial sectors in Indonesia, such as construction. The study findings also show that safety climate has a significant positive impact on safety performance. Three safety climate dimensions with significant positive influence on safety performance are management commitment, communication, and personal accountability. Therefore, improvement efforts should focus more on these dimensions to boost safety performance in gas stations.
{"title":"Influence of Safety Climate on Safety Performance in Gas Stations in Indonesia","authors":"F. Lestari, R. Modjo, Aryo Wibowo, R. Sunindijo","doi":"10.3390/safety9030044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9030044","url":null,"abstract":"Accidents in gas stations may cause injury or even death to people. Moreover, an accident in a gas station might halt its operation for some time. When an accident takes place in a region with scant amount of gas stations, it may lead to fuel scarcity in the area, affecting the economy and sparking other issues. Therefore, safety climate and safety performance in gas stations need to be evaluated. Safety climate has been used as a tool to assess the safety performance of an organization at a given time. The aim of this study was to understand the influence of safety climate on safety performance in gas stations in Indonesia. A total of 129 gas stations were selected. To assess safety climate, a safety climate questionnaire was used, while the safety performance was captured by conducting on site structured observations. The assessment shows that gas stations have a good level of safety climate, especially when it is compared with other industrial sectors in Indonesia, such as construction. The study findings also show that safety climate has a significant positive impact on safety performance. Three safety climate dimensions with significant positive influence on safety performance are management commitment, communication, and personal accountability. Therefore, improvement efforts should focus more on these dimensions to boost safety performance in gas stations.","PeriodicalId":36827,"journal":{"name":"Safety","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45838503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study aimed to examine whether different agricultural work patterns may cause MSDs in different body areas and assess their severity. In previous studies, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have been recognized as an occupational disease in agricultural workers. However, not all MSDs resulting from agriculture occur in the same body areas or have similar severity. This study conducted a questionnaire survey to inquire about the body areas and severity of MSDs among fruit farmers. A total of 212 valid answers were collected. Subsequently, their main harvesting postures were classified into three groups to examine the differences in MSD occurrence and severity among those groups. The results indicate that the harvesting posture did result in different severities of MSDs in certain body areas. Raising hands above the shoulders caused significantly higher MSD severity in the neck, shoulder, upper back, and elbows despite the same standing posture. Additionally, those who squatted, bent, or kneeled had a significantly higher severity of MSDs in the shoulders compared to those who stood but did not raise their hands above their shoulders. This study confirmed that the different harvesting heights of fruits can affect farmers’ posture, leading to differences in the body areas affected by, and severity of, MSDs.
{"title":"The Impact of Harvesting Height on Farmers’ Musculoskeletal Tissue","authors":"Chun-Yao Wang, Ying-Fang Hsu, Chi-Yu Chuang, Po-Chen Hung, Hsiao-Chien Huang, Chiou-jong Chen, Shinhao Yang","doi":"10.3390/safety9030043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9030043","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to examine whether different agricultural work patterns may cause MSDs in different body areas and assess their severity. In previous studies, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have been recognized as an occupational disease in agricultural workers. However, not all MSDs resulting from agriculture occur in the same body areas or have similar severity. This study conducted a questionnaire survey to inquire about the body areas and severity of MSDs among fruit farmers. A total of 212 valid answers were collected. Subsequently, their main harvesting postures were classified into three groups to examine the differences in MSD occurrence and severity among those groups. The results indicate that the harvesting posture did result in different severities of MSDs in certain body areas. Raising hands above the shoulders caused significantly higher MSD severity in the neck, shoulder, upper back, and elbows despite the same standing posture. Additionally, those who squatted, bent, or kneeled had a significantly higher severity of MSDs in the shoulders compared to those who stood but did not raise their hands above their shoulders. This study confirmed that the different harvesting heights of fruits can affect farmers’ posture, leading to differences in the body areas affected by, and severity of, MSDs.","PeriodicalId":36827,"journal":{"name":"Safety","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41915676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. Knott, Georgia Csorba, Dustin Bennett, Ryan L. Kift
Welding fume is generated during welding activities and is a known cancer-causing hazard for those working in the welding industry. Worker exposure has been shown to regularly exceed the applicable workplace exposure standard, and control measures are required to reduce worker exposure. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of control measures to prevent welding fume exposure to workers. To achieve this aim, three common welding fume control measures (local exhaust ventilation (LEV), powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) and on-gun extraction) were used during four different welding tasks. Compared to using no controls, LEV hood capture is likely to reduce welding fume concentrations in the breathing zone of a welder by up to a factor of 9. The use of on-gun LEV is likely to reduce welding fume concentrations in the breathing zone of a welder by up to a factor of 12. The 5th percentile effective protection factors of the PAPR for all sampled welding activities were considerably greater than the required minimum protection factor of 50 specified in AS/NZS 1715:2009 for powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) with class PAPR-P3 particulate filters with any head covering.
{"title":"Welding Fume: A Comparison Study of Industry Used Control Methods","authors":"P. Knott, Georgia Csorba, Dustin Bennett, Ryan L. Kift","doi":"10.3390/safety9030042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9030042","url":null,"abstract":"Welding fume is generated during welding activities and is a known cancer-causing hazard for those working in the welding industry. Worker exposure has been shown to regularly exceed the applicable workplace exposure standard, and control measures are required to reduce worker exposure. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of control measures to prevent welding fume exposure to workers. To achieve this aim, three common welding fume control measures (local exhaust ventilation (LEV), powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) and on-gun extraction) were used during four different welding tasks. Compared to using no controls, LEV hood capture is likely to reduce welding fume concentrations in the breathing zone of a welder by up to a factor of 9. The use of on-gun LEV is likely to reduce welding fume concentrations in the breathing zone of a welder by up to a factor of 12. The 5th percentile effective protection factors of the PAPR for all sampled welding activities were considerably greater than the required minimum protection factor of 50 specified in AS/NZS 1715:2009 for powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) with class PAPR-P3 particulate filters with any head covering.","PeriodicalId":36827,"journal":{"name":"Safety","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41501884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sisay Ketema, Abayneh Melaku, Habtamu Demelash, Meseret G/Mariam, S. Mekonen, T. Addis, A. Ambelu
Occupational safety is a critical concern for disease prevention and control at healthcare facilities. Medical waste handlers, in particular, are those most exposed to occupational hazards among healthcare workers. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate safety practices and associated factors among healthcare waste handlers in four public hospitals, southwest Ethiopia from 15 March to 30 May 2022. The study included 203 healthcare waste handlers. The data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and observational checklists. The overall performance of occupational safety practices among healthcare waste handlers was 47.3% (95%CI; 40.3, 54.2). Waste handlers with an educational status of secondary and above (AOR 4.95; 95%CI 2.13, 11.50), good knowledge of infection prevention and safety practices (AOR 4.95; 95%CI 2.13, 11.50), training in infection prevention and safety practices (AOR 2.57; 95%CI 1.25, 5.29), and adequate access to safety materials (AOR 3.45; 95%CI 1.57, 7.60) had significantly better occupational safety practices than their counterparts. In general, medical waste handlers’ occupational safety practices were found to be inadequate. Waste handlers’ knowledge of safety measures and training, educational level, and availability of safety materials were predictors of safe occupational practices. Therefore, appropriate strategies and actions are needed to ensure the safe occupational practices of healthcare waste handlers.
{"title":"Safety Practices and Associated Factors among Healthcare Waste Handlers in Four Public Hospitals, Southwestern Ethiopia","authors":"Sisay Ketema, Abayneh Melaku, Habtamu Demelash, Meseret G/Mariam, S. Mekonen, T. Addis, A. Ambelu","doi":"10.3390/safety9020041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9020041","url":null,"abstract":"Occupational safety is a critical concern for disease prevention and control at healthcare facilities. Medical waste handlers, in particular, are those most exposed to occupational hazards among healthcare workers. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate safety practices and associated factors among healthcare waste handlers in four public hospitals, southwest Ethiopia from 15 March to 30 May 2022. The study included 203 healthcare waste handlers. The data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and observational checklists. The overall performance of occupational safety practices among healthcare waste handlers was 47.3% (95%CI; 40.3, 54.2). Waste handlers with an educational status of secondary and above (AOR 4.95; 95%CI 2.13, 11.50), good knowledge of infection prevention and safety practices (AOR 4.95; 95%CI 2.13, 11.50), training in infection prevention and safety practices (AOR 2.57; 95%CI 1.25, 5.29), and adequate access to safety materials (AOR 3.45; 95%CI 1.57, 7.60) had significantly better occupational safety practices than their counterparts. In general, medical waste handlers’ occupational safety practices were found to be inadequate. Waste handlers’ knowledge of safety measures and training, educational level, and availability of safety materials were predictors of safe occupational practices. Therefore, appropriate strategies and actions are needed to ensure the safe occupational practices of healthcare waste handlers.","PeriodicalId":36827,"journal":{"name":"Safety","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42093793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Micheletti Cremasco, Lucia Vigoroso, Cristina Solinas, F. Caffaro
Face masks represent an effective COVID-19 mitigation strategy; this study investigated the quality in use of FFP2 masks in a group of 156 frontline HCWs recruited through a snowball procedure in northwest Italy. Participants filled out an online questionnaire (January 2022) on FFP2 sources of discomfort, physical disturbance at different anatomical points and suggestions for improvement. Most of the participants (69%) reported a feeling of protection and safety, but they also reported episodes of dyspnea (70%). The majority of glasses wearers (62%) reported fogging and displacement of their glasses. Humidity and heat were the main discomfort sources (39%), followed by elastic bands (32%). Physical disturbances were frequent and heavier on the ears, nose and cheekbones. Nursing aides and nurses perceived significantly more discomfort compared to doctors and nursing aides had the highest rate of physical disturbance. To address these issues, following participants’ suggestions, FFP2 masks should be redesigned to be more adjustable, with different sizes and softer fabrics. The investigation pointed out criticalities in the use of FFP2 masks related to different professional roles within the overall group of HCWs and stressed the need for an FFP2 human-centered design that accounts not only for physical needs but also for workload and task variability.
{"title":"Discomfort in Use and Physical Disturbance of FFP2 Masks in a Group of Italian Doctors, Nurses and Nursing Aides during the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"M. Micheletti Cremasco, Lucia Vigoroso, Cristina Solinas, F. Caffaro","doi":"10.3390/safety9020040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9020040","url":null,"abstract":"Face masks represent an effective COVID-19 mitigation strategy; this study investigated the quality in use of FFP2 masks in a group of 156 frontline HCWs recruited through a snowball procedure in northwest Italy. Participants filled out an online questionnaire (January 2022) on FFP2 sources of discomfort, physical disturbance at different anatomical points and suggestions for improvement. Most of the participants (69%) reported a feeling of protection and safety, but they also reported episodes of dyspnea (70%). The majority of glasses wearers (62%) reported fogging and displacement of their glasses. Humidity and heat were the main discomfort sources (39%), followed by elastic bands (32%). Physical disturbances were frequent and heavier on the ears, nose and cheekbones. Nursing aides and nurses perceived significantly more discomfort compared to doctors and nursing aides had the highest rate of physical disturbance. To address these issues, following participants’ suggestions, FFP2 masks should be redesigned to be more adjustable, with different sizes and softer fabrics. The investigation pointed out criticalities in the use of FFP2 masks related to different professional roles within the overall group of HCWs and stressed the need for an FFP2 human-centered design that accounts not only for physical needs but also for workload and task variability.","PeriodicalId":36827,"journal":{"name":"Safety","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41367807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
José C. Vera-Jiménez, Domingo Villero-Carro, Andrés Pastor-Fernández, J. Shippen, M. Ferreiro-González, José C. Vera-Jurado, J. A. Álvarez, J. Ayuso
(1) Background: A set of relevant police ergonomic parameters (PEP) have been used for the assessment and prevention of occupational risks involved in police physical interventions (PITs). Through this set of PEPs, a comparison has been made between two traditional PITs against two novel OTPs (operational tactical procedures). (2) Method: The data have been collected by means of a motion capture suit fitted with 19 inertial measurement units (IMUs). A specific and powerful software package specific for ergonomic analysis has been used to manage the large amount of data registered and to generate a series of three-dimensional plots. Traditional PITs and newer OTPs have been performed for their analysis. Specifically, the PEPs corresponding to the implementation of four PITs have been analyzed by collecting the measurements provided by a set of IMUs installed on a motion capture suit, and their occupational risk assessments have been compared against those corresponding to newer OTPs. (3) Results: For the four PITs, the PEPs have been analyzed with the measured values from the IMUs, throughout the duration of each technique. The two traditional intervention techniques have scored higher than the new OTPs in the REBA system, the asymmetry angle, L5-pelvis shear and joint contact forces, and the total muscle power measurements. (4) Conclusions: It has been confirmed that the new OTPs minimize the risk of injuries, since their PEPs reached lower values than those corresponding to the traditional PITs, which are still being taught at police academies.
{"title":"Comparison of Traditional Physical Intervention Techniques vs. Operational Tactical Procedures and Techniques in the Use of Force during Police Arrests","authors":"José C. Vera-Jiménez, Domingo Villero-Carro, Andrés Pastor-Fernández, J. Shippen, M. Ferreiro-González, José C. Vera-Jurado, J. A. Álvarez, J. Ayuso","doi":"10.3390/safety9020039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9020039","url":null,"abstract":"(1) Background: A set of relevant police ergonomic parameters (PEP) have been used for the assessment and prevention of occupational risks involved in police physical interventions (PITs). Through this set of PEPs, a comparison has been made between two traditional PITs against two novel OTPs (operational tactical procedures). (2) Method: The data have been collected by means of a motion capture suit fitted with 19 inertial measurement units (IMUs). A specific and powerful software package specific for ergonomic analysis has been used to manage the large amount of data registered and to generate a series of three-dimensional plots. Traditional PITs and newer OTPs have been performed for their analysis. Specifically, the PEPs corresponding to the implementation of four PITs have been analyzed by collecting the measurements provided by a set of IMUs installed on a motion capture suit, and their occupational risk assessments have been compared against those corresponding to newer OTPs. (3) Results: For the four PITs, the PEPs have been analyzed with the measured values from the IMUs, throughout the duration of each technique. The two traditional intervention techniques have scored higher than the new OTPs in the REBA system, the asymmetry angle, L5-pelvis shear and joint contact forces, and the total muscle power measurements. (4) Conclusions: It has been confirmed that the new OTPs minimize the risk of injuries, since their PEPs reached lower values than those corresponding to the traditional PITs, which are still being taught at police academies.","PeriodicalId":36827,"journal":{"name":"Safety","volume":"128 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41283098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
On the one hand, in the present era, construction companies are one of Egypt’s fastest-growing industries and provide significant economic returns. On the other hand, construction industries significantly put individuals in danger of accidental death. In this study, the researchers examined the factors that affect Occupational Safety (OCS) measures among women engineers working in Egypt’s construction industries. This is a quantitative study that used cross-sectional data, and the researchers used 376 usable samples. By applying Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this study’s findings demonstrate that the Work Environment (WEN), Personal Protection (PP), Training and Education of Safety Skills (TESS), Familiarity with Safety Regulations (FSR) and Safety Commitment (SCT) influence OCS. This study’s findings will help policymakers and planners design effective safety policies on construction sites. This study’s findings about adopting precautionary and safety measures will help reduce the death rates on Egypt’s construction sites. Finally, particularly in developing countries, this study’s findings will contribute to the health and safety and environment and health literature.
{"title":"Factors Impacting Occupational Safety among Women Engineers","authors":"N. Abdelwahed, B. Soomro","doi":"10.3390/safety9020038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9020038","url":null,"abstract":"On the one hand, in the present era, construction companies are one of Egypt’s fastest-growing industries and provide significant economic returns. On the other hand, construction industries significantly put individuals in danger of accidental death. In this study, the researchers examined the factors that affect Occupational Safety (OCS) measures among women engineers working in Egypt’s construction industries. This is a quantitative study that used cross-sectional data, and the researchers used 376 usable samples. By applying Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this study’s findings demonstrate that the Work Environment (WEN), Personal Protection (PP), Training and Education of Safety Skills (TESS), Familiarity with Safety Regulations (FSR) and Safety Commitment (SCT) influence OCS. This study’s findings will help policymakers and planners design effective safety policies on construction sites. This study’s findings about adopting precautionary and safety measures will help reduce the death rates on Egypt’s construction sites. Finally, particularly in developing countries, this study’s findings will contribute to the health and safety and environment and health literature.","PeriodicalId":36827,"journal":{"name":"Safety","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41736982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kamran Gholamizadeh, E. Zarei, Sohag Kabir, Abbas Mamudu, Yasaman Aala, I. Mohammadfam
Process safety has drawn increasing attention in recent years and has been investigated from different perspectives, such as quantitative risk analysis, consequence modeling, and regulations. However, rare attempts have been made to focus on inherent safety design assessment, despite being the most cost-effective safety tactic and its vital role in sustainable development and safe operation of process infrastructure. Accordingly, the present research proposed a knowledge-driven model to assess inherent safety in process infrastructure under uncertainty. We first developed a holistic taxonomy of contributing factors into inherent safety design considering chemical, reaction, process, equipment, human factors, and organizational concerns associated with process plants. Then, we used subject matter experts, content validity ratio (CVR), and content validity index (CVI) to validate the taxonomy and data collection tools. We then employed a fuzzy inference system and the Extent Analysis (EA) method for knowledge acquisition under uncertainty. We tested the proposed model on a steam methane-reforming plant that produces hydrogen as renewable energy. The findings revealed the most contributing factors and indicators to improve the inherent safety design in the studied plant and effectively support the decision-making process to assign proper safety countermeasures.
{"title":"A Knowledge-Driven Model to Assess Inherent Safety in Process Infrastructure","authors":"Kamran Gholamizadeh, E. Zarei, Sohag Kabir, Abbas Mamudu, Yasaman Aala, I. Mohammadfam","doi":"10.3390/safety9020037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9020037","url":null,"abstract":"Process safety has drawn increasing attention in recent years and has been investigated from different perspectives, such as quantitative risk analysis, consequence modeling, and regulations. However, rare attempts have been made to focus on inherent safety design assessment, despite being the most cost-effective safety tactic and its vital role in sustainable development and safe operation of process infrastructure. Accordingly, the present research proposed a knowledge-driven model to assess inherent safety in process infrastructure under uncertainty. We first developed a holistic taxonomy of contributing factors into inherent safety design considering chemical, reaction, process, equipment, human factors, and organizational concerns associated with process plants. Then, we used subject matter experts, content validity ratio (CVR), and content validity index (CVI) to validate the taxonomy and data collection tools. We then employed a fuzzy inference system and the Extent Analysis (EA) method for knowledge acquisition under uncertainty. We tested the proposed model on a steam methane-reforming plant that produces hydrogen as renewable energy. The findings revealed the most contributing factors and indicators to improve the inherent safety design in the studied plant and effectively support the decision-making process to assign proper safety countermeasures.","PeriodicalId":36827,"journal":{"name":"Safety","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49454917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Omar Flor-Unda, Mauricio Fuentes, Daniel Davila, Mario Rivera, Gladys Llano, Carlos Izurieta, Patricia Acosta-Vargas
Technological advancements have allowed for the design and development of multiple intelligent devices that monitor the health and safety status of workers in the industry in general. This paper reviews and describes the alternative technologies and their potential for monitoring risk situations, vital signs, physical variables, worker positions, and behavioral trends of workers in their work activities in the workplace. A scoping review was conducted using PRISMA ScR in which information was extracted from 99 scientific articles related to these technological advances. The operational characteristics and utilities of devices whose primary function is to control better and monitor worker safety and health were identified. It was concluded that technology strongly improves the acquisition and sending of information. This information can be used to provide alerts and feedback to workers so that they act more safely and protect their health. In addition, technological developments have resulted in devices that eliminate operational risks by replacing manual activities with automated and autonomous tasks.
{"title":"Innovative Technologies for Occupational Health and Safety: A Scoping Review","authors":"Omar Flor-Unda, Mauricio Fuentes, Daniel Davila, Mario Rivera, Gladys Llano, Carlos Izurieta, Patricia Acosta-Vargas","doi":"10.3390/safety9020035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/safety9020035","url":null,"abstract":"Technological advancements have allowed for the design and development of multiple intelligent devices that monitor the health and safety status of workers in the industry in general. This paper reviews and describes the alternative technologies and their potential for monitoring risk situations, vital signs, physical variables, worker positions, and behavioral trends of workers in their work activities in the workplace. A scoping review was conducted using PRISMA ScR in which information was extracted from 99 scientific articles related to these technological advances. The operational characteristics and utilities of devices whose primary function is to control better and monitor worker safety and health were identified. It was concluded that technology strongly improves the acquisition and sending of information. This information can be used to provide alerts and feedback to workers so that they act more safely and protect their health. In addition, technological developments have resulted in devices that eliminate operational risks by replacing manual activities with automated and autonomous tasks.","PeriodicalId":36827,"journal":{"name":"Safety","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43113080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：