How to consolidate Trevor’s experience and knowledge? Impossibilities,reflections on possibilities,and call to action

Looking back, significant progress in process safety and the knowledge to achieve a safe level has been made. Professor Kletz with his wise and concise maxims has shown us in many respects the way to go, yet more direction is needed for transfer of this knowledge to new generations. After a brief problem analysis, a sketch is given of various developments in the field of process safety, such as our knowledge on hazardous properties, hazard and risk analysis tools, human aspects, trends and developments in industry, and future perspectives. Subsequently, an analysis is made of the knowledge infrastructure required to maintain and to improve a knowledge base. In particular, scenario identification and modeling is mentioned. To that end the ‘lessons learned’ in the past should be better used. This has proven not to be easy. A way to go is indicated that in the longer term may reap success. However, in the present climate, funds for research are scarce and that for safety research are scant. Research is not only to develop new knowledge but is also of crucial importance to maintain quality academic education and the formation of ‘teacher of teachers’. A recent initiative is reported to bring this problem to the attention of policy makers worldwide.     

The National Falls Free™ Initiative, working collaboratively to affect change

Introduction

Since 2004 the National Council on Aging (NCOA) has been working in collaboration with a growing number of national, state, and local organizations through the Falls Free^© Initiative to address the growing public health issue of falls and fall-related injuries among older adults. Through collaborative leadership, evidence-based interventions, practical lifestyle adjustments, and community partnerships we are working to reduce the number of older adult falls.

Impact on industry

The many activities of the national and state coalitions have brought recognition to the issue of fall prevention, education, and training to providers and greater investment in programs and services resulting in tremendous momentum and community activism. While we have yet to realize an impact on rates of falls, this strategic investment in building the infrastructure needed to affect change is the first step toward reducing the growing number of falls among older adults.     

Accidents, claiming, and regional subcultures: are medical errors and malpractice lawsuits related to social capital?

METHOD: This study examined states' performance on Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs), statistics on malpractice lawsuits, and analogous data on automobile accidents to identify state-level patterns in safety and claiming. RESULTS: Hospital safety varied in a pattern similar to highway safety on the state level, suggesting that cultural traits may play a greater role than differences in legal or other environmental factors. States performing well or poorly in hospital and driver safety tended to correspond with states grouped together in regional culture typologies developed by Elazar and Lieske. Traits of regional culture also are associated with variations in tort claiming. CONCLUSIONS: The paper offers a theory of social capital as an important factor affecting safety and tort claiming. Where the regional culture is one of high cohesion and trust, people may exercise a higher degree of caution and vigilance in their interaction with others, and feel less inclination to file lawsuits subsequent to accidents.     

An application of a modified theory of planned behavior model to investigate adolescents’ job safety knowledge,norms, attitude and intention to enact workplace safety and health skills

Introduction: For many reasons, including a lack of adequate safety training and education, U.S. adolescents experience a higher rate of job-related injury compared to adult workers. Widely used social-psychological theories in public health research and practice, such as the theory of planned behavior, may provide guidance for developing and evaluating school-based interventions to prepare adolescents for workplace hazards and risks. Method: Using a structural equation modeling approach, the current study explores whether a modified theory of planned behavior model provides insight on 1,748 eighth graders’ occupational safety and health (OSH) attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy and behavioral intention, before and after receiving instruction on a free, national young worker safety and health curriculum. Reliability estimates for the measures were produced and direct and indirect associations between knowledge and other model constructs assessed. Results: Overall, the findings align with the theory of planned behavior. The structural equation model adequately fit the data; most path coefficients are statistically significant and knowledge has indirect effects on behavioral intention. Confirmatory factor analyses suggest that the knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention measures each reflect a unique dimension (reliability estimates ≥0.86), while the subjective norm measure did not perform adequately. Conclusion: The findings presented provide support for using behavioral theory (specifically a modified theory of planned behavior) to investigate adolescents’ knowledge, perceptions, and behavioral intention to engage in safe and healthful activities at work, an understanding of which may contribute to reducing the downstream burden of injury on this vulnerable population—the future workforce. Practical application: Health behavior theories, commonly used in the social and behavioral sciences, have utility and provide guidance for developing and evaluating OSH interventions, including those aimed at preventing injuries and promoting the health and safety of adolescent workers in the U.S., who are injured at higher rates than are adults.     

Is there a need for new theories,models and approaches to occupational accident prevention?

This paper discusses occupational accident modelling challenges associated with a changing working life, and asks whether ideas from models developed for high-risk, complex socio-technical systems can be transformed and adapted for use in occupational accident prevention. Are occupational accidents mainly simple component failures or is a systemic approach to the phenomenon of some interest and value?     

What humanlike errors do autonomous vehicles need to avoid to maximize safety?

Introduction: The final failure in the causal chain of events in 94% of crashes is driver error. It is assumed most crashes will be prevented by autonomous vehicles (AVs), but AVs will still crash if they make the same mistakes as humans. By identifying the distribution of crashes among various contributing factors, this study provides guidance on the roles AVs must perform and errors they must avoid to realize their safety potential. Method: Using the NMVCCS database, five categories of driver-related contributing factors were assigned to crashes: (1) sensing/perceiving (i.e., not recognizing hazards); (2) predicting (i.e., misjudging behavior of other vehicles); (3) planning/deciding (i.e., poor decision-making behind traffic law adherence and defensive driving); (4) execution/performance (i.e., inappropriate vehicle control); and (5) incapacitation (i.e., alcohol-impaired or otherwise incapacitated driver). Assuming AVs would have superior perception and be incapable of incapacitation, we determined how many crashes would persist beyond those with incapacitation or exclusively sensing/perceiving factors. Results: Thirty-three percent of crashes involved only sensing/perceiving factors (23%) or incapacitation (10%). If they could be prevented by AVs, 67% could remain, many with planning/deciding (41%), execution/performance (23%), and predicting (17%) factors. Crashes with planning/deciding factors often involved speeding (23%) or illegal maneuvers (15%). Conclusions: Errors in choosing evasive maneuvers, predicting actions of other road users, and traveling at speeds suitable for conditions will persist if designers program AVs to make errors similar to those of today’s human drivers. Planning/deciding factors, such as speeding and disobeying traffic laws, reflect driver preferences, and AV design philosophies will need to be consistent with safety rather than occupant preferences when they conflict. Practical applications: This study illustrates the complex roles AVs will have to perform and the risks arising from occupant preferences that AV designers and regulators must address if AVs will realize their potential to eliminate most crashes.     

Are parents ready to use autonomous vehicles to transport children? Concerns and safety features

Introduction: This study addressed a gap in the literature – the potential of using autonomous vehicles (AV) to enhance children’s mobility. Prior studies documented the perceived benefits and concerns about this prospect, but did not examine the features in AV and support mechanisms that are desired by potential users. Method: An on-line survey was used to collect public opinions within the United States. In the survey, willingness to use AVs for this use case was asked twice to assess if participants changed their mind after being asked about concerns related to this prospect and importance of car features. A combination of statistical and machine-learning methods were used to profile individuals with high versus low post-willingness and to identify variables that differentiated the two groups. Results: Results indicated that respondents who were lower on their post-willingness to use AVs to transport children were more concerned about how AVs would protect children, how someone could harm the children inside, and whether there would be someone at the destination. In addition, they were less in favor of technology, older in age, and rated car features such as having a designated adult waiting at destination, a camera, and a microphone as relatively required (as opposed to optional). These results highlight potential users’ needs and requirements as they think about AVs in the context of parent–children mobility practices. Practical Applications: Relevant stakeholders should develop deployment and implementation plans while taking into account ridership contexts and vulnerable road users who can benefit from enhanced mobility.