Overcoming the blame game to learn from major accidents: A systemic analysis of an Anhydrous Ammonia leakage accident

This article aims to demonstrate the need for changing the methods with which accidents are analyzed, if we truly wish to use what we uncover from them to learn and enrich our knowledge base of organizational management. The goal is to relinquish the broadly adopted and rather simplistic paradigm that accepts the search for human error and unsafe acts performed by workers, and produces “guilt diagnostics”. Instead, we use a systemic accident analysis methodology, based on the sociotechnical principle of understanding the real operating conditions in which accidents take place. In order to demonstrate the benefits of the theoretical framework, we compare the analyses of an Anhydrous Ammonia gas leakage accident in a fish processing plant using the traditional accident analysis model based on unsafe acts and the proposed systemic approach. The results favor the latter since it tends to be more reliable and offering useful recommendations to safety management processes, thus helping to prevent accidents, especially in complex systems.     

Road safe seniors: Screening for age-related driving disorders in inpatient and outpatient settings

Introduction

Older drivers are increasing in number and they often have health conditions that place them at high risk for motor-vehicle crashes (MVC). Screening is underutilized, and is rarely done in hospital settings.

Methods

A convenience sample of 755 older adults completed age related driving disorders screening at University of California, San Diego inpatient and outpatient health centers. Screening included three strength/frailty tests, two vision tests (acuity and fields), and two cognitive tests, based on AMA recommendations. The average age of participants was 72.5; 55.5% were male and 94% English-speaking; 17.8% of older adults failed at least one aspect of screening.

Results

In multivariate analysis, significant associations of failed status were age, male sex, selfrestrictions of driving, and inpatient screening locations. The screening identified one in six adults to be 'high-risk' for age related driving disorders. Screening was effective and feasible in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Impact on industry

As the driving population ages, industry, government and health car providers need to plan for the management of driving impairments in older adults.     

安全生产危机预警初探

危机预警是根据系统外部环境和内部条件的变化,对系统不利事件和风险进行的预测和警报.当生产中的某种或某几种危险指标达到危机预警指标时,企业出现危机情境.本文从安全生产风险管理的角度,探讨了安全生产危机预警的概念,研究了安全生产危机管理的内容.     

Implementation and evaluation of the Safety Element Method at four mining sites

The Safety Element Method (SEM) is a method for improvements of safety results and safety approaches in the Norwegian mining industry. The method is developed by users and researchers in co-operation. The main approach of the method is that a group of organisational members assesses the current and desired situation for their own organisation within defined areas. Based on this assessment they work out a strategy and action plan to reach the internal goals for desired achievement, i.e. the desired situation defined. This article presents the implementation of the method in four mining companies and evaluates the method for its construct validity, criterion validity, face validity, how the method functions and is accepted among the users. The results show that the opinions regarding the experiences with the method are, on the whole, positive. The method is regarded as a valuable approach towards safety improvements. Subjective assessments play a prominent role in SEM, but these assessments are supported by an extensive review of empirical data such as accident reports, interview results and a questionnaire. This means that the internal assessments correspond well to the safety results of the companies and also to the independent external reviews carried out by the researcher.     

Influence of physical properties of ammonium nitrate on the detonation behaviour of ANFO

In order to obtain a better understanding of the non-ideal detonation behaviour of ammonium nitrate based explosives, detonation velocities of ANFO (ammonium nitrate and fuel oil) prepared with different kinds of ammonium nitrate (AN) were measured in steel tubes. In this series of test six kinds of AN were used and the influence of the pore diameter, the pore volume and the particle diameter of the AN particle on the detonation velocity of ANFO was investigated.

It was found that the pore diameter and the pore volume had a strong influence on the detonation velocities of ANFO. In the case of ANFO samples which were prepared with AN that had the same pore diameter and the pore volume, when tested the highest detonation velocity (3.85 km/s) was observed when the smallest particle diameter (<0.85 mm) was used. This value corresponded to 75% of the ideal detonation velocity, which was theoretically predicted by the CHEETAH code with the JCZ3-EOS.

The 12 months aging showed the change of the detonation velocities of ANFO and the reaction of ANFO was influenced both by the physical and the chemical properties of AN particles and oil during the storage period.     

我国核与辐射安全监督执法能力建设初探

核与辐射安全监管现代化是国家治理体系和治理能力现代化建设的重要组成部分,而实现我国核与辐射安全监管现代化就是要不断推进我国核与辐射安全监管体系和监管能力现代化进程。当前,作为我国核与辐射安全监管能力之一的监督执法能力,其重要性愈来愈突出,如何促进监督执法能力建设这一现实问题已经引起了社会的普遍关注。从我国核与辐射安全监督执法能力的理论基础出发,总结了近年来我国核与辐射安全监督执法能力建设的主要做法以及取得的成效,最后指出存在的不足。     

浅谈现阶段建筑施工企业农民工的安全教育

阐述了建筑施工企业通过科学的管理,提高农民工的安全素质,做好施工安全管理工作的关键是预防安全生产事故发生、农民工安全教育的内容和方法.     

Estimating the effectiveness of ergonomics interventions through case studies: implications for predictive cost-benefit analysis

PROBLEM: Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) can help to justify an investment in ergonomics interventions. A predictive CBA model would allow practitioners to present a cost justification to management during the planning stages, but such a model requires reliable estimates of the benefits of ergonomics interventions. METHOD: Through literature reviews and Internet searches, 250 case studies that reported the benefits of ergonomics programs and control measures were collected and summarized. RESULTS: Commonly reported benefits included reductions in the number of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) or their incidence rate, as well as related lost workdays, restricted workdays, and workers' compensation costs. Additional benefits reported were related to productivity, quality, turnover and absenteeism. DISCUSSION: Benefits reported were largely positive, and payback periods for ergonomics interventions were typically less than one year. SUMMARY: The results of this review could be used to develop predictive CBA models for ergonomics programs and individual control measures. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Cost-justifying ergonomics interventions prior to implementation may help to secure management support for proposed changes. Numbers used for the benefits side of a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) need to be based on "real world" data in order to be credible. The data presented in this paper may help in the development of simple cost-benefit models for ergonomics programs and control measures.     

近岸水域船舶溢油应急保障能力评估

为了降低溢油事故对近岸水域造成的影响,提高近岸水域船舶溢油事故应急响应系统的能力,采用结构方程模型,评价船舶溢油应急保障能力。在分析近岸水域船舶溢油应急响应系统影响因素的基础上,构建了船舶溢油应急保障能力评价的指标体系,引入结构方程模型,建立船舶溢油应急保障能力分析的路径模型,分析应急保障变量之间的互动关系及其影响程度,研究其算法,并以实例验证模型的可行性。结果表明,人员保障在溢油应急保障能力中起主导作用,其次是物资保障和技术保障。     

创新安全教育教学思路增强安全教育实效

在安全教育教学实践中,创新安全教育教学思路,采用互动式教育法、正反例证教育法、安全文化教育法、格言警句教育法等职工乐于接受的方式方法,对于增强安全教育效果有重要的作用。针对不同的教育对象,方法上要有所侧重。同时安全教师应选择新近、及时的安全教育内容,并不断提高自身素质。     

施工现场安全生产人员聚集性活动安全专项管理

施工安全生产风险是由风险事件概率和风险后果2个要素决定的。从施工安全风险后果,即潜在安全风险后果影响的人员角度,介绍了施工现场安全生产人员聚集性活动安全专项的系统管理方法。施工安全风险跟踪监控实践,表明该方法对促进安全生产绩效具有重要意义。     

Application of Prevention through Design for hearing loss in the mining industry

INTRODUCTION: Overexposure to noise remains a widespread and serious health hazard in the U.S. service providing and goods producing industries. Excessive noise can lead to poor verbal communication and reduce the ability to recognize warning signals. These dangerous work conditions can also cause stress and fatigue. Occupational hearing loss is a permanent illness, with no recovery currently possible. METHOD: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has recognized Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) as one of the ten leading work-related diseases and injuries in the United States, and has emphasized its importance as one of the critical areas expressed in the National Occupational Research Agenda. RESULTS: One of the most serious noise problems in the goods producing industries is the operation of continuous mining machines during underground coal mining. In order to minimize occupational hearing loss, noise hazards are "designed out" early in the design process. NIOSH is leading a national initiative called Prevention through Design (PTD) to promote this concept. This paper describes the quiet-by-design approach of a noise control that reduced noise exposures of continuous mining machine operators by 3dB(A) using the four functional areas of PTD, namely Practice, Policy, Research, and Education.     

建筑施工安全生产标准化现状及对策建议

为推进我国建筑施工安全生产标准化工作的建设与发展,梳理了安全生产标准化在我国建筑行业中的发展历程,分析了现阶段建筑施工安全生产标准化建设存在的问题,并通过总结北京市相关工作推进过程中的经验,对应提出进一步发展的对策建议,为建筑行业安全生产标准化建设提供参考。     

安全投资技术经济分析的研究

在分析安全投资项目特殊性的基础上，提出了较为完整的安全投资技术经济分析方法，为企业进行安全投资决策提供了充分的依据。     

安全生产管理是企业的生存之本

阐述了安全生产管理在企业生存和发展中的重要性，并就如何提高安全生产管理工作提出了一些切实可行的建议和企业安全生产管理的基本原则和措施。     

基于系统动力学的食品企业安全生产监管博弈研究

为了研究食品安全生产及监管的内在机理、影响因素及监管模式,采用演化博弈论方法建立了政府监管部门与食品企业之间的博弈模型,运用复制动态方程和系统动力学方法深入分析了食品安全生产中相关主体的决策选择。结果表明:食品企业在追求利益最大化的前提下须主动重视食品安全问题,食品企业的策略选择受安全生产投入成本、处罚成本和声誉收益的影响;政府监管部门的监管行为受监管成本、外部负效益及社会成本等多方因素的影响。因此,增大监管部门惩处力度、降低监管成本、完善社会公众监督机制、强化声誉效应是食品安全问题得以解决的有力保障。     

利用网络计划技术指导起重设备安全检验

起重设备安全检验,是技术监督部门对特种设备进行安全管理的重要措施之一。企业自检机构认证后。代表技术监督部门履行检验职责。检验大纲所列项目,不易牢记,运用网络计划技术,突出重点,减少检验漏项,节约检验时间,提高检验质量。     

基于AHP-灰色模糊理论的大型游乐设施安全评价

大型游乐设施的运行是一个动态管理过程,不但涉及设备本身,而且与人、环境等密切相关,针对这种特点,从人-机-环境-管理4个方面出发,建立了全面的大型游乐设施三级评价指标体系,并用AHP法来确定权重。因大型游乐设施评价过程中存在模糊性和不确定性,故综合采用基于AHP-灰色模糊理论的安全评价方法对某游乐园的大型过山龙进行安全评价,评价结果符合实际情况。     

惯性约束聚变设施设计建造中的安全性工作

国家点火设施是隶属美国能源部的一座惯性约束激光聚变设施 ,目前正在美国劳伦斯里弗摩尔国家实验室进行建造。描述了其在设计和建造中的安全性工作过程     

论低压系统检修安全四极开关的设置

在停电检修电器设备时,只断开三根相线（火线）而不断开中性线（零线）,常常因中性线上带有危险故障电压引起事故。因此,四极开关是满足电气检修安全需要的隔离设备,是防止电器部分检修时发生电气事故的有效措施,它应符合电气隔离规定的爬电距离、空气间隙、绝缘水平等要求。