The need for a systems theory approach to road safety

In other hazardous complex socio-technical systems in society, e.g. nuclear power and aviation, systems-theoretical assumptions are considered a promising way to better understand and manage safety. In this paper, two fundamental approaches to road safety were assessed in the light of a systems theory approach. One approach, is based on a premise where individual road-users are solely responsible when crashes occur. In that case countermeasures are aimed at altering the behavior of the road-user in order to adapt him/her to the road transport system. The other approach, the so-called zero-tolerance position, or Vision Zero approach, to road safety is built around two axioms; the system must be adapted to the psychological and physical conditions and limitations of the human being and the responsibility for road safety must be shared between the road-users and the designers and professional operators of the system. It was found that the most important determinants of systems theory are basically not present in the road-user approach. However, even if the Vision Zero approach clearly takes step towards systems theory, it does leave room for articulating even more features of systems theory.     

安全设备失效数据获取与计算

安全设备失效数据是安全仪表系统(SIS)分析、设计和维护等活动所需的基础数据信息,对安全仪表系统的开发和功能安全相关标准的实施至关重要。文中总结分析了国内外现有失效数据库的现状,详细介绍了OREDA数据库。研究阐述了设备失效的类型、失效因素和数据的获取要求,讨论了失效数据质量的主要影响因素,研究提出了FMEDA失效数据获取法、现场数据获取流程以及失效率的几种计算方法,给出了失效数据信息的表示形式。     

安全控制论原理和应用

以系统论、信息论、控制论为指导思想,结合安全系统工程现场实践,对开发、完善安全控制论的理论体系及其应用等方面研究成果作了简要介绍,包括安全控制论的数学模型,安全系统的控制方式,安全计量及其在安全评价等方面的应用.     

失效路径长度对结构系统安全可靠性的影响

运用钢结构系统可靠性的安全评定原则,以立体车库钢结构系统为研究对象,建立主要失效模式安全余量方程,计算失效概率.在对风载荷和地震载荷分布进行模拟的基础上,通过对立体车库大型钢结构系统的算例进行分析,探讨了失效路径长度对大型钢结构系统失效准则与安全可靠性的影响,提出在结构整体承载能力未出现下降的情况下,失效路径长度取得越大越好的结论.该结论对大型钢结构可靠性的工程应用有指导意义.     

The roles of garment design and scene complexity in the daytime conspicuity of high-visibility safety apparel

INTRODUCTION: This study examines the effects of high-visibility garment design on daytime pedestrian conspicuity in work zones. Factors assessed were garment color, amount of background material, pedestrian arm motion, scene complexity, and driver age. METHOD: The study was conducted in naturalistic conditions on public roads in real traffic. Drivers drove two passes on a 31-km route and indicated when they detected pedestrians outfitted in the fluorescent garments. The locations of the vehicle and the pedestrian were recorded. RESULTS: Detection distances between fluorescent yellow-green and fluorescent red-orange garments were not significantly different, nor were there any significant two-way interactions involving garment color. Pedestrians were detected at longer distances in lower complexity scenes. Arm motion significantly increased detection distances for pedestrians wearing a Class 2 vest, but had little added benefit on detection distances for pedestrians wearing a Class 2 jacket. DISCUSSION: Daytime detection distances for pedestrians wearing Class 2 or Class 3 garments are longest when the complexity of the surround is low. The more background information a driver has to search through, the longer it is likely to take the driver to locate a pedestrian--even when wearing a high-visibility garment. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: These findings will provide information to safety garment manufacturers about characteristics of high-visibility safety garments which make them effective for daytime use.     

企业安全管理的思考

针对我厂在重组上市的新形势下对企业的安全管理进行探讨。     

Implications of turnover and trust for safety attitudes and behaviour in work teams

Turnover potentially leads to a new individual being selected into a work team. This study investigated the safety-specific trust which team members place in their organisation’s selection and induction processes, and related this to the perceived risk from new employees. The research was conducted with teams working in forest harvesting, an occupation which has high-turnover, high risk and a high accident rate. Results indicate that trust in induction processes was negatively correlated with perceived risk from a new employee. Team members also engaged in a number of safety ensuring behaviours when a new individual joined the team, and these were related to the level of perceived risk, and how much they cared about their team members’ safety. It is argued that trust in the safety-specific characteristics of an organisation’s selection and induction process may have negative consequences for safety.     

Construction safety: An analysis of systems failure: The case of the multifunctional Bos & Lommerplein estate,Amsterdam

Bos & Lommer is a district in the west of Amsterdam. The new centre, consisting of the district office, 96 apartments, a few dozen businesses and shops, a two-storey parking lot with capacity for more than 500 cars, and a market place, was completed in 2004. Less than 2 years later, in July 2006, this whole multifunctional complex had to be urgently cleared, because its safety could not be guaranteed.The investigations revealed that the planning and realisation of the Bos & Lommer complex were anything but exceptional. What happened there could have happened anywhere in the Netherlands and possibly elsewhere.This paper analyses the decision-making process in the planning and construction of the Bos & Lommerplein estate on the basis of accident causation theories. It will ascertain which safety science methodology is best equipped to describe and analyse the events in this multifunctional estate. The analysis forms the basis for a reflection on a set of concrete guidelines for designing and constructing complex projects. Construction safety would be enhanced if the scope for improvement in decision-making on complex building projects were properly utilised.     

The safety observer effect: the effects of conducting safety observations

INTRODUCTION: Some research suggests that conducting safety observations of another's safety performance may serve as an effective tool in increasing the safety performance of the observer. The primary purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of conducting safety observations on the postural safety performance of observers engaging in an assembly task for short time periods. The secondary objectives of the study were: (a) to measure productivity, and (b) to measure the accuracy of participant safety observations. METHOD: An ABC (A: baseline, B: information, C: observation) multiple-baseline design counterbalanced across postural behaviors (back, shoulder, and feet position) was implemented with six participants. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Substantial improvements in postural safety occurred after participants conducted safety observations, and these improvements did not appear to negatively affect productivity. Results also suggest that there is no relation between the accuracy of an observer's safety observation and their subsequent safety performance. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This research provides evidence that a safety observation process can function to increase safe postural behavior of observers. Thus, the implementation of such a process may contribute to the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and related costs in the workplace.     

Developing a process equipment failure knowledge base using ontology approach for process equipment related incident investigations

Process equipment failures (PEFs) are one of the most important causes of process incidents occurrences. To investigate and prevent the PEFs, in addition to having the previous data, it is necessary to have some resources of the PEFs domain knowledge. Nowadays, PEFs data are usually retrieved from existent databases. Customary databases present only previously stored data of equipment failures but, for carrying out a comprehensive PEFs management it is necessary to have access to the PEFs desired knowledge and not only stored data. This paper aims to offer a knowledge base for the PEFs through adopting an ontological approach and then to use the proposed knowledge base for further applications particularly, process incident investigation activities. Through adding semantic search capability, the proposed knowledge base could upgrade the data presenting feature of the common databases into a knowledge presenting feature. Using this approach, the user would be able to extract the desired knowledge of the PEFs along the virtual stored data of occurred cases. The knowledge extraction process and the data mining of occurred incidents are both necessary for the PEFs investigation.     

小波变换理论在炸药装药安全性检验中的应用

工业CT探测炸药时,存在的严重噪声使得信号难以识别,严重影响了炸药探测的可靠度和精确度.为提高工业CT探测炸药的信噪比和可靠性,利用小波变换的方法降低信号噪声以实现有效的炸药探测.结果显示,小波变换可以实际地进行工业CT探测炸药得到的信号的分析,能有效地抑制噪声和提高信噪比,并且利用小波变换可以检测出药柱的裂纹以及裂纹的位置.     

试论统计学理论在安全经济分析中的应用

近年来安全经济学作为一个新兴学科得到了较大程度的发展,但是仍处于初创阶段,定量分析技术和方法亟待提高和完善.随着社会经济统计学的发展以及安全经济理论的不断成熟,经济统计学理论在处理安全生产问题中逐渐显示出其优越性.通过分析统计理论在安全经济分析中的作用和意义,提出了安全经济统计分析研究的主要内容和体系,阐述了安全经济统计分析的理论基础,为安全经济统计方法论的构建奠定了基础.     

试论统计学理论在安全经济分析中的应用

近年来安全经济学作为一个新兴学科得到了较大程度的发展,但是仍处于初创阶段,定量分析技术和方法亟待提高和完善。随着社会经济统计学的发展以及安全经济理论的不断成熟,经济统计学理论在处理安全生产问题中逐渐显示出其优越性。通过分析统计理论在安全经济分析中的作用和意义,提出了安全经济统计分析研究的主要内容和体系,阐述了安全经济统计分析的理论基础,为安全经济统计方法论的构建奠定了基础。     

企业安全生产主体责任理论探讨

本文将企业安全生产主体责任上升到理论的高度,提出了企业安全生产主体责任理论这一新的概念.这一理论的形成,有它特定的历史背景.主体责任理论能有效促进行政体制改革,是党的科学发展观的升华与延伸,对于构建社会主义和谐社会意义十分重大.同时,主体责任理论还强化了企业的自治精神,有利于企业的长远发展.     

The development of a measure of safety climate: The role of safety perceptions and attitudes

In understanding the safety climate or culture of a workplace, the perceptions and attitudes of the workforce are important factors in assessing safety needs. Safety solutions may fail if they do not take into account these prevailing attitudes and perceptions. Also, changes in attitudes and perceptions about safety are often likely outcomes of safety interventions. The aim of this study was to develop a measure of perception and attitudes about safety as an indicator of safety culture for use with working populations. After reviewing the structure and content of a number of older, related measures of safety attitudes, a 67-item questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire was distributed in a self-administered form to 1560 workers in a wide variety of types of jobs and 660 questionnaires were returned from 7 workplaces with a response rate of 42%. Items were evaluated by Cronbach alpha which showed that the item set shared considerable common variance. Scale development was approached in two ways. First items which were highly skewed were removed, resulting in removal of around half of the items, with very little loss in alpha. The remaining items were then subjected to factor analysis which revealed five factors; personal motivation for safe behaviour, positive safety practice, risk justification, fatalism and optimism. This factor structure showed acceptable psychometric properties. Second, in an effort to produce a unidimensional scale with a small, but representative set of items, additional items were removed which had high correlation with other items. This resulted in loss of around half of the remaining items. The short scale contained 17 items with again overall acceptable psychometric properties. The most striking finding in the development of this questionnaire was that there was little variation between respondents on a very large proportion of the questions originally selected. Clearly there are well-known beliefs about safety in the working community which need to be understood in order to progress the concept of safety culture.     

可靠性理论在建筑施工安全领域的应用研究

针对建筑施工安全管理体系,从系统可靠性的视角,综合运用可靠性方面的知识,构建了建筑施工安全管理系统混联模型。在此基础上,将可靠性分配理论与故障树分析方法相结合,根据系统安全目标的要求,确定混联系统的第一层次各单元事件的可靠性目标值,对构成各单元的各个下属单元采取最小工作量可靠度分配方法,以此类推,从而建立系统中各单元可靠度再分配量化模型。为便于应用,通过建筑施工过程中常见的脚手架坠落实例,详述系统各单元可靠性分配的计算过程。研究表明,可靠性理论可以成功地应用到建筑施工安全领域;使系统在给定的目标值条件下达到系统的安全性优化,从而实现建筑施工安全保障效能,减小事故损失。     

煤矿安全管理能力理论框架研究

运用文献分析和综合归纳等研究方法,对煤矿安全管理能力进行研究。通过研究得出:煤矿安全管理能力本质是一种累积专有知识的集合,是煤矿对由安全生产体系进行协调控制的过程中,诸要素相互作用形成的蕴含在煤矿内部的一种企业管理能力。具备知识属性的"人、设备、环境、制度"成为煤矿安全管理能力的构成要素,而"人的不安全行为"、"设备不安全状态"、"环境不安全条件"和"制度不安全条件"对构成要素产生不良影响,成为煤矿安全管理能力的影响因素。煤矿安全管理能力的构成要素与影响因素之间存在一种此消彼长的互动关系——构成要素越强则影响因素越弱,导致煤矿安全事故发生概率越低;构成要素越弱则影响因素越强,导致煤矿安全事故发生概率越高。     

基于计量经济学理论对安全生产工作认识

安全生产监管行为必然发生成本支出,包括立法与执法成本、对企业监管行为带来的社会成本和政府干预行为产生的寻租成本等,其成本与代价之高实际难以估量.安全生产监察执法策略,既要遵循法治的严肃性,也必须考虑到企业和公众,尤其是约束对象的反映,还要考量执行难度和行政资源支出,并能使多数人从执法和守法中受益,否则会严重影响其执行力,甚至可能成为一纸空文.置信度较低的执法活动,不但效果有限,而且可能损害政府的公信力,使"政府失灵".政府经常运用权力强化各类安全生产行政审批,这在加大了干预力度同时,为寻租活动创造了机会,为腐败提供了土壤,可能产生新的风险,行政许可对安全监管工作是双刃剑.安全生产工作中,政府与企业之间呈现博弈关系.无论政府和公众,还是企业都不愿见到发生伤亡事故,安全监管部门应因势利导,充分考虑到企业利益与立场,运用灵活性的管理策略,首先要使大多数企业都能达到法规要求,其次让少数条件较差或不主动守法企业也能感到压力,甚至受到处罚,转而被迫加大投入,达到安全生产法规要求,逐渐实现"纳什均衡",使安全生产监管成本与效益达到一种"帕累托最优".市场经济条件下,安全生产监管应设计为一种激励相容机制,使每个参与方在追求各自利益的同时,也能达到总体设定目标.政府安全监管主要角色之一是指导各类安全生产资源有效配置,这些激励机制包括:要求企业建立安全承诺机制;基于分离均衡机制对企业实施分级监管;在事故分析中,参照"汉德法则",理性判定事故责任,激发企业安全生产投入的主动意识和守法自觉性等.对安全生产监管部门建立全过程的绩效评估机制,重视安全监管工作的过程表现,避免一旦发生事故,必定不放过追究监管者责任的倾向,理性分析监管者的贡献与责任,激励安监干部敢于认真负责,勇于承担风险.明确政府安全监管部门职责与企业责任有原则区别,企业对自身安全生产承担全部责任,是实质性主体,而安全监管部门职责只是对"主体"的依法监督检查,并非主体属性.     

基于风险耦合理论的航空装备本质安全管理研究

为提高航空装备的本质安全管理水平,奠定新一代航空装备安全服役的良好基础,基于目前本质安全管理理论片面强调组成元素自身本质安全度的提高,忽略系统组元间耦合交互作用的现实,提出了一种基于风险耦合理论的航空装备本质安全管理模型。对航空事故本质致因和耦合风险理论进行了分析,指出耦合风险的原因主要在于各系统组元在容错性、兼容性和标准化等方面存有缺陷。构建了基于耦合理论的飞机本质安全管理图示模型,强调系统宏观安全度的提高在于组元的本质安全化和对组元内部及组元之间耦合风险的有效管控,建立了系统安全度和耦合风险度计算模型,为航空装备服役安全性的提高提供了新理念。