Accident in a French dynamite factory: An example of an organisational investigation

The 27th of March 2003, an explosion caused the death of four employees in a Nitrochimie pyrotechnic plant, at Billy Berclau, in the north of France. Following the accident, the ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development appointed INERIS to perform an investigation. According to the terms of reference, the investigation would cover technical (origins of the explosion, extent of damages) as well as organisational issues, as defined by SEVESO II safety management system requirements. This paper has a threefold purpose. It intends first to illustrate with an empirical case the current trend in safety auditing and accident investigation, targeting organisational factors, alongside human factors. There are not so many published cases of accidents analysed with an organisational perspective. Secondly, it shows that it is possible to investigate organisational dimensions (through articulation of safety engineering, safety management and human and social sciences) within reasonable time frames and a reasonable amount of resources. By focusing on key actors and asking appropriate questions related to key dimensions, investigating organisational accidents might not necessarily imply spending much more resources than other steps such as damage assessment, chronological construction or identification of technical scenarios, although there are also some prerequisite conditions needed to achieve this. Finally this paper should be seen as a technical communication beyond the pyrotechnic industry.     

Workplace and organisational factors in accident analysis within the Food Industry

This paper focuses on the causes of accidents at work in the Food Industry Sector and it covers both immediate and systemic causation factors, using data collected in Portugal. In the first part, accident data is analysed by looking at harmonised variables within the Eurostat recording system, allowing a portrait of the accidents occurred and their immediate causes. To complement the study, a second part was designed to deepen the insight into underlying factors, as well as the relevant organisational conditions; this complementary part comprised an in-depth analysis of 30 accidents, carried out in the field by visiting several enterprises of the sector and conducting interviews with the injured people and their managers. For eliciting and analysing this information, the WAIT method was applied together with its classification schemes. The results are presented and discussed, showing the usefulness of certain new Eurostat variables, such as the deviation and the contact. However, they also demonstrate that the current variables are not yet sufficient to clarify accident mechanisms on which to build up knowledge and develop better prevention strategies. The authors argue for the need of more detailed information and propose an additional variable, associated with the deviation, aimed at promoting the inclusion of specific underlying factors within the local workplace environment.     

危险化学品公路运输事故原因及发生频率研究

针对2005年3月29日京沪高速公路淮安段发生的槽罐车液氯大面积泄漏事故,文章展开了危险化学品公路运输事故的原因分析,并进行了借鉴国外危险化学品公路运输车辆事故率和泄漏可能性的统计数据进行了该事故发生的概率分析,最后预测了危险化学品运输企业发生危险化学品公路运输泄漏事故的极限里程.     

Human and organisational factors in the operational phase of safety instrumented systems: A new approach

The international standards IEC 61508 and IEC 61511, which provide a general framework for the design and implementation of safety instrumented systems, require quantification of the achieved risk reduction, expressed as a safety integrity level (SIL). Human and organisational factors affect the performance of safety instrumented systems during operation and may threaten the achieved SIL, but this is usually not explicitly accounted for. This article presents a new approach to address human and organisational factors in the operational phase of safety instrumented systems. This approach gives a prediction of the operational SIL and can also be used to improve safety. It shows which human and organisational factors are most in need of improvement and it provides guidance for preventive or corrective action. Finally, the approach can be used as part of a SIL monitoring strategy in order to maintain the achieved SIL at the required level during the operational phase.     

Exploring the social and organisational aspects of human factors integration: A framework and case study

In this paper we first outline a framework which aims to capture some of the social and organisational aspects of human factors integration (HFI) which have been outlined by previous research. The framework was partly used to design a set of interview questions that were used with a case study of a human factors team working with the UK defence industry. The findings from the case study revealed a number of barriers which accord with previous research in the domain of HFI (e.g., attitudes and perceptions towards HF), as well as providing insights into the improvement strategies used by the HF team in order to improve HFI. These included attempts to build relationships and establish a working rapport with other groups in the company, as well as other activities aimed at addressing the organisational culture within the company as a whole (e.g., attempts to raise the profile of HF within the company). We use the framework for social and organisational aspects of HFI to discuss our findings alongside other research on group behaviour and boundary management within large organisations. The conclusions of the paper point to the utility of the framework as a means of planning HFI improvement strategies which can help to overcome some of the social and organisational barriers to HFI.     

Developing a framework for safety validation of multi-stakeholder changes in air transport operations

The high volume of air traffic over Europe is expected to double within the next 15 years. This requires changes in the airspace structure and in the organisation of air transport operations that involve multiple stakeholders. Changes, by regulation, require a sufficient safety validation, in order to show that the changed situation is safe and will remain safe during an applicable period. Many methods and techniques exist that can be used to support such safety validation process. However, for air transport operations, the stakeholders involved are numerous and diverse, and there are no guidelines on how to address their roles, responsibilities and goals during development and validation.This paper develops a safety validation framework that emphasises the active roles and collaboration of multiple stakeholders during the development phases of air transport operations. The framework is developed in three steps: First, established validation views from literature are identified and analysed to reveal open issues when it comes to their use for multi-stakeholder changes in air transport operations. Next, validation views emerging beyond the established ones are identified, and evaluated on whether they address the open issues. Finally, the strong points of established and emerging views are combined into a novel framework.     

Exploring the organisational preconditions for occupational accidents in food industry: A qualitative approach

The continuing high frequency of occupational accidents in the Swedish food industry calls for new approaches to better understand the underlying factors. In the present study, 54 accidents involving hand injuries were investigated from the operators’ perspective, to explore the organisational preconditions. In-depth interviews were conducted with operators and their supervisors, and 24 of these interviews were analysed using the grounded theory method. The core category ‘safety as a process’ was identified encompassing the perception of the process of the accident at operative level and organisational preconditions that increased the risk of occupational accidents. These preconditions were open factors: deficiencies in technical/physical environment and work organisation; and concealed factors: insufficient communication and learning, a high level of responsibility in combination with low control, conflicting goals and a gap between procedures and practice. These preconditions lead to risk acceptance, resignation towards improved safety and normalisation of risk. Through the analysis a five-step hypothesis was empirically generated.     

Entitled to solutions: The need for research on workplace entitlement

Workplace entitlement is a pressing concern for modern organizations and managers. Organizational scholars, however, have largely overlooked this phenomenon in their research. In this Incubator, we summarize the untapped opportunities that entitlement research offers for impacting both scholarly thinking and practitioner knowledge on the subject. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The need for and meaning of positive organizational behavior

This essay draws from the emerging positive psychology movement and the author's recent articles on the need for and meaning of a positive approach to organizational behavior. Specifically, the argument is made that at this time, the OB field needs a proactive, positive approach emphasizing strengths, rather than continuing in the downward spiral of negativity trying to fix weaknesses. However, to avoid the surface positivity represented by the non‐sustainable best‐sellers, the case is made for positive organizational behavior (POB) to take advantage of the OB field's strength of being theory and research driven. Additional criteria for this version of POB are to identify unique, state‐like psychological capacities that can not only be validly measured, but also be open to development and performance management. Confidence, hope, and resiliency are offered as meeting such POB inclusion criteria. The overall intent of the essay is to generate some positive thinking and excitement for the OB field and ‘hopefully’ stimulate some new theory building, research, and effective application. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The need for detailed gender-specific occupational safety analysis

IntroductionThe female work in population is growing in the United States, therefore the occupational health and safety entities must start to analyze gender-specific data related to every industry, especially to nontraditional occupations. Women working in nontraditional jobs are often exposed to extreme workplace hazards. These women have their safety and health threatened because there are no adequate policies to mitigate gender-specific risks such as discrimination and harassment. Employers tend to aggravate this situation because they often fail to provide proper reporting infrastructure and support. According to past studies, women suffered from workplace injuries and illnesses that were less prominent among men. Statistics also confirmed that men and women faced different levels of risks in distinct work environments. For example, the rates of workplace violence and murders by personal acquaintances were significantly higher among women.MethodsIn this paper, the authors analyze prior public data on fatal and nonfatal injuries to understand why we need to differentiate genders when analyzing occupational safety and health issues.ResultsThe analyses confirmed that women dealt with unique workplace hazards compared to men.ConclusionsIt is urgent that public agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Labor, record gender-specific data in details and by occupations and industries.Practical applicationThe reader will become aware of the current lack – and need – of data and knowledge about injuries and illnesses separated by gender and industry. Finally, safety and health researchers are encouraged to investigate the gender-specific data in all industries and occupations, as soon as they become available.     

基于事故发展与控制的隐患分级方法

为使隐患管理工作更加科学,对隐患与事故的关系进行研讨,提出隐患的根本属性是能够促使事故发生或发展。通过预估促使和控制(阻碍)事故发展的因素,来揭示隐患在事故过程中的作用机制。根据发生作用的时间将隐患分为第1类隐患和第2类隐患。在风险评估过程中,解决了具体隐患风险分级的问题,提出隐患暴露频率、其他条件的可能性、隐患纠正系数、事故后果初始分值、人员防护修正系数、人员暴露修正系数、应急处理与事故控制修正系数和财产损失修正系数等评价指标。通过隐患致因事故风险的计算,评估隐患的最终风险。     

The proficiency trap: how to balance enriched job designs and the team's need for support

The present study seeks to enlighten our understanding of ways to promote the performance of teams of professionals. Considering that job enrichment practices might block support for a team, and hence its performance, the study examined the moderating effects of cultural factors, namely individualism–collectivism and power distance, and the team leader's practices as a source of support in the job enrichment–team support relationship. Further, the study examined the mediating role of team support in improving the performance of professional teams. Results from 56 healthcare teams from different hospitals indicated that attempts to promote professionals' performance should consider at a minimum how to balance job enrichment practices and the team's need for support. The findings suggest that this balance could be achieved by emphasizing the support provided by the leader, and by strengthening the cultural values of low power distance and collectivism in the team. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

管制员人为差错影响因素及指标权重分析

根据SHELL模型,将影响管制员人为差错的因素从内部因素和外部因素进行分析,内部因素包括管制员生理因素、心理因素、管制员业务技能三个部分;外部因素包括管制员与管制员班组之间、管制员与管制设备之间、管制员与管制程序等软件之间。通过分析和专家咨询,建立了影响管制员人为差错的影响因素指标体系,在模糊层次分析法的基础之上引入0.1-0.9标度法的三角模糊数,通过对各影响因素进行对比分析,得出了影响管制员人为差错的三级指标的重要度排序,排在前八位的因素依次为酒精及药物影响、形势意识、班组人员性格搭配、班组人员能力搭配、疲劳、人机界面、外界压力、情绪状态。为管制员培训和管理层进行安全检查提供了基础理论依据。     

超音速虹吸式空气雾化喷嘴雾化影响因素实验研究

为掌握超音速虹吸式空气雾化喷嘴雾化机理及特性,采用流体力学线性不稳定理论分析雾化机理,通过喷雾实验研究不同因素对雾化性能的影响及对比不同类型喷嘴的雾化效果。研究结果表明：随着距喷嘴出口距离增加,超音速虹吸式空气雾化喷嘴在雾滴破碎后碰撞聚合作用由强到弱,300 mm内雾滴粒径增长速率明显,300 mm外雾滴粒径增长速率较缓。随着供气压力增加,超音速虹吸式空气雾化喷嘴雾滴粒径逐渐减小,在实测距离内SMD(平均粒径)最小为17.5μm。不同供气压力下,超音速虹吸式空气雾化喷嘴随距离增加,雾滴粒径增长趋势基本一致。有效射程内供气压力为0.1～0.5 MPa时,SMD仅为17.5～31.16μm。对比实验中,超音速虹吸式空气雾化喷嘴SMD比内混式空气雾化喷嘴和X旋流型压力喷嘴小53.5%～74.0%。     

危险品航空安全运输管理系统的探讨

我国的危险品航空运输管理体系，虽然在法规体系、培训机制以及管理机构与监察制度方面逐渐完善，但是运输管理手段存在滞后现象。通过对国外现有各危险品航空运输管理系统研究，并对比我国危险品航空运输现状，分析了各系统存在的功能缺陷。在此基础上，提出构建基于数据库技术的我国危险品航空安全运输综合管理系统，并详细地阐述了系统的功能设计模块及该系统的作用。     

层次分析法在核事故应急决策中的应用

核应急干预措施的决策分析方法,目前还处于研究阶段,缺乏成熟的方法和模型.在核事故应急决策分析中引入层次分析法,提出了基于层次分析法的核事故应急决策模型,实现了影响核事故应急核事故应急的关键因素排序,以及对策方案的选择.最后结合案例进行了分析.