Mitigating construction safety risks using prevention through design

Introduction

Research and practice have demonstrated that decisions made prior to work at construction sites can influence construction worker safety. However, it has also been argued that most architects and design engineers possess neither the knowledge of construction safety nor the knowledge of construction processes necessary to effectively perform Construction Hazards Prevention through Design (CHPtD).

Method

This paper introduces a quantitative methodology that supports designers by providing a way to evaluate the safety-related performance of residential construction designs using a risk analysis-based approach. The methodology compares the overall safety risk level of various construction designs and ranks the significance of the various safety risks of each of these designs. The methodology also compares the absolute importance of a particular safety risk in various construction designs.

Results

Because the methodology identifies the relevance of each safety risk at a particular site prior to the construction stage, significant risks are highlighted in advance. Thus, a range of measures for mitigating safety risks can then be implemented during on-site construction.

Impact on industry

The methodology is specially worthwhile for designers, who can compare construction techniques and systems during the design phase and determine the corresponding level of safety risk without their creative talents being restricted. By using this methodology, construction companies can improve their on-site safety performance.     

The INDICATE safety program: evaluation of a method to proactively improve airline safety performance

A number of recent and highly publicised fatal aircraft accidents, within the Australian regional airline industry, has highlighted the need for operators of regular public transport aircraft to be more proactive in identifying and addressing aviation safety hazards. Despite this need, there are currently few proactive safety management programs that are practical, simple, cost effective and which reliably demonstrate improvements in airline safety performance. This paper outlines a new proactive airline safety program called INDICATE (Identifying Needed Defences In the Civil Aviation Transport Environment) that has been applied within the Australian regional airline industry. To evaluate the INDICATE program, a major Australian regional airline agreed to implement the program in one of its operational bases while another base was used as a control group. Five evaluation criteria were applied to determine whether the program would have a positive influence on the airline's safety performance. These criteria included airline safety culture, staff risk perception of aviation safety hazards, willingness of staff to report safety hazards, action taken on identified safety hazards and staff comments about safety management within the airline. Results from the trial suggest that the program can have a positive influence on airline safety performance, specifically: improving staff confidence in how safety is managed, increasing staff willingness to report safety hazards and incidents, improving organisational safety culture and reducing staff perceptions of the severity and likelihood of safety hazards occurring within the airline. The success of the trial has resulted in a number of Australian and International airlines adopting the program.     

LPCVD法制备TiO_2纳米薄膜的生命周期评价

针对纳米材料生产的高能耗、低生产率的特点,用生命周期评价(LCA)方法对纳米TiO_2薄膜生产过程进行了环境影响评价,并通过设置不同的低压化学气相沉积过程(LPCVD)工艺参数,研究了工艺参数中温度和压强对于TiO_2薄膜评价结果的影响。研究显示,纳米TiO_2薄膜生产阶段的环境表现受LPCVD过程工艺参数影响,评价结果可用于指导LPCVD工艺优化。     

液化石油气站储罐区火灾爆炸危险性分析与安全措施

选择具体的液化石油气储配站,分析了该站的危险特性、危险产生的途径及可能造成的后果。在没有任何防护措施的情况下,采用蒸气云爆炸和沸腾液体扩展蒸气云爆炸模型,对该站一个50m3储罐发生泄漏造成的火灾爆炸事故后果进行预测,得出火灾爆炸后的安全距离为大于211．0m。在储配站不能满足此安全距离的基础之上,从防止产生爆炸性气体环境、消除点火源和抑制事故扩大三方面来提出有效的安全措施,降低事故发生的概率及事故造成的损失。其中,站址选在全年最小频率风向的上风侧且周围空旷的地区,罐上设置液位计、压力表、温度计及可燃气体报警器可防止产生爆炸性气体环境;罐及管道设静电接地,法兰用铜线跨接,站内设警示标志可消除点火源;生产区与辅助区间设置隔离墙,罐区周围设置砖混围堤,罐上设安全阀可抑制火灾爆炸事故扩大。     

Organizational safety: which management practices are most effective in reducing employee injury rates?

PROBLEM: While several management practices have been cited as important components of safety programs, how much does each incrementally contribute to injury reduction? This study examined the degree to which six management practices frequently included in safety programs (management commitment, rewards, communication and feedback, selection, training, and participation) contributed to a safe work environment for hospital employees. METHOD: Participants were solicited via telephone to participate in a research study concerning hospital risk management. Sixty-two hospitals provided data concerning management practices and employee injuries. RESULTS: Overall, the management practices reliably predicted injury rates. A factor analysis performed on the management practices scale resulted in the development of six factor scales. A multiple regression performed on these factor scales found that proactive practices reliably predicted injury rates. Remedial measures acted as a suppressor variable. DISCUSSION: While most of the participating hospitals implemented reactive practices (fixing problems once they have occurred), what differentiated the hospitals with low injury rates was that they also employed proactive measures to prevent accidents. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The most effective step that hospitals can take is in the front-end hiring and training of new personnel. They should also ensure that the risk management position has a management-level classification. This study also demonstrated that training in itself is not adequate.     

塔吊安装与拆卸作业安全性分析*

为提高建筑施工塔吊安装与拆卸作业安全管理水平,采用系统理论事故模型及过程(STAMP)分析方法,构建塔吊安装与拆卸作业模型;利用系统危害分析(STPA)方法从组件失效、组件间交互作用、系统外部影响3个方面分析建立模型的安全性,得出60个隐患点;再将60个隐患点分为文档资料、人员、机械设备、管理、外部环境和流程等6个方面共15项,并据此分类统计和分析70起塔吊安装与拆卸阶段事故报告中的事故原因。结果表明:塔吊安装与拆卸作业现场安全管理中,现场管理监督人员缺失或失职、作业工人无证作业、塔吊施工方案的缺失或不合理、安全教育培训和技术交底不到位以及工序执行的正确性是应着重关注的隐患点。     

关于GB18218-2009标准中易燃气体临界量分析

分析了我国重大危险源辨识标准的修订工作及评价方法的研究状况。新标准明确监管对象为危险化学品,并通过设立危险化学品类别及其临界量的方式拓展了监管范围。我国采用的重大危险源评价方法着重关注危险物质的种类和数量,以物质的固有危险性作为评判依据,更符合我国危险化学品现状。利用蒸气云爆炸及沸腾液体扩展蒸气爆炸两类事故模型对GB18218-2009中临界量的易燃气体可能的致害范围进行模拟分析。研究认为,危险化学品重大危险源的辨识是在物质固有危险性的基础上,综合考虑了事故发生频率、次要危险性、化学反应活性及对环境影响等诸多因素。     

CRES的危害因素识别方法:以EETD为例

首先厘清传统危害识别方法的局限性,运用系统理论的事故模型及过程(STAMP)的系统理论过程分析(STPA)方法,分析CRES不能使动车组(EMU)制动这一危害事件,将其安全问题看作是控制问题;然后以车载地震紧急处置装置(EETD)为例,分析其引起的不安全控制控制行为,找出产生不安全控制行为的原因,进而分析出其危害因素;最后与传统的故障树分析(FTA)方法结果对比,验证基于STAMP模型的STPA方法的有效性。结果表明:用该方法能比FTA方法识别出更多的危害因素,如设计缺陷、沟通不畅等。     

危险辨识方法的研究

介绍了一种新的危险辨识方法,应用该方法可以系统地发现潜在的事故序列、事故的起始事件以及相应控制系统的薄弱环节,为进一步的风险分析奠定基础。     

氯乙烯储罐的事故后果分析

氯乙烯具有毒性和易燃易爆性,如果泄漏至空气中,可能产生中毒或爆炸事故.笔者以某化工厂氯乙烯储罐为例,分析氯乙烯储罐可能发生的事故;对其主要事故危害,即中毒、蒸气云爆炸、扩展气体沸腾蒸气爆炸3种事故进行后果模型分析;计算出发生3种事故对人员伤亡和设备损坏造成的危害区域,并提出建议和对策.该研究结果可为同类企业进行安全管理提供科学依据和参考,有助于企业制定防范措施以及事故应急救援预案,从而减少人员伤亡及财产损失.     

A new simple methodology for evaluation of explosion risk in underground coal mines

The key objective of this paper is the presentation of a new risk assessment tool for underground coal mines based on a simplified semi-quantitative estimation and assessment method.In order to determine the risk of explosion of any work process or activity in underground coal mines it is necessary to assess the risk. The proposed method is based on a Risk Index obtained as a product of three factors: frequency of each individual scenario P_ucm, associated severity consequences C_ucm and exposure time to explosive atmospheres E_ucm. The influence of exposure time is usually not taken into account up to now. Moreover, the exposure to explosive atmospheres may affect factors of hazardous event probability as much as its consequences. There are many definitions of exposure to explosive atmospheres but in the case of underground coal mines the exposure is defined as frequency risk of firedamp and coal dust. The risk estimation and risk assessment are based on the developed of a risk matrix.The proposed methodology allows not only the estimation of the explosion risk but also gives an approach to decide if the proposal investment is well-justified or not in order to improve safety.     

Development of algorithms for predicting ignition probabilities and explosion frequencies

A project was performed for the Explosion Research Cooperative to develop algorithms for predicting the frequencies of explosions based on a variety of design, operating and environmental conditions. Algorithms were developed for estimating unit-based explosion frequencies, such as those reported in API Recommended Practice 752, but in more detail and covering a much broader range of chemical process types. The project also developed methods for predicting scenario-based explosion frequencies, using frequencies of initiating events and conditional probabilities of immediate ignition and delayed ignition resulting in explosion. The algorithms were based on a combination of published data and expert opinion.     

用于工业机器设计的安全性分析模式及方法研究

工业机器也属职业事故的重要危险源之一.在其设计时,有效地进行安全性分析是消除和控制工业机器中存在的固有危险的最佳途径.为此,推荐了一种用于工业机器的安全分析模式;并对已有的安全分析方法进行了重点选择,将供设计人员使用的安全分析方法从百余种减少到11种;还对这些方法进行了分类,可供设计人员在设计工业机器时,较方便地选择和系统地应用.     

化工企业危险性评价述评

对化工企业危险性评价的定义,内容和分类方法进行了介绍,并就化工危险性评价中存在的不确定性问题进行了分析,同时对提高化工企业危险性评价质量的途径进行了探讨。