An evaluation of risk assessment framework for industrial accidents in India

Due to rapid industrialization, with high population density and constraints of land, it is expected that level of risks arising from the hazardous industries will increase in India in the coming decades. However, 30 years after the Bhopal accident (1984), except a few discrete regulations, there is as yet no integrated system for assessing and managing risks arising out of these hazardous industries in India. The gravity of aspects related to the management of industrial risk still remains crucially important. In particular, there is no standard guideline on risk analysis methodology, acceptability or tolerability criteria, nor is there an accident database or a risk reduction strategy for the areas where risk levels are already high. On top of this, there are technical and legislative gaps in the institutional framework to implement any of the above mentioned issues. With the backdrop of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the objective of this paper is therefore to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive risk assessment framework for the emerging economy of India, in order to control and/or to reduce the risk level that exists. In this context, regulations and policies pertaining to industrial risk assessment were reviewed.     

Agricultural injuries in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh in India

Increased use of farm machinery along with other agricultural inputs has enhanced the production and productivity of Indian farms. Simultaneously, it has also increased occupational health hazards on the farms. Major occupational health hazards are farm related injuries. Very little information is available about the type and nature of agricultural injuries on Indian farms. In the present study, agriculture injuries data were collected for the period 1996–2000 for the Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh in India. It has a total population of 1.4 million while 0.75 million were associated with agricultural activities. The agricultural injuries incidence rate was 0.8 per thousand workers per year in the study area. Out of all agricultural injuries, 9% injuries were fatal. The highest number of injury victims were in the age group of 30–44 years. The highest percentages of injured victims were literate but non-matric. The monetary loss due to agricultural injuries in the study area was estimated to be about US $730,000 per year. To minimize agricultural injuries, development of interventions and trainings needs to be organized at block levels for proper and safe operation of agricultural equipment.     

Development of safer fodder-cutter machines: a case study from north India

Fodder-cutter machines are used everyday by farmers and their families in India for preparation of fodder for the livestock they own. An epidemiological study done in north India showed that all age groups sustain fodder-cutter injuries while operating the machine. More than 45 and 64% of the victims were children below 15 years of age in Phase I and II. The injuries led to a large number of limb amputations [43 cases (80%)] among the persons operating the machine or playing with the machine taking treatments in the study area hospitals. A detailed study of injuries and machine characteristics resulted in a safer fodder-cutter design. The design changes are cost effective and can be incorporated,in both existing and new fodder-cutter machines. This paper reports the process of the community-based study and the safer design features of fodder-cutter machine.     

Development of a relative risk model for roof and side fall fatal accidents in underground coal mines in India

A relative risk model for roof and side fall fatal accidents was developed using loglinear analysis of two-way contingency table. A few statistics such as potential fatalities (PF), relative risk of fatalities (RRF) and safety measure effectiveness (SME) were derived which can be used as key safety performance indicators of roof and side fall accidents in underground mines. The model was applied to large roof and side fall fatal accident data for a period of 6-years occurred in six companies involving 292 underground coal mines. The application reveals that effectiveness of safety measures across different locations in underground mines varies and focus is mainly concentrated in highly populated workplaces such as face. The model and the statistics developed in this study are generic and can be applied to any industrial setting.     

Role of gender in road accidents

Influence of driver sex on road accidents is assessed in this article. Accident records for 3 years and for three different income regions were analyzed. Annual distance traveled, social and economic participation, and effect of public vehicle accidents were considered. Effects of environmental factors and driver age were also included. Driver faults analysis identified possible reasons for accident differences. Analysis of accident severity was used to assess degree of harm. Statistical analysis at the 5% significance level was used to evaluate all differences. The results show that male accident rates are significantly higher. This trend is consistent through all the analyses. Accident differences are significant only in normal driving conditions. Drivers over age 50 had the lowest accident rates. Accident rate differences were caused by lack of attention and impatience among male drivers. Appropriate means of communication should alert concerned populations to these findings.     

Historical analysis of accidents in seaports

A study has been carried out of accidents occurring in seaports. A total of 471 accidents occurring between the beginning of the twentieth century and October 2002 have been analysed. The results obtained show a significant increase in the frequency of accidents over time: 83% of the accidents occurred in the last 20 years and 59% in the past decade. The most frequent accidents were releases (51%), followed by fires (29%), explosions (17%) and gas clouds (3%). More than half the accidents occurred during transport: loading/unloading operations, storage and process plants also make a large contribution to the total. The various causes of the accidents have also been analysed, as have the type of substance involved and the consequences for the population (number of people killed, injured and evacuated). Finally, some conclusions are drawn concerning the need to improve certain safety measures in ports.     

Global trend according to estimated number of occupational accidents and fatal work-related diseases at region and country level

Background

Although occupational accidents and work-related diseases have been of interest for a long time, due to lack of proper recording and notification systems the official numbers of occupational accidents and work-related diseases are missing for many countries. Presently, the demand for effectiveness and an interest in the economic aspects of accidents have increased prevention activities at company and country levels.

Methods

Occupational accident data of selected countries and of World Health Organization regional divisions together with the global burden of disease were used in estimating global occupational accidents and fatal work-related diseases. The trend of global occupational accidents and work-related diseases is presented at region and country levels. The years 1998, 2001, and 2003 are compared in the case of occupational accidents and the years 2000 and 2002 in the case of work-related diseases.

Results

The total number of occupational accidents and fatal work-related diseases has increased, but the fatality rates per 100,000 workers have decreased. There were almost 360,000 fatal occupational accidents in 2003 and almost 2 million fatal work-related diseases in 2002. Every day more than 960,000 workers get hurt because of accidents. Each day 5,330 people die because of work-related diseases.

Conclusions

Information on occupational accidents and work-related diseases is needed so that countries may understand better the importance of occupational health and safety at country and company level. Especially companies in developing countries are not familiar with occupational safety and health. Statistical data is essential for accident prevention; it is a starting point for the safety work.     

An Ergonomie Study on Posture-Related Discomfort Among Preadolescent Agricultural Workers of West Bengal,India

In India, particularly in West Bengal, preadolescents are primarily associated with agricultural work in rural areas. Owing to poor socio-economic conditions, they are compelled to carry out a considerable number of manual, rigorous tasks in agricultural fields. The main aim of this study was to investigate postures adopted by preadolescent agricultural workers during individual agricultural activities and to analyze the causes of discomfort related to those postures. Fifty male and 50 female preadolescent agricultural workers were randomly selected and a detailed posture analysis was performed with the Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS). It was observed that those workers worked continuously in awkward postures during certain agricultural activities. Consequently they suffered from discomfort in different parts of their body. Even though they were very young, they were likely to suffer from serious musculoskeletal disorders in the future.     

2005-2019年我国重特大安全生产事故特征分析

为探究我国重特大安全生产事故特征,选取2005-2019年国内852起重特大事故作为研究对象,基于Python编程语言针对重特大事故发生的年份、季度、月份、工作日与非工作日、地域特征进行分析.结果表明:2005-2019年,国内重特大安全生产事故起数和死亡人数均在不断下降;第四季度发生重特大事故最多,而第三季度平均每起事故造成的死亡人数最多;重特大事故数量和死亡人数随月份显示出反复波动的趋势,均呈现3个"^",形;工作日期间发生的重特大事故数量最多,非工作日平均事故率最大;国庆节是重特大事故发生最多的节假日;贵州、湖南、山西、云南、河南等省份"十四五"期间需要重点加强安全和应急管理.     

Analysis of the circumstances of accidents and impact of transformations on the accidents in a beverage delivery company

The aim of the study was to analyze the narratives in accident files to document the circumstances of accidents in a beverage delivery company, in particular, in regard with the activities performed at the time of the accident and the deviations reported. A second aim was to understand the impact of the transformations introduced by the company on accident patterns. Narrative material from 546 files covering a 7-year period was analyzed. Special attention was given to collecting information on the activities conducted at the time of the accident, including location, foot support base, operation, and material involved. The analysis allowed specifying elements that have good potential for improving handling situations and decreasing accident risks. Three categories of deviation were analyzed: situations reported as particular or difficult, unforeseen events, and dysfunction reported in the activity itself. Results show that several external factors play an important role in the occurrence of accidents. Most of these factors are beyond risk analysis of handling situations. The impact of the transformations on the number, seriousness, and causes of accidents was dramatic. Analysis shows that current investigative risk tools are insufficient in helping management predict how decisions will affect safety. The discussion situates the results within the various theories of musculoskeletal mechanisms of injury.     

Global estimates of occupational accidents

Information of occupational accidents is not standardized worldwide. Especially, developing countries do not have reliable information on their occupational accidents due to lack of proper recording and notification systems. The number of accidents is under-reported but figures are still used as a baseline for occupational safety work. In this paper global estimates of occupational accidents are presented for 175 countries. These estimates are based on figures from selected countries in eight different regions. Global estimates help to compare different countries and regions to each other to detect improvements in safety and safety work. In 1998 the average estimated number of fatal occupational accidents was 350 000 and there were 264 million non-fatal accidents. Global estimates are needed to guide national policies and decision-making.     

Time-related distribution of occupational accidents

Time-related distributions of the frequency of occupational traumatic accidents (3,309) were analyzed in two plants. Data on the distribution of work-related accidents (676,389) throughout Ontario between 1980–1984 were also compiled and compared with the data gathered in the two plants. Time-related distributions of accident frequency were similar for both plants and for the province of Ontario, with accidents peaking around noon. There was a direct relationship between the number of accidents and the level of the activity of the plants. At night, however, between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., despite a great decrease of activity level, there was a slight increase in accident frequency.     

ALOHA在突发性大气污染事故中的应用

以天津市某化工厂液氨罐泄漏为背景,在氨泄漏后果分析的基础上,用ALOHA(有害大气区域定位)模拟软件对事故影响范围进行模拟,得到可能事故场景下的氨气扩散区域、闪火可燃区域和蒸气云爆炸超压影响区域,以及射火和BLEVE火球热辐射影响.结果表明,液氨爆炸和火灾事故中BLEVE事故造成的危害范围最大,其次是蒸气云、闪火,最后是射火.液氨泄漏扩散事故影响范围可达几千米,应针对不同伤害区域采取不同方式和不同程度的救援措施.     

我国高速公路交通事故特征分析

随着我国高速公路的快速发展,高速公路交通事故逐年上升,高速公路交通事故死亡人数明显增加.分析表明:现阶段我国高速公路交通事故严重程度不断增加,高速公路的安全性尚未有效体现出来;与一般道路交通事故相比,高速公路交通事故有着明显不同的特征和规律.随着高速公路建设的进一步快速发展,我国的高速公路交通事故仍有可能呈继续上升趋势.     

重、特大煤矿事故的时间规律

针对1970年以来1400多起重、特大煤矿事故,应用统计分析方法,探讨了煤矿重、特大事故的时间规律以及不同事故类型与死亡人数之间的关系,发现重、特大煤矿事故与月份、每天不同时间段等有一定相关.每年11、4、3、5、6等月份重、特大事故较多,2月份事故次数最少(Asymp Sig=0.018),时间上重、特大事故高峰时段主要集中在9:00-13:00(Asymp Sig=0.000).自70年代以来单次事故死亡人数没有明显减少,不同事故类型与死亡人数有明显不同(Asymp Sig=0.000),瓦斯事故、煤尘事故、火灾、水灾、煤与瓦斯突出等单次影响较大,事故的时间规律在日期上显现不明显(Asymp Sig=0.262).预防重、特大事故应尤其注意相应的时间段和相应的事故类型.     

Risk factors in urban road traffic accidents

INTRODUCTION: The urban road traffic accident (RTA) risks for the city of Zagreb, Croatia, from 1999 through 2000 were analyzed with the aim of reducing the increasing injury incidence. METHOD: Simple and bivariate analysis using chi(2), odds ratio, and confidence interval of 95% was used to determine risks in three outcome groups: killed, severely, and mildly injured. RESULTS: There were 528 RTA victims consisting of 260 severely, 213 mildly injured, and 55 killed at the scene of an accident and during transportation. More fatal accidents occurred during night hours (OR=3.78; 95% CI, 2.08-6.85), on urban road links (OR=2.33; 95% CI, 1.30-4.19), and at exceeding speed limit (OR=2.56; 95% CI, 1.43-4.61). More people were injured than killed on urban junctions (OR=5.27; 95% CI, 2.21-12.57). The highest combined risk of dying or being severely injured was found in males, driving at excessive speed, on urban links, and during bad visibility (OR=16.15; 95% CI, 3.901-66.881). CONCLUSION: These results will influence the urban traffic police enforcement measures, which will change inappropriate behavior of drivers and protect the least experienced road users.     

The significance of domino effect in chemical accidents

A historical survey was performed on 330 accidents involving domino effect, occurred in process/storage plants and in the transportation of hazardous materials; only accidents occurred after 1st-January-1961 have been considered. The main features – geographical location, type of accident, materials involved, origin and causes, consequences, domino sequences – were analyzed, with special consideration to the situation in the developing countries and compared to those from other previous surveys. Among the involved substances, LPG was the most frequent one, followed by liquid hydrocarbons. Process plants (38.5% of cases) and storage areas (33%) were the most common settings; 10.6% of past domino accidents occurred in transfer operations. The ratio between “two-step” and “three-step” domino accidents was found to be 6. A specific analysis of the accidents (84) occurred in the 21st century was performed, comparing them with the total set of accidents. Finally, a set of specific recommendations inferred from the results is provided.     

Analysis of safety functions and barriers in accidents

A new method for accident investigations is presented. It is based on the concept of safety function, which is defined as a technical or organisational function, a human action or a combination of these, that can reduce the probability and/or consequences of accidents and other unwanted events in a system. An analysis starts with the identification of safety functions related to the event. These are structured; an assessment is then made of whether they worked or not, and finally safety improvements are proposed.The method has been applied to five different incidents, coming from different types of work sites, such as electrical power distribution, a railway, and hospitals. For each case, around 40 safety functions were identified, of which less than half had worked. It was found that technical, organisational and human safety features existed side-by-side. The method supports a consistent analysis of a variety of safety features, and can integrate them into a common format.Each system contained formal and informal elements in parallel, often overlapping. This can be seen as safety redundancy, which makes the safety system less vulnerable to change that supports the preservation of safety. It might be more adequate to describe this as a safety web rather than a distinct set of barriers, and there is also an analogy with the concept of safety resilience.