Risk of injury to restrained children from passenger air bags

The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of children's exposure to passenger air bag (PAB) deployments and to determine the relative risk of both minor and more serious nonfatal injuries to restrained children exposed to PABs in frontal impact collisions. Data were collected from 1 December 1998 to 30 November 2001 from a large-scale, child-specific crash surveillance system based on insurance claims, a telephone survey, and on-site crash investigations. Vehicles qualifying for inclusion were State Farm-insured, model year 1990 or newer, and involved in a crash with at least one child occupant < or =15 years of age. Qualifying crashes were limited to those that occurred in 15 states and the District of Columbia. A stratified cluster sample was designed in order to select vehicles (the unit of sampling) for the conduction of a telephone survey with the driver. For cases in which child occupants were seriously injured or killed, in-depth crash investigations were performed. The prevalence of exposure to PABs was calculated as the number of children occupying the right front seat in a PAB deployment crash among all children occupying the right front seat in vehicles equipped with PABs. Complete interview data were obtained on 9,779 vehicles involving 15,341 children. Among PAB-exposed children, 175 (14%) suffered serious injuries versus 41 (7.5%) of those in the comparison group (OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.7). The overall risk of any injury (both minor and serious) was 86% among children exposed to PABs, compared to 55% among the comparison group (OR 5.3; 95% CI, 2.1-13.4). Exposure to PABs increased the risk of both minor injuries, including facial and chest abrasions, and more serious injuries, particularly upper extremity fractures.     

Examining the asymptote in safety progress: a literature review

Many industries are confronted by plateauing safety performance as measured by the absence of negative events – particularly lower-consequence incidents or injuries. At the same time, these industries are sometimes surprised by large fatal accidents that seem to have no connection with their understanding of the risks they faced; or with how they were measuring safety. This article reviews the safety literature to examine how both these surprises and the asymptote are linked to the very structures and practices organizations have in place to manage safety. The article finds that safety practices associated with compliance, control and quantification could be partly responsible. These can create a sense of invulnerability through safety performance close to zero; organizational resources can get deflected into unproductive or counterproductive initiatives; obsolete practices for keeping human performance within a pre-specified bandwidth are sustained; and accountability relationships can encourage suppression of the ‘bad news’ necessary to learn and improve.     

The moral self: A review and integration of the literature

The role of the self in moral functioning has gained considerable theoretical and empirical attention over the last 25 years. A general consensus has emerged that the self plays a vital role in individuals' moral agency. This surge of research produced a proliferation of constructs related to the moral self, each grounded in diverse theoretical perspectives. Although this work has advanced our understanding of moral thought and behavior, there has also been a lack of clarity as to the nature and functioning of the moral self. We review and synthesize empirical research related to the moral self and provide an integrative framework to increase conceptual coherence among the various relevant constructs. We then discuss emerging opportunities and future directions for research on the moral self as well as implications for behavioral ethics in organizational contexts. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effectiveness of electronic stability control in reducing real-world crashes: a literature review

OBJECTIVE: Electronic stability control (ESC) is designed to help drivers maintain heading control of their vehicles in high-speed or sudden maneuvers and on slippery roads. The wider proliferation of ESC across the vehicle fleet has allowed evaluation of its effects in real-world crashes in many countries, including Japan, Germany, Sweden, France, Great Britain, and the United States. This article provides a summary of the findings. METHODS: Studies that examined the real-world effectiveness of ESC were reviewed. Crash effects have been examined for different roadways, using differing analytic methods, different crash severities, and different make/model vehicles including both cars and SUVs. The review discusses the methodological differences and examines the findings according to vehicle type, crash type and severity, and road conditions. RESULTS: The overwhelming majority of studies find that ESC is highly effective in reducing single-vehicle crashes in cars and SUVs. Fatal single-vehicle crashes involving cars are reduced by about 30-50% and SUVs by 50-70%. Fatal rollover crashes are estimated to be about 70-90% lower with ESC regardless of vehicle type. A number of studies find improved effectiveness in reducing crashes when road conditions are slippery. There is little or no effect of ESC in all multi-vehicle crashes; however, there is a 17-38% reduction in more serious, fatal multi-vehicle crashes. CONCLUSIONS: Given the extraordinary benefits of ESC in preventing crashes, especially those with more serious outcomes, the implementation of ESC should be accelerated to cover the full range of passenger vehicles in both developed and developing markets.     

The older driver with dementia: an updated literature review

INTRODUCTION: At some point during their illness, drivers with dementia pose a public safety risk. METHOD: To address the issue of determining driving competence in drivers with dementia, the authors reviewed 11 studies. RESULTS: When comparing different driving assessments, the authors found that while road tests, simulators, and neuropsychological tests are important, each has limitations. CONCLUSION: Neuropsychological tests that highlighted visual spatial skills, attention, and reaction time provided the most meaningful correlations with driving performance. Furthermore, the authors recommend that patients with MMSE scores of 24 or less have a driving evaluation, and that driving evaluations be repeated at six month intervals or more frequently if a noticeable decline is observed. IMPACT: Because many older adults with dementia continue to drive, competence must be addressed.     

The provisional license: nighttime and passenger restrictions--a literature review

PROBLEM: Due to inexperience and inadequate driving skills, the road is a very risky place for young and beginning drivers, yet such experience and skills can only be built by increased driving and exposure to risks on the road. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) allows beginning drivers to get their initial driving experience under less risky conditions and gradually eases them into more complex driving situations. This paper reviews the literature exploring two key features of the intermediate licensing phase of GDL, nighttime driving restrictions and passenger restrictions. METHOD: Literature review. RESULTS: Nighttime driving restrictions have been shown to effectively reduce the number and rate of crash involvements on the part of teenage drivers. Data suggest that having passengers in the car increases the likelihood of a fatal injury in young drivers and that this risk increases with the number of passengers. Young drivers were more likely to cause a crash when accompanied by their peers. DISCUSSION: Nighttime driving and passenger restrictions are effective in decreasing injuries among teenage drivers and their passengers, especially in the context of a full GDL system. Several research questions remain to be answered in order to fully refine and optimize the impact of these provisional measures.     

Epidemiology of occupational acute traumatic hand injuries: a literature review

The purpose of this review was to summarize the literature on occupational, acute, traumatic hand injury and suggest directions for future research. In 1996, the leading occupational injury treated in United States' hospital emergency departments was an acute hand injury (e.g. laceration, crush or fracture). These injuries affected 30% of an estimated 3.3 million injured workers (990,000). Cuts and lacerations of the fingers ranked third after back and leg strains in the number of lost workday cases in the USA in 1994. The incidence rate of hand injuries studied in seven manufacturing environments around the world ranged from 4 to 11 per 100 workers per year. Workers aged 24 years or less had the highest risk of hand injury. Men had higher rates of severe hand injury than women.Despite the high frequency and significant amount of lost work time associated with these injuries, they are poorly understood from an etiological perspective. There is only one case-control study of occupational hand injury in the literature. That study suggested an important role for both fixed (age) and transient risk factors (doing an unusual task) at the time of the injury. More analytic epidemiological research is needed to identify potentially modifiable risk or protective factors (e.g. glove use) for acute hand injuries. In this regard, the case-crossover design, a relatively new epidemiological approach using cases as their own controls, could prove an efficient method for determining transient, modifiable risk factors for acute, occupational hand injury.     

Determinants of safety outcomes and performance: A systematic literature review of research in four high-risk industries

IntroductionIn spite of increasing governmental and organizational efforts, organizations still struggle to improve the safety of their employees as evidenced by the yearly 2.3 million work-related deaths worldwide. Occupational safety research is scattered and inaccessible, especially for practitioners. Through systematically reviewing the safety literature, this study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of behavioral and circumstantial factors that endanger or support employee safety.MethodA broad search on occupational safety literature using four online bibliographical databases yielded 27.527 articles. Through a systematic reviewing process 176 online articles were identified that met the inclusion criteria (e.g., original peer-reviewed research; conducted in selected high-risk industries; published between 1980-2016). Variables and the nature of their interrelationships (i.e., positive, negative, or nonsignificant) were extracted, and then grouped and classified through a process of bottom-up coding.ResultsThe results indicate that safety outcomes and performance prevail as dependent research areas, dependent on variables related to management & colleagues, work(place) characteristics & circumstances, employee demographics, climate & culture, and external factors. Consensus was found for five variables related to safety outcomes and seven variables related to performance, while there is debate about 31 other relationships. Last, 21 variables related to safety outcomes and performance appear understudied.ConclusionsThe majority of safety research has focused on addressing negative safety outcomes and performance through variables related to others within the organization, the work(place) itself, employee demographics, and—to a lesser extent—climate & culture and external factors.Practical applicationsThis systematic literature review provides both scientists and safety practitioners an overview of the (under)studied behavioral and circumstantial factors related to occupational safety behavior. Scientists could use this overview to study gaps, and validate or falsify relationships. Safety practitioners could use the insights to evaluate organizational safety policies, and to further development of safety interventions.     

The workload and performance relationship in the real world: a study of police officers in a field shooting exercise.

We examined the relationship between perceived workload and performance by evaluating the responses of police officers to 4 different draw-and-shoot tasks in a night field training exercise which was part of their regular training regimen. Sixty-two police officers volunteered to participate. Results demonstrated an associative trend among 3 tasks where shooting performance decreased and workload increased as the tasks became more complex. However, performance on 1 specific shooting task did not correlate with any of the other 3 tasks, and in this 1 exceptional case, insensitivities were observed in which workload increased but performance remained constant.     

The impact of advances in production technology on industrial injuries: A review of the literature

The paper reviews scientific studies of the past two decades dealing with the effects of advances in production technology on industrial injuries. The main features of these studies and the evidence gathered with regard to injury frequency, severity and characteristics are described. The accident co-determinants pointed to by the studies are highlighted. Methodological and theoretical shortcomings are discussed, and a research agenda comprising five questions is proposed. The fairest conclusion at this stage is that technological change may have positive effects with regard to injury occurrence and also promote personal well-being. But the conditions and moderating factors enabling favorable outcomes are not yet fully understood.     

Effects of red light cameras on violations and crashes: a review of the international literature

Red light running is a frequent cause of motor vehicle crashes and injuries. A primary countermeasure for red light running crashes is police traffic enforcement. In recent years, many police agencies have begun using automated red light cameras as a supplement to conventional enforcement methods. The present study reviewed and evaluated available evidence in the international literature regarding the effectiveness of cameras to reduce both red light violations and crashes. Camera enforcement generally reduces violations by an estimated 40-50%. In terms of crash effects, most studies contain methodological flaws that, to varying degrees, either overestimate (failure to adjust for regression to the mean) or underestimate (comparison with nearby signalized intersections affected by cameras) crash effects. Mindful of these limitations, the research generally indicates that camera enforcement can significantly reduce injury crashes at signalized intersections, in particular right-angle injury crashes. Most studies reported increases in rear-end crashes following camera installation. Taken together the studies indicate that, overall, injury crashes, including rear-end collisions, were reduced by 25-30% as a result of camera enforcement.     

Whole-body vibration and postural stress among operators of construction equipment: a literature review

INTRODUCTION: Operators of construction equipment perform various duties at work that expose them to a variety of risk factors that may lead to health problems. A few of the health hazards among operators of construction equipment are: (a) whole-body vibration, (b) awkward postural requirements (including static sitting), (c) dust, (d) noise, (e) temperature extremes, and (f) shift work. It has been suggested that operating engineers (OEs) are exposed to two important risk factors for the development of musculoskeletal disorders: whole-body vibration and non-neutral body postures. METHOD: This review evaluates selected papers that have studied exposure to whole-body vibration and awkward posture among operators of mobile equipment. There have been only few studies that have specifically examined exposure of these risk factors among operators of construction equipment. Thus other studies from related industry and equipment were reviewed as applicable. CONCLUSION: In order to better understand whole-body vibration and postural stress among OEs, it is recommended that future studies are needed in evaluating these risk factors among OEs.     

Side impact crashes--factors affecting incidence and severity: review of the literature

Many traffic crashes are side impact collisions resulting in significant death and injury. A review was conducted of the evidence of driver, road, and vehicle characteristics affecting either the risk of occurrence or the severity of injury in such crashes for papers published from 1996 to early 2003. For drivers, evidence was found of increased crash risk or injury severity only for age and age-related medical conditions (e.g., dementia). Traffic roundabouts and other traffic control devices--stop signs, traffic lights, and so on--had mixed results; traffic controls were better than no controls, but their effectiveness varied with circumstance. Most vehicle characteristics have had little or no effect on crash occurrence. Antilock braking systems (ABS) in the striking vehicle had been anticipated to reduce the risk of crashes, but so far have demonstrated little effect. The primary emphasis in vehicle design has been on protective devices to reduce the severity of injury. Disparity in the size of the two vehicles, especially when the struck vehicle is smaller and lighter, is almost a consistent risk factor for occupant injury. The occupants of light trucks, however, when struck by passengers cars on the opposite side, were at higher risk of injury. Wearing seat belts had a consistently protective effect; airbags did not, but there were few studies, and no field studies, of lateral airbags found. Of all the characteristics examined, vehicle design, including occupant restraints, is the most easily modified in the short term, although road design, traffic control, and the monitoring of older drivers may also prove effective in reducing side impact crashes in the longer term.     

煤自燃倾向性测试方法综述

煤自加热和自燃现象是煤暴露在空气中经历氧化反应表现出的特性,是煤开采、运输和存储过程中导致火灾事故的上要原因.对研究煤与氧气相瓦作用效果的方法和随之产生的煤自燃倾向性测定方法进行了概述,包括发展历史、测定参数和操作要点.不仅介绍了3种传统技术,即"氧吸附"法、交叉点温度法(CPT)和绝热量热计法,还以基丁DTA/DSC的测试方法,篮热法和陈氏方法为重点,探讨了近几十年开发和应用的主要技术和方法.通过对不同测试方法功能的比较和分析,阐明了它们各自的优缺点.     

Participation in the design of performance management systems: a quasi‐experimental field study

In the literature on the relationship between participation in decision making and performance, a tell‐and‐sell strategy is considered a viable alternative to participation. In contrast, we argue that in organizational settings, when a sensitive and important issue is at stake, participation of a form to be characterized as formal, long term, direct, and with a high degree of participant influence is more effective than a tell‐and‐sell strategy. Using a quasi‐experimental design with a participation, a tell‐and‐sell, and a control condition, a ProMES performance management system was implemented in the field service department of a Dutch supplier of photocopiers. Outcome feedback to individual technicians resulted in an average performance increase in the participation condition that was significantly higher than the increase found in the tell‐and‐sell condition. Satisfaction with the program, and the perceived usefulness of the feedback, were significantly higher in the participation condition. In both experimental conditions, the performance increase was significant compared to the control condition. An explanation for these findings is discussed, as are implications for theory and practice. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pedestrian falls: A review of the literature and future research directions

IntroductionPedestrian falls (PFs) – falls in public spaces without collisions with other road users – are a significant cause of serious transport-related injuries, amounting to three-quarters of all pedestrians admitted to hospital.MethodsThis scoping review examined peer-reviewed research on PFs published between 1995 and 2015. Electronic databases (Scopus, SafetyLit, and PubMed) were used to find studies identifying PFs or outdoor falls (the latter also including falls in gardens).ResultsWe identified only 28 studies reporting relevant information on PFs (i.e., 15 prospective, 10 retrospective, and 3 intervention studies). The results show that more walking is related to a lower risk of PFs. Older people, especially older women, have a higher risk of (injurious) PFs. Outdoor fall victims have equally good or better health characteristics and scores on balance tests compared to those who have not experienced such falls. Road factors such as uneven surfaces, busy junctions, stairs, and slippery surfaces seem to play an important role in PFs, but much of the research on these factors is of a qualitative nature.ConclusionsPF victims are generally in good health (apart from normal age-related problems) but at risk due to road factors.Practical applicationsWe recommend to adopt a human factors approach. The road system should be adapted to human capabilities and limitations including those of pedestrians. Measures such as preventing uneven surfaces and good winter maintenance seem to be effective. However, we advise more quantitative research on road factors to inform design guidelines and standards for public space authorities given the qualitative nature of current research on road factors.