Data mining for occupational injuries in the Taiwan construction industry

There is a higher rate of occupational injury in the construction industry than most other industries on average. However, steps can be taken to reduce worker risk through effective injury prevention strategies. In this article, association rule mining is employed in identifying the characteristics of occupational injuries in the construction industry. Accident reports during the period 1999–2004 are extracted from case reports of the Northern Region Inspection Office of the Council of Labor Affairs of Taiwan. In addition to general factors, several factors related to weather conditions are included in this article. The results show that there are some patterns of occupational injuries in the construction industry. The effect of rain on the occurrence of fatalities is of great significance. Proposed inspection plans should be in accordance with the type of construction and environmental evaluation. The findings identified in this article provide a direction for more effective inspection strategies and injury prevention programs.     

The concept of degraded images applied to hazard recognition training in mining for reduction of lost-time injuries

Introduction: This paper discusses the application of a training intervention that uses degraded images for improving the hazard recognition skills of miners. Method: NIOSH researchers, in an extensive literature review, identified fundamental psychological principles on perception that may be employed to enhance the ability of miners to recognize and respond to hazards in their dangerous work environment. Three studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the degraded image training intervention. A model of hazard recognition was developed to guide the study. Results: In the first study, miners from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Alabama, who were taught with the aid of degraded images, scored significantly better on follow-up hazard recognition performance measures than those trained using traditional instructional methodologies. The second and third studies investigated the effectiveness of the training intervention at two mining companies. Data collected over a 3-year period showed that lost-time injuries at mines in Alabama and Illinois declined soon after the training intervention was instituted. Impact on Industry: Further exploration of the hazard recognition model and the development of other interventions based on the model could support the validity of the steps in the hazard recognition model.     

Fall from equipment injuries in U.S. mining: Identification of specific research areas for future investigation

Introduction

The objective of this study was to evaluate the circumstances leading to fall from equipment injuries in the mining industry.

Method

The 2006 and 2007 Mine Safety and Health Administration annual injury databases were utilized for this study whereby the injury narrative, nature of injury, body part injured, mine type, age at injury, and days lost were evaluated for each injury.

Results

The majority of injuries occurred at surface mining facilities (∼ 60%) with fractures and sprains/strains being the most common injuries occurring to the major joints of the body. Nearly 50% of injuries occurred during ingress/egress, predominately during egress, and approximately 25% of injuries occurred during maintenance tasks. The majority of injuries occurred in relation to large trucks, wheel loaders, dozers, and conveyors/belts. The severity of injury was independent of age and the median days lost was seven days; however, there was a large range in severity.

Impact on industry

From the data obtained in this study, several different research areas have been identified for future work, which include balance and stability control when descending ladders and equipment design for maintenance tasks.     

Measuring mining safety with injury statistics: lost workdays as indicators of risk

PROBLEM: Mining in the United States remains one of the most hazardous industries, despite significant reductions in fatal injury rates over the last century. Coal mine fatality rates, for example, have dropped almost a thousand-fold since their peak in 1908. While incidence rates are very important indicators, lost worktime measures offer an alternative metric for evaluating job safety and health performance. The first objective of this study examined the distributions and summary statistics of all injuries reported to the Mine Safety and Health Administration from 1983 through 2004. Over the period studied (1983-2004), there were 31,515,368 lost workdays associated with mining injuries, for an equivalent of 5,700 person-years lost annually. The second objective addressed the problem of comparing safety program performance in mines for situations where denominator data were lacking. By examining the consequences of injuries, comparisons can be made between disparate operations without the need for denominators. Total risk in the form of lost workday sums can help to distinguish between lower- and higher-risk operations or time periods. METHOD: Our method was to use a beta distribution to model the losses and to compare underground coal mining to underground metal/nonmetal mining from 2000 to 2004. RESULTS: Our results showed the probability of an injury having 10 or more lost workdays was 0.52 for coal mine cases versus 0.35 for metal/nonmetal mine cases. In addition, a comparison of injuries involving continuous mining machines over 2001-2002 versus 2003-2004 showed that the ratio of average losses in the later period to those in the earlier period was approximately 1.08, suggesting increasing risks for such operations. DISCUSSION: This denominator-free safety measure will help the mining industry more effectively identify higher-risk operations and more realistically evaluate their safety improvement programs. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Attention to a variety of metrics concerning the performance of a job safety and health program will enhance industry's ability to manage these programs and reduce risk.     

Marketing and alcohol-related traffic fatalities: Impact of alcohol advertising targeting minors

Problem

Alcohol-related youth traffic fatalities continue as a major public-health concern. While state and federal laws can be useful in tackling this problem, the efficacy of many laws has not been empirically demonstrated. We examined the impact of state laws prohibiting alcohol advertising to target minors. Method: Using statistics obtained from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), youth alcohol-related, single-vehicle, driver traffic fatalities were compared by state as a function of whether the state has a law prohibiting alcohol advertising that targets minors. Results: Overall, states possessing this law experienced 32.9% fewer of the above specified traffic fatalities. Discussion and Impact on Industry: The results suggest that not only are youth drinking rates affected by alcohol advertisements targeting youth, but also drink-driving behaviors. Indeed, we estimate that if this type of legislation were adopted in the 26 states that do not prohibit targeting of minors with alcohol advertising, then 400 youth lives could be saved annually.     

Preventing collisions involving surface mining equipment: a GPS-based approach

PROBLEM: An average of three workers a year are killed in surface mining operations when a piece of haulage equipment collides with another smaller vehicle or a worker on foot. Another three workers are killed each year when haulage equipment backs over the edge of a dump point or stockpile. Devices to monitor the blind areas of mining equipment are needed to provide a warning to operators when a vehicle, person, or change in terrain is near the equipment. METHOD: A proximity warning system (PWS) based on the global positioning system (GPS) and peer-to-peer communication has been developed to prevent collisions between mining equipment, small vehicles, and stationary structures. RESULTS: A final system was demonstrated using one off-highway haul truck, three smaller vehicles, and various stationary structures at a surface mining operation. The system successfully displayed the location of nearby vehicles and stationary structures and provided visual and audible warnings to the equipment operator when they were within a preset distance. SUMMARY: Many surface mining operations already use GPS technology on their mobile equipment for tracking and dispatch. Our tests have shown that it is feasible to add proximity warning to these existing systems as a safety feature. Larger scale and long-term tests are needed to prove the technology adequately. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: A PWSs that incorporates a combination of technologies could significantly reduce accidents that involve collisions or driving over an edge at surface mining operations.     

Blasting injuries in surface mining with emphasis on flyrock and blast area security

PROBLEM: Blasting is a hazardous component of surface mining. Serious injuries and fatalities result from improper judgment or practice during rock blasting. This paper describes several fatal injury case studies, analyzes causative factors, and emphasizes preventive measures. METHOD: This study examines publications by MSHA, USGS, and other authors. The primary source of information was MSHA's injury-related publications. RESULTS: During the 21-year period from 1978 to 1998, the mean yearly explosive-related injuries (fatal and nonfatal) for surface coal mines was 8.86 (95% CI: 6.38-11.33), and for surface metal/nonmetal mines 10.76 (95% CI: 8.39-13.14). Flyrock and lack of blast area security accounted for 68.2% of these injuries. This paper reviews several case studies of fatal injuries. Case studies indicate that the causative factors for fatal injuries are primarily personal and task-related and to some extent environmental. A reduction in the annual injuries in surface coal mines was observed during the 10-year period of 1989-1998 [5.80 (95% CI: 2.71-8.89) compared to the previous 10-year period of 1979-1988 [10.90 (95% CI: 7.77-14.14)]. However, such reduction was not noticed in the metal/nonmetal sector (i.e., 9.30 [95% CI: 6.84-11.76] for the period 1989-1998 compared with 11.00 [95% CI: 7.11-14.89] for the period 1979-1988). DISCUSSION: A multifaceted injury prevention approach consisting of behavioral/educational, administrative/regulatory, and engineering interventions merits consideration. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The mining community, especially the blasters, will find useful information on causative factors and preventive measures to mitigate injuries due to flyrock and lack of blast area security in surface blasting. Discussion of case studies during safety meetings will help to mitigate fatal injuries and derive important payoffs in terms of lower risks and costs of injuries.     

Life cycle optimisation (LCO) of product systems with consideration of occupational fatalities

With the increasing pressures imposed upon industries on the environmental impacts of the manufacturing industry and chemical processes, numerous methodologies have been developed for the quantification, assessment and minimisation of waste and emissions. Meanwhile, methods for the simultaneous maximisation of economic performance within a product life cycle have also been developed. Similarly, various methodologies for screening of process alternatives based on the above factors have also been developed. However, the human lives put at risk in a supply chain constituting a life cycle tend to be overlooked as a factor of assessment, selection and optimisation of the process. Despite having life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies for environmental assessment, no methodology has been developed for the minimisation of work-related casualties due to the unpredictable nature of workplace accidents. To address this problem, this paper develops a multi-objective optimisation model that utilises realistic statistical data for estimating the best possible pathway. The model results in the least potential fatality directly involved within the product life cycle while simultaneously minimising operating costs throughout the entire life cycle. A case study involving the utilisation of palm-based biomass formed for the production of value-added green products in Malaysia is used to demonstrate the model.     

Occupational injuries and health problems in the Egyptian Mediterranean fisheries

Marine fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations. So far, no studies addressing occupational safety and health in the Egyptian fisheries have been conducted. The objective of this study is to explore and identify the types and causes of, as well as some factors associated with, occupational accidents and illnesses in the Egyptian marine fisheries. A sample of 686 fishermen in El-Maaddiya fishing port were interviewed for collecting relevant data. This paper presents the types of injuries mentioned by the interviewed fishermen and their potential causes in terms of accident type and involved agency/agency part. Also, major health problems and potential causes are presented. Furthermore, a logistic regression analysis was performed to study the significance of the association of some factors, such as age, experience, education and fishing gear with the occurrence of injuries and illnesses. The results of this study show that the Egyptian fishing industry involve many hazardous work conditions and practices that result in high morbidity and mortality rates, and high injury rates. The study recommends further research on suitable measures for the management of this problem.     

Road safety in China: Analysis of current challenges

Introduction

China has the world's largest population, and is the second largest automobile market. China's economy is booming, resulting in a rapid increase in both the road infrastructure and access to private vehicles. Along with economic growth, the ownership of motorized vehicles has almost quadrupled in the past 10 years, from 42.2 million in 1997 to 159.7 million in 2007. However, at the same time, China also has a very high number of road fatalities compared to other countries, with about 100,000 reported fatalities each year.

Method

This study analyzes the Chinese road-fatality situation to identify areas in which the total harm caused by crashes can be substantially and readily reduced. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the current road-fatality situation in China using conventional indices and the likely future trends.

Results

Four areas were identified in which countermeasures have the most potential to substantially reduce fatalities in China: pedestrians and other non-motorists, nighttime driving, vehicle passengers, and motorcycles.

Conclusion

While China faces unprecedented road safety issues, this report identifies major areas in which there are opportunities to greatly reduce total harm.     

Reducing non-contact electric arc injuries: an investigation of behavioral and organizational issues

PROBLEM: It is estimated that 5 to 10 arc flash explosions occur in electric equipment every day in the United States. In the mining industry the largest single injury category of electrical injuries are caused by non-contact electrical arcs. METHOD: This investigation progressed in two phases: (a) 836 Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reports of electric arcing incidents that occurred over a period of 11 years were reviewed, and (b) personal interviews were conducted with 32 individuals. A theoretical Safe Job Performance Model guided the study. RESULTS: Behavioral dimensions were identified and included the effect of worker experience, judgment and decision-making ability, behavioral and organizational controls, and safety culture. SUMMARY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted an investigation of behavioral components associated with arc flash incidents and developed recommendations for interventions based on findings. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This study fills a vacuum in electrical training with a focus on the organizational and behavioral aspects of arc flash incidents. The research is cross-cutting in its scope, in that the results apply not only to mining and construction, but many other industries employing electricians. Although the majority of mine electrical injuries are the results of burns from electrical arcs, few miners are aware that such a hazard exists. A safety training program, which includes a video and an instructor's discussion guide, was developed for electricians based on this study's findings. "Arc Flash Awareness" was released in 2007 (DHHS NIOSH Publication No.2007-116D) and is available through 1-800 CDC INFO. Phone: 1-800 232-4636 or email cdcinfo@cdc.gov. It is also available from MSHA at MSHADistribution@dol.gov or 304-256-3257 (DVD-576). Private industry is producing Portuguese and Spanish language translations.     

Trends in occupational injuries and fatality in Turkey

Introduction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trend of occupational injuries in Turkey using epidemiologic criteria such as incidence mortality and fatality/all injuries recorded – rates. Materials and methods. Safety and health data were obtained from the Annual Statistic Books of the Social Insurance Institution (1988–2006) and Social Security Institution (2007–2011) of Turkey. Results. The results from the official data showed that although total employment is increasing the number of occupational injuries and incidence and mortality rates are decreasing. The results also demonstrate that occupational fatality/all injuries recorded – rate is increasing. The fatality/all injuries recorded – rate per 1000 injuries increased to 25.5 in 2011 from 8.6 in 1988. Each work day an average of five people died because of occupational injuries. Discussion and conclusions. The fatality/all injuries recorded – rate (the number of fatal cases per 1000 occupational injuries) is an important indicator of the injury rate for a country. Systems of occupational injury and illness surveillance constitute a critical resource for the management and reduction of occupational injuries and illness.     

Severity of passenger injuries on public buses: A comparative analysis of collision injuries and non-collision injuries

Introduction: Although public buses have been demonstrated as a relatively safe mode of transport, the number of injuries to public bus passengers is far from negligible. Existing studies of public bus safety have focused primarily on injuries caused by collisions. Surprisingly, limited effort has been devoted to identifying factors that increase the severity of passenger injuries in non-collision incidents. Method: Our study therefore investigated the injury risk of public bus passengers involved in collision incidents and non-collision incidents comparatively, based on a police-reported dataset of 17,383 passengers injured on franchised public buses over a 10-year period in Hong Kong. A random parameters logistic model was established to estimate the likelihood of fatal and severe injuries to passengers as a function of various factors. Results: Our results indicated substantial inconsistences in the effects of risk factors between models of non-collision injuries and collision injuries. The severity of passenger injuries tended to increase significantly when non-collision incidents occurred due to excessive speed of bus drivers, on double-decker buses, in less urbanized areas, in winter, in heavy rains, during daytime, and at night without street lighting. Elderly female passengers were also found more likely to be fatally or severely injured in non-collision incidents if they lost their balance while boarding, alighting from, or standing on a bus. In comparison, the following factors were associated with a greater likelihood of fatal or severe injuries in collision incidents: elderly female passengers, standing passengers who lost balance, buses out of driver control, double-decker buses, collisions with vehicles or objects, and less urbanized areas. Practical Applications: Based on our comparative analysis, more targeted countermeasures, namely “4E” (engineering, enforcement, emergency, and education) and “3A” (awareness, appreciation, and assistance), were recommended to mitigate collision injuries and non-collision injuries to public bus passengers, respectively.     

A safety self-management intervention for mining operations

PROBLEM: This quasi-experimental field study examined the efficacy of a safety self-management process to increase safety-related work practices in mining operations. METHODS: After a 7-week baseline, 15 miners participated in a safety self-management training and education presentation. The participants in a prebehavior condition (n=8) recorded their intentions to engage in specific percentages of safety-related work behaviors before starting their shift for the day. In contrast, participants in a postbehavior condition (n=7) recorded their percentages of safety-related work behaviors after their shift for the day. RESULTS: During withdrawal (4 weeks), the miners did not complete any self-monitoring forms. Based on 10,905 behavioral observations, safety self-management was effective at increasing the frequency of safety-related behavior (p<.05). For the prebehavior condition, the mean percent safe score across three target behaviors increased 34.8% during intervention. Similarly, in the postbehavior condition, the mean percent safe score across three target behaviors increased 40.1% during intervention. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The results suggest that employees who work in relative isolation or have little oversight, compared to traditional industrial workers, may benefit from a process by which they can systematically observe themselves.     

Mining disturbance effect and mining arrangements analysis of near-fault mining in high tectonic stress region

Dynamic disasters can be easily induced by mining disturbance in the tectonic stress concentration region near the fault. Based on the fault Coulomb failure stress criterion, a dynamic Coulomb failure stress increment model is established for quantitative assessment of mining disturbance effect. Furthermore, the disturbance effects of two possible working face arrangements near the same fault are compared by using the proposed dynamic Coulomb failure stress model and numerical method. The results show that Coulomb failure stress increment, as a comprehensive mechanical parameter, can well reflect the mining disturbance to the stress environment of fault. The disturbance effect on the fault in the case of the working face perpendicular to fault is much less than that of the working face parallel to fault, therefore the dynamic disaster risk induced by the former arrangement is much lower.     

The prevention of occupational injuries in two industrial plants using an incident reporting scheme

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to examine whether the introduction of an incident reporting scheme with feedback in two industrial plants had an effect on the number of major incidents. METHOD: An intervention design with measurements before the implementation of the incident reporting scheme and two years later was used to examine the relationship between incident rates, safety climate, the willingness to report incidents and perceived management commitment to safety. RESULTS: The results showed that a successful implementation of an incident reporting scheme was followed by a decline in the incidence of major incidents at a Danish metal plant. A key factor in implementing the scheme was top management commitment, which was lacking at another plant, where the implementation of a similar scheme failed. CONCLUSION: Although the study shows some encouraging results concerning the use of incident reporting schemes to prevent occupational accidents, the possibility to draw causal conclusions is limited in the present study, and further studies are needed before the effectiveness of such schemes can be evaluated with certainty.     

Pediatric electric bicycle injuries and comparison to other pediatric traffic injuries

Objective: The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of demographics, injury characteristics and hospital resource utilization of significant pediatric electric bicycle (e-bike) injuries leading to hospitalization following an emergency department visit in comparison to pediatric injuries caused by other traffic related mechanisms.

Methods: A retrospective review of all pediatric traffic injury hospitalizations following an emergency department visit to a level I trauma center between October 2014 and September 2016 was conducted. Data regarding age, sex, number of computed tomography (CT) scans obtained, number of major procedures, length of hospital stay (LOS), Injury Severity Score (ISS), and number of injuries per patient were collected and compared between e-bike injuries and other traffic injuries.

Results: Three hundred thirty-seven admissions were analyzed: 46 (14%) were due to e-bike injuries (29% of patients >12 years). Age, proportion of brain injuries, and use of CT were significantly increased compared to mechanical bicycle injuries (13.1?±?3.4 vs. 10.6?±?3.6, 13% vs. 3%, 1 [0–3] vs. 1 [0–1], P < .01, P = .03, P = .05). Age, LOS, and use of CT were significantly increased compared to injuries caused to automobile passengers (13.1?±?3.4 vs. 7.4?±?5.3, 1 [1–3] vs. 1 [1–2], 1 [0–3] vs. 0 [0–1], P < .01, P = .03, P = .01), as well as ISS and number of injuries per patient (P = .04, P < .01). Injuries caused by e-bikes were similar to injuries caused to pedestrians, except for age (13.1?±?3.4 vs. 8.5?±?3.7, P < .01). Multivariable analysis revealed a significant association between mechanism of injury and ISS, with increased ISS among e-bike injuries compared to mecahnical bike injuries (OR 2.56, CI 1.1–5.88, P = 0.03) and automobile injuries (OR 4.16, CI 1.49–12.5, (P < .01).

Conclusion: E-bikes are a significant cause of severe injury in children compared to most other traffic injuries, particularly in older children.     

我国煤矿安全生产与监管中的三方博弈分析

煤炭开采是我国最大的高危行业之一，本文针对我国煤矿安全事故频繁的现状和特点，从煤矿的内部管理与政府对煤矿的监督两方面入手，深入分析了我国煤矿安全监管体制中行为原因而存在的问题，从而建立了我国煤矿安全管理中基于政府、煤矿和职工的三方博弈模型。根据博弈模型的求解结果，建立了能使三方达到均衡的加强煤矿安全生产和完善监管体制的几点建议。     

Effects of safety climate on safety norm violations: exploring the mediating role of attitudinal ambivalence toward personal protective equipment

Problem

Research on the role of organizational and psychosocial factors in influencing risk behaviors and the likelihood of injury at work showed that safety climate also has great impact on workers’ behavior. However, the mechanisms through which this impact operates are still partially unclear.

Method

In order to explore the role that attitudinal ambivalence toward wearing PPE might play in mediating the impact of safety climate on safety norm violations, a questionnaire was administered to 345 Italian workers.

Results

Three dimensions of safety climate (i.e., company safety concern, senior managers’ safety concern, supervisors’ attitudes towards safety) were found to be positively associated with the individual ambivalence level, whereas the fourth one (i.e., work pressure) was negatively correlated with it. In turn, low levels of ambivalence were associated with a lower tendency to break the safety norms, even though the perception of a good safety climate also maintained a direct effect on unsafe behaviors.

Impact on industry

Designers of training program for the prevention of work related injuries must pay great attention to the psycho-social factors (such as the effects of the safety climate perception by employees on their attitudes and behaviors), and include specific contents into the prevention programs in order to improve workers compliance with safety norms.