Chemical plant innovative safety investments decision-support methodology

Introduction

This article examines the extent to which investing in safety during the creation of a new chemical installation proves profitable.

Method

The authors propose a management supporting cost-benefit model that identifies and evaluates investments in safety within a chemical company. This innovative model differentiates between serious accidents and less serious accidents, thus providing an authentic image of prevention-related costs and benefits. In classic cost-benefit analyses, which do not make such differentiations, only a rudimentary image of potential profitability resulting from investments in safety is obtained.

Results

The resulting management conclusions that can be drawn from such classical analyses are of a very limited nature. The proposed model, however, is applied to a real case study and the proposed investments in safety at an appointed chemical installation are weighed against the estimated hypothetical benefits resulting from the preventive measures to be installed at the installation.

Conclusion

In the case-study carried out in question, it would appear that the proposed prevention investments are justified.

Impact on industry

Such an economic exercise may be very important to chemical corporations trying to (further) improve their safety investments.     

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.     

台湾海峡区域防灾减灾信息服务系统研究

台湾海峡及其周边海域是我国海洋灾害发生的重点区域,充分利用我国在该区域投入巨资构建的海洋动力环境实时立体监测系统所获取的海洋动力参数数据,构建区域性防灾减灾信息服务系统具有重要的意义.从台湾海峡海洋动力环境立体监测数据防灾减灾应用和网络服务角度出发,提出了防灾减灾信息服务的数据服务、信息服务和决策服务等3个层次的划分方法,研究了基于数据仓库、XML、中间件和基于地球球体模型的三维可视化等的服务技术实现策略.提出的防灾减灾信息服务系统构建技术充分考虑了不间用户的应用需求,并通过工程化实践提升了我国海洋动力环境立体监测信息的广泛共享和深度应用的层次.     

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针对危险工艺装置设置安全联锁系统(SIS)问题进行分析和研究,提出在装置建设和改造中,应合理设置独立的SIS,并根据生产装置的安全度等级选择合适的联锁回路,并具有一定的冗余能力,以避免由于硬件随机失效或系统故障时造成联锁功能无法执行;指出SIS在设计时应遵循独立原则、故障安全型原则、共享原则、可靠性原则等。研究结果表明:SIS可提高化工装置的本质安全度,保障生产过程的安全、稳定运行,最大限度地减少由于过程失控造成的人身伤害和设备损坏。     

城市综合防灾应急能力可拓评价模型构建及应用

城市综合防灾应急能力可以衡量一个城市在面临灾害时的抗御能力及恢复能力,并且是辅助城市灾害决策的重要依据.以城市灾害发生时及其后所展开的各种紧急救援工作所涉及的城市防灾建设状况作为评价依据,按照一定的指标选取原则,构建出包括消防能力、避难安置能力、医疗救护能力、物资供应能力、治安防护能力、环卫能力、协调能力7个1级评价指标及17个2级评价指标的指标体系.根据国际通用或相关规范规定的救灾资源配置标准进行等级划分,利用可拓学理论及其特点建立可拓评价模型.并将评价模型应用于长沙城市综合防灾应急能力的评价,得出长沙市城市综合防灾应急能力等级为"差",以及长沙需要重点加强的指标:消防车数量、人均避难面积、城市综合防灾管理体系完备度.     

煤层注水防治煤与瓦斯突出机理的研究现状与进展

为了深入研究煤层注水的防突机理,在对国内外煤层注水防治煤与瓦斯突出机理研究的基础上,综述煤层注水影响煤体力学性质、采场应力分布及煤体瓦斯解吸特性3方面的研究现状;进而分析我国在煤层注水防突机理研究方面存在的问题,提出当前应急需解决注水对煤体瓦斯的抑制解吸效应问题。笔者认为:确定抑制解吸效应考察、煤体孔隙特性变化及注水煤样吸附解吸甲烷特性等课题的研究是深入探讨的方向,研究成果为进一步认识煤层注水的防突机理提供理论依据。     

森林防火 警钟长鸣

提出了森林防火工作中存在的各种不安全的问题,并针对性的给出了相关的解决问题的办法。     

CNG加气站危险性分析及事故预防措施研究

本文首先研究提出了国内外CNG加气站的一般组成结构,即调压计量系统、净化干燥系统、气体压缩系统、压缩天然气储存系统、控制系统和售气系统6个子系统;接着对近几年发生的加气站事故进行统计与分析,指出了加气站易发生事故的关键部位一售气系统、高压储气系统和CNG压缩系统;然后对CNG加气站的常见危险有害因素进行了辨识与分析,即高压、易燃易爆、易泄漏、点火源众多等;最后根据辨识结果,研究提出了建设安全监控预警与事故应急综合管理系统等具体事故预防措施。     

Climate Change and Climate Variability: Adaptations to Reduce Adverse Health Impacts

Global climate change is likely to have a range of consequences for human health as a result of disturbance or weakening of the biosphere's natural or human-managed life support systems. The full range of potential human health impacts of global climate change is diverse and would be distributed differentially spatially and over time. Changes in the mortality toll of heatwaves and changes in the distribution of vector-borne infectious diseases may occur early. The public health consequences of sea level rise and of regional changes in agricultural productivity may not occur (or become apparent) for several decades. Vulnerability is a measure of both sensitivity to climate change and the ability to adapt in anticipation of, or in response to, its impacts. The basic modes of adaptation to climate-induced health hazards are biological, behavioural and social. Adaptation can be undertaken at the individual, community and whole-population levels. Adaptive strategies should not introduce new health hazards. Enhancement of the acknowledged public health infrastructure and intervention programmes is essential to reduce vulnerability to the health impacts of climate change. In the longer-term, fundamental improvements in the social and material conditions of life and in the reduction of inequalities within and between populations are required for sustained reduction in vulnerability to environmental health hazards.     

关于旅游城市化问题的初步探讨——以长江三角洲都市连绵区为例

城市化发展的动力带动 ,城市旅游资源的富集 ,人口、经济的集聚与扩散 ,旅游供需关系的结合 ,旅游者对城市旅游目的地的选择行为 ,政策的导向 ,旅游业的发展和交通设施的完善等因素 ,导致了旅游城市化现象的产生。以长江三角洲都市连绵区为例 ,分析了旅游城市化进程中还存在发展思路不明 ,破坏旅游景观和生态环境 ,旅游规划与城市规划、城市发展不相适应 ,人口管理比较混乱 ,用地功能分区不明显 ,土地资源浪费严重等问题。提出了旅游城市化的发展对策