Improving the Chest Protection of Elderly Occupants in Frontal Crashes Using SMART Load Limiters

Objective: To determine whether varying the seat belt load limiter (SBL) according to crash and occupant characteristics could have real-world injury reduction benefits in frontal impacts and, if so, to quantify those benefits.

Methods: Real-world UK accident data were used to identify the target population of vehicle occupants and frontal crash scenarios where improved chest protection could be most beneficial. Generic baseline driver and front passenger numerical models using a 50th percentile dummy were developed with MADYMO software. Simulations were performed where the load limiter threshold was varied in selected frontal impact scenarios. For each SBL setting, restraint performance, dummy kinematics, and injury outcome were studied in 5 different frontal impact types. Thoracic injury predictions were converted into injury probability values using Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 2+ age-dependent thoracic risk curves developed and validated based on a methodology proposed by Laituri et al. (2005). Real-world benefit was quantified using the predicted AIS 2+ risk and assuming that an appropriate adaptive system was fitted to all the cars in a real-world sample of recent frontal crashes involving European passenger cars.

Results: From the accident data sample the chest was the most frequently injured body region at an AIS 2+ level in frontal impacts (7% of front seat occupants). The proportion of older vehicle front seat occupants (>64 years) with AIS 2+ injury was also greater than the proportion of younger occupants. Additionally, older occupants were more likely to sustain seat belt–induced serious chest injury in low- and moderate-speed frontal crashes. In both front seating positions, the low SBL provided the best chest injury protection, without increasing the risk to other body regions. In severe impacts, the low SBL allowed the driver to move dangerously close to the steering wheel. Compared to the driver side, greater ride-down space on the passenger side gave a higher potential for using the low SBLs. When applying the AIS 2+ risk reduction findings to the weighted accident data sample, the risk of sustaining an AIS 2+ seat belt injury changed to 0.9, 4.9, and 8.1% for young, mid, and older occupants, respectively, from their actual injury risk of 1.3, 7.6, and 13.1%.

Conclusions: These results suggest the potential for improving the safety of older occupants with the development of smarter restraint systems. This is an important finding because the number of older users is expected to increase rapidly over the next 20 years. The greatest benefits were seen at lower crash severities. This is also important because most real-world crashes occur at lower speeds.     

Evaluating the Effect of a Mechanical Adjunct to Improve the Installation of Child Restraint Systems to Vehicles

Objectives: We explored if an alternative CRS design that utilized a mechanical adjunct to amplify the force applied to the adult seat belt (intervention CRS) results in more accurate and secure attachment between the CRS and the vehicle compared to similar CRS models that use LATCH or the existing adult seat belt. We conducted three separate studies to address this question and additionally explored: (1) the contribution of prior CRS installation experience (Study 1), (2) the value-added of CRS labeling (Study 2), and (3) paper-based vs. video instructions (Study 3).

Methods: In Studies 1 and 2 we assessed a forward facing combination CRS design (intervention CRS) compared to a commercially available LATCH equipped model (control CRS) and in Study 3 we conducted a similar study using a convertible model of both the intervention and control CRS. Participants installed both CRS in a contemporary minivan and could choose which type of attachment to use for the control CRS (LATCH or seat belt); order of installation was counter-balanced. Evaluators systematically examined installations for accuracy and security.

Results: Study 1: A greater proportion of participants in both the experienced and inexperienced groups was able to securely install the intervention CRS compared to the control CRS: (45% vs. 16%, p =.0001 for experienced) and (37% vs. 6%, p =.003 for inexperienced). No differences between the CRS were observed for accuracy of installation in either user group. Study 2: A greater proportion of participants were able to securely install the enhanced intervention CRS compared to the control CRS: (62% vs. 9%, p =.001). The intervention CRS demonstrated reduced installation accuracy: (30% vs. 61%, p =.001). Study 3: A greater proportion of participants was able to securely install the intervention CRS compared to the control CRS: 79% vs. 66% p =.03, but this effect was smaller than in the previous studies. Participants were less likely to achieve an accurate installation with the intervention CRS compared to the control CRS: 54% vs. 79%, p =.004. Common accuracy errors in each study included twisting or misrouting the seatbelt when installing the intervention CRS.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that novel CRS designs that utilize mechanical advantage to facilitate attachment of the CRS to the vehicle result in a tighter installation compared to LATCH equipped models, but an increase in accuracy errors occurred.     

2015年3-4月国内生产安全事故统计分析

统计了2015年3-4月国内发生的各种生产安全事故130起,其中包括交通事故、矿业事故、爆炸事故、火灾、毒物泄漏与中毒和其他事故.统计表明,在130起事故中,交通事故占68.46％,矿业事故占7.69％,爆炸事故占1.54％,火灾占5.38％,毒物泄漏与中毒占5.38％,其他事故占11.54％.130起事故共死亡532人,伤108人.死亡人数的百分比分别为交通事故65.79％,矿业事故11.65％,爆炸事故1.32％,火灾5.64％,毒物泄漏与中毒4.51％,其他事故11.09％;受伤人数的百分比分别为交通事故81.48％,矿业事故0.93％,爆炸事故3.70％,火灾2.78％,毒物泄漏与中毒7.41％,其他事故3.70％.2015年3-4月生产安全事故发生较多的5个省、自治区分别为广东(17起)、云南(15起)、广西(10起)、安徽(10起)、黑龙江(9起);死亡人数较多的5个省分别为云南(65人)、广东(59人)、浙江(42人)、山西(40人)、安徽(39人);受伤人数较多的5个省、自治区分别为福建(24人)、内蒙古(15人)、广东(11人)、广西(10人)、云南(7人).     

Implications of Functional Capacity Loss and Fatality for Vehicle Safety Prioritization

Objective: We investigate the use of the Functional Capacity Index (FCI) as a tool for establishing vehicle safety priorities by comparing the life year burden of injuries to the burden of fatality in frontal and side automotive crashes. We demonstrate FCI’s utility by investigating in detail the resulting disabling injuries and their life year costs.

Methods: We selected occupants in the 2000–2013 NASS-CDS database involved in frontal and side crashes, merged their injuries with FCI, and then used the merged data to estimate each occupant’s overall functional loss. Lifetime functional loss was assessed by combining this measure of impairment with the occupants’ expected future life spans, estimated from the Social Security Administration’s Actuarial Life Table.

Results: Frontal crashes produce a large number of disabling injuries, particularly to the lower extremities. In our population, these crashes are estimated to account for approximately 400,000 life years lost to disability in comparison with 500,000 life years lost to fatality. Victims of side crashes experienced a higher rate of fatality but a significantly lower rate of disabling injury (0.3 vs. 1.0%), resulting in approximately 370,000 life years lost to fatality versus 50,000 life years lost to disability.

Conclusions: The burden of disabling injuries to car crash survivors should be considered when setting vehicle safety design priorities. In frontal crashes this burden in life years is similar to the burden attributable to fatality.     

2015年7-8月国内生产安全事故统计分析

统计了2015年7-8月国内发生的各种生产安全事故143起,其中包括交通事故、矿业事故、爆炸事故、火灾、毒物泄漏与中毒和其他事故.统计表明,在143起事故中,交通事故占66.43％,矿业事故占5.60％,爆炸事故占2.80％,火灾占4.90％,毒物泄漏与中毒占6.99％,其他事故占13.29％.143起事故共死亡770入.死亡人数的百分比分别为交通事故49.74％,矿业事故5.06％,爆炸事故25.32％,火灾3.51％,毒物泄漏与中毒4.55％,其他事故11.82％.2015年7-8月生产安全事故发生较多的6个省分别为广东(21起)、云南(12起)、安徽(8起)、江西(7起)、湖南(7起)和黑龙江(7起);死亡人数较多的6个省、市分别为天津(165人)、广东(75人)、云南(46人)、安徽(32人)、江西(29人)和黑龙江(29人).     

长江流域水污染事故时空特征及其环境库兹涅茨曲线检验

为了有效分析长江流域水污染事故发展阶段及变化趋势,采用1995—2010年长江流域水污染事故时序数据,运用GIS技术和环境库兹涅茨曲线(EKC)模型,探讨长江流域水污染事故发生的时空变化特点,并分析流域水污染事故发生与经济发展的关系。结果表明,1)时间上,长江流域水污染事故发生频数总体呈下降趋势;2)空间上,长江流域水污染事故的发生主要集中在广西、湖南、四川、浙江等省,而西藏、青海、上海等省市发生频数较低;3)长江流域人均GDP和工业总产值等经济发展指标与事故发生频数之间呈现"N"形EKC曲线特征。长江流域水环境事故发生频数与经济发展之间未表现出期望的倒"U"形变化关系,表明水污染事故频数增加或降低并非经济发展的必然结果,未来流域水污染事故风险仍存在巨大的不确定性,必须采用先进政策、制度和技术才可有效减少污染事故的发生。     

突发环境污染事故应急监测中存在问题与对策

专业人员、内设机构、仪器设备、资金投入的瓶颈,环境应急预案编制的质量,国家应急监测技术规范的制定,应急监测演练的实际效果等是环境应急监测中存在的主要问题。应对突发污染事故的监测,应该从监测部门的内设机构建设,专业人员的配备,政府资金的投入,设备的更新添置,提高应急预案的编制质量,加强应急监测人员的培训和应急监测演练的常态化,国家应急监测技术规范的制定等多方面入手。     

Major accident hazard in bioenergy production

Some recent accidents involving the bioenergy production and feedstock supply chain raised concern on the safety of such technologies. A survey of major accidents related to the production of bioenergy (intended as biomass, bioliquids/biofuels and biogas) was carried out, and a data repository was built, based on past accident reports available in the open literature and in specific databases. Data analysis shows that major accidents are increasing in recent years and their number is growing faster than bioenergy production. The results obtained represent an early warning concerning the major accident hazard of bioenergies, and suggest the importance of risk awareness and safety culture in bioenergy production, in the perspective of a safe and sustainable exploitation of renewable resources.     

Association analysis of accident factors in petrochemical storage tank farms

In order to identify and clarify the association between the factors leading to accidents in a petrochemical tank area, this study analyzes investigation reports of 212 petrochemical tank farm accidents and combines this with the “association rule” mining and science related to complex networks. The main risk factors are determined and a risk factor data set is constructed; 75 association rules are extracted from the factor data set based on the Apriori algorithm. Then the obtained association rules are used to construct an accident factors network of the petrochemical storage tank area, and the topology characteristics of the network are further analyzed to reveal the importance of factors. Factors with large node degree, betweenness, and clustering coefficients are obtained, such as “violation of operating regulations”, “high concentration of flammable gas in the air”, “lack of experience and professional skills”, etc. These factors play an important role in the formation and development of accidents. The results also show that the accident cause network of the petrochemical storage tank area has a small average shortest path length and a large cluster coefficient, indicating a relatively close connection between the accident factors. The contributions of this study is not only extracting the hidden relationships among contributory factors to tank farm accidents using association analysis, but also revealing which factors are more important for the tank farm safety through the complex network.     

Study of the situation deduction of a domino accident caused by overpressure in LPG storage tank area

The production and storage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is gradually becoming larger and more intensive, which greatly increases the risk of the domino effect of an explosion accident in a storage tank area while improving production and management efficiency. This paper describes the construction of the domino effect scene of an explosion accident in an LPG storage tank area, the analysis of the characteristics of the LPG tank explosion shock wave and the target storage tank failure, and the creation of an ANSYS numerical model to derive the development trend and expansion law of the domino accident in the LPG storage tank area. The research showed that: 400 m³ tank T1 explosion shock waves spread to T2, T4, T5, T3, and T6, and the tank overpressures of 303 kPa, 303 kPa, 172 kPa, 81 kPa, and 61 kPa respectively. The critical values of the target storage tank failure overpressure-range threshold were 70 kPa and 60 m. After the explosion of the initial unit T1 tank, at 38 ms, the T2 and T4 storage tanks failed and exploded; at 56 ms, the T5 storage tank exploded for the third time; at 82 ms, the T3 storage tank exploded for the fourth time; and at 102 ms, the T6 storage tank exploded for the fifth time. With the increase of explosion sources, the failure overpressure of the target storage tank increased, and the interval between explosions continuously shortened, which reflected the expansion effect of the domino accident. The domino accident situation deduction in the LPG storage tank area provided a scientific basis for the safety layout, accident prevention and control, emergency rescue, and management of a chemical industry park.