Risk perception and trust in the context of urban brownfields

Data are reported from a postal questionnaire completed by 747 residents of two urban local authority areas within which there were sites of brownfield land with significant levels of contamination. Respondents rated their perceptions of the extent to which their neighbourhood and own home were relatively vulnerable to contamination, their concern about possible effects of contamination, their satisfaction with their council in terms of consultation with residents on housing and development issues, and their trust in their council with respect to contaminated land risks. Satisfaction with, and trust in, the council was generally low in both areas, and especially so among those who perceived themselves to be more vulnerable to contamination. Nonetheless, dissatisfaction was less marked in the area where the local authority, according to background information, had pursued a more open and proactive style of risk communication and consultation with residents. The main predictors of trust, across both areas, were perceptions that the council was openly prepared to tell residents what they knew, and that the council had residents' interests at heart. Implications are discussed for the impact of different modes of risk communication on trust.     

水平弯管内硫沉积数值模拟研究

元素硫在集输管道中沉积会引起堵塞和腐蚀问题,而弯管是集输管道中较易出现硫沉积的部位之一。为此,采用数值模拟的方法研究水平弯管内的硫沉积问题,首先利用雷诺应力模型对流场进行模拟,其次采用Lagrange颗粒轨道模型对硫颗粒进行模拟追踪,研究不同因素对硫颗粒在弯管中沉积率的影响。结果表明:弯管内壁会出现负压区和低速区,气流速度和弯曲比会对流场产生影响;硫颗粒在弯管中的沉积率随流速、粒径和弯曲比的增大而增大;硫颗粒沉积是重力和离心力共同作用的结果,其中离心力是导致弯管中沉积率增大的重要原因。     

Evaluation of Different Scales for Measurement of Perceived Physical Strain During Performance of Manual Tasks

The main objective of this study was to evaluate different scales of perceived strain during the performance of various physical tasks. A total of 52 male and female participants took part in 4 experiments to achieve the study objective. The results suggest that a bipolar comfort-discomfort scale is a more appropriate instrument than a discomfort scale for assessing cumulative physical stresses at work, especially at the beginning of the shift. For assessing discomfort at the end of the work shift, a unipolar scale may also be used. On the basis of the obtained results, red, green, and yellow zones are suggested to establish priorities for work redesign efforts in ergonomic control programs.     

Synergy Between Visual and Auditory Signals and Its Influence on the Follow-Up Regulation Quality

The study aimed at verifying a hypothesis that supporting a visual signal of regulation deviation with an auditory one could improve the quality of regulation; the operator would have better information on machine operation. A special simulator was applied to follow-up tracking with a manual lever which controlled vertical movements of a cursor on a monitor screen. Simultaneously with visual information on screen, the operator was provided with an auditory deviation signal of pre-determined characteristics. 33 young males underwent the test. It was found that supporting a visual signal with an auditory one resulted in an improvement in the regulation quality by 5-6%, which proved synergy between those signals. The results may be used in designing tele- and servo-mechanisms, especially for remote control machinery, e.g., inspection robots or micromanipulators controlled by operators in a follow-up system.     

Ergonomic Aspects of a Virtual Environment

A virtual environment is an interactive graphic system mediated through computer technology that allows a certain level of reality or a sense of presence to access virtual information. To create reality in a virtual environment, ergonomics issues are explored in this paper, aiming to develop the design of presentation formats with related information, that is possible to attain and to maintain user-friendly application.     

Organizational Factors Affecting Safety Implementation in Food Companies in Thailand

Thai food industry employs a massive number of skilled and unskilled workers. This may result in an industry with high incidences and accident rates. To improve safety and reduce the accident figures, this paper investigates factors influencing safety implementation in small, medium, and large food companies in Thailand. Five factors, i.e., management commitment, stakeholders’ role, safety information and communication, supportive environment, and risk, are found important in helping to improve safety implementation. The statistical analyses also reveal that small, medium, and large food companies hold similar opinions on the risk factor, but bear different perceptions on the other 4 factors. It is also found that to improve safety implementation, the perceptions of safety goals, communication, feedback, safety resources, and supervision should be aligned in small, medium, and large companies.     

基于G1-VPRS-MIE多层次灰色理论的引水明渠运行风险评价

引水明渠的安全运行风险评价对减少和预防其在输水运行过程中的灾害发生、提高其在运营期间的社会经济效益具有重要的意义。为了对引水明渠在运行期间的风险进行合理赋权和评价,通过科学合理的方法构建了多指标参数的明渠运行风险影响因素指标体系,包括主体结构风险、自然风险、水污染风险、组织管理风险和运行调度风险5个风险因子子系统及20个二级指标在内的评价指标体系;运用G1和VPRS法分别确定各指标的主观权重和客观权重,结合MIE理论优化指标权重;根据明渠工程的运行特点,选取多层次灰色理论计算引水明渠运行风险值,并根据相关规范和安全风险评价实践确定风险评价等级。将该模型应用于引大入秦工程中,结果表明:采用序关系分析法(G1法)和变精度粗糙集理论(VPRS)并结合最小信息熵原理(MIE)的权重确定方法(G1-VPRS-MIE),不但避免了层次分析法过度依赖专家的主观经验、克服了粗糙集理论在边界刻画的局限性,而且弥补了主观和客观方法相结合的不足;对于指标权重的确定更加客观合理,既能满足所得权重的客观性,也能保证评估结果具有一定的解释性,同时能够减少单一权重计算的偏差;多层次灰色评价模型对于引水明渠安全运行风险等级的确定较为有效,并得出其风险等级为中等偏高,与实际情况一致。研究成果为引水明渠工程安全运行提供了一定的参考,同时可为类似气候环境的引水明渠区域规划、设计、施工提供有效的借鉴。     

Mountains and Handrails: Risk,Meaning, and Responsibility in Three National Parks

Where we live, the relationships we maintain, or the experiences we have can tell us about the way we perceive risk and the responsibility for its management. Perceptions of risk and responsibility are particularly relevant in US national parks, where unintentional injury is prevalent, yet support exists for allowing risk exposure. If experiencing risk may be both desirable (e.g., self-affirming) and undesirable (e.g., injury-causing), what is its role in a national park? Moreover, what are the expectations for visitors to encounter or to avoid it? In-depth interviews with National Park Service employees suggest that desired risk is contingent upon the circumstances in which it is encountered, and the values and prior experience of individuals. Employees perceive visitors as responsible for avoiding undesirable risk through information seeking and awareness, but also recognize considerable barriers to doing so. Theoretical and practical implications and avenues for future research are presented.     

异烟酸-吡唑啉酮光度法测定地表水中氰化物的质量控制指标研究

通过对大量监测数据进行统计分析,获得异烟酸-吡唑啉酮光度法（HJ484—2009）测定水中氰化物质量控制评定指标。研究表明：样品浓度在0．05～0．3mg／L范围内时,建议控制室内相对标准偏差≤3％,室间相对标准偏差≤10％;样品浓度小于等于0．05mg／L时,建议控制相对偏差≤10％;样品浓度大于0．05mg／L时,...