Quantification of risk perception: Development and validation of the construction worker risk perception (CoWoRP) scale

Introduction: The construction sector is leading in the number of accidents and fatalities; risk perception is the key to driving these numbers. Previous construction safety studies on risk perception quantification have not considered affective risk perception of construction workers or conducted comprehensive reliability and validity testing. Thus, this study aims to fill this need by developing a psychometrically sound instrument – the Construction Worker Risk Perception (CoWoRP) Scale – to assess the risk perception of construction workers. Method: Four phases of scale development, namely, item development, factor analysis, reliability assessment, and validity assessment were conducted with the collection and testing of data from a group (n = 469) of voluntary construction workers in Hong Kong. Results: The CoWoRP Scale with 13 items was shown to have acceptable test–retest reliability, internal consistency reliability, as well as content, convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity. Also, the CoWoRP Scale was affirmed to have three dimensions of worker risk perception, namely risk perception – probability, risk perception – severity, risk perception – worry and unsafe. These three dimensions of worker risk perception were negatively correlated with their risk-taking behavior. Conclusions: The CoWoRP Scale is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring the risk perception of construction workers and is expected to facilitate the construction safety studies that take risk perception of construction workers into account. Practical applications: The CoWoRP Scale could serve as an aptitude test to identify the characteristics of construction workers most likely to perceive lower risk in risky work situations. In turn, this information could help safety management provide safety training programs to those workers to enhance their risk perception and thereby minimizing their risk-taking behavior, reducing unnecessary training costs, and improving the construction safety performance.     

Linking permit markets multilaterally

We formally study the determinants, magnitude and distribution of efficiency gains generated in multilateral linkages between permit markets. We provide two novel decomposition results for these gains, characterize individual preferences over linking groups and show that our results are largely unaltered with strategic domestic emissions cap selection or when banking and borrowing are allowed. Using the Paris Agreement pledges and power sector emissions data of five countries which all use or considered using both emissions trading and linking, we quantify the efficiency gains. We find that the computed gains can be sizable and are split roughly equally between effort and risk sharing.     

Environmental impact assessment (EIA): Equilibrium fugacity calculations and worst case approach

A mathematical model UNITRISK which can be used for screening purposes and risk ranking was set up to calculate relative risk values of single chemicals and mixtures of chemicals towards single or mixtures of organisms via contamination of air, water, soil and food dose. The concentration values are calculated by applying the fugacity concept or a dose must be defined. The dose-response is assumed to be linear versus concentration and degradative processes are not considered which is the worst case. The assumption that equilibria between the environmental phases exist is simplifying the model and is also representing the worst case. A mean risk factor is calculated which is 1 if the endpoint values (LC₅₀, LD₅₀, ADI, etc.) are exceeded for the investigated organisms and man.     

Risk analysis for worker exposure to benzene

Cancer risk factors (characterized by route, dose, dose rate per kilogram, fraction of lifetime exposed, species, and sex) were derived for workers exposed to benzene via inhalation or ingestion. Exposure at the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) and at leaking underground storage tank (LUST) sites were evaluated. At the current PEL of 1 ppm, the theoretical lifetime excess risk of cancer from benzene inhalation is ten per 1000. The theoretical lifetime excess risk for worker inhalation exposure at LUST sites ranged from 10 to 40 per 1000. These results indicate that personal protection should be required. The theoretical lifetime excess risk due to soil ingestion is five to seven orders of magnitude less than the inhalation risks.     

农药使用的危险性评价

提出了农药使用危险性的单项因素及综合评价方法。其中必评因素包括,农药用量,急性和慢性毒性,三致作用,农药在作物和土壤中的半衰期,鱼毒,蜂毒以及对眼肤的刺激作用;附加参数包括,农药挥发性,代谢增毒作用,生物浓缩系数和除草剂对后茬作物的毒性。评价注重农药用量和急性毒性,在对205种农药进行评价的基础上,提出了我国用量最大的5种杀虫剂属危险级。     

Risk of amniocentesis and laboratory findings in a series of 1500 prenatal diagnoses

The experiences with 1500 midtrimester prenatal diagnoses are reported. Abnormal findings of amniotic fluid investigations led to 43 therapeutic abortions. In ± 30 percent of the chromosome anomalies diagnosed, the significance of the effect on fetal development was inconclusive. The outcomes of all pregnancies except one are known. Fetal loss and perinatal mortality involved 69 cases, 23 (33 percent) of which occurred within three weeks after amniocentesis. In these 23 cases there appeared to be a relationship between the degree of experience of the gynaecologist and fetal loss: 3·7 percent when this experience was limited to a maximum of 10 punctures diminishing to 0·3 percent with an experience of more than 50 punctures. It is concluded that the risk of an abortion due to amniocentesis decreases as the gynaecologist becomes more experienced with the puncture technique.     

Spatio-temporal patterns in county-level incidence and reporting of Lyme disease in the northeastern United States, 1990–2000

We present an exploratory analysis of reported county-specific incidence of Lyme disease in the northeastern United States for the years 1990–2000. We briefly review the disease ecology of Lyme disease and the use of risk maps to describe local incidence as estimates of local risk of disease. We place the relevant elements of local environmental and ecological variables, local disease incidence, and (importantly) local disease reporting in a conceptual context to frame our analysis. We then apply hierarchical linear models of increasing complexity to summarize observed patterns in reported incidence, borrowing information across counties to improve local precision. We find areas of increasing incidence in the central northeastern Atlantic coast counties, increasing incidence branching to the north and west, and an area of fairly stable and slightly decreasing reported incidence in western New York.     

论环境风险及其管理制度建设

在阐明环境风险和环境风险管理的概念和内涵的基础上,叙述了中国面临的主要环境风险,提出了中国环境风险管理制度建设的建议.并着重指出,国家应当对重点风险源进行直接管理.     

Erosion risk levels at the NW Portuguese coast: the Douro mouth—Cape Mondego stretch

The entire northwestern coast of Portugal is undergoing severe erosion and there are several areas at high risk of erosion. Commonly considered as a problem—because it jeopardizes human development along the coast—erosion is indeed a natural process of sediment redistribution. This paper presents a brief analysis of erosion driving forces and the subsequent state of vulnerability that coastal segments between the mouth of the River Douro and Cape Mondego are facing. The paper also discusses erosion risk levels, low or high, and the subsequent questions whether there are populations, economical assets or natural habitats at risk and/or areas prone to coastal flooding. Main challenges and future trends along the study area are identified in the light of understanding the underlying causes of conflicts and what realistically can be achieved given the morphodynamics and hydrodynamic processes, human development established along this coastal segment and the existing policies.     

The role of turbidity as a constraint on predator-prey interactions in aquatic environments

Many of the world's most productive aquatic ecosystems usually contain turbid water. Paradoxically, many fish species that live in these habitats are also those that often rely on vision to detect their predators and their prey. For these fish, turbidity will reduce the distance at which predator-prey interactions occur, and there should be a reduction in the opportunity for behavioural modification to control the risk of predation. Under these conditions, we predict that most antipredator behaviour will become ineffective and that predator-prey interactions in turbid water will be primarily characterised by the direct effects of predator consumption of prey, rather than behavioural modification reducing the growth rates of prey. This hypothesis was tested in two laboratory experiments. The first experiment investigated how water turbidity, risk of predation, and their interaction affect habitat choice decisions by fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). These data demonstrate that fathead minnows reduce their use of dangerous habitats, but that this effect is diminished in turbid water. A second experiment examined mortality patterns when these fish were preyed upon by yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in clear and turbid water. Absolute mortality rates were unaffected by visibility, but patterns of mortality were random in turbid water and skewed towards smaller individuals in clear water. Combined, these results support our hypothesis and suggest that the impact of predation risk will be reduced in turbid aquatic ecosystems. Received: 23 May 1996 / Accepted after revision: 18 November 1996