An application of a modified theory of planned behavior model to investigate adolescents’ job safety knowledge,norms, attitude and intention to enact workplace safety and health skills

Introduction: For many reasons, including a lack of adequate safety training and education, U.S. adolescents experience a higher rate of job-related injury compared to adult workers. Widely used social-psychological theories in public health research and practice, such as the theory of planned behavior, may provide guidance for developing and evaluating school-based interventions to prepare adolescents for workplace hazards and risks. Method: Using a structural equation modeling approach, the current study explores whether a modified theory of planned behavior model provides insight on 1,748 eighth graders’ occupational safety and health (OSH) attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy and behavioral intention, before and after receiving instruction on a free, national young worker safety and health curriculum. Reliability estimates for the measures were produced and direct and indirect associations between knowledge and other model constructs assessed. Results: Overall, the findings align with the theory of planned behavior. The structural equation model adequately fit the data; most path coefficients are statistically significant and knowledge has indirect effects on behavioral intention. Confirmatory factor analyses suggest that the knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention measures each reflect a unique dimension (reliability estimates ≥0.86), while the subjective norm measure did not perform adequately. Conclusion: The findings presented provide support for using behavioral theory (specifically a modified theory of planned behavior) to investigate adolescents’ knowledge, perceptions, and behavioral intention to engage in safe and healthful activities at work, an understanding of which may contribute to reducing the downstream burden of injury on this vulnerable population—the future workforce. Practical application: Health behavior theories, commonly used in the social and behavioral sciences, have utility and provide guidance for developing and evaluating OSH interventions, including those aimed at preventing injuries and promoting the health and safety of adolescent workers in the U.S., who are injured at higher rates than are adults.     

The passion bug: How and when do leaders inspire work passion?

Drawing from signaling theory, we propose a work passion transfer model where leaders' passion is transmitted to employees through the former's leadership style and is contingent on employees' perceived importance of performance to self-esteem (IPSE). Data from 201 supervisor–employee dyads from the health-care industry show that leaders' harmonious passion led to employees' harmonious passion through charismatic leadership, whereas contingent reward leadership accounted for the transfer of obsessive passion; IPSE did not play a moderating role for either form of passion. Results from a supplementary study further reveal that the link between leadership and employee passion operated through employees' perception of leader passion and that employees' IPSE accentuated for the relationship between perceived leader obsessive passion and employees' obsessive passion. This study advances research in work passion, leadership, and signaling theory and provides important implications for managerial practice.     

Experiment and simulation research of evolution process for LNG leakage and diffusion

The frequent occurrence of LNG leakage accidents has caused serious economic loss and environmental damage. Experiments and simulations can be combined to obtain the transient process of LNG leakage and diffusion. This paper analyzed LNG leakage diffusion rules with experiment results obtained by depleting 1.4t LNG. The vapor clouds and LNG concentration are measured, which can be a comparison with the simulation results. Computational fluid dynamics and gas diffusion theory were chosen as the theoretical basis, simulating the transient process of LNG gasification to obtain the diffusion concentration rules. The simulation of LNG diffusion is divided into two parts: LNG leakage at the source and atmospheric diffusion. The maximum concentration of methane in the experiment was 4.1%, and the maximum concentration in the simulation was 4.6%. The results show good agreement of the deviation statistics, which fall in the standard recommendation value range. Then we make a prediction of the dangerous concentration area and the flammability hazard zone of LNG leakage accident. The simulation results show that the range of the lower wind direction danger area firstly increases and then decreases, and the maximum distance of IDLH increases firstly and arrived at the peak of 52  m at 300s.     

Research based on double coverage rate and reliability of gas detector layout optimization

The gas detector layout should be highly attuned to combustible gas leakage and attain a good reliability in avoiding detector malfunction, which is an important guarantee for the normal production of the chemical industry and other related enterprises. Herein, a gas detector layout optimization method based on double coverage and reliability is proposed. The key gas leakage monitoring area is determined through layout scene field investigation. To improve the detection probability and detection system reliability, the dual coverage target and voting mechanism are set, and the gas detector layout is determined with the ray-casting algorithm according to the coverage target. Combined with FLACS software to simulate a variety of typical leakage conditions under different layout scenarios, the relationship between the leaked gas concentration detected by gas detectors in each layout scheme and time is obtained, and the gas leakage detection probability in each layout scheme, number of detectors that can trigger the alarm, shortest time to trigger the alarm and reliability are comprehensively evaluated. The decision-maker selects the final gas detector layout plan according to the evaluation results and actual site needs. The study shows that the detection probability of each layout scheme set according to the double coverage is high, and multiple detectors can trigger the alarm (up to 100%), which ensures that the alarm can be triggered within 10 s under all applicable conditions. According to the evaluation results, the decision-maker can obtain a layout scheme that not only agrees with the actual site conditions but also attains a high detection probability, short detection time and strong reliability.     

Study of the influence of melamine polyphosphate and aluminum hydroxide on the flame propagation and explosion overpressure of aluminum magnesium alloy dust

When aluminum magnesium alloy dust floats in the air, a certain ignition energy can easily cause an accidental explosion. To prevent and control the occurrence of accidental explosions and reduce the severity of accidents, it is necessary to carry out research on the explosion suppression of aluminum magnesium alloy dust. This paper uses a vertical glass tube experimental device and a 20 L spherical explosive experimental device to carry out experimental studies on the suppression of the flame propagation and explosion overpressure of aluminum magnesium alloy dust with melamine polyphosphate (MPP) and Al(OH)₃. With increasing MPP and Al(OH)₃ concentrations, the flame brightness darkened, the flame velocity and propagation distance gradually decreased, and P_max and (dp/dt)_max decreased significantly. When the amount of MPP added reached 60%, the flame propagation distance decreased to 188 mm, which is a decrease of 68%, and the explosion overpressure decreased to 0.014 MPa, effectively suppressing the explosion of aluminum magnesium alloy dust. The experimental results showed that MPP was more effective than Al(OH)₃ in inhibiting the flame propagation and explosion overpressure of the aluminum magnesium alloy dust. Finally, the inhibitory mechanisms of the MPP and Al(OH)₃ were further investigated. The MPP and Al(OH)₃ endothermic decomposition produced an inert gas, diluted the oxygen concentration and trapped active radicals to terminate the combustion chain reaction.     

铁路职工健康维护工作初探

从健康意识逐渐提高、健康知识不断增加、健康生活方式逐步建立及健康状况有所改善等方面阐述铁路实施健康行动计划后取得的成效,分析健康维护中存在的主要问题,即专业人员不足、服务方式较单一及高血压控制率有待提高,进而提出加强专业队伍建设、引进研发新设备、强化铁路健康教育及深化“四高”联防联控等进一步开展健康维护工作的建议。     

张家港河凤凰段水质达标整治方案研究

张家港河凤凰段位于张家港市凤凰镇,受上游、支流水质以及区域生活污染源等影响,河道出入境断面水质达标率较低,主要超标因子为氨氮和总磷。本文通过水质现状分析和现场调研,总结了水质难达标的主要原因,提出了针对性较强的水质提升整治方案,对改善张家港河水环境具有非常重要的意义。     

公路项目施工期环评要点分析

本文首先介绍公路项目施工期环评的现实意义,之后阐述公路项目施工期环评要点,以此强化公路项目施工期环评水平及其环保效益。     

污染源普查后区域环境管理应用探讨

在第二次全国污染源普查的基础上,利用污染源普查期间配置的软硬件,开发市级区域环境污染源管理平台,进行污染源数据的年度更新,拓展污染源普查软件应用,实现环境管理及环境执法移动终端的应用。拓展二污普一张图的功能,利用移动客户端机动实时及地定位导航等为环境管理执法和环境突发事件应急处置提供技术支持。     

以Hartwick准则破解“资源的诅咒”

一些资源禀赋较高的国家或地区,一直以来经济社会发展未充分享受自然资源带来的红利,甚至陷入贫困和动荡,这一现象被称作"资源的诅咒";在我国,也有不少资源型城市在发展过程中由于资源的耗竭而陷入困境。经济学家Hartwick对资源枯竭区域发展进行了深入研究,并提出"Hartwick准则"对这一类区域的发展进行了理论指导。本文对Hartwick准则进行简要介绍,以这一准则在非洲国家博茨瓦纳的钻石开发中的应用进行分析,并依据理论和经验,对我国一些资源型区域的发展提出建议。