Modeling the effects of production pressure on safety performance in construction projects using system dynamics

Introduction: Construction incidents occur due to system failures, not due to a single factor such as unsafe behavior or condition. Therefore, construction safety should be investigated using a systematic view capable of illustrating the complex nature of incidents. Construction projects are also often behind their planned schedule and suffer from various pressures caused by contractual deadlines or clients. Previous studies demonstrated that such pressures negatively affect safety performance; however, the process of how production pressure influences safety performance is not fully investigated. Method: The present research aimed to understand the feedback mechanism of how production pressure interactively affects safety performance and safety-related managerial components in a construction project. Ground theory method (GTM) is used to create a conceptual causal loop diagram that shows the relationship between incident rate and other variables such as labor hour, actual and planned progress, safety climate, rework, and safety training. Moreover, a power plant construction project was used as a case study to practically investigate the conceptual model; a case study is employed to build a System Dynamics (SD) model. The simulation model was then validated using behavior reproduction and sensitivity analysis. Results: The results of the inequality statistics show that the simulation model can be used to forecast trends in the incident rate.     

Manufacturing SMEs doing it for themselves: developing,testing and piloting an online sustainability and eco-innovation toolkit for SMEs

ABSTRACT

Public discourse frequently cites the damaging activities of large organisations on global environmental issues, but smaller organisations are rarely, if ever, featured. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make up 99% of all businesses in the EU, cumulatively causing more industrial pollution and producing more waste than larger businesses. However, large companies are more likely to address sustainability issues than smaller ones. SMEs need help to change. In a collaborative approach, an online sustainability framework was developed to overcome the barriers contributing to the slow uptake in environmental management in SMEs. The views of owner-managers were incorporated throughout the development process. Best practice environmental tools and training were identified, which were designed in an SME-friendly way and made available online. This paper describes the development of the pilot Sustainability and Eco-Innovation (SEco) toolkit, followed by an analysis of its use. This research finds that a self-led toolkit was not enough to nudge SMEs to address environmental issues, despite being approved by owner-managers at each step.     

Technical,human, and organizational factors affecting failures of firefighting systems (FSs) of atmospheric storage tanks: Providing a risk assessment approach using Fuzzy Bayesian Network (FBN) and content validity indicators

Most risk assessment methods have problems such as uncertainty, static structure, and lack of validation. Also, in most of these studies, less attention has been paid to human, managerial, and organizational issues. Therefore, this study proposes a risk assessment method based on the Fuzzy Bayesian Network (FBN) to prevent failure of firefighting systems (FFSs) in the atmospheric Storage Tanks of a Petrochemical Industry. The first stage of the study is the development of a fault tree (FT) and investigation of basic events (BEs). In this study, content validity indices and brainstorming technique were used to validate the FT structure and reduce the uncertainties of Completeness, Modeling, and Parameter. After determining the probability of basic events (BEs) by the expert team opinions and fuzzy logic, events were transmitted to the Bayesian Network (BN) and then analyzed with deductive and inductive reasoning, followed by sensitivity analysis in the GeNIe software. Finally, results of a case study in the Atmospheric Storage Tanks of the Methanol Floating Roof of a Petrochemical Industry showed that FBN simulation and FT validation could provide a practical way to determine FFSs probabilities, identify impactful events, and reduce the above uncertainties. Also, taking account of hidden factors of events, such as organizational and managerial factors, can help managers to prevent FFSs in tanks.     

Aquaculture and the displacement of fisheries captures

In modern aquaculture, animal-production technology is used to increase aquatic food sources. Such controlled rearing of seafood can, in principle, shift the pressure off wild stocks and aquatic ecosystems by reducing fishing activities, which may advance marine conservation goals. We examined resource displacement—the reduced consumption of a resource due to its replacement with a more environmentally benign substitute—in fisheries. We employed panel regression techniques in an analysis of time-series data from 1970 through 2014 to assess the extent to which aquaculture production displaced fisheries captures for all nations for which data were available. We estimated 9 models to assess whether aquaculture production suppresses captures once other factors related to demand have been controlled for. Only 1 model predicted significant suppression of fisheries captures associated with aquaculture systems within nations over time. These results suggest that global aquaculture production does not substantially displace fisheries capture; instead, aquaculture production largely supplements fisheries capture.     

Wildlife impacts and vulnerable livelihoods in a transfrontier conservation landscape

Interactions between humans and wildlife resulting in negative impacts are among the most pressing conservation challenges globally. In regions of smallholder livestock and crop production, interactions with wildlife can compromise human well-being and motivate negative sentiment and retaliation toward wildlife, undermining conservation goals. Although impacts may be unavoidable when human and wildlife land use overlap, scant large-scale human data exist quantifying the direct costs of wildlife to livelihoods. In a landscape of global importance for wildlife conservation in southern Africa, we quantified costs for people living with wildlife through a fundamental measure of human well-being, food security, and we tested whether existing livelihood strategies buffer certain households against crop depredation by wildlife, predominantly elephants. To do this, we estimated Bayesian multilevel statistical models based on multicounty household data (n = 711) and interpreted model results in the context of spatial data from participatory land-use mapping. Reported crop depredation by wildlife was widespread. Over half of the sample households were affected and household food security was reduced significantly (odds ratio 0.37 [0.22, 0.63]). The most food insecure households relied on gathered food sources and welfare programs. In the event of crop depredation by wildlife, these 2 livelihood sources buffered or reduced harmful effects of depredation. The presence of buffering strategies suggests a targeted compensation strategy could benefit the region's most vulnerable people. Such strategies should be combined with dynamic and spatially explicit land-use planning that may reduce the frequency of negative human–wildlife impacts. Quantifying and mitigating the human costs from wildlife are necessary steps in working toward human–wildlife coexistence.     

A protocol for eliciting nonmaterial values through a cultural ecosystem services frame

Stakeholders’ nonmaterial desires, needs, and values often critically influence the success of conservation projects. These considerations are challenging to articulate and characterize, resulting in their limited uptake in management and policy. We devised an interview protocol designed to enhance understanding of cultural ecosystem services (CES). The protocol begins with discussion of ecosystem‐related activities (e.g., recreation, hunting) and management and then addresses CES, prompting for values encompassing concepts identified in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) and explored in other CES research. We piloted the protocol in Hawaii and British Columbia. In each location, we interviewed 30 individuals from diverse backgrounds. We analyzed results from the 2 locations to determine the effectiveness of the interview protocol in elucidating nonmaterial values. The qualitative and spatial components of the protocol helped characterize cultural, social, and ethical values associated with ecosystems in multiple ways. Maps and situational, or vignette‐like, questions helped respondents articulate difficult‐to‐discuss values. Open‐ended prompts allowed respondents to express a diversity of ecosystem‐related values and proved sufficiently flexible for interviewees to communicate values for which the protocol did not explicitly probe. Finally, the results suggest that certain values, those mentioned frequently throughout the interview, are particularly salient for particular populations. The protocol can provide efficient, contextual, and place‐based data on the importance of particular ecosystem attributes for human well‐being. Qualitative data are complementary to quantitative and spatial assessments in the comprehensive representation of people's values pertaining to ecosystems, and this protocol may assist in incorporating values frequently overlooked in decision making processes.     

Unintended Cultivation,Shifting Baselines,and Conflict between Objectives for Fisheries and Conservation

The effects of fisheries on marine ecosystems, and their capacity to drive shifts in ecosystem states, have been widely documented. Less well appreciated is that some commercially valuable species respond positively to fishing‐induced ecosystem change and can become important fisheries resources in modified ecosystems. Thus, the ecological effects of one fishery can unintentionally increase the abundance and productivity of other fished species (i.e., cultivate). We reviewed examples of this effect in the peer‐reviewed literature. We found 2 underlying ecosystem drivers of the effect: trophic release of prey species when predators are overfished and habitat change. Key ecological, social, and economic conditions required for one fishery to unintentionally cultivate another include strong top–down control of prey by predators, the value of the new fishery, and the capacity of fishers to adapt to a new fishery. These unintended cultivation effects imply strong trade‐offs between short‐term fishery success and conservation efforts to restore ecosystems toward baseline conditions because goals for fisheries and conservation may be incompatible. Conflicts are likely to be exacerbated if fisheries baselines shift relative to conservation baselines and there is investment in the new fishery. However, in the long‐term, restoration toward ecosystem baselines may often benefit both fishery and conservation goals. Unintended cultivation can be identified and predicted using a combination of time‐series data, dietary studies, models of food webs, and socioeconomic data. Identifying unintended cultivation is necessary for management to set compatible goals for fisheries and conservation. Cultivo Accidental, Líneas de Base Cambiantes y el Conflicto entre los Objetivos para las Pesquerías y la Conservación     

环境监测实验室信息管理系统的构建研究——以上海纺织节能环保中心为例

实验室信息管理系统（LIMS）是集样品管理、资源管理、事务管理、网络管理、数据管理（采集、传输、处理、输出、发布）、报告管理等诸多模块为一体,形成了一套完整的信息化实验室综合管理和产品质量监控体系。本文简述了建设环境监测实验室信息管理系统（LIMS）的意义,着重介绍了LIMS系统的功能模块,对LIMS项目建设的几个关键阶段进行了分析,并谈到了实施LIMS项目的体会,可为需开展LIMS系统建设的实验室提供借鉴。     

羧基改性阴极对微生物电合成系统产乙酸性能的影响机制

微生物电合成系统(microbial electrosynthesis systems,MESs)可利用微生物将二氧化碳转化为有价化合物,有望实现温室气体的资源化利用,然而,其合成效率仍需进一步提高.本研究通过电化学还原重氮盐反应将特定的官能团—COOH接枝到碳布电极表面,探究改性阴极对于MESs性能的影响.结果发现,经—COOH改性的阴极材料亲水性显著提高,而循环伏安扫描电流变弱. MESs在启动阶段性能差异最大,运行48 h,改性组CA-H、CA-M、CA-L的产氢速率是CK的21. 45、28. 60和22. 75倍;运行120 h,CA-H、CA-M和CA-L的乙酸累积浓度是CK的2. 01、2. 43和1. 44倍. MESs运行324 h后,各阴极的电化学活性无明显差异,生物膜蛋白量无明显差异(～0. 47 mg·cm~(-2)).阴极生物膜的群落结构分析发现,属水平上由Acetobacterium、norank_p_Saccharibacteria和Thioclava占据主导,总相对丰度占到59. 6%到82. 1%;各阴极之间产乙酸功能菌Acetobacterium的相对丰度差别不大(31. 3%～40. 1%),而消耗乙酸的norank_p_Saccharibacteria属在CA-H、CA-M、CA-L和CK的相对丰度分别为:16. 1%、24. 6%、31. 1%和37. 5%.羧基改性阴极对MESs的启动阶段影响较大,可为MESs的快速启动提供新的思路.     

笔谈:食物浪费

食物浪费是我们长期高度关注和社会发展迫切需要解决的问题,如何正确认识食物浪费并尽量减少食物浪费是研究的重点。文章认为食物浪费是一面折射社会文明的多棱镜,需要从多角度认识食物浪费产生的原因及后果,谨防减少食物浪费的努力变成更大的浪费,减少食物浪费要多管齐下,既要节约,又要推进健康饮食文化,借鉴国外研究方法和经验,填补中国食物浪费数据空白,构建资源智慧型食物系统。