Human and organizational factors in Chinese hazardous chemical accidents: a case study of the ‘8.12’ Tianjin Port fire and explosion using the HFACS-HC

Human and organizational factors have been proven to be the prime causes of Chinese hazardous chemical accidents (HCAs). A modified version of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), namely the HFACS-Hazardous Chemicals (HC), was developed to identify the human factors involved in Chinese HCAs. The ‘8.12’ Tianjin Port fire and explosion, the costliest HCA in recent years, was reanalyzed using this framework, and the results were compared with the official accident inquiry report to determine their differences related to the identification of human and organizational factors. The study revealed that interacting human factors from different levels in Ruihai Company led to this catastrophe, and the inquiry report had limitations in the identification of human factors and the guidance for similar accident prevention. This study showed the applicability of the HFACS-HC in HCA analyses as well as the necessity to recommend this approach for future HCA investigations.     

Effects of Human Population Density and Proximity to Markets on Coral Reef Fishes Vulnerable to Extinction by Fishing

Coral reef fisheries are crucial to the livelihoods of tens of millions of people; yet, widespread habitat degradation and unsustainable fishing are causing severe depletion of stocks of reef fish. Understanding how social and economic factors, such as human population density, access to external markets, and modernization interact with fishing and habitat degradation to affect fish stocks is vital to sustainable management of coral reef fisheries. We used fish survey data, national social and economic data, and path analyses to assess whether these factors explain variation in biomass of coral reef fishes among 25 sites in Solomon Islands. We categorized fishes into 3 groups on the basis of life‐history characteristics associated with vulnerability to extinction by fishing (high, medium, and low vulnerability). The biomass of fish with low vulnerability was positively related to habitat condition. The biomass of fishes with high vulnerability was negatively related to fishing conducted with efficient gear. Use of efficient gear, in turn, was strongly and positively related to both population density and market proximity. This result suggests local population pressure and external markets have additive negative effects on vulnerable reef fish. Biomass of the fish of medium vulnerability was not explained by fishing intensity or habitat condition, which suggests these species may be relatively resilient to both habitat degradation and fishing. Efectos de la Densidad de Poblaciones Humanas y la Proximidad del Mercado sobre Peces de Arrecifes de Coral Vulnerables a la Extinción     

Impact of DDT spraying on the residue levels in soil,chicken, fish‐pond water,carp, and human milk samples from malaria infested villages in central Java

Samples were collected at some villages in Central Java, sprayed with DDT to control outbreaks of malaria, 2, 8 and 24 years before sampling. The impacts of DDT spraying on the residue levels in soil and chicken, water and fish, and human milk, and the daily intake by nursed infants are evaluated.     

Assessment of Management to Mitigate Anthropogenic Effects on Large Whales

United States and Canadian governments have responded to legal requirements to reduce human‐induced whale mortality via vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear by implementing a suite of regulatory actions. We analyzed the spatial and temporal patterns of mortality of large whales in the Northwest Atlantic (23.5°N to 48.0°N), 1970 through 2009, in the context of management changes. We used a multinomial logistic model fitted by maximum likelihood to detect trends in cause‐specific mortalities with time. We compared the number of human‐caused mortalities with U.S. federally established levels of potential biological removal (i.e., species‐specific sustainable human‐caused mortality). From 1970 through 2009, 1762 mortalities (all known) and serious injuries (likely fatal) involved 8 species of large whales. We determined cause of death for 43% of all mortalities; of those, 67% (502) resulted from human interactions. Entanglement in fishing gear was the primary cause of death across all species (n = 323), followed by natural causes (n = 248) and vessel strikes (n = 171). Established sustainable levels of mortality were consistently exceeded in 2 species by up to 650%. Probabilities of entanglement and vessel‐strike mortality increased significantly from 1990 through 2009. There was no significant change in the local intensity of all or vessel‐strike mortalities before and after 2003, the year after which numerous mitigation efforts were enacted. So far, regulatory efforts have not reduced the lethal effects of human activities to large whales on a population‐range basis, although we do not exclude the possibility of success of targeted measures for specific local habitats that were not within the resolution of our analyses. It is unclear how shortfalls in management design or compliance relate to our findings. Analyses such as the one we conducted are crucial in critically evaluating wildlife‐management decisions. The results of these analyses can provide managers with direction for modifying regulated measures and can be applied globally to mortality‐driven conservation issues. Evaluación del Manejo para Mitigar Efectos Antropogénicos sobre Ballenas Mayores     

应急预案以人为本

从国家总体应急预案的框架入手，分析了其方方面面的编制要素，得出了其以人为本的编制理念的结论。     

The Northwest U.S. Dam Breaching Decision: Factors, Costs and Benefits

Northwestern United States' salmon populations have fallen precipitously. Attempts at salmon restoration are going on and dam breaching is being considered. Costs associated with the continued restoration attempts including hatchery stocking, barging and trucking salmon around the dams are high while benefits are unclear. Those costs may be greater than dam breaching. An additional impetus for dam removal is the revival of the commercial salmon fishing industry. This may not occur for both ecological and economic reasons. Ecologically complete restoration may not be feasible. Economically, the rise of competitively priced salmon aquaculture will reduce the value of any future commercial catch. A statistical relationship between falling prices for wild salmon and rising salmon aquaculture output is shown.     

Cost analysis of composite sampling for classification

When an environmental sampling objective is to classify all the sample units as contaminated or not, composite sampling with selective retesting can substantially reduce costs by reducing the number of units that require direct analysis. The tradeoff, however, is increased complexity that has its own hidden costs. For this reason, we propose a model for assessing the relative cost, expressed as the ratio of total expected cost with compositing to total expected cost without compositing (initial exhaustive testing). Expressions are derived for the following retesting protocols: (i) exhaustive, (ii) sequential and (iii) binary split. The effects of both false positive and false negative rates are also derived and incorporated. The derived expressions of relative cost are illustrated for a range of values for various cost components that reflect typical costs incurred with hazardous waste site monitoring. Results allow those who are designing sampling plans to evaluate if any of these compositing/retesting protocols will be cost effective for particular applications.     

How the DPSIR framework can be used for structuring problems and facilitating empirical research in coastal systems

As pressures on coastal zones mount, there is a growing need for frameworks that can be used to conceptualize complex sustainability challenges and help organize research that increases understand about interacting ecological and societal processes, predicts change, and supports the management, persistence, and resilience of coastal systems. The Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework is one such approach that has been adopted in some coastal zones around the world. Although the application of the DPSIR framework has considerable potential to bridge the gap between scientific disciplines and link science to coastal policy and management, current applications of DPSIR in coastal environments have been limited and new innovations in the application of the DPSIR model are needed. We conducted a structured review of literature on the DPSIR framework as applied to the function, process and components of complex coastal systems. Our specific focus was on how the DPSIR framework has been used as a tool to organize sophisticated empirical scientific research, support transdisciplinary knowledge at a level appropriate for building understanding about coastal systems, and how adopting a DPSIR approach can help stakeholders to articulate and structure challenges in coastal systems and use the framework to support policy and management outcomes. The review revealed that DPSIR models of coastal systems have been largely used to support and develop conceptual understanding of coastal social–ecological systems and to identify drivers and pressures in the coastal realm. A limited number of studies have used DPSIR as a starting point for semi-quantitative or quantitative analyses, although our review highlights the continued need for, and potential of, transformative quantitative analyses and transdisciplinary applications of the DPSIR framework. The DPSIR models we reviewed were predominantly single sector, encompassing ecological or biophysical factors or focusing primarily on socio-cultural dimensions rather than full integration of both types of information. Only in eight of 24 shortlisted articles did researchers actively engage decision-makers or citizens in their research: given the potential opportunity for using DPSIR as a tool to successfully engage policy-makers and stakeholders, it appears that the DPSIR framework has been under-utilized in this regard.     

Behavioral influences on driver crash risks in Ghana: A qualitative study of commercial passenger drivers

Objectives: Though there is a growing body of literature on crash risks in the developed world, little is known about how well these models apply to motoring in developing countries, the context in which the majority of road traffic fatalities occur. This qualitative study explores factors perceived to influence crash risks for commercial drivers in Ghana.

Method: Twenty commercial drivers of varied ages and experience were sampled from 7 major lorry terminals in 3 regions (Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Volta) of Ghana. Data were collected through semistructured interviews.

Results: The participants identified some issues that are shared with drivers in the developed world, though moderated by the Ghanaian context. These included work pressures (e.g., fatigued driving), speeding, distracted driving, and inadequate vehicle maintenance. Other factors identified by participants are less frequently considered in research addressing driving behavior in developed countries. These included aggressive competition over passengers and corruption (e.g., improper licensing practices), among others.

Conclusion: The findings have implications for building a research base to support the development of road safety policy and interventions in developing countries.     

集合智能安全帽的建筑工人施工安全行为绩效考核及激励机制

为实时监控现场工人不安全行为，有效降低建筑事故发生率，实现主动的安全与组织管理模式，结合基于智能安全帽的施工人员不安全行为监测与管理系统，构建了工人安全行为绩效考核模型并设计激励机制。通过在温银施工项目的应用，进行了现场工人安全行为绩效的横向与纵向对比。研究结果表明:依据现场行为进行监控和绩效考核能够有效地改善工人的安全行为，有助于形成施工现场的安全生产竞争氛围，有助于建筑工地的安全管理。