Occupational fatalities due to electrocutions in the construction industry

Introduction

Occupational fatalities due to contact with electricity account for approximately 9% of all deaths in the construction industry and is the fourth leading cause of death in this industry.

Method

Differences in the proportions of electrocutions in the construction industry are significantly different from other industries based upon the age of the worker and the source of the electricity.

Results

This study found that, in the construction industry, the proportion of occupational fatalities due to contact with electric current is significantly higher for workers in the 16 to 19 years old age group. Contact with overhead power lines occurred more frequently with younger workers, while contact with electric wiring, transformers, and related equipment was found to occur more frequently with older workers. The proportion of fatalities due to this event was also found to account for a significantly greater proportion of fatalities in the construction industry overall.

Impact on industry

The proportions of electrocution fatalities in the construction industry were found to be significantly higher for younger workers when compared to all other industries. Focusing prevention measures toward younger workers who work near overhead power lines could have a significant impact upon death rates. For older workers, the focus should be on those who work on or near transformers, electrical wiring, and components. Across the construction industry, implementation of effective lockout-tagout programs, and verification of energy isolation, can prevent approximately 125 fatalities per year in the construction industry.     

Sustainable construction--the role of environmental assessment tools

Construction has been accused of causing environmental problems ranging from excessive consumption of global resources both in terms of construction and building operation to the pollution of the surrounding environment, and research on green building design and using building materials to minimise environmental impact is already underway. However, relying on the design of a project to achieve the goal of sustainable development, or to minimise impacts through appropriate management on site, is not sufficient to handle the current problem. The aim for sustainability assessment goes even further than at the design stage of a project to consider its importance at an early stage, before any detailed design or even before a commitment is made to go ahead with a development. However, little or no concern has been given to the importance of selecting more environmentally friendly designs during the project appraisal stage; the stage when environmental matters are best incorporated. The main objectives of this paper are to examine the development, role and limitations of current environmental building assessment methods in ascertaining building sustainability used in different countries which leads to discuss the concept of developing a. sustainability model for project appraisal based on a multi-dimensional approach, that will allow alternatives to be ranked is discussed in detail in the paper.     

新世纪如何加强思想道德建设的几点思考

如何加强思想道德建设,文章认为应确立新的道德价值观、继承发扬传统道德精华,准确把握新时期的道德原则、道德建设的基本结构与目标,同时切实抓好思想道德教育,实行综合治理.     

中国城市建设用地集聚对利用效率的影响:机理、空间效应与分群差异

为探究城市建设用地集聚对城市建设用地利用效率的作用机理,文章基于2003—2017年中国278个地级及以上城市面板数据,通过构建多产出随机前沿生产函数模型测度城市建设用地利用效率,采用时间-空间双固定的空间杜宾模型探讨了不同程度的城市建设用地集聚对利用效率的影响机理与差异。结果表明:(1)从时空特征上来看,样本考察期内中国城市建设用地利用效率总体上呈稳步提升趋势,东部城市建设用地效率最高,西部次之,中部最低。(2)从全国维度的空间计量模型回归结果来看,城市建设用地集聚所带来的规模效应和外溢效应对城市建设用地利用效率具有改进作用,有利于利用效率进一步提升。(3)从不同城市建设用地集聚度分群回归结果来看,高集聚城市(东部发达地区)的直接效应显示随着城市建设用地集聚度的提高,利用效率也不断提高;间接效应中,建设用地集聚度的提高对周边城市的利用效率产生先带动后抑制的"倒U"形作用。低集聚城市(中西部欠发达地区)的直接效应和间接效应均显示,随着城市建设用地集聚的提高,其利用效率存在"先降后升"的"U"形曲线特征。可见,在城市发展的不同阶段,城市建设用地集聚对城市土地利用效率存在差异化影响。因此,中国城市发展应立足当前发展阶段特征,制定差别化的供地政策,促进城市建设用地集聚,针对性地提升区域要素利用效率,支撑经济社会进一步发展。     

建设项目竣工验收现场平行样控制指标研究

依据建设项目竣工环境保护验收中污水监测的要求,通过积累大量验收监测质量检查的实验数据,运用数理统计的方法,以化学需氧量和氨氮两个项目为例,建立了质控数据的评价方法,并确定了现场平行样偏差指标的限値。     

金海水库夏季浮游植物群落结构与水质调查

2012年夏季对金海水库水体物理和化学指标和浮游植物的群落结构组成进行了调查。结果表明,水库整体水质状态较为良好,金海水库夏季综合营养状态指数为42.34,水库水体在一定程度上已经呈现中营养水平向轻度富营养化转化的趋势。通过夏季对金海水库浮游植物的调查,共检出浮游植物27种,其中绿藻门14种,硅藻门7种,甲藻门2种,蓝藻门2种,裸藻门2种。优势种属为绿藻门和硅藻门,其中绿藻门的种类和数量均居于首位。     

石化行业给排水系统设计图纸环境监理审查要点

石化行业废水种类多样、毒性较大,给排水系统的设计会直接影响石化项目建成后周边地表及地下水环境质量。设计文件的环保审查是环境监理的重要依据之一,其中,相关的设计图纸对下一步建设工作具有指导作用,是所有施工单位的施工依据。以某石化行业为例,对给排水系统设计文件的收集进行了分析,并根据设计图纸环保审查中存在的问题,对环境监理如何提高在设计会审中的作用,设计阶段如何对设计图纸进行审查以及审查的重点内容等进行了阐述。     

Time and cost characterisation of emissions from non-road diesel equipment for infrastructure projects

The construction process contributes to pollutant emissions, particularly through the operation of diesel- and gasoline-powered equipment. In the past decade, a series of investigations were undertaken to quantify these emissions for a variety of non-road construction equipment performing different activities and undergoing different duty cycles, and a model to estimate quantities of six types of pollutant was developed. This paper uses that model to estimate emissions for four street and utility construction projects which no one has done previously. We combined information from company records with standard construction industry manuals to estimate total emissions for the projects and to examine the pollution patterns and magnitudes. The street construction projects all had similar emission profiles with a large peak at the beginning and a steady output of emissions throughout the duration of the project. For example, in two of the projects studied, half of all CO₂ emissions were produced before the projects were 40% completed. Results showed that demolition and earthwork are the activities with the largest contribution. The equipment types with the largest contribution are backhoes, front-end loaders, bulldozers and trenchers. Trenchers, for example, produced 30% of all emissions on the projects on which they were used.     

三峡库区腹地规模农地空间分布规律

山区农业转型对于我国山区耕地可持续利用效率、土地整治方向以及生态建设方向具有一定的指导意义,渝东北生态涵养发展区是重庆市农用地整治项目的主要分区,通过定义作为农业转型产物的"规模农地"相关概念及其判读标准,旨在提出一种新的研究路径对重庆市典型山区地貌的耕地利用现状给予指导和改善意见。首先选取三峡库区腹地5个区县为研究区,并结合研究区实际对"规模农地"进行等级划分,利用Arc GIS10.2等软件通过景观格局指数、核密度测算、空间自相关等方法从斑块特征、数量分布、空间格局三方面对研究区内规模农地的空间分布规律进行探讨。研究表明:(1)不同类型规模农地斑块特征呈现一定的规律性,小规模农地斑块密度最大为6.004,大规模农地平均最近指数MNN值最低为643.401,且农地规模越大,面积加权平均斑块分维数AWMPFD值和聚集度AI值越高;(2)中、大规模农地数量多集中在奉节县,微、小规模则多集中在巫山县,且规模农地自身及其相互之间存在固定的邻接性规律,即同类斑块之间的邻接性与其斑块大小成反比,不同类型斑块之间则与之相反;(3)研究区规模农地整体空间分布主要集中在奉节县中部以及巫溪县东部,沿江流域的平坝地区分布相对密集,且不同类型规模农地在空间上存在明显的自相关性。     

Coal facies characteristics and its control on methane content in South Yanchuan Block,Southeast Ordos Basin,China

The variability in depositional environments in ancient peat bog and coal facies characteristics was investigated with 29 coal samples from four coalbed methane wells in South Yanchuan Block, Southeast Ordos Basin, China. The control of methane content is described as coal facies parameters and the corresponding measurements of methane content. The results indicated that the depositional environment of ancient peat bog in South Yanchuan Block is primarily a lower delta plain, and a low tissue preservation index (TPI) and high gelification index (GI) are typical features of reservoir’s coal facies, reflecting a deep water depositional environment in ancient peat bog. Compared with the coal facies characteristics of the western area, the coal reservoir in the eastern area displays low GI and high ash content as a result of ancient peat bog’s proximity to sea and source area. Various lateral methane contents are influenced by burial depth, whereas the characteristics of coal facies have a strong control on methane content within the single well in vertical direction. The methane content increases with increase in GI and vitrinite to inertinite ratio (V:I), while there are indistinct relationships between TPI and transportation index with methane content. With high GI and longer distance to sea and source area, the methane content in the western area is higher than that of the eastern area. High desmocollinite content also has a negative influence on methane content.