Reducing non-contact electric arc injuries: an investigation of behavioral and organizational issues

PROBLEM: It is estimated that 5 to 10 arc flash explosions occur in electric equipment every day in the United States. In the mining industry the largest single injury category of electrical injuries are caused by non-contact electrical arcs. METHOD: This investigation progressed in two phases: (a) 836 Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reports of electric arcing incidents that occurred over a period of 11 years were reviewed, and (b) personal interviews were conducted with 32 individuals. A theoretical Safe Job Performance Model guided the study. RESULTS: Behavioral dimensions were identified and included the effect of worker experience, judgment and decision-making ability, behavioral and organizational controls, and safety culture. SUMMARY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted an investigation of behavioral components associated with arc flash incidents and developed recommendations for interventions based on findings. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This study fills a vacuum in electrical training with a focus on the organizational and behavioral aspects of arc flash incidents. The research is cross-cutting in its scope, in that the results apply not only to mining and construction, but many other industries employing electricians. Although the majority of mine electrical injuries are the results of burns from electrical arcs, few miners are aware that such a hazard exists. A safety training program, which includes a video and an instructor's discussion guide, was developed for electricians based on this study's findings. "Arc Flash Awareness" was released in 2007 (DHHS NIOSH Publication No.2007-116D) and is available through 1-800 CDC INFO. Phone: 1-800 232-4636 or email cdcinfo@cdc.gov. It is also available from MSHA at MSHADistribution@dol.gov or 304-256-3257 (DVD-576). Private industry is producing Portuguese and Spanish language translations.     

风险排序及其在环境风险管控中的应用

从风险排序的概念及应用需求出发,系统阐述了风险排序在当前风险管理特别是环境风险管控领域中的意义。指出风险排序是对风险定义在管理实践层面的应用深化。从风险排序影响因子的类别划分、来源构成、演化趋势以及排序方法的发展规律和优劣特征等角度进行系统综述,指出目前风险排序影响因子的界定及选取已呈现由风险理论限定过渡至突出服务风险管理为导向;风险排序方法学也逐步由单一方法排序过渡至多元方法互补排序的新阶段,逐步实现对风险排序结果的综合考量和准确度量。在此基础上,对风险排序方法在环境领域的实证研究进行归纳分析。总结指出了当前风险排序研究多以结果的量化表征为焦点,而其排序方法及配套排序指标选取的适用性、综合性及代表性检验仍需进一步研究分析,尤其是对排序机理、风险理论及风险管控需求间内在相互关系的系统解析将是未来实现风险排序客观全面提升的重要基础及意义所在。     

灰色聚类——模糊综合评价在空气质量分析中的应用

根据营口市2005年4个自动监测点位的监测数据,应用灰色系统理论,建立了环境空气质量聚类指标体系,确定了不同环境灰类的灰数,给出了不同灰类的白化函数,标定了灰色聚类权重,并计算出了灰色聚类系数及模糊综合评价级数。针对各监测点位进行了灰色聚类分析,又对全市环境空气质量进行了模糊综合评价,确定了营口市环境空气质量状况。     

井下高温作业场所热害评价分级指标研究

本文通过对井下高温作业场所作业人员人体热交换过程及影响因素的分析,结合国内外相关指标研究现状,建立了包括4项指标的井下高温作业场所评价指标体系;在此基础上,从制定分级标准的目的出发,对相关指标进行定性和定量筛选分析,最终确定以WBGT指数和最高体力劳动强度级别作为井下高温作业场所热害程度分级指标。     

妫水河流域农耕区非点源磷污染危险性评价与关键源区识别

农业非点源磷污染是我国农村水环境面临的严重污染问题,由于非点源污染治理难度大,所以识别流域内磷流失的关键源区成为非点源污染控制的重点.本文在Hughes等的流域尺度磷分级方案的基础上,提出了修正的流域尺度磷分级方案,并运用到官厅水库上游妫水河农耕区的磷元素危险性评价.提出的新方案中包括8个评价因子,每个因子都有3个磷流失危险性等级,各评价因子均确定了定量分析方法.结果表明,从作物的人为管理角度来看,蔬菜地的磷肥管理方式最不合理,发生磷流失的可能性最高.研究区内大部分区域的土壤有效磷含量较高,但土壤侵蚀程度较小.评价结果图显示,研究区内磷流失危险性低的区域所占面积较小.根据评价结果,确定了研究区内磷流失的关键源区,分析了其空间分布特点,并提出了相应的控制管理对策.研究表明修正的流域尺度磷分级方案具有较高的可操作性和实用性.     

山西吕梁山南段植物群落的数量分类和排序研究

运用TWINSPAN和DCA相结合的数量生态学方法对吕梁山南段云邱山的植物群落进行分类和排序.结果表明,TWINSPAN分类将74个样方划分为18个群丛;分类结果较好地反映了植物群落类型与环境梯度之间的关系,并在DCA二维排序图上得到较好的验证;对74个样方和优势种的DCA排序表明影响吕梁山南段植物群落分布的主导生态因子是水分和土壤,而认为干扰加剧了该区域植被的退化.图2表1参13     

The prioritization of natural-historical based ecotourism strategies with multiple-criteria decision analysis in ancient UNESCO city: Iznik-Bursa case

Ecotourism contains the integration from ecological integrity and economic benefits to environmental and historically sensitive areas. One of the major keys of ecotourism-planning strategies is to ensure the sustainability of unique natural and cultural resources by a balance strategy between protection and use. It causes both the increase of the ecotourism awareness of local people and visitors and the decrease of the environmental problems and visitor pressures on the landscape resources of potential ecotourism areas. For this reason, the study presents the example of Iznik which is an ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman city of Nicaea with its lake, historical walls and gates, churches and early-period mosques, ceramic tiles, and agricultural activities on the southeast of Marmara Region, Turkey. It has been declared to have a different protected area status. However, the number of unsuitable management and uncontrolled economic activities has caused damage to sensitive landscape values. The aim of this research is to define ecotourism criteria for Iznik and it offers ecotourism strategies for the sustainability of sensitive landscape areas. Fieldwork, field observation, interviews and survey study with integrated multiple-criteria decision analysis and strengths-weakness-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis conducted with locals, tourists and experts were performed for this purpose. According to the results, among the 4 main and 15 sub-criteria of ecotourism to be in UNESCO Tentative List, the opportunity for ecotourism-planning strategy was found as the highest priority ranking. This research proposes a framework by using a priority-ranking method for the development of ecotourism strategies in the town.     

Analysing economic impact on interdependent infrastructure after flood: Pakistan a case in point

A disaster such as floods can have a drastic impact on interdependent infrastructure and economic sectors. The resilience or the ability of the critical sector to recover quickly from the disruption can also reduce the consequences of the disaster. In this paper, through resilience and recovery time Dynamic Inoperability Input-Output model (DIIM) is applied. Thus, Input-Output (I-O) table is constructed for Pakistan's economic system and a case study is performed on the flooding in Pakistan 2011–12. The purpose of this study is to provide a ballpark estimate of the system-wide impact and ripple effect on the sectors that lasted for several days after the disruption. Furthermore, to analyze the inoperability and economic loss in the sectors caused by the disaster in a developing country. The findings of the research show that most of the critical sectors are associated with agriculture and service sector in terms of inoperability and economic loss respectively. The outcome of the study will be essential for the policy makers, disaster management authorities and health departments to respond accordingly.     

The Relative Efficiency of Ranked Set Sampling in Ordinary Least Squares Regression

Ranked set sampling was developed for situations where measurement cost is expensive compared with unit acquisition. This paper presents results of simulations and theory examining the impact of balanced ranked set sampling on the relative efficiencies of the slope and intercept estimators of an ordinary least squares regression. Perfect ranking of either the independent or the dependent variable is assumed throughout. In contradistinction to most of the published ranked set sampling work, it is demonstrated that balanced ranked set sampling offers at most little improvement in the relative efficiencies of the slope estimator at any sample size.     

机械制造企业安全质量标准化初探

本文首先阐明了开展机械制造企业安全质量标准化工作的重要性.在明确机械制造企业安全标准化内涵的基础上,简述了其涉及的内容、分级标准以及评定程序.最后讨论了该项工作在实施过程中可能面临的问题.