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• We introduce eight years' worth of New Zealand forestry incident data. • We analyse forestry incidents from the perspective of worker-failure and fatigue. • 70% of incidents in this data are attributed, at least in part, to worker-failures. • 78% of worker-failure based causes show indications of fatigue. Reports of incidents in dangerous work environments can be analysed to identify common hazards, in turn aiding in the prevention of future accidents. Whilst studies exist that do this, most focus on causes that involve physical risks. In this paper we propose an alternative approach, and illustrate causes of forestry incidents from the perspective of worker-failure and fatigue. This paper outlines the analysis of eight years' worth of New Zealand forestry incident data, with a focus on the cause of, and time that, incidents occur. This has resulted in two main findings. First, 70% of incidents can be attributed, at least in part, to worker-failures. Second, 78% of worker-failure based causes show indications of fatigue. This indicates that a significant number of forestry incidents are caused by worker-fatigue. Finally, this dataset showed inconsistencies in data quality, similar to those that exist in other datasets. This did not affect our analysis. However, these types of errors have the potential to affect the data quality in the national reporting system. The results from this study will be used in a larger project on detecting fatigue in forestry workers for injury and incident prevention. It is also our hope that other researchers may find these results of interest for further fatigue prevention research in hazardous industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 95% of crashes occur at or below 50 mph (80 kph). • Advanced warning systems significantly reduce the risk of forward collisions. • Advanced warning systems allow tires to be more influential in accident prevention. Introduction: There is currently a strong focus within the automotive industry centered on traffic safety, with topics such as distracted driving, accident avoidance technologies, and autonomous vehicles. These papers tend to focus on the possible improvements from a single factor. However, there are many factors that are present in each accident, and it is important to understand the influence of each factor on the relative accident risk in order to identify the most effective approaches for improving driver safety. Rear-end accidents tend to be the most common accident type with approximately 1.8 M cases, or 31% of all accidents, in 2012, according to NHTSA. Of the rear-end accident scenarios, approximately 18–23% occur on wet surfaces. Method : A Monte Carlo Forward Collision Simulation models the conditions of a wet rear-end accident and estimates the relative impact of various vehicle collision parameters. The model takes distributions of these parameters as inputs, and outputs a risk of collision relative to a known reference case. The parameters that can be studied include: tire grip level, road grip level, vehicle velocity, following distances, and the presence of vehicle technologies (ABS, FCW & AEB). Distributions of some of these parameters have been improved thanks to Naturalistic Driving Study data from SHRP2. Results: This study shows that these vehicle systems have a large impact on safety and can change the amount of influence attributed to other parameters such as tire grip levels. As the use of automated vehicle systems expands, so will the influence of tire grip performance levels on collision risks. Practical Applications : It is more important than ever for consumers and auto manufacturers to consider tire performance levels. Therefore, the tire industry should continue to focus on wet grip as a key performance related to safety and should strive to continue to improve tire performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Focusing on people and organizations, this paper aims to contribute to offshore safety assessment by proposing a methodology to model causal relationships. Method: The methodology is proposed in a general sense that it will be capable of accommodating modeling of multiple risk factors considered in offshore operations and will have the ability to deal with different types of data that may come from different resources. Reason''s “Swiss cheese” model is used to form a generic offshore safety assessment framework, and Bayesian Network (BN) is tailored to fit into the framework to construct a causal relationship model. The proposed framework uses a five-level-structure model to address latent failures within the causal sequence of events. The five levels include Root causes level, Trigger events level, Incidents level, Accidents level, and Consequences level. To analyze and model a specified offshore installation safety, a BN model was established following the guideline of the proposed five-level framework. A range of events was specified, and the related prior and conditional probabilities regarding the BN model were assigned based on the inherent characteristics of each event. Results: This paper shows that Reason''s “Swiss cheese” model and BN can be jointly used in offshore safety assessment. On the one hand, the five-level conceptual model is enhanced by BNs that are capable of providing graphical demonstration of inter-relationships as well as calculating numerical values of occurrence likelihood for each failure event. Bayesian inference mechanism also makes it possible to monitor how a safety situation changes when information flow travel forwards and backwards within the networks. On the other hand, BN modeling relies heavily on experts'' personal experiences and is therefore highly domain specific. Impact on Industry: “Swiss cheese” model is such a theoretic framework that it is based on solid behavioral theory and therefore can be used to provide industry with a roadmap for BN modeling and implications. A case study of the collision risk between a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit and authorized vessels caused by human and organizational factors (HOFs) during operations is used to illustrate an industrial application of the proposed methodology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: Motorcycling is recognized to be a relatively risky activity. Powered two wheelers (PTW) are classified as mopeds, light, and heavy motorcycles, the first two categories being denoted light PTWs. This paper reviews the scientific literature on accident risks and traffic behavior among users of light PTWs with the aim of clarifying the current state of knowledge. Method: Based on a risk analytical and an anthropological perspective on motorcycling, the paper discusses the significance of cultural and social factors as important aspects of safety. More targeted and effective safety measures, for example better training programs, are needed to prevent motorcycle accidents. This means developing a deeper understanding of the rider as an individual, and the individuals within different groups and settings. Why and how motorcyclists approach the road, its function as a social arena, the varieties of goals and values, and the motorcyclists'' own perceptions of the behavior that ensures their “achievements” or “successes”, are some of the issues. Today, this kind of knowledge is scarce and almost entirely absent from the scientific literature. Results: We conclude that the massive quantities of data on numbers of accidents, the categorization of situations, the causal explanations related to speed, gender, age, lack of concentration so forth, can only be employed as support for safety measures as long as they are linked to social and cultural factors. Impact on Industry: Risk informed decision making has become an integral part of authorities'' and manufacturers'' implementation of safety measures. This tendency is strengthened by the fact that the responsibility of product safety rests upon the manufacturers, cf. for example EU safety regulations. Therefore it is paramount that a thorough understanding of social and cultural factors related to the PTW driving is necessary for the industry to develop targeted and efficient safety measures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: In this paper a sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate how big the impact would be on the current ranking of crash locations in Flanders (Belgium) when only taking into account the most serious injury per crash instead of all the injured occupants. Results: Results show that this would lead to a different selection of 23.8% of the 800 sites that are currently considered as dangerous. Conclusions: Considering this impact quantity, the researchers want to sensitize government that giving weight to the severity of the crash can correct for the bias that occurs when the number of occupants of the vehicles are subject to coincidence. Additionally, probability plots are generated to provide policy makers with a scientific instrument with intuitive appeal to select dangerous road locations on a statistically sound basis. Impact on industry Considering the impact quantity of giving weight to the severity of the crash instead of to all the injured occupants of the vehicle on the ranking of crash sites, the authors want to sensitize government to carefully choose the criteria for ranking and selecting crash locations in order to achieve an enduring and successful traffic safety policy. Indeed, giving weight to the severity of the crash can correct for the bias that occurs when the number of occupants of the vehicles are subject to coincidence. However, it is up to the government to decide which priorities should be stressed in the traffic safety policy. Then, the appropriate weighting value combination can be chosen to rank and select the most dangerous crash locations. Additionally, the probability plots proposed in this paper can provide policy makers with a scientific instrument with intuitive appeal to select dangerous road locations on a statistically sound basis. Note that, in practice, one should not only rank the crash locations based on the benefits that can be achieved from tackling these locations. Future research is also needed to incorporate the costs of infrastructure measures and other actions that these crash sites require in order to enhance the safety on these locations. By balancing these costs and benefits against each other, the crash locations can then be ranked according to the order in which they should be prioritized. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: This paper aims at providing cost-effective safety measures to protect construction workers in highway work zones, based on real data. Two types of accidents that occur in work zones were: (a) construction work area accidents, and (b) traffic accidents involving construction worker(s). Methodology/Results: A detailed analysis of work zone accidents involving 36 fatalities and 3,055 severe injuries to construction workers on New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) construction projects from 1990 to 2001 established that five accident types: (a) Struck/Pinned by Large Equipment, (b) Trip or Fall (elevated), (c) Contact w/Electrical or Gas Utility, (d) Struck-by Moving/Falling Load, and (e) Crane/Lift Device Failure accounted for nearly 96% of the fatal accidents, nearly 63% of the hospital-level injury accidents, and nearly 91% of the total costs. These construction work area accidents had a total cost of $133.8 million. Traffic accidents that involve contractors'' employees were also examined. Statistical analyses of the traffic accidents established that five traffic accident types: (a) Work Space Intrusion, (b) Worker Struck-by Vehicle Inside Work Space, (c) Flagger Struck-by Vehicle, (d) Worker Struck-by Vehicle Entering/Exiting Work Space, and (e) Construction Equipment Struck-by Vehicle Inside Work Space accounted for nearly 86% of the fatal, nearly 70% of the hospital-level injury and minor injury traffic accidents, and $45.4 million (79.4%) of the total traffic accident costs. Conclusions: The results of this paper provide real statistics on construction worker related accidents reported on construction work zones. Potential preventions based on real statistics have also been suggested. Impact on Industry: The ranking of accident types, both within the work area as well as in traffic, will guide the heavy highway contractor and owner agencies in identifying the most cost effective safety preventions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: Construction is among the most dangerous industries in the United States accounting for thousands of fatalities every year. Although there is data available on high risk work types and areas, the project-level detail is not readily available. Method: This paper uses the accident investigation reports to categorize project types and presents project level analysis of 350 fatal accidents for special trade contractors. Results: The results showed that Residential and Commercial projects lead the fatalities where Falls are observed as the leading cause. However, when the fatality causes and project categories are analyzed for each work type, the results showed different fatality cause proportions for each project type. Impact on Industry: Project level analysis approach has a direct impact on identifying high risk work types and areas for special trade contractors by making it possible to focus the prevention and intervention efforts more accurately, while highlighting training and education needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Research and practice have demonstrated that decisions made prior to work at construction sites can influence construction worker safety. However, it has also been argued that most architects and design engineers possess neither the knowledge of construction safety nor the knowledge of construction processes necessary to effectively perform Construction Hazards Prevention through Design (CHPtD). Method: This paper introduces a quantitative methodology that supports designers by providing a way to evaluate the safety-related performance of residential construction designs using a risk analysis–based approach. The methodology compares the overall safety risk level of various construction designs and ranks the significance of the various safety risks of each of these designs. The methodology also compares the absolute importance of a particular safety risk in various construction designs. Results: Because the methodology identifies the relevance of each safety risk at a particular site prior to the construction stage, significant risks are highlighted in advance. Thus, a range of measures for mitigating safety risks can then be implemented during on-site construction. Impact on industry: The methodology is specially worthwhile for designers, who can compare construction techniques and systems during the design phase and determine the corresponding level of safety risk without their creative talents being restricted. By using this methodology, construction companies can improve their on-site safety performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Problem: One of the phases with the highest risk of falls from a height in the construction of a building is during the floor slab formwork stage. This paper analyzes this particular risk, as well as the most frequently used fall-protection systems. Method: A survey was carried out to define the current situation in Spain with regard to falls from a height during floor slab formwork and the fall-protection systems used to prevent such a risk. Results: The results of the survey clarified the current situation in Spain with regard to this risk, and made it clear that there is considerable risk of falling from a height during the floor slab formwork stage. Discussion: All the safety systems analyzed presented a series of weak points that should be studied in detail before they can be used on building sites. Impact on industry: The risk of falling associated with floor slab formwork and the most frequently used protection systems are analyzed. As no research had been carried out to date on this type of risk, we consider the research presented in this article to be a pioneer in the field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: This paper presents a study on the causes and circumstances of occupational accidents in the Portuguese Mining and Quarrying (M&Q) activity sector. Method: To this effect, it uses national accident data (2001–2003), giving particular attention to the newly implemented harmonized ESAW/Eurostat variables. The study begins with a broad description of the M&Q sector and identifies its “typical accident.” A series of accident pyramids are used to discriminate between causal patterns of fatal and non-fatal accidents. The causation mechanisms of the “typical accidents” (fatal and non-fatal) are established by examining the statistical dependency between pairs of modalities of two key variables: the Contact and the Deviation. Results: The results obtained by this method revealed certain details of the cause-effect mechanism that were unknown before, which also facilitate prioritizing preventive strategies. The study highlights the benefits of the new Eurostat variables for the production of accident statistics. Impact on Industry: The consistent adoption of harmonized classifications has a potentially positive impact on several communities: researchers will find it easier to compare their studies; the national authorities can plan more target-oriented preventive strategies; and the individual organizations may use this instrument to facilitate benchmarking of their performance indicators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: This paper discusses an organizational change intervention program targeting safety behaviors and addresses important considerations concerning the planning of organizational change. Using layout of the plant as a proxy for ease of daily leader-member interaction, the effect of workers'' visibility on the effectiveness of supervisory-based safety (SBS) interventions is examined. Through a reinforcement-learning framework, it is suggested that visibility can affect supervisors'' incentive to interact with subordinates regarding safety-related issues. Method: Data were collected during SBS intervention studies in five manufacturing companies. Results: Results suggest a reinforcement cycle model whereby increased visibility generates more frequent exchanges between supervisors and employees, resulting in improved safety behavior among employees. In turn, employees'' safer behavior reinforces continued supervisory safety-related interaction. Conclusion and impact on industry: Visibility is an important moderator in supervisory based safety interventions, and can serve to increase workplace safety. Implications of these findings for safety are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: Overexposure to noise remains a widespread and serious health hazard in the U.S. service providing and goods producing industries. Excessive noise can lead to poor verbal communication and reduce the ability to recognize warning signals. These dangerous work conditions can also cause stress and fatigue. Occupational hearing loss is a permanent illness, with no recovery currently possible. Method: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has recognized Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) as one of the ten leading work-related diseases and injuries in the United States, and has emphasized its importance as one of the critical areas expressed in the National Occupational Research Agenda. Results: One of the most serious noise problems in the goods producing industries is the operation of continuous mining machines during underground coal mining. In order to minimize occupational hearing loss, noise hazards are “designed out” early in the design process. NIOSH is leading a national initiative called Prevention through Design (PTD) to promote this concept. This paper describes the quiet-by-design approach of a noise control that reduced noise exposures of continuous mining machine operators by 3dB(A) using the four functional areas of PTD, namely Practice, Policy, Research, and Education. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: Traffic safety literature has traditionally focused on identification of location profiles where “more crashes are likely to occur” over a period of time. The analysis involves estimation of crash frequency and/or rate (i.e., frequency normalized based on some measure of exposure) with geometric design features (e.g., number of lanes) and traffic characteristics (e.g., Average Annual Daily Traffic [AADT]) of the roadway location. In the recent past, a new category of traffic safety studies has emerged, which attempts to identify locations where a “crash is more likely to occur.” The distinction between the two groups of studies is that the latter group of locations would change based on the varying traffic patterns over the course of the day or even within the hour. Method: Hence, instead of estimation of crash frequency over a period of time, the objective becomes real-time estimation of crash likelihood. The estimation of real-time crash likelihood has a traffic management component as well. It is a proactive extension to the traditional approach of incident detection, which involves analysis of traffic data recorded immediately after the incident. The units of analysis used in these studies are individual crashes rather than counts of crashes. Results: In this paper, crash data analysis based on the two approaches, collective and at individual crash level, is discussed along with the advantages and shortcomings of the two approaches. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: This paper reports on the accident risk of foreign and native drivers in various road environments in Greece. In particular, the analysis aims to determine the combined effect of driver nationality, area type (inside/outside urban area), junction (yes/no), and lighting conditions (day/night) on accident fault risk. Methods: Data from the national accident database of Greece are used in a hierarchical log-linear analysis. The induced exposure technique is applied due to the lack of exposure data. Estimated and observed odds ratios are then examined for the quantification of the various effects in terms of relative risk. Results: The initial examination of a saturated model leads to the rejection of all three- and higher-order effects within variables, without providing an adequate fit to the data. On the contrary, a non-saturated second-order model presents a very satisfactory overall fit. The examination of single and combined effects indicates that the most significant effect on accident risk rises from the presence of foreign drivers at junctions. Conclusions: Results confirm that foreign drivers in Greece are at increased risk. However, immigrant permanent residents appear to have a lower risk compared to tourists, regardless of the road environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: Alertness of individuals operating vehicles, aircrafts, and machinery is a pre-requisite for safety of the individual and for avoiding economic losses. In this paper, we present a new technique for determining the alertness level of the operator and elaborate the methodology for the specific case of highway driving Method: Our hypothesis is that the time derivative of force exerted by the driver at the vehicle-human interfaces can be used to construct a signature of individual driving styles and to discern different levels of alertness Results: In this study, we present experimental results corroborating this hypothesis and introduce a parameter, ‘spikiness index,’ for the time series data of the force derivative to quantify driver alertness Impact on Industry: The low cost, ruggedness, and low-volume data processing requirements of the proposed technique give it a competitive edge over existing predominantly image processing based vigilance monitoring systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: This paper analyzes the effect on road safety of 95 roundabouts that were built in Flanders between 1994 and 1999. Results: The study shows that the effect on the number and severity of road accidents adjusted for the trend and regression to the mean is significant, but varies considerably in accordance with the speed limit regime on the intersection. Roundabouts are most effective on intersections of a main road with a high speed limit (90 km/h) and an adjacent road with a lower speed limit (50 or 70 km/h). The empirical analysis reveals a reduction of 34% (varying between 15% and 59%) for the total number of injury accidents, 30% (7%–45%) for light injury accidents, and 38% (27%–72%) for serious injury accidents. This study also takes a closer look at the impact of different post-implementation periods using accident data of 1-, 3-, or 6-years after the construction of a roundabout on the calculated effectiveness results and warns for a severe underestimation when a one-year period is used. Impact on industry: An effective traffic safety policy based on scientific results thus requires some patience from the policy-makers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: Adverse weather conditions have a major impact on National Airspace System (NAS) operations. They create safety hazards for pilots, constrain the usable airspace for air traffic control (ATC), and reduce the overall capacity of the NAS. A system-wide dissemination of weather information to controllers could theoretically improve safety and efficiency. Problem: However, it is currently unclear what weather information would be beneficial for tactical operations. Furthermore, no previous research has empirically evaluated optimal presentation designs for ATC weather displays. Ill-designed weather displays can cause safety hazards by presenting redundant information (i.e., by increasing the cognitive load) and display clutter (e.g., by interfering with the visual extraction of traffic data). Method: In the present paper, we outline our use of cognitive work analysis (CWA) techniques for the assessment of weather information needs for terminal controllers. Results: Specifically, we describe how the CWA modeling tools helped us reveal instances in the terminal domain where weather information is lacking or insufficiently disseminated. We used our CWA results to drive the development of weather display concepts and to set up a high-fidelity simulation capability. Impact on Industry: By means of high-fidelity simulations, we can empirically evaluate controller weather information needs in order to propose weather displays for increased aircraft safety and efficiency of terminal operations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: In spite of recent advances in traffic surveillance technology and ever-growing concern over traffic safety, there have been very few research efforts establishing links between real-time traffic flow parameters and crash occurrence. This study aims at identifying patterns in the freeway loop detector data that potentially precede traffic crashes. Method: The proposed solution essentially involves classification of traffic speed patterns emerging from the loop detector data. Historical crash and loop detector data from the Interstate-4 corridor in the Orlando metropolitan area were used for this study. Traffic speed data from sensors embedded in the pavement (i.e., loop detector stations) to measure characteristics of the traffic flow were collected for both crash and non-crash conditions. Bayesian classifier based methodology, probabilistic neural network (PNN), was then used to classify these data as belonging to either crashes or non-crashes. PNN is a neural network implementation of well-known Bayesian-Parzen classifier. With its superb mathematical credentials, the PNN trains much faster than multilayer feed forward networks. The inputs to final classification model, selected from various candidate models, were logarithms of the coefficient of variation in speed obtained from three stations, namely, station of the crash (i.e., station nearest to the crash location) and two stations immediately preceding it in the upstream direction (measured in 5 minute time slices of 10–15 minutes prior to the crash time). Results: The results showed that at least 70% of the crashes on the evaluation dataset could be identified using the classifiers developed in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: Many accidents and incidents on mine sites have a causal factor in the rules and regulations that supposedly are in place to prevent the incident from occurring. The causes involve a lack of awareness or understanding, ignorance, or deliberate violations. The issue of mine rules, procedures, and regulations is a central focus of this paper, highlighted by this recent comment – “very few people have accidents for which there is no procedure in place…” Method: An attitudinal survey was conducted at 33 mines throughout NSW, Queensland and international mine sites involving almost 500 mineworkers. The survey was in the form of a self-completing questionnaire, consisting of approximately 65 questions. It aimed to seek the opinions of the mining workforce on safety rules and regulations generally, as well as how they apply to their specific jobs on a mine site. The research also aimed to investigate: (a) the level of awareness and understanding of mine rules and procedures such as manager''s rules and safe work procedures (SWPs); (b) the level of awareness and understanding of mine safety regulations and legislation; (c) the extent of communication of and commitment to rules and regulations; (d) the extent of compliance with rules and regulations; and (e) attitudes regarding errors, risk-taking, and accidents and their interaction with rules and regulations. The sample consisted of a random selection of underground and open pit mines, extracting coal, metals, or industrial minerals. Results: The insights provided by the mineworkers enabled a set of principles to be developed to guide mine management and regulators in the development of more effective rules and regulations. Conclusions and Impact on the Mining Industry: (a) Management and regulators should not continue to produce more and more rules and regulations to cover every aspect of mining. (b) Detailed prescriptive regulations, detailed safe work procedures, and voluminous safety management plans will not “connect” with a miner. (c) Achieving more effective rules and regulations is not the only answer to a safer workplace. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]