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Accident Prevention and Occupational Risk Assessment

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Occupational Safety and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 10761

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Industrial Engineering, Camino de los Descubrimientos sn, Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Interests: innovation; risk assessment; evaluation of interventions; occupational health and safety; psychosocial risks
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Safety science is the interdisciplinary study of accidents and accident prevention [1] (see chapter 5 at Book of Knowledge). Occupational risk assessment is one of the main research topics in safety science [2]. Most risk assessments are based on the combination of the likelihood and expected consequences of a certain risk in a certain scenario [3]. From a practical point of view, accident prevention should be designed based on occupational risk assessment. In Europe, the Framework Directive 89/391/EEC [4] mandates that the employer shall be in possession of an assessment of the risks to safety and health at work and decide on the protective measures to be taken and, if necessary, the protective equipment to be used. Both private and public interventions use risk assessments to identify appropriate preventive measures which are selected according to the actual framework of the accidents expected [5].

This Special Issue is focused on theoretical and practical research related to how to better assess risks and how to make more useful risk assessments to prevent accidents. We expect that articles will include new or improved risk assessment methods, evaluations of the application of risk assessments and methods and frameworks that link risk assessment and prevention measures.

References

  1. Bofinger, C.; Hayes, J.; Bearman, C.; Viner, D. The Role of Risk Assessments in Decision-Making in Risk and Decision Making, 2nd ed.; Pryor, P. Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS): Melbourne, Australia, 2019; pp. 34–36.
  2. Khanzode, V.V.; Maiti, J.; Ray, P. Occupational injury and accident research: A comprehensive review. Saf. Sci. 2012, 50, 1355–1367.
  3. Carrillo-Castrillo, J. A; Rubio-Romero, J.C.; Guadix, J.; Onieva, L. Risk assessment of maintenance operations: the analysis of performing task and accident mechanism. J Inj Contr Saf Promot 2015, 22(3), 267277. doi:10.1080/17457300.2014.939196.
  4. The Council of the European Communities. Directive 89/391/EEC of the council of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work. Off J. 1989, L183, 1–8.
  5. Soriano-Serrano, M.; Carrillo-Castrillo, J.A.; Rubio-Romero, J.C.; García-Jiménez, M. The Impact of Enforcement Capabilities on the E ectiveness of Public Assessment on Occupational Safety. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 6426. doi:10.3390/ijerph17176426

Dr. Jesús A. Carrillo-Castrillo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • risk assessment
  • accident prevention
  • intervention
  • prevention measures
  • assessment methods
  • evaluation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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13 pages, 1310 KiB  
Article
Does Decreased Diffusing Capacity of the Lungs for Carbon Monoxide Constitute a Risk of Decompression Sickness in Occupational Divers?
by Brice Loddé, Marie-Agnès Giroux-Metges, Hubert Galinat, Hèlène Kerspern, Richard Pougnet, Philippe Saliou, François Guerrero and Pierre Lafère
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(15), 6516; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20156516 - 3 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1778
Abstract
Long-term alterations of pulmonary function (mainly decreased airway conductance and capacity of the lungs to diffuse carbon monoxide (DLCO)) have been described after hyperbaric exposures. However, whether these alterations convey a higher risk for divers’ safety has never been investigated before. The purpose [...] Read more.
Long-term alterations of pulmonary function (mainly decreased airway conductance and capacity of the lungs to diffuse carbon monoxide (DLCO)) have been described after hyperbaric exposures. However, whether these alterations convey a higher risk for divers’ safety has never been investigated before. The purpose of the present pilot study was to assess whether decreased DLCO is associated with modifications of the physiological response to diving. In this case–control observational study, 15 “fit-to-dive” occupational divers were split into two groups according to their DLCO measurements compared to references values, either normal (control) or reduced (DLCO group). After a standardized 20 m/40 min dive in a sea water pool, the peak-flow, vascular gas emboli (VGE) grade, micro-circulatory reactivity, inflammatory biomarkers, thrombotic factors, and plasmatic aldosterone concentration were assessed at different times post-dive. Although VGE were recorded in all divers, no cases of decompression sickness (DCS) occurred. Compared to the control, the latency to VGE peak was increased in the DLCO group (60 vs. 30 min) along with a higher maximal VGE grade (p < 0.0001). P-selectin was higher in the DLCO group, both pre- and post-dive. The plasmatic aldosterone concentration was significantly decreased in the control group (−30.4 ± 24.6%) but not in the DLCO group. Apart from a state of hypocoagulability in all divers, other measured parameters remained unchanged. Our results suggest that divers with decreased DLCO might have a higher risk of DCS. Further studies are required to confirm these preliminary results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Accident Prevention and Occupational Risk Assessment)
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26 pages, 1443 KiB  
Article
Improving Safety Performance of Construction Workers through Learning from Incidents
by Albert P. C. Chan, Junfeng Guan, Tracy N. Y. Choi, Yang Yang, Guangdong Wu and Edmond Lam
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4570; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054570 - 4 Mar 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5286
Abstract
Learning from incidents (LFI) is a process to seek, analyse, and disseminate the severity and causes of incidents, and take corrective measures to prevent the recurrence of similar events. However, the effects of LFI on the learner’s safety performance remain unexplored. This study [...] Read more.
Learning from incidents (LFI) is a process to seek, analyse, and disseminate the severity and causes of incidents, and take corrective measures to prevent the recurrence of similar events. However, the effects of LFI on the learner’s safety performance remain unexplored. This study aimed to identify the effects of the major LFI factors on the safety performance of workers. A questionnaire survey was administered among 210 construction workers in China. A factor analysis was conducted to reveal the underlying LFI factors. A stepwise multiple linear regression was performed to analyse the relationship between the underlying LFI factors and safety performance. A Bayesian Network (BN) was further modelled to identify the probabilistic relational network between the underlying LFI factors and safety performance. The results of BN modelling showed that all the underlying factors were important to improve the safety performance of construction workers. Additionally, sensitivity analysis revealed that the two underlying factors—information sharing and utilization and management commitment—had the largest effects on improving workers’ safety performance. The proposed BN also helped find out the most efficient strategy to improve workers’ safety performance. This research may serve as a useful guide for better implementation of LFI practices in the construction sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Accident Prevention and Occupational Risk Assessment)
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23 pages, 889 KiB  
Commentary
Applying a Health Equity Lens to Work-Related Motor Vehicle Safety in the United States
by Stephanie Pratt and Kyla Hagan-Haynes
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(20), 6909; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20206909 - 11 Oct 2023
Viewed by 3129
Abstract
Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of fatal work-related injuries in the United States. Research assessing sociodemographic risk disparities for work-related MVCs is limited, yet structural and systemic inequities at work and during commutes likely contribute to disproportionate MVC risk. This [...] Read more.
Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of fatal work-related injuries in the United States. Research assessing sociodemographic risk disparities for work-related MVCs is limited, yet structural and systemic inequities at work and during commutes likely contribute to disproportionate MVC risk. This paper summarizes the literature on risk disparities for work-related MVCs by sociodemographic and employment characteristics and identifies worker populations that have been largely excluded from previous research. The social–ecological model is used as a framework to identify potential causes of disparities at five levels—individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy. Expanded data collection and analyses of work-related MVCs are needed to understand and reduce disparities for pedestrian workers, workers from historically marginalized communities, workers with overlapping vulnerabilities, and workers not adequately covered by employer policies and safety regulations. In addition, there is a need for more data on commuting-related MVCs in the United States. Inadequate access to transportation, which disproportionately affects marginalized populations, may make travel to and from work less safe and limit individuals’ access to employment. Identifying and remedying inequities in work-related MVCs, whether during the day or while commuting, will require the efforts of industry and multiple public sectors, including public health, transportation, and labor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Accident Prevention and Occupational Risk Assessment)
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