Improved Z-number based fuzzy fault tree approach to analyze health and safety risks in surface mines by I. M., Jiskani, F., Yasli, S., Hosseini, A. U., Rehman, S., Uddin [Resources Policy 76 (2022) 102591]: Suggested modification

Abstract

Jiskani et al. (Resources Policy 76 (2022) 102591) claimed that to the best of their knowledge, there is no study for investigating undesired events and their specified primary causes in the surface mines and quarries. To fill this gap, they proposed a Z-number based fuzzy fault tree approach (ZNBFFTA). Jiskani et al. applied their proposed approach to the surface quarries to analyze the mine health and safety (MHS) risk in the surface mines and quarries in Pakistan. Mine managers of other developing countries may be attracted towards ZNBFFTA to analyze MHS risk in the surface mines and quarries. ZNBFFTA can be used in a variety of sectors and is highly effective. It is pertinent to mention that although ZNBFFTA towards the problem of MHS is valid. However, in Step 4 of ZNBFFTA, Kang et al.’s method (Journal of Information & Computational Science 9(3) (2012) 703–709) is used to transform Z-number (ZN) into fuzzy number (FN) as no other method was available at that time. While, an improved version of Kang et al.’s method is proposed in 2021 by Cheng et al. (33rd Chinese Control and Decision Conference (CCDC), Kunming, China, (2021) 3823–3828). So, the aim of this paper is to make the researchers aware that ZNBFFTA will be more efficient if in its Step 4, Cheng et al.’s method is used instead of Kang et al.’s method.