High-risk Industries Research Articles

Effects of safety leadership and safety management practices on safety participation through a casual-chain mediators approach in the Chinese construction industry

Objectives. This article aims to prompt first-line workers to go beyond regular job roles and engage in more discretionary safety behavior–safety participation in the Chinese construction industry. The construction industry is a high-risk industry, and first-line workers are more likely to be exposed to workplace hazards. Once accidents happen, the negative consequences would come out. Therefore, employee voluntary safety behavior is focused on in this research. Methods. The present research framework examines the roles of safety leadership and safety management practices from the group and organizational perspectives in predicting the voluntary safety behavior (safety participation) of first-line workers in the Chinese construction industry through casual-chain mediators (safety climate and job satisfaction). In this study, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is adopted for data analysis and hypotheses testing. Results. After data analysis, the results show that safety leadership and safety management practices are significantly and positively associated with safety participation of first-line workers through safety climate and job satisfaction. Moreover, safety management practices have a more statistical effect on safety climate compared to safety leadership. Conclusions. These results provide some practical implications for facilitating the workers to conduct safety participation inthe construction industry.

Differences in perception of the importance of process safety indicators between experts in Iran and the West

Introduction: The importance of safety in high-risk industries such as oil and gas facilities has been reported previously. Process safety performance indicators can provide insight into improving the safety of process industries. This paper aims to rank the process safety indicators (metrics) by Fuzzy Best-Worst Method (FBWM) using the data gathered through a survey. Method: The study uses a structured approach considering the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), and the IOGP (International Association of Oil and Gas Producers) recommendations and guidelines to generate an aggregate set of indicators. It calculates the level of importance of each indicator based on the opinions of experts from Iran and some Western countries. Results: The findings of the study demonstrate that some lagging indicators such as the number of times processes do not proceed as planned due to insufficient staff competence and the number of unexpected disruptions of the process due to failure in instrumentation and alarms are important in process industries in both Iran and Western countries. Western experts identified process safety incident severity rate as an important lagging indicator, whereas Iranian experts considered this as relatively unimportant. In addition, leading indicators such as sufficient process safety training and competency, the desired function of instrumentation and alarms, and proper management of fatigue risk play an important role in enhancing the safety performance of process industries. Experts in Iran viewed permit to work as an important leading indicator, while experts in the West focused on fatigue risk management. Practical Applications: The methodology used in the current study gives a good view to managers and safety professionals in regard to the most important indicators of process safety and allows them to focus more on important process safety indicators.

A conceptual framework for risk management in aquaculture

Aquaculture is considered a high-risk industry in which the heterogeneity of the productions hinders the development and application of risk management. However, risk sources have still received little attention in aquaculture research. The present study aims to provide a framework of the main risk sources perceived by aquaculture producers. Firstly, we conceptualize the different dimensions and typologies of risks. Then, we integrate the main risk sources into a comprehensive framework based on a review of the literature providing empirical evidence on aquaculture producers’ risk perceptions in different countries and aquaculture productions. Finally, the opinion of a panel of independent experts provides the vision of other relevant stakeholders in the value chain. This process allowed us to present a picture of risks in the aquaculture industry, consisting of eight risk categories, 19 risk types and 40 risk sources. The most relevant sources of risks for producers in the internal dimension are those related to operations (fingerlings, feeding, seeding and harvesting). In the external dimension, market risks (price variability, inputs price, and changes in demand) and production risks (climatic shocks and diseases) stand out. The perceptions of the stakeholders consulted highlight that producers tend to underestimate important risks, such as regulatory or financial ones. This picture provides a useful risk framework for policy makers, producers, scientists and other stakeholders to address such an essential first step in risk management and governance, the identification of risk sources.

Comprehensive Evaluation of China’s Input–Output Sector Status Based on the Entropy Weight-Social Network Analysis Method

In order to understand the source of China’s global influence, the key sectors and important connections in China’s economic and trade networks should be identified. Based on China’s 2002–2018 input–output data, this study uses the entropy weight method to determine weights, and then combines the social network analysis method in order to construct a comprehensive index system for industry status evaluation. Research results indicate that the high-risk financial industry occupies the top position among all industries. Additionally, resource-consuming industries represented by the coal mining industry and highly polluting industries still occupy an important position in China’s economy. Machinery, electronics manufacturing, and other real industries show increasing value-added products, steadily improving technology intensity, and continue to climb the industrial value chain. The conclusions of this study provide a comprehensive and detailed industrial understanding of the formulation of comprehensive and systematic national economic strategies as well as targeted industrial policies to achieve sustainable development.

The Impact of Political Connections on Firm Performance: Evidence from Upstream Oil and Gas Companies

The purpose of this research is to emphasis the business and political linkages that are associated with performance. The inclusion of a politician or government official on the board is thought to vibrantly regard the firm as a resource value that leads to a competitive advantage. The engagement of these powerful figures verbally leads to the belief that a company with a resourceful person is very prominent in high-performing and high-risk industries that are economically advantageous to the country. The traditional perspective highlights that political involvement is particularly harmful for the firm due to control and ownership difficulties. The rhetorical engagement of these powerful people leads to the assumption that they are normally involved in high-performing and high-risk industries that are economically beneficial to the country. Contrary to the conventional view, some scholars suggest that political participation will continue to explore positive benefits for businesses such as profitability, subsidy, reputation, and investor trust for a long-term company strategy as proposed by the stakeholder theory and the helping hand theory. This paper examines the corporate performance in relation to political participation using 1218 datasets from Fortune Global 500 corporations, focusing mostly on oil and gas upstream activities from 2012 to 2017. All in all, our relationship hypothesis suggests that firms with strong political foundations are more likely to have an outsized impact on business performance and to be more market-sustained.

Examining the Agile Project Management Practices in the Malaysian Construction Industry

Agile Project Management (APM) is traceable as a concept for software development and IT projects. It represents one of the basic competitive advantages of contemporary organizations that can be applied to almost any large-scale project in any industry. Construction projects being a high uncertainties, high changes, high complexity, and high risk industry is yet to be seen if the adaptive approach of APM is applicable. A questionnaire consisting of four core agile values and 70 agile practices was used to study the inclination of project management practices in the Malaysian construction industry. The survey, which garnered 210 responses from construction personnel, revealed the inclination of four core agile values between 6.38 and 7.34 on the scale of 0-10, while agile practices scored between 3.4 to 4.0 on 0-5. The agile oriented group is found had applied 25 out of the 70 project agile practices more frequent than the non-agile oriented group. Smaller organizations have adopted more agile project practices, especially those related to the continuous improvement domain. The study concluded that the Malaysian construction participants are leaning towards the core value of project management, and indeed practiced agility in most of the project management tasks currently.

Exploring the thermal conditions in construction sites through IoT based methodologies

Despite improvements in reducing the rate of injuries to construction workers, the construction industry remains a high-risk industry. Working conditions in construction sites frequently pose heat hazards and presents uncontrolled heat risks. Technological solutions that generate early warnings have the potential to improve health and safety. However, little research has been done in the construction industry. The Smart Safety Vest system is proposed as an ‘internet of things’ (IoT) solution in construction sites. The system development has followed a series of technology readiness levels and construction site testing. This paper reports on the early preliminary data analysis on the validity and usability of the system in actual construction sites. Real-time monitoring of constructions sites via portable weather stations were conducted. Specifically, this paper presents the evaluation of the thermal conditions of four residential construction project sites. The environmental data collected in four residential construction project sites are quantitatively analysed which set the context for the further reporting of analysis of the smart vest data from construction workers. The initial results obtained during extremely hot summer conditions are used to derive recommendations. It presents the viability of an integral part of the real-time monitored future pervasive construction sites.

Psychosocial safety behavior: A scoping review of behavior-based approaches to workplace psychosocial safety

Introduction: In an era of workplace safety where psychosocial risks are widely recognized as occupational hazards, emerging research has sought to clarify the impact of these risks and the requisite interventions for improving psychosocial safety climate and reducing psychological injury risk. Method: The construct of psychosocial safety behavior (PSB) provides a novel framework for emerging research that seeks to apply a behavior-based safety approach to workplace psychosocial risks across several high-risk industries. This scoping review aims to provide a synthesis of existing literature on PSB, including its development as a construct and application in workplace safety interventions to date. Results: Although a limited number of studies of PSB were identified, the findings of this review provide evidence for growing cross-sector applications of behaviorally-focused approaches to improving workplace psychosocial safety. In addition, the identification of a broad spectrum of terminology surrounding the construct of PSB provides evidence of key theoretical and empirical gaps, with implications for future intervention-based research to address emerging areas of focus.

An analysis of engineering students' risk perception to support process safety learning process

Multidisciplinary teams often undertake engineering projects beyond their original discipline involving different kinds of risks. Risk perception is an inherent and embedded part of the decision-making process, which depends on the personal background and instinctive attitudes or behaviors. Process safety and risk analysis training for engineers, and education for engineering students, provide valuable tools seeking safer workplaces; however, personnel’s risk perception is commonly neglected. This paper analyzes the risk perception and appetite of undergraduate engineering students in Colombia based on a survey strategy and a weighted-approach following a Factor Analysis. The survey considered financial, social, physical, and professional risks, and four main reasons for risk-taking or risk-avoiding actions. The Factor Analysis allows us to classify the students tendency as risk-averse o risk-prone, and propose didactic teaching planning using a modular toolbox for process safety education, based on skills identified for junior engineers in Colombian Oil & Gas Industry. A total of 465 engineering students from 12 Colombian universities completed the survey in 2016. The results suggest that risk perception depends on the location, possible risk training, and accessible information. The obtained factors allow describing the students’ overall risk profiles, which can serve as an input for refining the content and curriculum content of current engineering programs regarding process safety. Improving the training of risk management in the engineering curriculum will benefit upcoming multidisciplinary teams in high-risk industries.

Development of a Human Factors Approach to Equine-Related Human Accident Analysis, and Preliminarily Evaluation with Simulated Incidents

Accident analysis frameworks such as Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) are widely used in high-risk industries to determine risk mitigation strategies. In comparison, equestrianism which is classified high-risk due to human-horse interactions at work, sport, and social activities, rarely utilizes accident analysis. This study developed and tested the validity and inter-rater reliability of an equestrian-specific accident analysis framework, that included elements of human error, horse risk factors, and environmental factors. The study involved three coders who independently classified 10 simulated horse-related human accident reports with the novel Human Factors Analysis and Classification System-Equestrianism (HFACS-Eq) framework. The results demonstrated that the HFACS-Eq framework achieved moderately reliable to reliable coding percentage agreement. In addition, substantial to reliable agreement was achieved for HFACS-Eq nominal category and nano-codes levels. This study is the first step towards an equestrian industry-specific, accident analysis framework to improve industry safety. Elimination of possible bias and validation with real incident data are required before the wider application of the framework can be recommended. The study highlights organizational and procedural failures, segregating the horse as a contributing factor as well as the environment in which the human acts or makes decisions informing risk.

The impact of unsuccessful resuscitation and manikin death during simulation on nursing student's resuscitation self-efficacy: A quasi-experimental study

BackgroundThere has been considerable debate about whether it is appropriate to let the manikin die during simulation teaching. Simulations are used in high-risk industries to recreate rare and potentially catastrophic events. In healthcare, there has been a reluctance to allow scenarios to progress to a catastrophe because of the potential impact on the individual if they were to then encounter the situation in real life. In healthcare, witnessed resuscitation has an overall success rate of around 23.9 %, therefore making every simulation situation successful results in an altered perception of reality. ObjectiveThe researchers aimed to examine whether the manikin's death during a simulation adversely affects the resuscitation self-efficacy of nursing students. DesignQuasi-experimental design. SettingUnivesity of Sunderland, United Kingdom. ParticipantsStudents were invited to participate (n = 120) and 106 consented to take part in the study. MethodsA pre-and post-test of the nursing student's self-efficacy during a resuscitation scenario. The scenario related to a patient admitted to the emergency room with chest pain who then went into cardiac arrest. The experimental group's resuscitation was unsuccessful, and the control group's resuscitation was successful. Self-efficacy was measured using the validated Basic Resuscitation Skills Self-efficacy scale (BRS-SES). The data were analysed using a paired sample t-test. ResultsOverall, both groups showed improved self-efficacy as a result of the simulation session and the death of the manikin in the experimental group did not result in a reduced level of self-efficacy related to resuscitation. ConclusionThe death of the manikin during the simulation involving resuscitation had no impact on student resuscitation self-efficacy.

The impact of formal musical training on speech intelligibility performance—Implications for music pedagogy in high-consequence industries

In high-risk domains, accurate and timely communications while multitasking are necessary for safety and efficiency. Complex musical/acoustic environments cause hindered communication and awareness. This study used an audio-visual multi-tasking paradigm that examined speech intelligibility and if formal music training (FMT) can mitigate these challenges. Twenty-five students (16F/9M) from Vanderbilt University participated with varying levels of FMT: no FMT, 1–3 years, 3–5 years, and 5+ years of FMT. The study found that the degree of FMT significantly impacted non-response (p-value < 0.001). Among participants with no FMT, the presence of background music increased the odds of non-response by 1.5-fold (95% CI: 0.95, 2.37), conversely, participants with 5+ years of FMT had no decrease (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.69, 1.36), showing that non-response in the presence of music worsens with each subgroup until 5+ years of FMT. The accuracy for all groups was similar (p = 0.74) and the background music decreased accuracy for all groups (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.76). Although levels of accuracy were similar for all, the 5+ FMT group responded less frequently, which may indicate increased working memory (i.e., phonological loop) and meta-cognition, a valuable skill in high-risk industry. Future research can explore the pedagogy of musical training.

SAFER: An Occupational Health and Safety Teaching Framework for Nursing Students

Occupational health and safety (OHS) education is integral to healthcare practice. Nurses/nursing students are particularly vulnerable during their work in this high-risk industry. Current clinical teaching appears to focus on individual risks rather than provide a broader overview of the complex issues involved. A novel educational resource, the Safety Assessment Framework for Evaluation and Assessment (SAFER), is presented, addressing a gap in current education resources for nursing students to broaden understanding about OHS. The study re-examined pilot focus group data from first- and third- year student OHS focus groups in an Australian university School of Nursing. The SAFER framework was informed by student nurses impressions/ experiences of OHS (published in 2015 and 2016), supported by a literature review. Central to the SAFER framework is OHS ‘risk management’. It incorporates stakeholders and Australian legislation, all in relation to ‘responsibility’ and ‘trust’. Examples use focus group participant voice, linked with researcher interpretation and supporting documentation. Clinical educators now have a broad resource to facilitate student group discussions about OHS from multiple perspectives. SAFER’s value beyond face validity should be tested, to confirm its applicability as a teaching resource in various university and training environments. Keywords: occupational health, education, nursing, curriculum, student

The Influence of Leader Bottom-Line Mentality on Miners' Safety Behavior: A Moderated Parallel Mediation Model Based on the Dual-System Theory.

As a high-risk industry that is always struggling with unsafe factors, coal mine enterprises must prioritize safety in their operation and management, but there are still some short-sighted coal mine managers who choose to leave safety behind in the desperate pursuit of financial benefits, resulting in coal mine accidents from time to time. Unfortunately, this leadership style, known as leader bottom-line mentality, has not yet received sufficient attention in the safety field. Based on dual-system theory, this study aimed to explore the mediating role of emotional exhaustion and safety consciousness between leader bottom-line mentality and miners’ safety behavior, as well as the moderating role of Chinese traditionality. Using a sample of 422 frontline miners in China, the results of the data analysis showed that emotional exhaustion and safety consciousness played parallel mediating roles between leader bottom-line mentality and miners’ safety behavior, and Chinese traditionality moderated the effect of leader bottom-line mentality: the higher the Chinese traditionality, the weaker the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion and the stronger the mediating effect of safety consciousness. Present research explains the mechanisms and boundaries of the influence of leader bottom-line mentality on miners’ safety behavior, contributing to the emerging literature on safety management and bottom-line mentality.

Brain mechanisms of automated conflict avoidance simulator supervision.

Supervision of automated systems is an ubiquitous aspect of most of our everyday life activities which is even more necessary in high risk industries (aeronautics, power plants, etc.). Performance monitoring related to our own error making has been widely studied. Here we propose to assess the neurofunctional correlates of system error detection. We used an aviation-based conflict avoidance simulator with a 40% error-rate and recorded the electroencephalographic activity of participants while they were supervising it. Neural dynamics related to the supervision of system's correct and erroneous responses were assessed in the time and time-frequency domains to address the dynamics of the error detection process in this environment. Two levels of perceptual difficulty were introduced to assess their effect on system's error detection-related evoked activity. Using a robust cluster-based permutation test, we observed a lower widespread evoked activity in the time domain for errors compared to correct responses detection, as well as a higher theta-band activity in the time-frequency domain dissociating the detection of erroneous from that of correct system responses. We also showed a significant effect of difficulty on time-domain evoked activity, and of the phase of the experiment on spectral activity: a decrease in early theta and alpha at the end of the experiment, as well as interaction effects in theta and alpha frequency bands. These results improve our understanding of the brain dynamics of performance monitoring activity in closer-to-real-life settings and are a promising avenue for the detection of error-related components in ecological and dynamic tasks.

Have you met Angus? Development and evaluation of a social marketing intervention to improve personal flotation device use in commercial fishing

Introduction: Drowning is the leading cause of death among commercial fishermen in the United States. Approximately 30% of all commercial fishing fatalities are attributed to falls overboard. One of the simplest and most affordable ways to prevent these fatalities is for crewmembers to wear personal flotation devices (PFDs) while on deck. An examination of over 200 fatal falls overboard in the U.S. fishing industry revealed that none of the victims were wearing PFDs when they died. PFDs are not required to be worn by commercial fishermen in the United States, so this study was designed to encourage behavior change using targeted health communication and social marketing. Methods: This study developed, implemented, and evaluated a multi-media social marketing campaign featuring a fictitious, culturally-relevant spokesman designed to look, talk, and act like the target audience. The messages were crafted to address common barriers to PFD adoption and misconceptions about fleet-specific risks for fatalities from falls overboard. The campaign was evaluated over two seasons of fishing to look at message retention and intent toward action following exposure to the campaign materials. Results: Survey respondents indicated overall positive opinions about the spokesman and the messages. Results also show a reported change in behavior related to using PFDs while working on deck. Discussion: Targeted multi-media messaging can influence behavior of workers in high-risk occupations in remote locations. Safety message development should focus on occupational culture to create valid and authentic communication products for workers in high-risk industries.

Investigating a new classification to describe the differences between Work-As-Imagined and Work-As-Done

Standard operating procedures are vital in maintaining safe operations in high-risk industries such as the petrochemical industry. Despite significant safety management improvement, most incidents in these industries often attribute deviation or non-compliance with procedural steps as a causal factor. Even though workers do not always follow the exact procedure steps when performing their tasks, very few studies investigate the discrepancies between Work As Imagined (WAI) and Work As Done (WAD), particularly under normal working conditions. This study aims to identify and quantify the differences between WAI and WAD while conducting procedural tasks by operationalizing a coding framework. An actual work environment in a petrochemical facility was used to apply the framework to help decide if WAI aligns with WAD. Finally, a classification scheme is proposed and discussed to explain why workers do what they do during their routine work.

Analysis of the Potential for Resilience of Integrated Oil & Gas Operations in Brazil

Resilience is presented in literature as the capacity of a system to disarm, adapt and recover from unexpected events. Despite the increase of interest of industries and academia in the subject, there are a lack of models that describes the elements that condition and determines resilient performance. This article presents a knowledge model that characterizes intangibles which determine resilient responses and is a central piece in a data science strategy supporting monitoring and analysis of potential for resilience in high-risk industries. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this model was established using an integrative review of the literature and the contribution of experts from several areas. The potential for resilience is represented by a set of leading indicators that allows continuous monitoring of both static characteristics of complex operations and dynamic resource mobilization in the face of unexpected events. Knowledge engineering and data science techniques are applied to treat data from various sources. The established approach addresses several elements that are not traditionally explored in safety management systems, including those related to knowledge that determine resilient responses, as well as factors related to human, structural and relational capital that condition resilient performance. Results of the application of the model are presented, including how the analytical model supports the definition of knowledge management and safety investment strategies in oil and gas companies in Brazil. The approach supports the prioritization of actions and investments to promote safety and enable strategies to learn from accidents and positive conditions that make operations safer despite unpredictability in daily operational routine.

Analysis of the impact of safety hazards in construction project management and defensive measures

A construction project has the characteristics of a long-period and complex process. Moreover, the construction industry is also a high-risk industry, and there are all kinds of safety hazards in the construction process of construction projects. Therefore, safety management is the top priority. The good or bad safety management in the construction process is related to the construction progress and construction quality of construction projects and closely related to the personal safety of construction personnel. If the construction enterprise cannot provide a reliable guarantee of the quality and safety of the construction project, it will cause a severe impact on the construction enterprise. Therefore, in the construction process of construction projects, it is necessary to uphold the construction safety management principle of "safety first," which emphasizes construction safety and lays the foundation for higher construction quality in construction projects under the premise of ensuring safety.

Applying lessons from aviation safety culture in the hospitality industry: a review and road map

It is widely accepted that positive safety culture improves organizations’ safety performance and reduces the number of injuries and deaths. Safety culture has been well researched in high-risk industries; however, the hospitality industry until recently had no research of the concept unless related to food safety. This article explores theoretical grounds for research of safety culture in hospitality, based on the aviation safety culture body of knowledge. Using aviation as a foundation is motivated by the similarities in operations between aviation and hospitality, especially when hospitality is compared to other high-risk industries. The article proposes that aviation safety culture models and their dimensions could be valuable for hospitality industry’s safety culture improvements. It’s goal and aspiring contribution is to begin a discussion and build a theoretical base for future research about advancement of safety in hospitality operations and reduction of the industry’s relatively high numbers of employee injuries.