Safety Design Principles Research Articles

Towards a harmonised approach to reducing quad‐related fatal injuries in Australia and New Zealand: a cross‐sectional comparative analysis

Objective:This study compares the patterns of quad‐related fatal injuries between Australia and New Zealand (NZ). Method:Fatal injuries from July 2007 to June 2012 involving a quad (quad bike or all‐terrain vehicle) were identified from coronial files. Data described the socio‐demographic, injury, vehicle and environment factors associated with incidents. Injury patterns were compared between countries. Results:A total of 101 quad‐related fatalities were identified: 69 in Australia and 32 in NZ (7.3 and 8.0 annual fatalities per 100,000 vehicles). Of these, 95 closed cases were examined in detail and factors in common included fatalities occurring mainly in males, on farms, involving a rollover and resulting in crush injuries to the head and thorax. Helmet use and alcohol/drug involvement were infrequent. Differences were observed with regard to age, season of fatal incident and the presence of a slope. Conclusions:Fatality patterns are broadly similar. The few differences could be attributed to differing agricultural commodity mix, demographics and topography. Implications:This study's findings support harmonised cross‐country injury prevention efforts primarily focused on safe design and engineering principles to reduce this injury burden.

EZID: A new approach to hazard identification during the design process by analysing energy transfers

Manufacturing machine designers must take into account different aspects of products such as technology, legislation and occupational safety. European directive 2006/42/CE promulgates machine safety design principles to prevent occupational risks. Aimed at machine designers, its objective is to set out the need to obtain the lowest possible risk level according to the state of the art. Although the designers of catalog machines have access to specific standards to perform a priori risk analyses, this is not the case for special machine designers. An original approach called EZID is presented in this paper to help all machine designers in the task of hazard identification. Based on the fact that hazards are linked to the presence of energies, EZID identifies hazards through the detection of design parameters linked to energy sources and flows. It then feeds back organized information to designers on every potential exchange of energy between the machine and its operators, bringing to light the need to add risk prevention solutions.The first part provides a detailed classification of energy parameters considered to be the primary indicators of hazards. This is followed by an explanation of the logical rules describing how damage is generated by the combination of the other design parameters, increasing the level of detail in hazard identification. The next part focuses on the characterization of significant hazards. Finally, the results obtained from using this approach during the industrial design of a supply line are presented to confirm that EZID is functional from the earliest stage of design.

Injury/Fatality-Causing Incidents Involving the Rearward Movement of Agricultural Machinery: Types, Causes, and Preventive Measures

The research reported here sought to more fully understand the types and causative factors of injury/fatality incidents resulting from the rearward-movement of tractors and other self-propelled agricultural machinery, with the view that such findings might lead to the development, improvement, and/or better utilization of safety procedures, design principles, and technologies that would prevent—or at least markedly reduce—their occurrence. Thus, the scope of this study focused only on rearward-travel (not mechanical malfunction) incidents, and principally on agricultural equipment (although cases involving similar equipment in industrial or construction settings were also drawn upon). Applying these two criteria, a search of published and online sources uncovered more than 100 documented cases, 35 of which could clearly be identified as rearward-movement incidents, of which 28 (80%) were fatal. Each of these 35 cases were then assessed, based on the type of machine, type of worksite, and type/description of incident (i.e., ‘scenario’), which fell into one of three distinct categories or classifications—(1) co-worker run over/crushed/otherwise injured because operator loses visual contact with co-worker; (2) bystander run over/crushed/otherwise injured because operator is unaware of bystander’s presence; and (3) operator run over/crushed/otherwise injured because operator loses visual contact with, or is unaware of, a stationary object or a hazard. Then, from each scenario, a representative incident (i.e., case study) was selected for a more in-depth analysis. The collective findings, from these three case studies and all 35 machinery rearward-movement incidents, were as follows: (1) The ‘victim’ could be the machine operator as well as a co-worker or a bystander; (2) The specific site of the co-worker or bystander injury/fatality was at the base of the machine’s rear tires or tracks, at the hitching point, or behind a towed implement; (3) The specific cause was loss of visual contact between the operator and co-worker/bystander due to visual obstruction, the operator’s physical limitations, or the operator’s and/or bystander’s lack of alertness. To reduce the likelihood of future occurrences of agricultural machinery rearward travel-related incidents, preventive measures aimed at addressing the key causative factors for each scenario are offered.

Proposition of an Approach Applicable During the Design Process of Working Equipment to Identify Potential Hazards for Workers

The work of product designers has to evolve in phase with the improvements made to technology and changes in regulations. They have to work on different aspects of a product such as its technological, legal, environmental and occupational safety implications. European directive 2006/42/CE promulgates safe machine design principles to prevent professional risks. These principles guide machine designers to reduce residual risks as much as the technological state of the art permits. Special machine designers are by definition confronted by a lack of specific standards relating to a priori risk analysis. The aim of this paper is to present an original approach to help them to identify hazards upstream and also throughout the design process.This approach is based on the fact that hazards are linked to the presence of energies. Hazard identification can be done through the detection of parameters linked to energy sources and flows. The approach then feeds back information to designers about potential contacts between energies and workers, to highlight the need to add preventive measures.We use the Functional-Structural Model is used to represent the machine energy architecture through the different steps of its lifecycle. Thus it is possible to identify every interface through which energies circulate. These interfaces are defined by two kinds of parameter: energetic parameters (linked to energy properties), and other design parameters.This paper first presents a detailed classification of energetic parameters that are also indicators of the hazards present in the machine. We then present logical rules for processing these energetic parameters and others, in order to increase the accuracy of the hazard identification performed. To conclude, the results obtained from using this approach during the industrial design of a supply line is detailed to validate the pertinence of its application from the earliest design stages, with improved accuracy during the subsequent design stages.

Design for Safety: Proposition of a Model to Detect Hazards through Energy Flows Analysis

The European directive 2006/42/CE promulgates the machine safe design principles to prevent professional risks. However, outside machines that have specific safety standards, the designers of special machines and manufacturing systems can only use generic safety standards, limiting as a consequence the results of hazards detection. The aim of this paper is to present an original approach for this detection during the design of working equipment.We based our study on a hypothesis of the literature that links hazards to the presence of energy flows. Thus, the hazards detection is reduced to the study of the building of energy flows and the detection of potential links between these flows and the operator. Thanks to such data, the designer will be able to select the best risk prevention solutions.To reach this goal, we decided to use the Functional Energetic Model (FEMo) to model the technical system and its energy flows. This choice was made because this model was developed for the design of technical systems integrating different types of energy. By using this modelling, the designer can easily analyses every potential interactions between the energy flows and the operator, depending on the future working situations in each life cycle phases. Our approach builds on this model all along the design process, allowing the designer to early detect hazards and to apply at the best moment the risk prevention solutions.We present the application of this approach during the design of a working equipment, since the definition of the raw need. We confirm that its application and the system modelling in the EFM formalism are possible since the conceptual design phase. Data from the next design phases enrich the model, and consequently improve the detection and characterization of hazards.

Surface installations intended for Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Atypical accident scenarios and their identification

With the advent of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) technology the extent of CO2 handling is set to increase dramatically. However, lack of substantial operational experience in such a novel process can lead to significant difficulties in identifying the associated hazards. This field may be characterized by atypical accident scenarios, i.e. scenarios not captured by common HAZard IDentification (HAZID) techniques because of omissions, errors or lack of knowledge. Recent atypical events evidence that consequences may exceed by far those of worst-case reference scenarios. Identification of atypical scenarios related to CCS is a challenge, considering also the public concern that this technology raises. This study focuses on new and emerging technologies of carbon capture and transport. A HAZID analysis was carried out by means of two different approaches (‘top-down’ and ‘DyPASI’). This allowed not only for a double check of results, but also for the comparative assessment of the methodologies and of their applicability. A general overview of the accident scenarios related to these technologies was given. No absolute showstoppers were found. Rather, a number of potential hazards were identified which will require the adoption of safe design principles to eliminate, prevent, control or mitigate them. Some possible safety barriers required for implementation were identified as a starting point in this process.

LIFE

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California is currently in operation with the goal to demonstrate fusion energy gain for the first time in the laboratory-also referred to as "ignition." Based on these demonstration experiments, the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) power plant is being designed at LLNL in partnership with other institutions with the goal to deliver baseload electricity from safe, secure, sustainable fusion power in a time scale that is consistent with the energy market needs. For this purpose, the LIFE design takes advantage of recent advances in diode-pumped, solid-state laser technology and adopts the paradigm of Line Replaceable Units used on the NIF to provide high levels of availability and maintainability and mitigate the need for advanced materials development. The LIFE market entry plant will demonstrate the feasibility of a closed fusion fuel cycle, including tritium breeding, extraction, processing, refueling, accountability, and safety, in a steady-state power-producing device. While many fusion plant designs require large quantities of tritium for startup and operations, a range of design choices made for the LIFE fuel cycle act to reduce the in-process tritium inventory. This paper presents an overview of the delivery plan and the preconceptual design of the LIFE facility with emphasis on the key safety design principles being adopted. In order to illustrate the favorable safety characteristics of the LIFE design, some initial accident analysis results are presented that indicate potential for a more attractive licensing regime than that of current fission reactors.

Safe design of skyrise greenery in Singapore

PurposeSingapore is transforming from a “garden city” to a “city‐in‐a‐garden”. Designing for safety is recognized by researchers and some governments as a best practice in facilitating eventual worker safety within the built environment. The purpose of undertaking this research was to understand and describe the status of safe design for skyrise greenery in Singapore.Design/methodology/approachA total of 41 rooftop and vertical greenery systems were observed with a focus on access, fall from height, and planting considerations.FindingsRooftop greenery systems in Singapore were found to be adhering to safe design principles. Vertical and ledge greenery systems, on the other hand, are newer arrangements and were found to be in need of design for safety guidance.Originality/valueThe results add to the body of knowledge in the area of safe design and skyrise greenery and will aid those seeking to understand from a policy and practice perspective.

An economic evaluation framework for membrane reactor modules in the presence of uncertainty: The case for process safety investment and risk reduction

A comprehensive Net Present Value (NPV) model has been developed to demonstrate the economic advantages of process safety and risk reduction investments on Pd/Au-based membrane reactors. In particular, the economic viability of Pd/Au-based membrane reactor modules incorporated into Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants is evaluated within the aforementioned framework by pro-actively following sound process safety design principles. Sources of irreducible uncertainty (market, technological, operational) as well as safety risk are explicitly recognized, such as the Pd/Au prices, membrane life-time and loss in the power plant capacity factor due to possible accidents. The effect of the above uncertainty drivers on the membrane module cost along with production disruption and associated revenue losses is elucidated using Monte-Carlo simulation techniques that enable the propagation of the above uncertain inputs through the NPV-model, and therefore, generate a more realistic distribution of the process system's value rather than a single-point/estimate that overlooks these uncertainties. Pre-investment on risk reducing measures, such as spare safety relief systems (cautionary redundancy) for membrane reactor modules operating at high pressures (e.g. 50 atm), is shown to be economically more attractive than cases where analogous safety measures are not implemented. Since accidents and possibly catastrophic events do happen in an uncertain world, additional investment on safety measures could ensure a safer and more profitable operation of the process system under consideration giving credence to the thesis that process safety investments may result in enhanced techno-economic performance in the presence of irreducible uncertainties.

Using MSD prevention for cultural change in mining: Queensland Government/Anglo Coal Industry partnership

Queensland Mining has a strong focus on safety performance, but risk management of health, including Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) continues to have a lower priority. The reliance on individual screening of workers and lower level approaches such as manual handling training is part of the coal mining 'culture'. Initiatives such as the New South Wales and Queensland Mining joint project to develop good practice guidance for mining has allowed for a more consistent message on participatory ergonomics and prevention of MSD. An evidence based practice approach, including the introduction of participatory ergonomics and safe design principles, was proposed to Anglo American Coal operations in Queensland. The project consisted of a skills analysis of current health personnel, design of a facilitated participatory ergonomics training program, site visits to identify good practice and champions, and a graduated mentoring program for health personnel. Early results demonstrate a number of sites are benefiting from site taskforces with a focus on positive performance outcomes.

Integration of human factors principles in LARG organizations – a conceptual model

Nowadays many companies are undergoing organizational transformations in order to meet the changing market demands. Thus, in order to become more competitive, supply chains (SC) are adopting new management paradigms to improve SC performance: lean, agile, resilient and green (LARG paradigms). The implementation of new production paradigms demands particular care with the issues related with Human Factors to avoid health and safety problems to workers and losses to companies. Thus, the successful introduction of these new production paradigms depends among others on a Human Factors oriented approach. This work presents a conceptual framework that allows integrating ergonomic and safety design principles during the different implementation phases of lean, agile, resilient and green practices.

A MEMS Safe and Arm Device for Spin Stabilized Ammunition Fuze

In order to realize the miniaturization of fuze safety mechanism, a novel MEMS safe and arm is proposed through concept, analysis, design and initial prototyping. A microscale inertial mechanical logic for mechanical safe and arm functions in the form of sliders, springs, and locks that interact on a planar substrate in response to setback acceleration and centrifugal force to thereby arm the fuze, and the bulk fabrication process were analyzed. The safety criteria, design principles, modeling and simulation methods for arming slider, setback lock, and arming lock are introduced. Air gun testing demonstrates the feasibility of MEMS safe and arm device and the validity of the design method.

Right ventricular pacing and atrial fibrillation: villain, victim, or just misunderstood?

Right ventricular (RV) pacing enters its sixth decade facing an uncertain future and an increasingly dissatisfied audience. This surprising reversal of fortune would not have been anticipated by the preceding 40 years, since Furman and Schwedel demonstrated the feasibility of transvenous endocardial pacing from the RV.1 The prevention of recurrent syncope and death due to ventricular asystole, the most lethal of all heart rhythm disturbances, using RV pacing stands as one of the greatest medical achievements of the 20th century. Protection against ventricular asystole remains the primary purpose of pacemaker therapy. This fact is reflected at two levels of concern for safety (i) design principles of pacing systems, (ii) physician choice of pacing system for the individual patient. All pacing systems which include a ventricular lead operate on the defining principle that ventricular pacing (VP) is guaranteed on every cardiac cycle if needed. Consequently, dual-chamber timing cycle operation is configured to meet this goal by scheduling a VP stimulus at the end of the pacemaker atrioventricular (AV) interval (pAVI). Additional countermeasures are taken to prevent inappropriate inhibition of the scheduled VP during the pAVI. All other timing considerations are secondary to rules for maintaining VP. From the physician's perspective of patient safety, VP capability is almost universally mandatory, even though many patients with sinus node disease (SND) are safely treated with atrial-only pacing.2 Nominal pAVIs are <200 ms on the physiologically imprecise premise that approximation of the normal PR interval with RV pacing duplicates four-chamber … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 857 307 1940, Fax: +1 587 307 1944, Email: mosweeney{at}partners.org

Overview of Fission Safety for Laser ICF Fission Energy

This paper reviews fission safety design principles and approaches for coupling inertial confinement fusion (ICF) to a subcritical fission blanket, in Laser ICF Fission Energy (LIFE) power plants. LIFE power plants use fuel derived from either spent fuel from fission reactors, or from natural uranium or thorium. By using fusion neutrons, LIFE plants can fission a large fraction of the heavy metal in the fuel, and thus eliminate any need for enrichment of uranium or reprocessing of the fission fuel used in the LIFE plants. This generates security and economic benefits. This paper reviews fission design, safety and licensing issues that are relevant to LIFE power plants.

Black swans and white eagles: on mathematics and finance

It is often objected that we cannot use mathematical methods in finance because (1) finance is dominated by unpredictable unique events (the black swans), (2) there are qualitative effects that cannot be quantified, and (3) the laws themselves of finance keep on changing. In this paper we discuss these three objections, offering arguments to reject them. We begin by reviewing the development of the physical sciences, pointing out parallels that are relevant for our discussion. Modern science has abandoned the objective of describing reality and has adopted an operational point of view that regards physical laws as tools to connect observations. Modern science is no longer deterministic, but has accepted a fundamental uncertainty in physical laws both at micro and macroscopic levels. Unpredictable pivotal events exist in the physical sciences as well in finance but this does not lead us to question the use of mathematics in the physical sciences. On the contrary, using principles of safe design, we try to understand how to avoid and contain unpredictability. Financial markets are manmade artifacts with, as actors, a large number of interacting agents. If we so wish, we can reduce the level of uncertainty present in markets: But if we try to do so describing financial markets with simple mathematical laws, we find that these laws are not stable but change over time, eventually with sudden structural breaks. This makes the use of mathematical finance difficult but not impossible. We can forecast human decision-making processes, crucial in forecasting financial markets, at the statistical level in aggregate. From an operational point of view, we have the tools to understand and describe the behavior of large number of interacting agents. At the present stage of development of our science, we need to use the mathematics of adaptive systems, changing mathematical models in function of different market states. However, reductionism to a small number of basic laws remains a fundamental objective of financial economics as it is in the physical sciences.

Dense-Phase Pneumatic Conveying Technology for Highly Explosive Metal Powders

This article summarizes a research and development project that was undertaken to develop, design, and implement new pneumatic conveying technology for the safe and reliable handling of highly explosive metal powders. Some of the challenging process requirements and safety design principles that had to be adopted for this project also are described. Using an inert carrier gas, the fluidized dense-phase mode of transport was selected for the processed powders, and external-bypass conveying technology had to be developed for the coarser atomized powders. Operating conditions were optimized to maximize solids loading and minimize gas consumption for the full range of metal powders. With the successful implementation of the new technology, the implications of increased safety design also are discussed.

Tritium inventories and tritium safety design principles for the fuel cycle of ITER

Within the tritium plant of ITER a total inventory of about 2–3 kg will be necessary to operate the machine in the DT phase. During plasma operation, tritium will be distributed in the different sub-systems of the fuel cycle. A tool for tritium inventory evaluation within each sub-system of the fuel cycle is important with respect to both the process of licensing ITER and also for operation. It is very likely that measurements of total tritium inventories may not be possible for all sub-systems; however, tritium accounting may be achieved by modelling its hold-up within each sub-system and by validating these models in real-time against the monitored flows and tritium streams between the sub-systems. To get reliable results, an accurate dynamic modelling of the tritium content in each sub-system is necessary. A dynamic model (TRIMO) for tritium inventory calculation reflecting the design of each fuel cycle sub-systems was developed.The amount of tritium needed for ITER operation has a direct impact on the tritium inventories within the fuel cycle sub-systems. As ITER will function in pulses, the main characteristics that influence the rapid tritium recovery from the fuel cycle as necessary for refuelling are discussed.The confinement of tritium within the respective sub-systems of the fuel cycle is one of the most important safety objectives. The design of the deuterium/tritium fuel cycle of ITER includes a multiple barrier concept for the confinement of tritium. The buildings are equipped with a vent detritiation system and re-circulation type room atmosphere detritiation systems, required for tritium confinement barrier during possible tritium spillage events. Complementarily to the atmosphere detritiation systems, in ITER a water detritiation system for tritium recovery from various sources will also be operated.

Major accidents dealing with the consequences

The history of accident investigation in the transport sector is outlined briefly, focusing on the development of the precautionary principle and new safety design principles. The distinction between juridical inquiries and accident investigation is highlighted, with the aviation sector as example. The main part concerns several major accidents in The Netherlands and Scandinavia that have occurred in the public sector, aviation, maritime shipping and railways, and the role and performance of rescue and emergency organisations. Such an expansion of scope is in line with international developments in Europe and elsewhere, with the concept of independent accident investigations as 'A Citizen's Right and Society's Duty'. Finally, the article indicates lessons learnt from these accidents, and extrapolates some of the findings towards a systems level of performance with respect to rescue and emergency management. The distinctive features characterising victims' organisations today are described.

Changing paradigms for professional engineering practice towards safe design—an Australian perspective

Engineers have a duty of care to end users of the systems they design under current statutes and at common law. Considerations such as cognitive compatibility and usability of equipment and system design are becoming issues of increasing importance, as society becomes more reliant on information technology and automation. That engineers contribute to human error in these systems through latent design error and poor management decision-making is well documented. Therefore, the role of engineers can be considered integral to positive outcomes in workplace safety. This research offers an opportunity to understand why engineering design work may be contributing to human error on part of the operator, and offers hope toward a future when engineers will embrace safe design principles. This cross sectional study examines the relationship between professional engineering education and ergonomics. This research specifically addresses the attitudes of engineers to the inclusion of ergonomic principles in engineering practice and in undergraduate engineering curriculum. It was found that the surveyed members of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE) had a positive attitude toward the inclusion of ergonomic principles in their design practice. The intensity of their attitude was more positive if they had some previous exposure to ergonomic training. At present few engineering faculties systematically include ergonomic principles in their design courses. The most encouraging finding was the overwhelming support for the inclusion of ergonomic principles in undergraduate engineering curriculum. This finding was complimented by current literature suggesting a changing engineering paradigm, one that would facilitate and embrace these concepts, encouraging promotion of sustainable engineering design well into the future.

Safe design of personal rapid transit systems

Safety issues have been a primary concern in the development of personal rapid transit since it started several decades ago. Safe design involves careful attention to all features of the design, such as the use of a hierarchy of fault-tolerant redundant control systems, bi-stable fail-safe switching, alternative power supplies, vehicle and passenger protection, and attention to the interaction of people with the system. Safety, together with reliability and adequate capacity, must be achieved while still making the system economically attractive, hence techniques to achieve these goals at minimum life-cycle cost are primary in PRT design. Building on theory of safe, reliable, and cost-effective design of PRT systems developed during the 1970s, in 1981 the author and his colleagues initiated design of a new PRT system, now called Taxi 2000. The paper describes the new design and reviews the principles of safe design, incorporated into Taxi 2000, which he believes will make this new system safer, more dependable, and more economical than existing modes of urban transportation.