Safety Norms Research Articles

Quantity and quality: Increasing safety norms through after action reviews

Workplace safety is a concern for both scholars and practitioners alike because accidents and injuries can result in time away from work and lost organizational resources. This study focuses on how one type of post-incident discussion can be effectively used to promote positive safety norms. It adds to the growing body of research on after action review meetings, one type of post-incident discussion intervention commonly used in high reliability organizations to increase future workplace safety behaviors. This study also extends the sensemaking and high reliability literatures by examining a three-way interaction between perceived frequency of after action review meetings, ambiguity reduction and psychological safety. Survey data were obtained from 330 firefighters. Results from the three-way interaction showed that safety norms were highest when perceived after action review frequency, ambiguity reduction and psychological safety were simultaneously high, and safety norms were lowest when perceived after action review frequency, ambiguity reduction and psychological safety were simultaneously low. By examining both the perceived quantity and quality of after action review meetings, this study provides insight into which after action review facilitation objectives are most likely to increase positive safety norms and ultimately create a shared understanding of how to behave safely in future workplace events in high reliability organizational contexts.

A method for extracting key performance indicators from maritime safety management norms

The maritime transportation industry currently employs several mandatory and non-mandatory norms of organizational safety management. These safety norms are commonly included in integrated maritime safety management systems, which aim at developing, monitoring, controlling and improving the safety of all related shipping operations. These systems are typically evaluated by following key performance indicators, which enable defined measures for various safety management components. However, the identification of indicators addressing safety management requirements constitutes a complex and generally unsystematic process for safety managers in the maritime industry. This article proposes a new method to assess the guidelines available in maritime safety management norms. The proposed method is applied to assess the content of two maritime safety management norms. The aim of this assessment is to identify a set of maritime safety management indicators that can systematically measure the most relevant components of maritime safety management. The application of this method resulted in the identification of 53 key performance indicators for monitoring and reviewing 23 identified safety management components that are commonly integrated into the functioning of maritime safety management systems. The method proposed provides guidance to accurately capture the actual aim and function of the key performance indicators. Furthermore, the indicators and safety components obtained with this method can be adopted as the basis for a safety management system and/or for the analysis of a safety management system already established in the industry.

Improved Automotive CAN Protocol Based on Payload Reduction and Selective Bit Stuffing

In this research paper, the implementation strategies of automotive controller area network protocol are investigated and the short messaging scheme with selective bit stuffing method to improve the effective utilization of its bandwidth has been proposed. There would be a sharp decrease in the performance of traditional CAN protocol because of considerable increase in the number of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) and infotainment gadgets connected in the vehicle architecture. The demand for safety, emission, diagnostics and comfort norms has steeply increased the number of messages in the 250 Kbps CAN network as the computational power of ECUs has gone up. To overcome this problem, the short CAN method has been proposed and the work is benchmarked with SAEJ1939 Heavy commercial vehicle CAN standard. The Matlab Simulink based short CAN has been modeled and the performance of the proposed system has evaluated using virtual instrument cluster. Experimental results have shown that compared to the traditional CAN, the proposed method has reduced the worst case response time of CAN extended frame from 160 μ sec to 144 μ sec. Selective bit stuffing technique has reduced the impact of bit stuffing over the payload and improved the utilization factor for the CAN bus without affecting the CAN message ID properties. The proposed algorithm has been modeled and simulated using CAN Matlab model Simulink and it has been verified using virtual CAN tool and real time CAN bus hardware.

Sports Facility Safety Plans: A Framework for Evaluation of Evacuation Times

The objective of the work is to propose a model that can analyse the conformity of a stadium, sports field or other sports facility to Italian safety norms. The model serves in particular to analyse the adequacy of the facility ‘safety plan’ in terms of its definition of the stages, procedures and times for evacuation of the facility. The model is structured in modular form, beginning with an analysis of the conformity of the sports facility to the applicable norms. This first stage applies a series of purpose-developed checklists to describe the facility as defined by Ministerial Decrees 18/03/1996 and 06/06/2005. Following this, the facility is characterized in terms of its location, dimensions and structural type. The next stages are: i) the analysis and estimation of the evacuation times, on the basis of the information previously gathered on the facilities; ii) the evaluation of conformity with the safety plan for the particular facility, applying the results from the previous steps. The proposed framework can be used as an instrument in support of decision-making for improvement in the safety levels of the sports facility, through augmenting the effectiveness of procedures and equipment, while also considering the economic implications of the potential improvements.

Safety climate, strain and safety outcomes

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to employ Koeske and Koeske’s stressor-strain-outcome model of stress to examine the extent to which strain, a central component of occupational stress, mediates the relationship between safety climate and safety-related outcomes. The relationship between safety climate, strain and safety outcomes has been relatively under tested where strain is a mediating variable. This study makes a contribution to the literature by examining the dynamics of these relationships. Questionnaires were sent to 1,800 employees of an electricity provider, with a 41.4% response rate. The hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling. Analysis of the hypothesized model indicated that, while safety climate had a significant direct relationship with safety-related behaviors, the model was also partially mediated by the experience of strain. Understanding the relationship between safety climate, strain and safety outcomes is important. Support for the model verifies that safety climate is mediated by strain in terms of safety outcomes. Practical implications include the need to manage safety climate through management attitudes to safety, maintaining high safety standards and communication to reduce ambiguity on safety norms.

Impact of Team (Dis)satisfaction and Psychological Safety on Performance Evaluation Biases

Research on self-serving bias in teams has focused on bias after teams receive feedback. Many teams, however, work for extended periods of time before receiving feedback. This article proposes that team members exhibit biases prior to receiving feedback, depending on the level of team satisfaction. The results of two studies, one scenario study and one field study, demonstrate that members of unsatisfied teams make more self-serving claims about their contribution toward the team’s task. This bias, however, is eliminated in teams with strong psychological safety norms that make team members’ contributions more salient to one another. A surprising result, in our sample of ongoing teams, was that the most highly satisfied teams also demonstrated an other-centric bias—assigning more credit to other team members than to themselves.

Dynamics of Indian fresh mango export

Increasing integration of global markets after WTO has brought several changes in fresh mango export. The sustainability of exporters' income depends on acceptance of consignments by the importing countries who have established legally vetted system of safe import of food commodities. To adjust to these changes, the Indian system of export controls faltered to meet the standards of overseas markets. Adherence to safe export norms is sine qua non to have credible sustainable export. Visualizing the need to discern and quantify the direction of fresh mango export, time series data spanning from 1990-2012 was analysed. From the analysis, it can be concluded that domestic supply of mango is mainly driven by expansion of area rather than productivity. High standards of SPS measures of importing countries raised cost of compliance of safe export norms for which Indian exporters faced problems to adjust to these standards. These challenges need to overcome through generation of research based scientific knowledge for structuring food safety norms and policy alignment according to the changing global regulations. Policy options for streamlining diversified export are to encourage food testing laboratories to get accreditation from international agencies setting up world class food testing and inception infrastructure particularly in clusters with significant presence of exporters to encourage importing countries to set up office for certification of export consignments, and to strengthen prerequisite physical resources for safe export of fresh mango.

Safety learning, organizational contradictions and the dynamics of safety practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the enactment of safety routines in a transshipment port. Research on work safety and reliability has largely neglected the role of the workers’ knowledge in practice in the enactment of organisational safety. The workers’ lack of compliance with safety regulations represents an enduring problem that often involves first-level managers, who are willing to turn a blind eye toward divergent practices. The CHAT conceptual vocabulary and theoretical model is used to explore this issue. Design/methodology/approach – A grounded, empirical study in a large transshipment port in the Mediterranean area is conducted. Ethnographic methods including participant observation and interviews are used, and emerging data are analyzed through an interpretive methodology. The paper explores 30 employees’ narrated accounts of how safety rules are enacted or infringed while living and working in the field in a transshipment port. Data obtained through organisational shadowing provided secondary data. Interview data were analyzed using content analysis, using a CHAT framework. Constant comparison and theoretical sensitivity were pursued through an iterative analysis process. Findings – This study documented the critical role the workers’ knowledge played in practice in ensuring the efficient functioning of the port, and evidenced that the disconnect between safety procedures and technical productivity standards is the most important factor determining the erratic compliance with prescribed procedures. The selective application of safety norms was deliberate in nature, collectively shared and culturally regulated. Research limitations/implications – This contribution fails to address probably the most important aspect of the activity theoretical approach: its developmental orientation. The initial analysis intervention was meant to lead to a longitudinal process of expansive learning and development in the activity system. The authors had planned to initiate a cycle of expansive learning laboratories involving representatives of the dockworkers, the port management and the safety certification firm, but this had to be postponed to an undefined time due to the significant changes occurred in the international maritime cargo industry and the decision of the multinational company who owns the transshipment port to cut down its cargo traffic and privilege other ports in the Mediterranean area. Practical implications – The practical implications of the case study concern the conception and design of safety training and management for the port organisation. By acknowledging the disconnect between espoused safety routines and the constraints and affordances of the workers’ everyday work practice, it is suggested that safety training could be more effective if it engaged the workers (or first-level supervisors) in the fine tuning of safety regulations. Workplace learning opportunities could enable the workers to learn and construct situated safety practices. Social implications – This paper seeks to highlight how the consideration of local knowledge and context-dependent practices can achieve better comprehension of situated application of safety norms. Originality/value – The paper contributes to understanding the complexity of enacting and translating safety procedures into everyday work practices.

Applications of Nano Electrical Machines used in Ball mills for Nano and Pyro Technology Based Industries in Sivakasi

Nano fillers play a vital role in increasing the performance of different types of motors. In recent days, nano technology shows a tremendous improvement in the manufacture of high performance electronic devices and circuits, electrical apparatuses and equipment. In this paper, a wide literature survey was done on the filled of nano dielectrics and nano coated motors. Comparison of different nano fillers coated motors was done to show which motor was having superior performance characteristics compared to other motors. Based on the literature survey on the previous research works carried out in the field of applications of nano technology in the coating of nano fillers to the enamel used in the motors. Ball mills are using three phase induction motors for the mechanical operations. Ball mills are used to manufacture the nano powders used for both the nano technology and pyro technology. Industries should be well equipped with safety devices to avoid the fire accidents. Industries should follow the safety norms to avoid the fire accidents. Pyro technology based research centre was located in Sivakasi to understand and motivate the engineers, people to make an interest towards Pyro industries and to train the persons about the safety measures while working with the nano pyro powders used in the nano pyro industries. The powders used here are always in the nano range. But, the people were unaware of this technique. So, this paper will create some knowledge to the people who are working in nano pyro based industries present in Sivakasi. Sivakasi was an industrial city located in South India having more than 15000 nano pyro based industries. So, this paper will educate the engineers, managers and the persons who are all associated with these industries.

Knights of the Road: Safety, Ethics, and the Professional Truck Driver

Accidents involving large trucks result in significant economic and social costs. As technological solutions have improved, behavioral factors contributing to accidents have risen in importance. The purpose of this research is to investigate how norms, consequences, and personal attitudes influence safety-related ethical judgments and behavioral intentions. The Hunt–Vitell’s theory of ethical decision-making is adapted to test how these factors influence truck drivers’ decisions containing ethical content. Professional truck drivers evaluated decisions presented in two scenarios that included the situation, the decision, and the results. The research found that drivers rely heavily on evaluations of safety norms (and not reward/punishment outcomes) when forming ethical judgments and behavioral intentions. Further, drivers’ attitudes toward compliance and the effectiveness of safety regulations also influenced decision-making to an extent. Overall, evidence of a refutation of the assumption that a tradeoff exists between operational productivity and safety was discovered. Drivers in this study intended to behave in a certain manner irrespective of time or money pressures. The perceived ethical component of the decision outweighed regulatory and economic consequences under a range of parameters.

К вопросу о нормах безопасности информации автоматизированных систем на основе использования методов эволюционного моделирования

The analysis of a problem of a substantiation of norms of safety of the information computing systems in the form of quantitative requirements to security indicators is carried out. Mathematical statement of a problem of rationing of requirements safety of the information the information computing systems is led. The algorithm of rationing based on methods of evolutionary modeling of model of protection of the information in the information computing systems is offered. Results of rationing of requirements safety of the information the information computing systems with use of evolutionary modeling with reference to connection conditions to a network "Internet" according to a database (DARPA Intrusion Detection Attacks Database).

In silico Based Rank-Order Determination and Experiments on Non-Aqueous Electrolytes for Li-Ion Batteries and Beyond

Electrolytes are an important component of electrochemical energy storage systems and their optimization is critical for emerging beyond lithium ion technologies. Here, an integrated computational-experimental approach is used to rank-order and aid the selection of suitable electrolytes for a Na-ion battery. We present an in silico strategy based on both thermodynamic and kinetic descriptors derived from molecular dynamics simulations to rationally arrive at optimal electrolytes for Na-ion batteries. We benchmarked various electrolytes (pure and binary mixtures of cyclic and acyclic carbonates with NaClO4 salt) to identify appropriate formulations with the overarching goal of simultaneously enhancing cell performance while meeting safety norms. Fundamental insights from computationally derived thermodynamic and kinetic data considerations coupled with atomistic-level description of the solvation dynamics is used to rank order the various electrolytes. Thermodynamic considerations based on free energy evaluation indicate EC:PC as a top electrolyte formulation under equilibrium conditions. However, kinetic descriptors which are important factors dictating the rate capability and power performance suggest EC:DMC and EC:EMC to be amongst the best formulations. Experimental verification of these optimized formulations was carried out by examining the electrochemical performance of various electrolytes in Na/TiO2 nanotubes half cells with NaClO4 salt. Our rate capability studies confirm that EC:DMC and EC:EMC to be the best formulations. These optimized formulations have reversible specific capacities ~180-240 mAh/g whereas the lower ranked electrolytes (EC:DEC) have capacities ~100 mAh/g. The various electrolytes are also evaluated from a safety perspective. Such results suggest encouraging prospects for this approach in the a priori prediction of optimal sodium ion systems with possible screening implications for novel battery formulations.

MANGO CULTIVARS WITH POTENTIAL FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The mango industry is operating within a system dominated increasingly by high volume markets driven by chain stores in the United States, Europe and other developed economies. Such markets demand a high volume of packages, an extended availability of the same cultivar, extended storage times, consumer-attractive pricing and compliance with accepted food safety norms. ‘Tommy Atkins’, ‘Ataulfo’, ‘Kent’, and ‘Keitt’ dominate the high volume markets of the United States and Europe and there is little directed breeding aimed at developing new cultivars for the future of the industry. ‘Madame Francis’, ‘Haden’, ‘Nam Doc Mai’, ‘Osteen’, ‘Carabao’, and ‘Edward’ are all grown in existing niche markets, with ‘Alphoso’, ‘Kesar’, ‘Langra’, ‘Chausa’, Sundhri’ and ‘Cogshall’ increasingly seen in markets. In the future ‘Kent’, ‘Rapoza’, ‘Mallika’ and ‘Duncan’ have potential for large markets, with ‘Nam Doc Mai’, ‘Palmer’, ‘Kesar’, ‘Angie’, ‘Rosigold’ and ‘Shetintha’ with potential for smaller niches. For juice markets, ‘Brooks’ and ‘Panchadarakalasa’ have potential and for mature green markets, ‘Chaosavoey’ and ‘laleejeewo’ are potential cultivars.

Responsibility for the third world factory: limits of eurocentric CSR and making room for the state

On the 24th of April 2013, one of the worst industrial disasters in global history occurred when the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Dhaka killing over 1100 people. The collapse focused renewed attention on the conditions in the third world factories and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing countries. Spirited appeals were made by international labour rights groups for increased CSR from corporations that were sourcing their products from these factories and for greater efforts to ensure compliance to safety norms by factories. Some activists even suggested that companies have a responsibility to improve ‘the societies’ in which their products are made (Meiers 2014). These appeals raise the interesting question of what exactly are ‘these societies’, ‘these businesses’ which the TNCs should help improve? I hope to answer the question at least partially by questioning whether the responsibility of improving outcomes and decent work for workers and societies in the third world can be exclusively left for the prevailing eurocentric model of voluntary code-based TNCcentric CSR to address. In this essay, I also suggest an active role for the state in achieving such outcomes. To the extent that this essay argues for ‘making room for the state,’ it makes essential departures from the way in which CSR has developed in the eurocentric model. This essay is primarily an analysis of the discourse of CSR and labour compliance and therefore draws on the existing understandings and published work on labour standards, compliance and CSR. In addition, to build a critique of this discourse from the outside, this essay uses data on the medium, small and micro enterprise (MSME) sector in India from the various reports and research studies.

Evaluation of Quantum of Disability as Sequelae of Electric Burn Injuries

All will agree that invention of electricity has changed the world. Today nobody can think of living without an uninterrupted supply. Electricity is definitely a boon to the mankind but this turns into a curse when it becomes a cause of disaster. Electrical burn injuries are the most destructive injuries with a potential of causing significant functional disability and extensive disfigurement in the survivors. We carried out a retrospective observational study on the 110 patients of electric burns admitted to our hospital between January 2007 and October 2014. The aim of the study was to determine the demographic and clinical profile of patients who had sustained electrical burn injury, with a special emphasis on limb loss. Section-2 of Workman's Compensation Act 1923 was used for the calculation of an individual's disability due to amputation. All the data was analysed using method of simple percentages and presented in a tabular form. Forty eight patients (43.63%) of electric burn belonged to the age group of 21-30 y, with male preponderance (M:F:: 93.6 : 6.4). This shows that the individual affected more often are invariably the breadwinners of the family.Twenty four, out of these 110 patients have undergone one or more than one amputation. Significantly the numbers of upper limb amputations have exceeded any other amputation in this study. Mortality in patients of electrical burns is 6.36% in comparison to mortality of 45.67% in all burn patients. Loss of upper limb completely reduces the earning capacity of an individual. Future and fortune of the individual's family is jeopardized. Such accidents can be prevented by following safety norms and simple precautions while using the electrical equipment.

Autopsy Practice, Potential Sources of Occupational Hazards: A Review for Safety and Prevention

The mortuary can be a dangerous place. At greatest risk in this environment is the individual who is ignorant of or ignores the potential hazards at necropsy. Such people are a liability to themselves as also to colleagues working in the mortuary, visitors to the mortuary (clinical staff and students), and those involved in handling the body (relatives, undertakers, embalmers and crematoria staff), or material derived from it (laboratory workers) after necropsy. The hazard posed by some material or situation is its potential to cause harm. Risk is the probability or chance that it will actually harm someone. In India, both the mortuaries and their safety norms are lagging behind the expected international standards. The autopsy surgeons are prone to a myriad of occupational risks in the form of contagious diseases which may be due to the faulty mortuary infrastructure like drainage systems, ventilation and biomedical waste disposal. Added to these are the lackadaisical administrative approach and the pathetic implementation of mandatory safety guidelines. This review article focuses on commonly encountered occupational risk in autopsy practice and guidelines to minimize them.

Leader-Member Exchange and Incident Reporting in Healthcare: Mediating Processes and Moderators

Building on social exchange and social identity theory, we examined how leader-member exchange (LMX) influences reporting of incidents in healthcare organizations through two different mechanisms. Using survey data of 15 hospitals in Germany (N = 436) and structural equation modelling, we found that LMX increased both reporting-specific trust and organizational identification of employees, which in turn positively affected reporting of incidents. Furthermore, management support for patient safety moderated the link between LMX and reporting-specific trust, indicating a compensatory effect of LMX for followers who perceive management support to be low. In addition, codification of patient safety regulations moderated the link between organizational identification and reporting of incidents, indicating that the institutionalization of patient safety norms through a strong follow-through of the organization facilitates reporting for highly-identified employees. Results are discussed in terms of how safety leadership can be enacted at both the supervisory and management level in order to promote safety behaviour in healthcare organizations.

Обоснование норм безопасности информации медицинских информационных систем с использованием методов эволюционного моделирования

The analysis of a problem a substantiation of norms of safety of medical information of information systems in the form of quantitative requirements to security indicators is carried out. Mathematical statement of a problem of rationing of requirements to safety of the information of medical information systems is put in the form of an optimizing problem. On the basis of the comparative analysis of methods of the decision of optimizing problems with reference to the mathematical expression formalizing model of protection of the information, the algorithm of rationing based on methods of evolutionary modeling of protection of the information in medical information systems is offered. Use of genetic algorithms for the decision of optimizing problems of rationing of requirements to safety of the information allows to overcome a number of problems arising at application gradient methods in connection with a multi-peak kind of function conforming and a considerable quantity of optimized parameters. With use of the special software intended for realization of genetic algorithms from structure of the environment of mathematical calculations Matlab rationing of requirements to safety of the information is spent. As initial data the standard data containing in the most known popular database of realization of threats of safety of the information accumulated DARPA are used. Results of rationing of requirements safety are led to the information of medical information systems with use of evolutionary modelling at connection to a network "Internet" according to standard levels of realization of threats of safety of the information.

A qualitative approach to risk management of hazardous materials in the Netherlands: lessons learned from 7 sluice cases

The debate on risks related to hazardous materials has intensified in the Netherlands since the 1980s. Following the Bijlmer airplane disaster in Amsterdam in 1992 and the SE Fireworks disaster in the city of Enschede in 2000, society has become more aware of the risks involved in the production, storage and transport of hazardous materials. In order to prevent disasters and improve the safety of those living in the vicinity of risky activities, the Dutch government implemented its external safety policy (externe veiligheidsbeleid). External safety policy aims to control the risks for civilians relating to the production, storage and use of hazardous materials as well as transport by road, rail or water and through pipelines. The Dutch government has specified generic external safety norms to direct decision-making. However, risks are calculated with models which not only use transport of hazardous materials as their input but also population numbers in the adjacent area. Since not many people live directly adjacent to dams and sluices, it would seem improbable that an incident would create many problems due to low-population density. However, if sluices and floodgates were destroyed by an incident involving hazardous materials, the primary function would be diminished, resulting in new risks. The normally used quantitative approach does not therefore seem to be a sufficient means to control risks. In collaboration with Rijkswaterstaat, the executive arm of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, we conducted seven case studies to test an alternative approach. By using risk inventories and evaluations, questionnaires and interviews, we developed a new qualitative risk assessment method. This paper outlines our approach and presents the effectiveness of a qualitative risk analysis for controlling external safety risks related to water transport. We will particularly reflect on its effectiveness with regard to controlling risks at sluices and dams.

Global food safety: determinants are Codex standards and WTO's SPS food safety regulations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate perspective in explaining how global food safety can be created through stringent implementation of Codex and World Trade Organization (WTOs) Sanitary and Phytosanitary food safety regulations and suggests the appropriate food safety system for India. Design/methodology/approach – The study has been deployed a survey questionnaire using a sample of Indian Processed food sector. In order to collect data 1,000 supply chain professional were contacted for seeking their consent to be part of the survey. Whereas total responses collected were 252 from Delhi and NCR, with response rate 25.2 percent. The data collected was empirical tested using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression and ANOVA. Findings – The results and discussions indicate that all the global food safety norms laid down by WTO such as goods manufacturing practices, good hygienic practice, hazard analysis critical control point, has been developed to embody principles of safe food processing sector globally. India has also developed their food safety norms as per laid down principles by WTO. Originality/value – The present research work makes an important contribution to the body of literature on global food safety. The paper has important implications for the processed food sector since it tries to bring out practices which would help in successful implementation of global food safety standards. It is useful for academic food research as well as for processed food corporate.