Civil Safety Research Articles

Research on the Effectiveness of Modelling of Autonomous Flight System for Monitoring Agricultural and Industrial Sites

Unmanned systems (drones) have been widely used for both military and civilian purposes for many years. Knowing the capabilities of the different systems allows for the right selection in preparation for a specific task, and each task requires the correct selection of the flight system, scientific and navigation equipment. The application of these systems has grown enormously in various fields such as: leisure, information and media, monitoring and inspection (electrical, pipelines, industrial installations), geological sciences (agriculture, environment) and civil safety (search and rescue), police operations, crowd control, and more).The report describes the analysis and assessment of the feasibility of an effective model of autonomous flying systems for monitoring agricultural and industrial sites. It demonstrates the usefulness of multi-rotor unmanned systems not only in popular and advertised applications of unmanned aerial vehicles in the media, but also in agriculture. The report shows an approach for automatically adapting the system to the conditions for collecting the necessary high quality data. A model has selected that uses unmanned quad-copter, hardware platform Pixhawk and ArduPilot, designed for non-commercial videos and photos of arable land.

Validated 3D Spatial Stepwise Quantitative Hazard, Risk and Resilience Analysis and Management of Explosive Events in Urban Areas

Urban physical security and resilience with respect to accidental and intentional explosive events are an increasing issue regarding civil safety and security of modern societies and their citizens. Examples include industrial on-site explosions, gas explosions or terrorist attacks. In particular, multiple, simultaneous and maliciously time-coordinated events are an increasing event type such as complex attack events consisting of targeted combinations of improvised explosive devices. The paper presents a comprehensive, tailorable and stepwise process. This includes methodologies for scenario, hazard, damage, exposure, event frequency, risk and resilience analysis that have been developed, refined and praxis-tested over decades. The focus is on a summarizing description of the modern best practice approach, the validation efforts undertaken for each step as well as two detailed case studies for exemplary presentation and overall validation. In a comprehensive table, the present approach is compared with other state-of-the-art approaches. The paper shows a refined process how to systematically improve resilience when using the tool, in particular through barriers at explosive sites and at exposed sites of various geometries. Furthermore, along the presentation a set of quality requirements regarding explosive event risk and resilience analyses are provided as collected over the years from the in-field, user group and engineering science perspective as well as a broad outlook on extension options for the future.

Pareto-optimality for lethality and collateral risk in the airstrike multi-objective problem

The recent surge in attacks on terrorist organizations within heavily populated areas has brought precision airstrikes to the forefront of discussion topics among partnering nations. In this paper, we present a quick algorithm for accurately creating the Pareto-optimal frontier in the multi-objective airstrike problem. This algorithm, which leverages off specific attributes of lethality and collateral risk, is shown to routinely outperform differential evolution and enumeration algorithms. Once Pareto optimal solutions are found, they can quickly be converted to solutions for the associated goal-programming and weighted sum scalarization problems. The choice of damage function greatly affects the expected lethality and collateral risk in an airstrike underscoring the need for accurate estimation of weapons effects. Notably, the cookie-cutter damage function underestimates collateral risk while overstating lethality in comparison to other damage functions. In addition, we demonstrate that differing guidelines or damage functions significantly alters the optimal location of the optimal aim point in this targeting problem. The methodology presented greatly improves upon existing work in this field, thus ensuring effective precision airstrikes while maximizing civilian safety.

Virtual laboratory of studying processes combustion and explosion in the preparation of civil safety engineers

Purpose. To explain the role and importance of the use of virtual educational laboratories VL-MCE 1.0 Simulation of the propagation of a shock air wave in a shock tube in the study of disciplines from the cycle of industrial safety and labor protection for students in the field of study Civil protection. Qualitative assessment of improving the efficiency of training bachelors and masters using virtual laboratories. Research methods. Analysis and synthesis of theoretical studies in the field of improving the educational process, in particular the methods of forming professional knowledge in the laboratory-practical course, numerical simulation of the gas-dynamic process of detonation combustion of the gas-air mixture, including the model of chemical kinetics of combustion, which generally allows to track the dynamics of the formation of air shock waves in a channels of extended structures. Results. Of particular importance for the development and maintenance of competitiveness of graduates of the specialty Civil Protection is the training of specialists of the appropriate level and qualification, possessing a variety of tools and able to make competent and informed decisions in the field of industrial safety. To study the process of combustion and explosion of the gas-air environment, as well as the formation and propagation of shock air waves in the channels of extended structures, an interactive program VL-MCE 1.0, a virtual laboratory for simulation of combustion and explosion, was developed. The role and importance of the use of virtual laboratories in the study of disciplines from the cycle of industrial safety and labor protection is analyzed in the article. The didactic component of the use of VL-MCE 1.0 consists in the direct assessment by the student of the parameters of the processes under consideration, depending on the initial conditions, this allows you to create design functions in the activities of a civil protection specialist, as well as knowledge at the PS level (productive-synthetic) and develop sign-mental and symbolic -practical professional skills at the C level (independently). Scientific novelty. The meaning, place and form of application of virtual educational laboratories VL-MCE 1.0 “Modeling the propagation of a shock air wave in a shock tube” are determined in the laboratory-practical course of disciplines from the cycle of industrial safety and labor protection for the formation of a higher level of professional knowledge and skills. A didactic clarity in the visualization of fast processes is shown, which allows in time scans to evaluate in detail the relationship and dynamics of changes in the parameters of explosive processes. Practical value. The developed computer program can significantly reduce the cost of conducting laboratory classes and maintaining the laboratory base without reducing the level of development of professional skills.

Preliminary design of a Tiltwing UAV with a box wing configuration

In the last years, aircraft disruptive configurations have been studied on view to increase civil air transport and safety of flight and, also, to reduce air pollution and noise. One of the promising configurations is the so called box wing, based on the Best Wing System concept by L. Prandtl. This paper presents an application of the box wing to the case of an unconventional Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV), called "TiltOne", because the two horizontal wings tilt together with the engine-propeller groups, so allowing us to take off and landing vertically and to fly as a fixed wing airplane during cruise. TiltOne is full electric, with distributed propulsion; the preliminary design has been carried out by using a home-made optimization code, where aerodynamics, controls and electric propulsion are taken into account. After defining the airframe configuration, aerodynamic analyses have been performed, electric motors and propellers and batteries are defined; finally, a detailed analysis of the mechanical components is presented and a prototype has been manufactured. Preliminary vertical test flight has been carried out successfully.

Statistical evaluation of research performance of young university scholars: A case study

Abstract The research performance of a small group of 49 young scholars, such as doctoral students, postdoctoral and junior researchers, working in different technical and scientific fields, was evaluated based on 11 types of research outputs. The scholars worked at a technical university in the fields of Civil Engineering, Ecology, Economics, Informatics, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Safety Engineering. Principal Component Analysis was used to statistically analyze the research outputs and its results were compared with factor and cluster analysis. The metrics of research productivity describing the types of research outputs included the number of papers, books and chapters published in books, the number of patents, utility models and function samples, and the number of research projects conducted. The metrics of citation impact included the number of citations and h-index. From these metrics – the variables – the principal component analysis extracted 4 main principal components. The 1st principal component characterized the cited publications in high-impact journals indexed by the Web of Science. The 2nd principal component represented the outputs of applied research and the 3rd and 4th principal components represented other kinds of publications. The results of the principal component analysis were compared with the hierarchical clustering using Ward’s method. The scatter plots of the principal component analysis and the Mahalanobis distances were calculated from the 4 main principal component scores, which allowed us to statistically evaluate the research performance of individual scholars. Using variance analysis, no influence of the field of research on the overall research performance was found. Unlike the statistical analysis of individual research metrics, the approach based on the principal component analysis can provide a complex view of the research systems.

Air Activated Self-Decontaminating Polydicyclopentadiene PolyHIPE Foams for Rapid Decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents.

The threat of chemical warfare agents (CWA) compels research into novel self-decontaminating materials (SDM) for the continued safety of first-responders, civilians, and active service personnel. The capacity to actively detoxify, as opposed to merely sequester, offending agents under typical environmental conditions defines the added value of SDMs in comparison to traditional adsorptive materials. Porous polymers, synthesized via the high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating, provide a facile fabrication method for materials with permeable open cellular structures that may serve in air filtration applications. PolyHIPEs comprising polydicyclopentadiene (polyDCPD) networks form stable hydroperoxide species following activation in air under ambient conditions. The hydroperoxide-containing polyDCPD materials react quickly with CWA simulants, Demeton-S and 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, forming oxidation products as confirmed via gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The simplicity of the detoxification chemistry paired with the porous foam form factor presents an exciting opportunity for the development of self-decontaminating filter media.

Experimental study of the formation of the professional competence of firefighters-rescuers in the course of course preparation

In Ukraine, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (hereinafter - SES of Ukraine) ensures and protects population and territories from emergencies of anthropogenic and natural character. The article presents the methodology and results of an experimental study of the formation and development of professional competence of future firefighters-rescuers at the initial and final stages of the course (primary) training. Primary vocational training of fire-rescuers is organized in the network of educational-methodical centers of civil protection (subordination of SES of Ukraine) and safety of life (subordination of local or regional levels of executive bodies), as well as in higher educational institutions (subordinate to Ministry of Education and Science and / or SES of Ukraine). Conducting an analytical and experimental study of the system of vocational training of the fireman and rescuer as the basic profession of specialists in the field of civil protection, which realize the function and tasks of the state in carrying out fire and rescue works and liquidation of emergency situations. The problems of theoretical and practical components of their professional training are considered in order to approximate the national standards of vocational training of specialists in the field of civil protection to the European, increase their professional competence, the effectiveness of fire and rescue and fire fighting. Applied a developed methodology, which gave an opportunity to determine the dynamics of the acquisition of cadets of the training center of basic, basic and high indicators of professional competence

ERT, GPR, InSAR, and tracer tests to characterize karst aquifer systems under urban areas: The case of Quebec City

Urban infrastructures built over karst settings may be at risk of collapse due to hydro-chemical erosion of underlying rock structures. In such settings, mapping cave networks and monitoring ground stability is important to assure civil safety and guide future infrastructure development decisions. However, no technique can directly and comprehensively map these hydrogeological features and monitor their stability. The most reliable method to map a cave network is through speleological exploration, which is not always possible due to restrictions, narrow corridors/passages, or high water levels. Borehole drilling is expensive and is often only performed where the presence of karsts is suggested by other techniques. Numerous indirect and cost-effective methods exist to map a karst flow system, such as geophysics, geodesy, and tracer tests. This paper presents the outcomes from a challenging application in Quebec City, Canada, where a multidisciplinary approach was designed to better understand the groundwater dynamics and cave paths.Two tracer tests in groundwater flowing through the cave system indicated that water flows along an approximately straight path from the sinking stream to the spring. It also suggests the presence of a parallel flow path close to the one already partially mapped. This observation was confirmed by combining Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) techniques, and ultimately by observing voids in several boreholes drilled close to the main cave path. Lowering the water levels at the suspected infiltration zone and inside the karst, the infiltration cracks were identified and the hydraulic link between them was confirmed. In fact, almost no infiltration occurs into the karst system when the water level at the sinking stream drops below a threshold level. Finally, SAR interferometry (InSAR) using RADARSAT-2 images detected movements on few buildings located over a backfilled sinkhole intercepted by the karst system and confirmed the stability of the rest of the karst area. The knowledge of the flow system described in this paper is used by policy makers to assure civil security of this densely populated area.

Attack on a hospital in the Gaza Strip: a descriptive study

BackgroundArticle 8(2) of the Rome Statute describes “war crimes” as grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. Article 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention provides protection for civilian hospitals and staff. On July 21–22, 2014, Al Aqsa hospital, a 190-bed government hospital in the Gaza Strip, was hit by several Israeli military strikes while fully operational, with hundreds of refuge-seeking civilians in its buildings and grounds. The attacks killed three people, injured 70 people (including 11 medical staff), and destroyed or damaged buildings, equipment, and ambulances. The aim of this study was to investigate the response to the attack in persons who were at or near the hospital during the attacks . MethodsFor this descriptive survey, we used convenience sampling of persons at or near the hospital during the attacks. 26 of the 29 people who were approached on Sept 1–2, 2014, consented to interview. 13 participants were hospital staff, two were patients, three were relatives of patients, five were refuge-seekers, one was a relative of a refuge-seeker, and two were hospital neighbours. Written consent was obtained from all participants, and reasons for refusal were recorded. FindingsAll refusals cited fear of Israeli reprisals. All participants reported no resistance presence or activity in or near the hospital before or during the attacks. Ten (38%) participants were injured, including seven staff members, two relatives visiting patients, and one patient. 21 (81%) participants believed the attacks were deliberately directed at the hospital. 12 (92%) of the 13 staff members reported high levels of concern about the future safety of hospital staff. 20 (77%) participants reported no longer feeling safe anywhere. Eight (31%) participants commented that the attacks showed that neither the international community nor international humanitarian law protect Palestinian hospitals and medical workers. InterpretationThe absence of resistance activity indicates that the attacks on Al Aqsa hospital were not justified by military necessity and were thus in breach of the Geneva Conventions, constituting war crimes. Residual fear and loss of faith in international instruments can only be addressed by holding Israel accountable. This will have important implications for both the credibility of international law and the safety of civilians, medical staff, and facilities in future conflicts, everywhere. FundingNone.

Nonfatal Injuries to Law Enforcement Officers: A Rise in Assaults

Limited studies exist that describe nonfatal work-related injuries to law enforcement officers. The aim of this study is to provide national estimates and trends of nonfatal injuries to law enforcement officers from 2003 through 2014. Nonfatal injuries were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Occupational Supplement. Data were obtained for injuries treated in U.S. emergency departments from 2003 to 2014. Nonfatal injury rates were calculated using denominators from the Current Population Survey. Negative binomial regression was used to analyze temporal trends. Data were analyzed in 2016-2017. Between 2003 and 2014, an estimated 669,100 law enforcement officers were treated in U.S. emergency departments for nonfatal injuries. The overall rate of 635 per 10,000 full-time equivalents was three times higher than all other U.S. workers rate (213 per 10,000 full-time equivalents). The three leading injury events were assaults and violent acts (35%), bodily reactions and exertion (15%), and transportation incidents (14%). Injury rates were highest for the youngest officers, aged 21-24 years. Male and female law enforcement officers had similar nonfatal injury rates. Rates for most injuries remained stable; however, rates for assault-related injuries grew among law enforcement officers between 2003 and 2011. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Occupational Supplement data demonstrate a significant upward trend in assault injuries among U.S. law enforcement officers and this warrants further investigation. Police-citizen interactions are dynamic social encounters and evidence-based policing is vital to the health and safety of both police and civilians. The law enforcement community should energize efforts toward the study of how policing tactics impact both officer and citizen injuries.

Effect of police mobile computer terminal interface design on officer driving distraction

Several crash reports have identified in-vehicle distraction to be a primary cause of emergency vehicle crashes especially in law enforcement. Furthermore, studies have found that mobile computer terminals (MCTs) are the most frequently used in-vehicle technology for police officers. Twenty police officers participated in a driving simulator-based assessment of visual behavior, performance, workload and situation awareness with current and enhanced MCT interface designs. In general, results revealed MCT use while driving to decrease officer visual attention to the roadway, but usability improvements can reduce the level of visual distraction and secondary-task completion time. Results also suggest that use of MCTs while driving significantly reduces perceived level of driving environment awareness for police officers and increases cognitive workload. These findings may be useful for MCT manufacturers in improving interface designs to increase police officer and civilian safety.

The Promise of Peacekeeping: Protecting Civilians in Civil Wars

Do peacekeepers protect civilians in civil conflict? Securing civilian safety is a key objective of contemporary peacekeeping missions, yet whether these efforts actually make a difference on the ground is widely debated. This paper argues that because peacekeeping forces often need to maintain close ties with host governments, peacekeepers reduce civilian fatalities inflicted by rebels, but not those caused by governments. To test our claim, we overcome common problems of endogeneity and selection bias by using a novel natural experiment. Specifically, we leverage exogenous variation in which countries hold power in the United Nations Security Council to show that states that wield more power send more peacekeepers to their preferred locations, and that these peacekeepers in turn help to protect civilians from rebel factions. Using new data on the location of each conflict event, we also provide support for the mechanisms at work.

AIE-active polymers for explosive detection

Super-sensitive and ultra-selective detection of explosives plays a crucial role in anti-terrorism operations, homeland security, civilian safety and environment protection. Among the developed fluorescent probes, the polymers with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics have drawn much attention due to their bright emission in the aggregate and solid states. However, no review has summarized the development of AIE-active polymers for explosive detection. Herein, we reviewed the recent progress on using AIE-active polymers to detect explosives with super-amplification quenching effect. Moreover, the challenges and opportunities in this area were also briefly discussed.

Beyond Section 49: Control of the use of lethal force

Prominent incidents of the misuse of lethal force have contributed to the issue becoming a focus of concern in South Africa during 2011. Proper control of the use of lethal force needs to be prioritised by the South African Police Service and other police agencies in South Africa because of the serious consequences that can result from its use, but also because it is so important to police safety. The legal framework relating to the use of lethal force is the subject of a Bill which is due to come before Parliament. There are various options for amending the law but irrespective of which ones are chosen, the end result is likely to be unsatisfactory. Improvements in the control of the use of lethal force and how professionally it is used by SAPS members will ultimately depend on a reorientation of the SAPS in its approach to managing the use of lethal force by its members. A use of force policy, and a new system for reviewing use of force incidents could form part of such a reorientation, with potential benefits for police and civilian safety and for overall police effectiveness. These changes would require the support of police leadership in order to be implemented effectively.

Editor’s Note

ABSTRACTLast year, researchers in artificial intelligence and robotics released an open letter, endorsed by high-profile individuals such as Stephen Hawking, calling for “a ban on offensive autonomous weapons beyond meaningful human control.” The letter echoed arguments – made since 2013 by the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots – that autonomous weapons are “a fundamental challenge to the protection of civilians and to … international human rights and humanitarian law.” But support for a ban is not unanimous. Some argue that autonomous weapons would commit fewer battlefield atrocities than human beings and that their development might even be considered morally imperative. Here, Paulo E. Santos of Brazil, Heather Roff (2016) of the United States, and Monika Chansoria (2016) of India debate whether deployed autonomous weapons would promote or detract from civilian safety – and whether these weapons ought to be banned or merely regulated.

Arguments against Drone Warfare with a Focus on the Immorality of Remote Control Killing and "Deadly Surveillance"

Arguments against Drone Warfare with a Focus on the Immorality of Remote Control Killing and "Deadly Surveillance"

Humanitarian Considerations in International Air Law

The downing of civil aircraft over conflict zones presents serious challenges for current international air law, especially regarding powers and responsibilities of public and private entities. Considering the extensiveness of areas experiencing current hostilities, the question of whether public or private entities should take responsibility following such accidents has become a highly topical issue. Under Article 9 of the Chicago Convention, States exercising complete and exclusive sovereignty over their territory are allowed the right to close their flight-paths. Consequently, a critical question arises as to whether States are obliged to close their airspace during times when their territories endure ongoing armed conflicts. In this author's view, the problem results from the varying perceptions concerning fragmentation within the international law system. To protect the safety of civilians in the sky, this article scrutinises the legality of allowing open airspace over conflict zones. It questions the role of ‘elementary considerations of humanity’ in order to draw closer towards a potential harmonisation between the secondary rules of special regimes—air law and humanitarian law.

A facile fabrication of electrodeposited luminescent MOF thin films for selective and recyclable sensing of nitroaromatic explosives.

Rapid detection of nitroaromatic explosives is of utmost importance from the perspectives of civilian safety, the natural environment and human health. Herein, we design a simple yet powerful optical sensing motif based on an electrodeposited luminescent MOF thin film of {[Eu2(TDC)3(CH3OH)2]·CH3OH} (Eu-TDC, where TDC is thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate). The parameters of the electrodeposition process were investigated and optimized. The phase and elemental composition of the Eu-TDC film were confirmed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and its morphology and structure were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This thin film shows extremely good luminescence properties with characteristics of Eu(3+) that are sensitized by the electron-rich ligands, which allows for high efficiency in electron-deficient nitroaromatic explosive sensing. Selective and sensitive responses to a series of nitroaromatic explosives were exhibited, especially for nitrophenols (TNP/DNP/4-NP, KSV > 10(4) M(-1)). It is also an efficient luminescent sensor for detecting nitrobenzene vapour. Significantly, this film can be easily recycled just by washing with methanol. The potential sensing mechanisms are discussed in detail.

Low Cost and Power Software Defined Radio Using Raspberry Pi for Disaster Effected Regions

Radio communication is extremely critical for public safety, national safety, and emergency communication systems. During emergency situations like natural disasters, terrorist attacks and plane crashes, inter-operability problems are faced by military and civil safety officials where different aid agencies have radios working in different frequency bands, waveforms and protocols. At the same time, these radios need to be low cost, small size, portable, and require low power to operate. Software defined radio (SDR) technology helps to solve the above problems by implementing radios that can operate on multiple frequency bands and multiple protocols by software control. In this paper, we describe a novel SDR system that we have developed using Raspberry Pi, and a low cost front end solution. The system is low cost, small size, consumes low power and is portable, hence can be quickly deployed in disaster affected areas to save life and resources.