Evaluating the performance and effectiveness of ladder stability devices

Evaluating the performance and effectiveness of ladder stability device

Designing for people that are WELL old

In the UK, inclusion is an important topic on different social levels and the need for change in government, education and industry to reduce social exclusion is recognised. Despite a range of datasets and methods having been created to help minimise exclusion, the topic of inclusion and, in particular, inclusive design is not yet covered in education i.e. the Design and Technology curriculum. Engaging school pupils with the topic has the greatest potential to bring about long-term change towards a more inclusive society. This paper reports on the outcomes of several design workshops on inclusivity. The workshops were aimed at, and conducted with, key stage 3 and key stage 4 pupils. The overall aim of the workshop was to establish the impact that current inclusive design methods have on the mindset of the pupils. The methods used in the workshop included impairment simulators and case studies. An assessment at the beginning and end of the workshop evaluated changes in attitude. A total of 10 workshops were conducted with over 150 pupils. It was found that such methods do provide insights that result in solutions that address inclusive issues. This paper concludes with the view that inclusive design methods can impact and change the mindsets of pupils as young as 11 years old. However, if a truly inclusive society is to be achieved, there is a need to instigate change in the overall national design ethos i.e. focusing more on principles than practice and preventing the immediate leap to solutions rather than identifying the true nature of the problems

Motor vehicle and pedal cycle conspicuity: part 2 - pedal cycles. Final report: product decoding guide.

Motor vehicle and pedal cycle conspicuity: part 2 - pedal cycles. Final report: product decoding guide

Ergonomics evaluation into the safety of stepladders: Literature and standards review - phase 1

This review appraises relevant published documents to determine the current understanding of the issues affecting the stability of stepladders. In doing so it identifies that, whilst there have been many attempts to conduct research into this issue, these have only ever been partly successful. Most research appears to only address certain aspects of the safety provided, instead of approaching the problem holistically. As such, actions following any research undertaken have been small-scale, largely unmonitored and arguably ineffective. A further appraisal of the human factors issues relating to stepladder use reveals it to be a complex area, involving not just simple mechanical actions, but also risk perception, behaviour modifications and the effectiveness of warnings and labelling. Again, whilst some considerable effort has been made in examining the manifestations of these variables, there is little solid evidence for an understanding of the causes and effects that can fundamentally alter the safety of the stepladder in use. A review of the accident statistics reveals that stepladders are certainly a highly injurious product. Despite this, the manufacture and use of these products appears less well controlled than other equipment and devices such as power tools or personal protective equipment. However, it is quite clear that intervention in this area could be highly effective in both the prevention of personal suffering and also the saving of costs. The last section of this report deals with a comparison of the current standards and regulations controlling the manufacture and use of stepladders. It can be seen that whilst considerable effort is being made to ensure that a technically capable product is being manufactured, and professional use is well controlled, these steps do not appear to be effective in reducing the number or severity of accidents in the real world. It is patent that an element is missing in the safety equation, and the conclusion of this report is that only through a better understanding of the users’ needs and behaviour can this can be identified. Accordingly, a proposal is made to undertake extensive dynamic trials involving stepladders to evaluate the key variables controlling their stability in use

Ergonomics evaluation into the safety of stepladders: User profile and dynamic testing - Phase 2

This report details the background, methodology and findings of an extensive investigation into the issue of the stability of stepladders. This work has been funded by the Health and Safety Executive to both build on previous work conducted by the Consumer Affairs Directorate of the Department of Trade and Industry, and in response to a continued high level of injuries and fatalities associated with this product group. The work uniquely approaches the problem from the perspective of the user and, through intensive user trials, has quantified the forces they generate which stepladder systems must resist if they are to remain stable. Through a diverse range of simulated tasks, a representative sample of domestic and professional users have been able to demonstrate their normal patterns of behaviour, reflecting their experience, attitudes, expectations and training relating to the use of stepladders. Armed with this knowledge, modern stepladder design has been scrutinised. The conclusion drawn is that current designs do not adequately meet the demands that users might reasonably make on the stability of stepladders, and this shortfall is leading to accidents. The current policy of trying to discourage users from undertaking activities they consider normal, by means of instructions and warnings had been shown to be flawed, both in the comprehension of the information and in its application. Users clearly need greater margins of safety to be built into stepladders to protect them during normal activity. Users were further scrutinised to determine their personalities and attitudes, as well as their approach to safety and risk management. It has been found that they can be grouped according to age, predisposition to risk and other variables, which correlate to undertaking risky behaviour with stepladders. This finding leads to the recommendation that some personality profiling tools may be used to help identify individuals who are unsuited to professional ladder use without some other safety intervention. The information gained from the evaluation of the stepladders and their users has been combined to form the basis of a new test specification, which it is recommended is integrated into standards relating to the safety of stepladders

Motor vehicle conspicuity: an assessment of the contribution of retro reflective and fluorescent materials.

Accident data suggests that the conspicuity of large vehicles, and the perception of closing speed to them, are contributory factors in accident causation. Ergonomic principles indicate that improved luminance and colour contrast, as well as outlining the vehicle form, are likely to increase conspicuity. A review of previous research, current on-the-road practices and the materials available shows that retro-reflective and fluorescent materials can be applied to vehicles to increase their night-time and daytime conspicuity. If applied in outline form, such materials may also assist in judgements of separation distance. Experimental work confirmed the benefits of retro-reflective and fluorescent materials, particularly if applied in outline form. The ECE104 marking formats performed at least as well as, and frequently better than, the current ECE70 markings in terms of conspicuity. The markings assisted in the detection of a pedestrian located beside the vehicle and visual discomfort, caused by the luminance of the materials, was minimal. The introduction of the ECE104 marking formats was therefore recommended. Public opinion indicated that the colour red was recognised with 99% accuracy and was strongly associated with signifying the rear of a vehicle. It would therefore be beneficial to use red markings to the rear of vehicles but only if the following recommendations are met: they must be employed as full or partial contours, applied in conjunction with the ECE70 markings and be located no closer than 200mm to the vehicle’s brake lights. It is also recommended that combined fluorescent-retro-reflective materials should be permitted under ECE104, subject to their meeting the colorimetric requirements, since they are likely to be of benefit to daytime conspicuity and some night-time aspects, whilst imposing no severe disbenefits

Motor vehicle and pedal cycle conspicuity: part 3 - vehicle mounted warning beacons. Summary report.

Accident studies suggest that the early detection and identification of other types of road users is likely to be a safety benefit to drivers, and one means for achieving this is through the use of vehicle-mounted warning beacons. A review of previous research, current technology, standards and regulations, and the views of relevant parties confirms the contribution of warning beacons in this respect. It also indicates that the warning beacons available in the market are largely governed by the restrictions imposed by the relevant regulations. However contact with various warning beacon user groups suggests that these designs are not as effective as they would wish and may in certain instances be giving rise to disbenefits to other road users. A rigorous scientific test programme identified those factors which make warning beacons more conspicuous and specific consideration was given to those vehicles, fitted with amber warning beacons, which work within environments of flashing amber road beacons. Disbenefits of warning beacon design, in terms of disability glare, discomfort glare, distraction and eleptogenesis, were also investigated. It is recommended that the users of warning beacons be prioritised with the highest priority group being allocated the top values of those features which make warning beacons conspicuous (subject to consideration of the disbenefits likely to be generated). Road trials should be undertaken to further refine the recommendations

Motor vehicle and pedal cycle conspicuity: part 1- vehicle mounted warning beacons. Summary report.

Accident studies suggest that the early detection and identification of other types of road users is likely to be a safety benefit to drivers, and one means for achieving this is through the use of vehicle-mounted warning beacons. A review of previous research, current technology, standards and regulations, and the views of relevant parties confirms the contribution of warning beacons in this respect. It also indicates that the warning beacons available in the market are largely governed by the restrictions imposed by the relevant regulations. However contact with various warning beacon user groups suggests that these designs are not as effective as they would wish and may in certain instances be giving rise to disbenefits to other road users. A rigorous scientific test programme identified those factors which make warning beacons more conspicuous and specific consideration was given to those vehicles, fitted with amber warning beacons, which work within environments of flashing amber road beacons. Disbenefits of warning beacon design, in terms of disability glare, discomfort glare, distraction and eleptogenesis, were also investigated. It is recommended that the users of warning beacons be prioritised with the highest priority group being allocated the top values of those features which make warning beacons conspicuous (subject to consideration of the disbenefits likely to be generated). Road trials should be undertaken to further refine the recommendations

Evaluating the stability requirements for mounting and dismounting from the top of leaning ladders

This report details the methodology and findings of an investigation into the suitability of leaning ladders as a means to access high surfaces. This work has been funded by the Health and Safety Executive to provide a factual basis on which to make recommendations regarding safe practice. In particular it addresses a gap in the knowledge generated in previous studies into safe ladder use. This gap is generated by those individuals for whom the pressures of work make use of a ladder necessary but for whom safe practice is compromised. In particular, environmental demands, multiple unpredictable locations and challenging tasks combine to make a ladder an obvious, yet arguably unsafe, choice of equipment

Checking the checklist: the effect of training on the application and effectiveness of checklist-based risk assessments

This report details a programme of research undertaken on behalf of IOSH and intended to investigate the critical factors which control the effectiveness of checklist-based risk assessments. Through five research phases, partner companies from UK manufacturing industries provided case examples of current practice and a resource of participants to conduct user trials. An extensive literature review revealed that previous research had focussed on the effectiveness and reliability of checklists in risk assessment. However, very little research had been conducted in assessing the effectiveness of the actual design of checklists and the level of accompanying training that is required to ensure they are used correctly. A questionnaire survey of 88 companies of more than five employees revealed the state of current practice and a wide diversity of resources and application of safety practices. From these companies 15 were selected to undertake an in-depth walk through involving a site inspection, interviews with Health and Safety professionals and an audit of the health and safety practices. From the audited companies four were selected to take part in user trials involving the provision and evaluation of control checklists and accompanying training. This provided a large data set which could be scrutinised to identify the effective features of checklists and the benefits training may offer. The results reveal a complex picture with numerous confounding influences. Specific features of checklists and training offer benefits in some circumstances and limitations in others. A lack of clear patterns suggests that the high degree of variability in companies and staff make prescriptive solutions unreliable as safety interventions. Recommendations are made for assessing the content of checklists but reservations remain over the effectiveness of a single solution for use in any specific company