Does a Quota a Day Keep the (Safety) Doctor Away? The Effect of Mandatory Observation Quotas on Safety Outcomes

Injuries and fatalities continue to occur at high rates across industries (BLS, 2018) despite attempts from researchers and practitioners to identify risks and improve operating procedures. Data analysis is currently used across other industries to improve outcomes, and the safety industry is turning to the use of big data in an attempt to lower injury rates. Despite the growing body of research including both data and safety outcomes, little has been done to understand the mechanisms of one of the most popular intervention techniques, behavior-based safety (BBS). BBS relies on human observation techniques, along with checklists, which increases the amount of reporting errors that can occur due to (a) culture, (b) the number of items and forms, and (c) production pressure. A quota system, along with these systemic barriers, may lead to adverse reporting behaviors, which reduces the utility of the reports in analysis (e.g. predicting safety outcomes). Accordingly, this research will examine the effects of a mandatory quota system on data quality and consequently on safety outcomes

Developing an Analytics Strategy to Describe, Diagnose, and Predict Workplace Safety Outcomes

Evidence-based management practices that include big-data mining strategies have become commonplace in many areas of organizational management and have been shown to be effective. However, organizations have yet to fully take advantage of these analytic methods to improve their occupational safety. The proposed study aims to address this gap by developing a strategy to utilize data that organizations are already collecting to describe, diagnose, and predict workplace safety outcomes. The five proposed predictor variable categories are production, procedures, hazards, behaviors, and participation. Data will be collected from a large American Fortune 500 company that specializes in the production of advanced materials, chemicals, and fibers for everyday purposes

Suffering from Whiplash? The Effects of Pencil Whipping on Data Variability in the Safety Industry

Big data is being used by organizations to identify trends and predict future safety incidents. However, analytics using big data relies heavily on data quality, which can be compromised by a lack of data variability. In the safety industry, the data reports most frequently analyzed include checklists that are filled out by managers and operators, and research is being attempted to link the variables from these reports to safety outcomes. A major obstacle is the reduced variability in these reports due to a phenomenon known as “pencil whipping.” Pencil whipping occurs when an employee completes a safety checklist during behavior-based safety observation without actually carrying out the work required (e.g., checking “safe” all the way down the checklist; Ludwig 2014). In order to run analyses that will create targeted interventions, organizations need to reduce pencil-whipping in their reports. This study will attempt to identify data markers of pencil whipping and will investigate the effects of pencil whipping on data variability and analysis

Robust control of shunt active power filter using interval type-2 fuzzy logic controller for power quality improvement

Dobro je poznato da se usporedno aktivni filtar snage (SAPF - Shunt Active Power Filter) uvelike koristi za smanjenje harmonijske distorzije i kompenzaciju reaktivne snage u elektroenergetskim sustavima. Regulator napona sabirnice istosmjerne struje SAPF-a vrlo je važan za odličnu kvalitetu snage. U reguliranju SAPF-a, napon sabirnice istosmjerne struje regulira se konvencionalnim metodama kao što su PI i PID regulatori. Međutim, ti regulatori ne mogu dati dobre rezultate u prijelaznim i stacionarnim uvjetima. Robusni i inteligentni regulatori potrebni su za poboljšanje performansi SAPF-a. U ovom radu, sustav neizrazite logike intervala tipa-2 (T2FLS) koji ne zahtijeva matematički model kao kontrolni sustav preferira se za reguliranje napona sabirnice istosmjerne struje SAPF-a i uspoređuje sa sustavom neizrazite logike tipa-1(T1FLS). Konstruirane su i simulirane strukture SAPF-a s oba regulatora primjenom MATLAB /Simulink okruženja. Rezultati simulacije su pokazali da SAPF struktura s predloženim regulatorom ima bolje karakteristike od T1FLS-a u odnosu na fiksni napon sabirnice istosmjerne struje, ukupno harmoničko izobličenje i kvalitetu snage.It is well-known that shunt active power filter (SAPF) is widely used to reduce harmonic distortion and to compensate reactive power in electrical power systems. DC bus voltage control of SAPF is very important for excellent power quality. In the control of SAPF, DC bus voltage is controlled by conventional control methods such as PI and PID controllers. However, these controllers cannot give good results under transient and steady state conditions. Robust and intelligent controllers are required in order to improve performance of SAPF. In this paper, interval type-2 fuzzy logic system (T2FLS) that does not require mathematical model to be controlled system is preferred for control of DC bus voltage of SAPF and compared with type-1 fuzzy logic system (T1FLS). SAPF structures with both controllers are designed and simulated using MATLAB /Simulink environment. Simulation results have shown that SAPF structure with proposed controller has superior features than T1FLS in terms of fixed DC bus voltage, total harmonic distortion and power quality

Use of polyethylene glycol coatings for optical fibre humidity sensing

Humidity induced change in the refractive index and thickness of the polyethylene glycol (PEG) coatings are in situ investigated for a range from 10 to 95%, using an optical waveguide spectroscopic technique. It is experimentally demonstrated that, upon humidity change, the optical and swelling characteristics of the PEG coatings can be employed to build a plastic fibre optic humidity sensor. The sensing mechanism is based on the humidity induced change in the refractive index of the PEG film, which is directly coated onto a polished segment of a plastic optical fibre with dip-coating method. It is observed that PEG, which is a highly hydrophilic material, shows no monotonic linear response to humidity but gives different characteristics for various ranges of humidity levels both in index of refraction and in thickness. It undergoes a physical phase change from a semi-crystal line structure to a gel one at around 80% relative humidity. At this phase change point, a drastic decrease occurs in the index of refraction as well as a drastic increase in the swelling of the PEG film. In addition, PEG coatings are hydrogenated in a vacuum chamber. It is observed that the hydrogen has a preventing effect on the humidity induced phase change in PEG coatings. Finally, the possibility of using PEG coatings in construction of a real plastic fibre optic humidity sensor is discussed. (C) 2008 The Optical Society of Japan

Effect of Coenzyme Q10 on ischemia and neuronal damage in an experimental traumatic brain-injury model in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Head trauma is one of the most important clinical issues that not only can be fatal and disabling, requiring long-term treatment and care, but also can cause heavy financial burden. Formation or distribution of free oxygen radicals should be decreased to enable fixing of poor neurological outcomes and to prevent neuronal damage secondary to ischemia after trauma. Coenzyme Q₁₀(CoQ₁₀), a component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, is a strong antioxidant that plays a role in membrane stabilization. In this study, the role of CoQ₁₀in the treatment of head trauma is researched by analyzing the histopathological and biochemical effects of CoQ₁₀administered after experimental traumatic brain injury in rats. A traumatic brain-injury model was created in all rats. Trauma was inflicted on rats by the free fall of an object of 450 g weight from a height of 70 cm on the frontoparietal midline onto a metal disc fixed between the coronal and the lambdoid sutures after a midline incision was carried out.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the biochemical tests, tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly higher in the traumatic brain-injury group compared to the sham group (<it>p </it>< 0.05). Administration of CoQ₁₀after trauma was shown to be protective because it significantly lowered the increased MDA levels (<it>p </it>< 0.05). Comparing the superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels of the four groups, trauma + CoQ₁₀group had SOD levels ranging between those of sham group and traumatic brain-injury group, and no statistically significant increase was detected. Histopathological results showed a statistically significant difference between the CoQ₁₀and the other trauma-subjected groups with reference to vascular congestion, neuronal loss, nuclear pyknosis, nuclear hyperchromasia, cytoplasmic eosinophilia, and axonal edema (<it>p </it>< 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Neuronal degenerative findings and the secondary brain damage and ischemia caused by oxidative stress are decreased by CoQ₁₀use in rats with traumatic brain injury.</p

Hybrid EEFIT mission to february 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake sequence

The southwestern part of Türkiye was hit on 6 February 2023 by an Mw 7.8 (epicentre:Pazarcık) and then an Mw 7.5 earthquake (epicentre: Elbistan). The event was followed by tensof thousands of aftershocks including the Mw 6.3 event on 20 February (epicentre: Uzunbağ).This paper reports on the preliminary findings of the mission organised by the UK’s EarthquakeEngineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) to the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake sequence ofFebruary 2023. This mission followed a hybrid model, combining field and remote investigationtechniques, to investigate the characteristics of the earthquake sequence, its impact on buildingsand infrastructure, as well as the efficacy of relief, response and recovery operations. The keymessages include that the building stock is hard to categorise which brings along difficulties withdamage assessment, that the recovery and reconstruction require multi-sectoral engagement ofkey stakeholders, and that the auditing and quality control mechanisms within the constructionindustry need revisiting in the way forward for better disaster resilience in Türkiye

Effects of vitamin E supplementation on renal non-enzymatic antioxidants in young rats submitted to exhaustive exercise stress

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exercise stress was shown to increase oxidative stress in rats. It lacks reports of increased protection afforded by dietary antioxidant supplements against ROS production during exercise stress. We evaluated the effects of vitamin E supplementation on renal non-enzymatic antioxidants in young rats submitted to exhaustive exercise stress.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Wistar rats were divided into three groups: 1) control group; 2) exercise stress group and; 3) exercise stress + Vitamin E group. Rats from the group 3 were treated with gavage administration of 1 mL of Vitamin E (5 mg/kg) for seven consecutive days. Animals from groups 2 and 3 were submitted to a bout of swimming exhaustive exercise stress. Kidney samples were analyzed for Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances to (TBARS) by malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and vitamin-E levels.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The group treated with vitamin E and submitted to exercise stress presented the lowest levels of renal MDA (1: 0.16+0.02 mmmol/mgprot vs. 2: 0.34+0.07 mmmol/mgprot vs. 3: 0.1+0.01 mmmol/mgprot; p < 0.0001), the highest levels of renal GSH (1: 23+4 μmol/gprot vs. 2: 23+2 μmol/gprot vs. 3: 58+9 μmol/gprot; p < 0.0001) and the highest levels of renal vitamin E (1: 24+6 μM/gtissue vs. 2: 28+2 μM/gtissue vs. 3: 43+4 μM/gtissue; p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Vitamin E supplementation improved non-enzymatic antioxidant activity in young rats submitted to exhaustive exercise stress.</p