Training Competences in Industrial Risk Prevention with Lego® Serious Play®: A Case Study

This paper proposes the use of the Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) methodology as a facilitating tool for the introduction of competences for Industrial Risk Prevention by engineering students from the industrial branch (electrical, electronic, mechanical and technological engineering), presenting the results obtained in the Universities of Cadiz and Seville in the academic years 2017–2019. Current Spanish legislation does not reserve any special legal attribution, nor does it require specific competence in occupational risk prevention for the regulated profession of a technical industrial engineer (Order CIN 351:2009), and only does so in a generic way for that of an industrial engineer (Order CIN 311:2009). However, these universities consider the training in occupational health and safety for these future graduates as an essential objective in order to develop them for their careers in the industry. The approach is based on a series of challenges proposed (risk assessments, safety inspections, accident investigations and fire protection measures, among others), thanks to the use of “gamification” dynamics with Lego® Serious Play®. In order to carry the training out, a set of specific variables (industrial sector, legal and regulatory framework, business organization and production system), and transversal ones (leadership, teamwork, critical thinking and communication), are incorporated. Through group models, it is possible to identify dangerous situations, establish causes, share and discuss alternative proposals and analyze the economic, environmental and organizational impact of the technical solutions studied, as well as take the appropriate decisions, in a creative, stimulating, inclusive and innovative context. In this way, the theoretical knowledge which is acquired is applied to improve safety and health at work and foster the prevention of occupational risks, promoting the commitment, effort, motivation and proactive participation of the student teams.Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities / European Social Fund: Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2017-22222

The Relationship between Building Agents in the Context of Integrated Project Management: A Prospective Analysis

The increasing complexity of building projects, with high quality standards, integrated technologies and strong management restrictions, demands the intervention of numerous and diverse specialists. This requires an intense leadership, organization and coordination effort. However, building regulations, such as the Spanish Law on Building Management (LOE) 38/1999, only formally consider developers, project designers, project and work supervisors, quality control entities, construction companies, owners and final users as building agents. However, these categories are insufficient to represent the interests of all the stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to carry out an analysis of the agents that are currently part of the entire building process. If their relationship of influence and dependence, as well as their alignment with the overall objectives of the project are studied, potential convergences, divergences, agreements and disagreements can be established. To do this, the authors conducted a prospective analysis through the MACTOR (Matrix of Alliances and Conflicts: Tactics, Objectives and Recommendations) strategic planning simulation tool, for which the rules of the Delphi technique were applied and a consultation with technical experts, both professionals and academics, was held. The research provides insight to assess the power relationships between the building agents, as well as to measure the alignment of objectives with their interests. Results show that, in the context of integrated project management (IPM), the influence of technical agents is reduced by limiting their functions to those marked by their regulatory framework, allowing them to focus on their legal powers, and the room for manoeuvre of the professional agents, who are subject to systematized monitoring and control, is also reduced. The prospective analysis also highlights the importance of defining the scope from its early stages, as well as the need to reach multilateral agreements based on the other two main constraints: time and cost.All authors acknowledge the help received by the research group TEP-955 from the PAIDI (Junta de Andalucia, Spain). The first and last authors acknowledge the help received by the research project PIN-0053-2019 by the Fundacion Publica Andaluza Progreso y Salud (Junta de Andalucia, Spain)

Requirements for the Preliminary Design of Innovative Temporary Edge Protection Systems (TEPS) for Construction Works

At present, it is striking that a large percentage of occupational accidents in the construction sector are still caused by falls from height. Therefore, curbing the severe personal, social and economic consequences of these events is not only a commitment but an obligation for all stakeholders in the construction sector. After a review of current fall protection systems on construction sites, the purpose of this study is to establish the preliminary requirements for the design, development and prototyping of a new system which can be used as an auxiliary means to prevent occupational accidents in the construction sector caused by fall hazards at height. Based on the design science research (DSR) methodology, this paper tests the capability of alternative materials (metals, plastics and composites) to withstand the loads required by the regulatory standard UNE-EN 13374:2013+A1:2019 and looks at the improvements they can offer. The results obtained enable new metals and composite materials to be put forward, based on their suitability to the parameters of the risks of falling from height, ensuring that the greatest number of potential situations are addressed. Then, the needs to be satisfied and requirements to be met are listed, prioritised and considered for new temporary edge protection systems (TEPS). Next, the attributes that increase user satisfaction and/or reduce user dissatisfaction are filtered by means of a Kano model, which is applied thanks to the responses of construction designers, coordinators and supervisors. Once these questions are solved, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is performed by a focus group, weighing the Kano contributions and ranking the materials to be selected for the preliminary design of innovative TEPS for construction works. After considering safety, ergonomics, adaptability, sustainability, efficiency, manufacturability and flexibility criteria, the basis for the design of a new temporary edge protection system is establishe

The Influence of Knowledge on Managing Risk for the Success in Complex Construction Projects: The IPMA Approach

[EN] Organizations undertaking construction projects often deal with uncertainty and complexity. Risks include a wide range of occurrences that can lead to project failure. However, these difficulties may be minimized if risks are properly managed. In addition, knowledge management may emerge as a key element in facing unforeseen events and detecting the actions that are working well in other projects. In this context, this study intends to demonstrate the influence of managing organizational knowledge on risk management and the impact of both on the success of projects and associated businesses. To this end, a questionnaire was distributed among construction technicians, practitioners and managers in order to assess the importance of factors managing knowledge and risk and of success criteria. Thanks to the participation of almost four hundred respondents, cause-and-effect relationships are characterized by means of structural equation modeling, statistically confirming them. The specific links between the knowledge-management projects and the skills and abilities to face risks provided by the International Project Management Association (IPMA) standards, with a relation of 0.892 out of 1, justify the 75.1% of the success of the venture. These findings prove that the application of IPMA proposals enhances the required knowledge that leads to improved completion and delivery of complex construction projects in risky environments.All authors acknowledge the help received by the research group TEP-955 from the PAIDI (Junta de Andalucia, Spain).Cerezo-Narváez, A.; Pastor-Fernández, A.; Otero-Mateo, M.; Ballesteros-Pérez, P. (2022). The Influence of Knowledge on Managing Risk for the Success in Complex Construction Projects: The IPMA Approach. Sustainability. 14(15):1-30. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159711130141

Influence of scope management in construction industry projects

En el periodo comprendido entre 2008 y 2015, la industria de la construcción en España cae en una profunda crisis, que hace desaparecer dos terceras partes de sus empresas, reducir drásticamente su producción, perder la gran mayoría de sus trabajadores y ver disminuida su contribución al producto interior bruto hasta menos de la mitad. Asimismo, en 2015 y a nivel mundial, menos de un tercio de los proyectos del sector de la construcción, finalizan sin sobrecostes y sólo la cuarta parte, lo hacen a tiempo. Ambas circunstancias invitan a investigar en la adquisición de competencias en dirección de proyectos para los agentes intervinientes en los procesos constructivos, con el objeto de mejorar su rendimiento, evitando su fracaso. La gestión del alcance de los proyectos, se presenta como la primera de las dimensiones de éxito, por su naturaleza globalizadora y significancia predictiva, así como por su importancia táctica frente a los cambios. En este contexto, el estándar ISO 21500 reúne las condiciones ideales para servir de referencia para modelizar un sistema de gestión del alcance que mejore las prestaciones de los proyectos, adoptando medidas que eviten su corrupción, en cualquiera de sus variantes. Mediante análisis y crítica de la literatura, se recopilan aquellas características relacionadas con la gestión del alcance y aquellos criterios relacionados con el éxito que mayor consenso generan. De entre las características y criterios preseleccionados, se recopilan aquellos considerados por la literatura como factores críticos de éxito. Seguidamente, a partir de una encuesta realizada a profesionales del sector de la construcción en España, se barema el grado de importancia otorgado a cada uno de los factores y, finalmente, se plantea un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales, en el que se confirma que la gestión del alcance de los proyectos influye decisivamente en el éxito sostenido de las organizaciones.Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica y Diseño Industrial y Grupo de Investigación TEP955- Ingeniería y Tecnología para la Prevención de Riesgos Laborales (INTELPREV), de la Universidad de Cádi

Knowledge as an Organizational Asset for Managing Complex Projects: The Case of Naval Platforms

Knowledge management (KM) involves learning from past experiences to avoid or correct scope misalignments, quality deviations, safety problems, time delays and/or cost overruns. KM is frequently materialized as a risk management (RM) plan. An RM plan allows for anticipating, avoiding, mitigating, or reducing potential problems impacting project performance. However, despite their high complementarity, KM and RM are not the same, nor share the same purpose. In the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, managing complex projects involves many KM-related challenges, such as differential competitiveness enhancement and value chain streamlining. Naval platforms are complex projects that require the integration of multiple sources of knowledge and information. They also need to keep on integrating latest digital technology innovations in their production processes. In this context, streamlining the requirements management may become a differential asset for project stakeholders of naval platforms. Namely, enhancing requirements management can make the customers' needs easier to meet, shorten the projects duration, reduce costs, optimize resources, and allow for higher flexibility. However, requirements management has KM as pre-requisite and RM as consequence. Unfortunately, potential synergies between KM and RM have remained largely unexplored in the project management literature, and so has requirements management as a potential bridge between both concepts. In this paper, a holistic model for shipbuilding organizations linking KM and RM is proposed. The model draws from existing KM and RM models while considering organizational factors, technological platforms, and competitiveness factors. A case study of a naval platform showing the model's applicability is provided. It is shown how the model can allow shipbuilding companies to sustain a competitive advantage by facilitating more robust decision making in dynamic project environments. Furthermore, the model also facilitates the identification of the companies' core competences to reach and keep a strong position in current global markets

Use of Low-Cost Devices for the Control and Monitoring of CO2 Concentration in Existing Buildings after the COVID Era

[EN] In the COVID-19 era, a direct relationship has been consolidated between the concentration of the pollutant carbon dioxide (CO2) and indoor disease transmission. For reducing its spread, recommendations have been established among which air renewal is a key element to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). In this study, a low-cost CO2 measurement device was designed, developed, assembled, prototyped, and openly programmed so that the IAQ can be monitored remotely. In addition, this clonic device was calibrated for correct data acquisition. In parallel, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling analysis was used to study the indoor air flows to eliminate non-representative singular measurement points, providing possible locations. The results in four scenarios (cross ventilation, outdoor ventilation, indoor ventilation, and no ventilation) showed that the measurements provided by the clonic device are comparable to those obtained by laboratory instruments, with an average error of less than 3%. These data collected wirelessly for interpretation were evaluated on an Internet of Things (IoT) platform in real time or deferred. As a result, remaining lifespan of buildings can be exploited interconnecting IAQ devices with other systems (as HVAC systems) in an IoT environment. This can transform them into smart buildings, adding value to their refurbishment and modernization.All authors acknowledge the help received by the research group TEP-955 from the PAIDI, the ERGOMET Project of the Program for the Promotion of Research Activity of the UCA, the Project "Design of a low-cost non-invasive ergonomic capture system for the analysis of musculoskeletal disorders" of the Program for the Promotion of Research and Transfer of the UCA and the National Plan Research Project PID2019-108669RB-100/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.Pastor-Fernández, A.; Cerezo-Narváez, A.; Montero-Gutiérrez, P.; Ballesteros-Pérez, P.; Otero-Mateo, M. (2022). Use of Low-Cost Devices for the Control and Monitoring of CO2 Concentration in Existing Buildings after the COVID Era. Applied Sciences. 12(8):1-35. https://doi.org/10.3390/app1208392713512

Forecasting the Project Duration Average and Standard Deviation from Deterministic Schedule Information

[EN] Most construction managers use deterministic scheduling techniques to plan construction projects and estimate their duration. However, deterministic techniques are known to underestimate the project duration. Alternative methods, such as Stochastic Network Analysis, have rarely been adopted in practical contexts as they are commonly computer-intensive, require extensive historical information, have limited contextual/local validity and/or require skills most practitioners have not been trained for. In this paper, we propose some mathematical expressions to approximate the average and the standard deviation of a project duration from basic deterministic schedule information. The expressions¿ performance is successfully tested in a 4100-network dataset with varied activity durations and activity durations variability. Calculations are quite straightforward and can be implemented manually. Furthermore, unlike the Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), they allow drawing inferences about the probability of project duration in the presence of several critical and subcritical paths with minimal additional calculation.The first author acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities for his Ramon y Cajal contract (RYC-2017-22222) co-funded by the European Social Fund. The first two authors also acknowledge the help received by the research project PIN-0053-2019 funded by the Fundación Pública Andaluza Progreso y Salud (Junta de Andalucía, Spain). The first four authors also acknowledge the help received by the research group TEP-955 from the PAIDI (Junta de Andalucía, Spain). Finally, the fifth author, acknowledges the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71301013), the National Social Science Fund Post-financing projects (No.19FJYB017), the List of Key Science and Technology Projects in China¿s Transportation Industry in 2018-International Science and Technology Cooperation Project (No.2018-GH-006), and the Humanity and Social Science Program Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China (No. 17YJA790091).Ballesteros-Pérez, P.; Cerezo-Narváez, A.; Otero-Mateo, M.; Pastor-Fernández, A.; Zhang, J.; Vanhoucke, M. (2020). Forecasting the Project Duration Average and Standard Deviation from Deterministic Schedule Information. Applied Sciences. 10(2):1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/app1002065412210

Promoting entrepreneurship through innovation. Application in engineering projects

La adquisición de competencias debe partir de la perspectiva del docente como orientador, facilitador y promotor de la formación del alumnado, minimizando las clases magistrales para favorecer su autonomía y trabajo colaborativo, no siendo posible, para asegurar su desarrollo, la evaluación por métodos tradicionales. Dado el entorno -español, andaluz y gaditano- de recesión, con baja tasa de crecimiento y alta tasa de desempleo juvenil, se pretende fomentar el emprendimiento, creatividad e innovación de los estudiantes. En este contexto, se plantea la revisión de los modelos que fundamentan las formas de enseñar y aprender en las asignaturas de proyectos de los grados en ingeniería ofertados por la Universidad de Cádiz -UCA- de la rama industrial -eléctrica, electrónica industrial, mecánica y tecnología industrial-, seleccionando el aprendizaje basado en proyectos -ABP-, en el que los protagonistas son los alumnos, evolucionando a través de la experimentación. Esta investigación consta de tres etapas principales. En una primera fase, se fomenta la educación en el emprendimiento. Seguidamente, se promueve la cultura del emprendimiento innovador, propiciando las condiciones para la creación simulada- de nuevas empresas innovadoras. Finalmente, se seleccionan aquellas propuestas que potencialmente contribuyan a que Cádiz mejore su déficit empresarial en sectores tecnológicos.Competences’ acquisition must start from the professor’s perspective as a counselor, facilitator and sponsor of students’ training, minimizing master classes to promote their autonomy and collaborative work, and the evaluation by traditional methods to ensure their development is not possible. Within the recession context –in Spain, Andalusia and Cadiz- with low growth and high youth unemployment rate, it is intended to promote students’ entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. Inside this framework, to review the models that underlie the ways of teaching and learning in project management subjects in the engineering degrees of the industrial branch -electricity, industrial electronics, mechanics and industrial technology- offered by the University of Cadiz -UCA- is proposed, selecting project-based learning -PBL-, in which students are the main characters, evolving them through experimentation. This investigation consists of three main stages. In a first phase, education in entrepreneurship is encouraged. Next, culture of innovative entrepreneurship is promoted, propitiating the conditions for the -simulated- creation of new innovative companies. Finally, those proposals that potentially contribute to Cadiz improving its business deficit in technological sectors are selected