scholarly journals Exploring Fatalities and Injuries in Construction by Considering Thermal Comfort Using Uncertainty and Relative Importance Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5573
Author(s):  
Minsu Lee ◽  
Jaemin Jeong ◽  
Jaewook Jeong ◽  
Jaehyun Lee
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Physiological Equivalent Temperature ◽  
Fatal Accidents ◽  
Fatal Injury

Fatal injury and accidents in the construction industry occur under the influence of outdoor weather conditions such as temperature, humidity and wind speed in all four seasons. Previous research in this area has focused on hot and cold weather conditions: hot weather causes heat rash, heat cramps and heat fainting, while cold weather causes fatigue, lumbago, and cold finger sensations. However, other weather conditions are also associated with, and cause, fatal injury and accidents. Accordingly, this study analyzes injury and fatal accidents in the construction industry based on the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) as it pertains to thermal comfort using an uncertainty analysis. Furthermore, using a neural network, relative importance is analyzed considering injury and fatal accidents. This study is conducted in five steps: (i) Establishment of the database, (ii) Classification of accident types and weather conditions, (iii) Calculation of thermal comfort, (iv) Analysis of injury and fatal accidents based on thermal comfort, and (v) Calculation of the relative importance of thermal comfort during injury and fatal accidents. Via the research process, 5317 fatal incidents and 207,802 injuries are analyzed according to 18 accident types in all seasons. It was found that ‘falls’, were the most frequent fatal incident and injury (2804 fatal incidents and 71,017 injuries), with most of these occurring during the autumn season. The probabilities of injury and fatal accidents in the ‘fall’ category are 86.01% and 85.60%, respectively, in the outside comfort ranges. The contribution of this study can provide data for a database on safety management considering weather conditions.

scholarly journals Assessing The Thermal Comfort Conditions In Open Spaces: A Transversal Field Survey On The University Campus In India

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 77-92
Author(s):  
Pardeep Kumar ◽  
Amit Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Thermal Sensation ◽  
Probit Analysis ◽  
Outdoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Physiological Equivalent Temperature ◽  
Preferred Temperature

Outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) promotes the usage frequency of public places, recreational activities, and people's wellbeing. Despite the increased interest in OTC research in the past decade, less attention has been paid to OTC research in cold weather, especially in arid regions. The present study investigates the OTC conditions in open spaces at the campus area in the arid region. The study was conducted by using subjective surveys(questionnaire) and onsite monitoring (microclimate parameters). The study was conducted at the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, Haryana-India campus during the cold season of 2019. The timings of surveys were between 9:00 and 17:00 hours. The authors processed the 185 valid questionnaire responses of the respondents to analyze OTC conditions. Only 8.6% of the respondents marked their perceived sensation "Neutral." Regression analysis was applied between respondents' thermal sensations and microclimate parameters to develop the empirical thermal sensation model. The air temperature was the most dominant parameter affecting the sensations of the respondents. The empirical model indicated that by increasing air temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation, the thermal sensations also increased while wind speed had an opposite effect. Physiological equivalent temperature (PET) was applied for assessing the OTC conditions; the neutral PET range was found to be 18.42-25.37°C with a neutral temperature of 21.89°C. The preferred temperature was 21.99 °C by applying Probit analysis. The study's findings could provide valuable information in designing and planning outdoor spaces for educational institutions in India's arid regions

scholarly journals Sea Breeze Front and Outdoor Thermal Comfort during Summer in Northeastern Brazil

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1013
Author(s):  
Max Anjos ◽  
António Lopes ◽  
Andrews José de Lucena ◽  
Francisco Mendonça
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Sea Breeze ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Outdoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Physiological Equivalent Temperature ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Local Climate Zones

Characterizing the behaviour of the sea breeze phenomenon is the foremost factor in the reduction in the heat stress and the achievement of the pleasant environment in coastal cities globally. However, this seminal study shows that the Sea Breeze Front (SBF) development can be related to an increase in outdoor thermal discomfort in a northeastern Brazilian city during summer. We explored the relationship between SBF and thermal comfort conditions using in situ meteorological observations, the SBF identification method, local climate zones (LCZs) classification, and the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) thermal comfort index. SBF days and Non-SBF days were characterized in terms of weather conditions, combining meteorological data and technical bulletins. SBF days included hot and sunny days associated with the centre of the Upper Tropospheric Cyclonic Vortices (UTCV). In contrast, Non-SBF days were observed in UTCV’s periphery because of cloudy sky and rainfall. The results showed that the mean temperature and PET in the SBF days were 2.0 °C and 3.8 °C higher, respectively, compared to Non-SBF days in all LCZ sites. The highest PET, of 40.0 °C, was found on SBF days. Our findings suggest that SBF development could be an aggravating factor for increasing heat stress of the people living in the northeastern coast of the Brazilian city, after SBF passage.

Knowledge Management Influence on Safety Management Practices

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 16-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepak M.D. ◽  
Gangadhar Mahesh ◽  
Narotham Kumar Medi
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Level Of Importance

Many studies have been conducted in relation with knowledge management (KM), indicating the benefit associated with KM; among which safety management (SM) improvement is one of them. So, the aim of this article is to assess the influence of KM on SM practices in construction industry. In this regard, various factors that affect KM and SM are identified through literature review. Then, a questionnaire survey was facilitated to collect data based on the identified factors. These factors are ranked using a relative importance index (RII) to ascertain the level of importance among its group. Further, correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis are carried out to test and measure the strength of the relationship between KM and SM factors. Results indicate that there exists a definite and significant relationship between the factors of KM and SM in construction industry. Overall, the results obtained from the study will assist practitioners and professionals to develop and upgrade KM and SM practices in construction industry.

scholarly journals Tuning radiative heat flows between interior surfaces and human occupants to improve heating and cooling efficiency

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Xu ◽  
Aaswath Raman
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Set Point ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Building Surfaces ◽  
Interior Walls ◽  
High Emissivity

Space heating and cooling in buildings account for nearly 20% of energy use globally. In most buildings this energy is used to maintain the thermal comfort of the building’s human occupants by maintaining the interior air temperature at a particular set point. However, if one could maintain the human occupant’s thermal comfort while decreasing the heating or increasing the cooling set point, dramatic energy savings are possible. Here, we propose and evaluate an untapped degree of freedom in improving building efficiency: dynamically tuning the thermal emissivity of interior building surfaces at long-wave infrared wavelengths to maintain thermal comfort. We show that in cold weather conditions tuning the emissivity of interior walls, floors and ceilings to a low value (0.1) can decrease the set point temperature as much as 7°C, corresponding to an energy saving of nearly 67.7% relative to high emissivity materials (0.9). Conversely, in warm weather, high emissivity interior surfaces result in a 38.5% energy savings relative to low emissivity surfaces, highlighting the need for tunability for maximal year-round efficiency. Our results reveal the remarkable energy savings potential possible by better controlling the ubiquitous flows of heat that surround us in the form of thermal radiation.

scholarly journals Tuning radiative heat flows between interior surfaces and human occupants to improve heating and cooling efficiency

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaswath Raman ◽  
Jin Xu
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Set Point ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Building Surfaces ◽  
Interior Walls ◽  
High Emissivity

Space heating and cooling in buildings account for nearly 20% of energy use globally. In most buildings this energy is used to maintain the thermal comfort of the building’s human occupants by maintaining the interior air temperature at a particular set point. However, if one could maintain the human occupant’s thermal comfort while decreasing the heating or increasing the cooling set point, dramatic energy savings are possible. Here, we propose and evaluate an untapped degree of freedom in improving building efficiency: dynamically tuning the thermal emissivity of interior building surfaces at long-wave infrared wavelengths to maintain thermal comfort. We show that in cold weather conditions tuning the emissivity of interior walls, floors and ceilings to a low value (0.1) can decrease the set point temperature as much as 7°C, corresponding to an energy saving of nearly 67.7% relative to high emissivity materials (0.9). Conversely, in warm weather, high emissivity interior surfaces result in a 38.5% energy savings relative to low emissivity surfaces, highlighting the need for tunability for maximal year-round efficiency. Our results reveal the remarkable energy savings potential possible by better controlling the ubiquitous flows of heat that surround us in the form of thermal radiation.

Knowledge Management Influence on Safety Management Practices

2022 ◽  
pp. 996-1020
Author(s):  
M.D. Deepak ◽  
Mahesh Gangadhar ◽  
Medi Narotham Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Level Of Importance

Many studies have been conducted in relation with knowledge management (KM), indicating the benefit associated with KM; among which safety management (SM) improvement is one of them. So, the aim of this article is to assess the influence of KM on SM practices in construction industry. In this regard, various factors that affect KM and SM are identified through literature review. Then, a questionnaire survey was facilitated to collect data based on the identified factors. These factors are ranked using a relative importance index (RII) to ascertain the level of importance among its group. Further, correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis are carried out to test and measure the strength of the relationship between KM and SM factors. Results indicate that there exists a definite and significant relationship between the factors of KM and SM in construction industry. Overall, the results obtained from the study will assist practitioners and professionals to develop and upgrade KM and SM practices in construction industry.

scholarly journals THE PERFORMANCE OF SAFETY IMPLEMENTATION TOWARDS ACCIDENT OCCURRENCE IN MALAYSIA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (Special1) ◽  
pp. 14-22
Author(s):  
Nur Sabrina Azmi ◽  
Ezrin Hani Sukadarin ◽  
Hanida Abdul Aziz
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Accident Prevention ◽  
Hazard Identification ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Occupational Accidents ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Fatal Accidents ◽  
Near Misses ◽  
Data Collections

Reported fatal accidents in Malaysia construction industry contributed the highest number among other industries since 2009 until 2018. These statistics are alarming and elucidate the need to conduct scientific research to find the solution to solve the problem. Safety and health issues remain critical to the construction industry due to its working environment and the complexity of working practices. To prevent an accident, hazard identification is essential to construction safety management because unidentified hazards present the most unmanageable risks. Therefore, this research is conducted to help in reducing occupational accidents in the construction industry, and it can be considered worthy. This study aims to understand the triggering events, and their factors leading to fatal accidents are of significant input. The obtained data were analyzed using a statistical analysis program. Data collections of 139 numbers of respondents have been conducted in six different construction sites in east Malaysia. The result showed that there is a correlation between worker's perspective on safety management in the construction site and accident that can lead to a more fatality rate compared to other sectors. The corresponding recommendations are ultimately put forward as fatal accident prevention in construction activities. The patterns found in this paper can contribute valuable direction for formulating accident prevention strategies. In future research, reporting of an accident and near misses are essential to be further explored.

scholarly journals Tuning radiative heat flows between interior surfaces and human occupants to improve heating and cooling efficiency

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Xu ◽  
Aaswath Raman
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Set Point ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Building Surfaces ◽  
Interior Walls ◽  
High Emissivity

Space heating and cooling in buildings account for nearly 20% of energy use globally. In most buildings this energy is used to maintain the thermal comfort of the building’s human occupants by maintaining the interior air temperature at a particular set point. However, if one could maintain the human occupant’s thermal comfort while decreasing the heating or increasing the cooling set point, dramatic energy savings are possible. Here, we propose and evaluate an untapped degree of freedom in improving building efficiency: dynamically tuning the thermal emissivity of interior building surfaces at long-wave infrared wavelengths to maintain thermal comfort. We show that in cold weather conditions tuning the emissivity of interior walls, floors and ceilings to a low value (0.1) can decrease the set point temperature as much as 7°C, corresponding to an energy saving of nearly 67.7% relative to high emissivity materials (0.9). Conversely, in warm weather, high emissivity interior surfaces result in a 38.5% energy savings relative to low emissivity surfaces, highlighting the need for tunability for maximal year-round efficiency. Our results reveal the remarkable energy savings potential possible by better controlling the ubiquitous flows of heat that surround us in the form of thermal radiation.

Vulnerability of sweet cherry cultivars to continuous periods of spring frosts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 348-352
Author(s):  
S. Malchev ◽  
S. Savchovska
Keyword(s):  
Sweet Cherry ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Frost Damage ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Bud Burst ◽  
Intermediate Group ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Group Form ◽  
Sweet Cherry Cultivars

Abstract. The periods with continuous freezing air temperatures reported during the spring of 2020 (13 incidents) affected a wide range of local and introduced sweet cherry cultivars in the region of Plovdiv. They vary from -0.6°C on March 02 to -4.9°C on March 16-17. The duration of influence of the lowest temperatures is 6 and 12 hours between March 16 and 17. The inspection of fruit buds and flowers was conducted twice (on March 26 and April 08) at different phenological stages after continuous waves of cold weather conditions alternated with high temperatures. During the phenological phase ‘bud burst’ (tight cluster or BBCH 55) some of the flowers in the buds did not develop further making the damage hardly detectable. The most damaged are hybrid El.28-21 (95.00%), ‘Van’ (91.89%) and ‘Bing’ (89.41%) and from the next group ‘Lapins’ (85.98%) and ‘Rosita’ (83.33%). A larger intermediate group form ‘Kossara’ (81.67%), ‘Rozalina’ (76.00%), ‘Sunburst’ (75.00%), ‘Bigarreau Burlat’ (69.11%) and ‘Kuklenska belitza’ (66.67%). Candidate-cultivar El.17-90 ‘Asparuh’ has the lowest frost damage values of 55.00% and El.17-37 ‘Tzvetina’ with damage of 50.60%.

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