Eye-tracking based quantification of the safety of human-machine interfaces of complementary protective system functions

Complementary protective measures are of increasing importance with rising degree of automation. As free robots become part of our daily life in industry, on shop floors and beyond, the overall safety of persons has to be ensured. However, assessing the reliability of complementary safety functions remains a challenge, particularly when humans are in the loop. The paper shows how to use the eye-tracking methodology to gain data for assessing the reliability of the human interaction with machine interfaces for complementary protective measures. The paper first identifies factors relevant for eye-tracking, then selects related eye tracking test parameters and finally provides a systematic procedure to assess both, in particular regarding visibility and susceptibility. The methodology is applied and the parameter selection is validated. It is found that in particular the identified and measured parameters fixation count for area of interest (AOI) and the associated average visit duration can be used to assess the factor perceptibility. The parameter deviation of fixation can thereby be used to assess usability. Based on this, a full-scale eye-tracking assessment is proposed for the reliability of the interaction of humans with the machine interfaces of supplementary protective measures. In summary, the preliminary test run execution shows that eye-tracking technology is a promising method for measuring and quantifying the human reliability when interacting with safety-related human-machine interfaces.

Factors influencing the use of hearing protection devices in Irish mine workers

Background: Workers who are exposed to high levels of noise should consider wearing HPDs when elimination of noise cannot be put in place. There are several factors including health and safety management systems, peers and policy that could influence workers to either use or not use HPDs. Objectives: To determine worker’s perception of noise risk in a mining setting and to determine if there is an association between organisational rules, knowledge, and the wearing of Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs). Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted at a mining setting in Ireland in which 116 workers participated; a self-administered questionnaire survey was used. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics and binary regression analysis. Results: The study had a response rate of 94% of the entire population. The mean exposure to noise levels that require HPDs is 5.32 hours. The results showed an association between using HPDs and organisation rules; and no association between preventing abnormal hearing, perceived influences in the workplace, knowledge and information. Conclusion: Factors that can influence workers likelihood to wear HPDs are organisation rules; this is unaffected by the influence of colleagues. Each company should have a clear policy to encourage workers to wear HPDs for preventing Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Application: The findings highlighted that a company’s health and safety policy is important to encourage employees to wear HPDs. Mine settings or noisy workplaces should have transparent policies for employees to follow and benefit their hearing health, even if an employee is not aware of the full content of a policy, aspects are known.

Vital exhaustion and psychosocial health among offshore personnel working in the Philippines

The offshore environment is a high-risk and demanding workplace exposing crew members to various physical and psychological stressors. Health and safety programs are implemented to prevent accidents and promote well-being among personnel. This study aims to determine the association between vital exhaustion and psychosocial health among offshore workers in the Philippines. Quantitative non-experimental descriptive correlational design was used and standardized questionnaires namely: Maastricht Vital Exhaustion (MVEQ) and Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaires (COPSOQ III) were utilized to gather data from fifty-five respondents (54 male; Mage = 42.69). Majority of them are assigned in the maintenance and marine departments with an average offshore experience of 11.69 years. Offshore workers have low vital exhaustion (VE) levels and good psychosocial health (PH) scores. Highest recorded scores for PH fall under Influence and Development, Outcome Scales and Interpersonal relations and leadership. Lower mean scores in Further Parameters and Demands at work also translate to favourable PH. There was a significant relationship among four PH scales and VE levels of respondents. There was also a significant relationship between VE and the demographic profile of offshore workers in terms of job assignment and work type however there was no significant association between PH and all demographic variables considered in the study. Majority of the participants claimed that environmental conditions are well-designed and safety concerns are managed appropriately in the workplace. The responses from offshore personnel provide a clear picture of their overall health. The resilience and camaraderie among the all-Filipino crew played a major role in keeping their VE levels low and promoting good PH scores.

Testing and practical validation of an individual safety performance assessment methodology – the SSP System

The “Safety Score Permit” (SSP) is a new tool that focuses on behaviour and is based on a point system which allows individual performance’s tracking, thus encouraging safe actions. The present study aims at verifying the applicability and practical validation of the first SSP version; the ultimate goal is to evaluate its coverage within different industrial contexts and identify limitations and opportunities for improvement. A pilot implementation was conducted in three large companies, presented as three case studies. The records of safety behaviour observations (SBO) of each case were analysed to verify if all the “observed deviations” fitted into the classes and subclasses typified in the system. Although the study basis was the same in all three cases, in two of them the research was based on existing SBO records collected in 2019, whilst in the 3rd case there was a much higher interaction throughout the work. In this case, the process was started from scratch, including the SBO procedure, its monitoring and subsequent data analysis, to create the necessary conditions for the implementation of the full system. The results obtained revealed that, in general, the SSP platform has the ability to cover most deviations identified in an organization. The system has the potential to become a useful and transparent tool to monitor employees’ safety performance at all hierarchical levels; it also helps to identify weaknesses in the companies’ OHS processes. This work was essentially exploratory but it shed light on how to improve the system further and also unveiled new opportunities. A key issue to enhance SSP as a management tool is to expand its scope to all types of human errors, thus offering better support to strategic OHS decisions.

Occupational health and safety in construction projects: a case study on chemical industry sector

Background: This study was conducted to demonstrate the importance of occupational health and safety (OHS) management in construction project environments, taking into account the successful development of those projects. The associated problems in OHS management projects were also studied, as substantial empirical research has shown this is a complex theme with a large number of associated factors. Methods: In this study three projects developed in the Portuguese petrochemical industry were analysed using documentary analysis, on-going interaction with workers and direct observations of work activity. A systematic literature review was also carried out. Results: Strengths and weaknesses related to OHS management of the three analysed projects were identified. Grounded on the case studies results a proposal of OHS management in construction projects, in a recommendations format, is also presented. Conclusion: Good results from OHS management in projects can be obtained as long as it is focused on success factors such as: top management commitment; line responsibility; involvement of all employees and, mainly, of direct and indirect managers. Well-defined OHS responsibilities; a well sized and structured organization and the creation of an honest, healthy, motivating and useful OHS environment team with a competent and dynamic coordinator leader are also important success factors.

Machine learning in occupational safety and health: protocol for a systematic review

Industry 4.0 has shaped the way people look at the world and interact with it, especially concerning the work environment with respect to occupational safety and health (OSH). Machine learning (ML), as a branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI), can be effectively used to create expert systems to exhibit intelligent behavior to provide solutions to complicated problems and finally process massive data. Therefore, a study is proposed to provide the best methodological practice in the light of ML. Alongside the review of previous investigations, the following research aims to determine the ML approaches appropriate to OSH issues. In other words, highlighting specific ML methodologies, which have been employed successfully in others areas. Bearing this objective in mind, one can identify an appropriate ML technique to solve a problem in the OSH domain. Accordingly, several questions were designed to conduct the research. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for Protocols and Systematic Reviews were used to draw the research outline. The chosen databases were SCOPUS, PubMed, Science Direct, Inspect, and Web of Science. A set of keywords related to the topic were defined, and both exclusion and inclusion criteria were determined. All of the eligible papers will be analyzed, and the extracted information will be included in an Excel form sheet. The results will be presented in a narrative-based form. Additionally, all tables summarizing the most important findings will be offered.

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2: Impact on healthcare workers in the pandemic’s initial months: Rapid review

On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organisation declared the SARS-CoV-2 viral outbreak a pandemic. This rapid review aimed to identify the pandemic's impact on frontline healthcare workers during the viral outbreak's initial months. Database searches December 1, 2019 to August 29, 2020 retrieved 18 relevant studies. Findings showed that healthcare workers internationally were negatively impacted by the pandemic. Compared to non-frontline healthcare workers a significantly greater proportion of frontline healthcare workers experienced: burnout, stress, and stressors regarding: childcare, job interference with work-family balance and difficulty getting off-duty time. Compared to male physicians, a significantly greater proportion of female physicians scored low for psychological well-being. Mean scores for stress were significantly higher among females and young healthcare workers (22 to 35 years). Mean scores for anxiety were significantly higher for: nurses compared to technicians, healthcare workers reporting extreme lack of protective equipment and those aged > 30 years. The prevalence of depression among frontline healthcare workers across studies in this review ranged from 9% to 51%. The prevalence of sleep issues ranged from 24% to 60% with some reporting nightmares. However, these studies lack homogeneity. Healthcare workers experienced fear of: contracting the virus (89.8%), spreading it to family (91.3%) and fear of an uncontrollable epidemic (86.8%). Over 90% reported skin lesions due to prolonged use of personal protective equipment. Many lost their lives to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One prominent impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is the reported loss of healthcare worker's lives and this paper wishes to pay them tribute.

BIM-based sensors technologies implemented in the construction site: protocol for a systematic review

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is used in construction projects to improve efficiency. In general, it improves project management and monitoring, reduces time and costs, strengthens collaboration among stakeholders, and reduces risks and injuries. Sensor technologies with various functionalities are being implemented in the construction site. Technologies such as tracking workers and transmitting real-time site inspections to support the BIM tools in various fields are being used. To evaluate sensor technologies’ usability and effectiveness in Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) sector, a literature review adapting PRISMA Statement is proposed. Consequently, this document represents a complementary manuscript as a PRISMA Protocol (PRISMA-P). Relevant articles are collected from top electronic databases in the construction field. This review aims to investigate the sensor connected BIM models and the technologies being utilised in the AECO sector, investigating the targeted groups, construction field, and the system architectures being used. Furthermore, the study will examine the case studies of the implemented sensors to evaluate each technology’s effectiveness. Finally, the reliability of the tools and future proposals is projected.

Investigation of health and safety measures in construction sites in Lebanon and Northern Cyprus

Lebanon and Northern Cyprus are two developing regions where both have been witnessing an increase in population size and medium-rise buildings. Therefore, workers and construction sites increase, which makes workers more vulnerable to various fatal/non-fatal accidents. The effective and efficient management of health and safety is crucial for all projects undertaken under significant risk levels. This study investigates the Occupational Health and Safety regulations and how both countries deal with them to achieve maximum knowledge regarding construction health and safety. The data collected based on personal observations by site visits and conducting brief face-to-face informal interviews. Both oral interviews and observations are informal data collection methods but are suitable for certain kinds of data collection methods or techniques. The most common type of accident is falling from heights, electrical shocks that occur in construction sites of both countries. The findings of this research work proved that accidents could be prevented and even eliminated if all the required safety precautions are implemented. The root causes of the accidents need to be identified, and effective prevention measures should be taken to minimize the frequency and intensity of the accidents. This will surely improve the safety performance of the personnel on construction sites.

Increased urine chromium concentrations in a worker exposed to lead chromate due to medicinal herb intake

Background: Hexavalent chromium compounds are sensitizers of the skin and lung. Chronic exposure to hexavalent chromium compounds is associated with respiratory effects and ulceration and perforation of the nasal septum. Such compounds are also considered carcinogens of the lung and nasal and paranasal sinus. Objectives: To demonstrate the importance of studying occupational and non-occupational exposure when assessing the concentration of substances in the urine. Case study: A study was conducted of environmental chromium concentrations in the workplace. In addition, an occupational medical examination was performed, recording activities inside and outside the workplace, eating habits, blood lead and urine chromium at the beginning and end of the workday. Results: One worker exposed to lead chromate presented high chromium concentrations in urine (up to 62 µg/l before the working day and 52 µg/l at the end of the working day). Environmental chromium concentrations in the workplace were below 0.25 µg/m3. In view of the results, a full study was conducted of the patient’s habits outside work. He reported having bought a kilo of a medicinal herb infusion at a street market three weeks previously. The concentration of total chromium in the prepared infusion was 12000 µg/l. The patient stopped consuming the medicinal herb. Subsequently, the urine chromium analysis was below 0.5 µg/l. Discussion and Conclusions: This case is interesting because it demonstrates that the consumption of medicinal herbs can interfere with biological monitoring of workers exposed to hexavalent chromium compounds. This may give rise to confusion and can also create legal problems for companies and workers. It is important to provide advice to workers and to investigate their habits outside work, especially when there is a discrepancy between environmental and biological values. In this case, the increase in urinary chromium is due to the consumption of medicinal herbs.