Assessment of the risk of occupational accidents using a “fuzzy” approach

This paper presents an assessment method of the risks of occupational accidents based on fuzzy logic. The purpose of this work was to create a methodological instrument that can semiquantitatively assess the risk of occupational accidents for different industrial and site activities and to identify the most efficient intervention measures that can be taken to reduce risks. This approach, which is new in the assessment of the risk of occupational accidents, allows qualitative, imprecise and in some cases contradictory data to be elaborated, as the data that describe an occupational accident usually are. The set-up analysis model therefore allows (1) an assessment to be made of the level of risk of a work phase and/or a work sector, (2) a verification and quantification to be made of the reduction of the risk after having adopted preventive and/or protective measures and (3) a priority of interventions to be established on the basis of the assessed risk levels. It can be seen how the method, here applied to a company producing industrial vehicle tyres, can be considered applicable for any type of company, with the only prerequisite of having a record of sufficient and homogeneous number of accidents so as to be able to correctly instruct the software and tune the reference parameters.     

Effects of personal,psychosocial and occupational factors on low back pain severity in workers

Low back pain (LBP) remains the most common work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD). While most of the LBP research has focused on occupational risk factors, other underlying causal mechanisms may exist since not all workers performing the same task develop an injury. Previous research has identified three primary risk factor categories for LBP (occupational, personal and psychosocial factors); however, few studies have investigated the impact of cross categorical risk factor interactions on LBP. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of occupational, personal and psychosocial factors, and their interactions, on LBP severity in a population of workers currently suffering from LBP. Sixty LBP patients recruited for the study through local physicians and local announcements, completed questionnaires relating to identified occupational, personal and psychosocial risk factors, and completed an Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Multiple regression models for predicting LBP severity were developed for each risk factor category and for a combined risk factor model (which included factors from all three risk factor categories) that included two-way interactions. Results showed that the final model consisted of both main effects and interaction terms between risk factor categories and had an adjusted R² value of 0.85, a significant improvement over models developed for the individual categories. These findings illustrate the need to consider all three broad categories of risk factors simultaneously in predicting injury status and in developing effective potential intervention efforts.     

An empirical study of occupational stress,attitudes and health among information systems personnel

This paper investigates occupational stress, Type A behavior pattern, work attitudes, health symptoms, and health behaviors among information systems personnel. Hundreds of research studies have been conducted on the stress associated with working in various occupations. Unfortunately, information systems is one occupation that has not been included in these stress studies. The present study investigated the stress, work attitudes, and health behaviors of 446 information systems personnel employed in 18 different organizations. Type A behavior pattern was found to be a significant moderator for some of the stressor-criterion associations. The findings suggest that more managerial understanding of person-environment fit in general and the individual employee's predisposition toward the Type A behavior pattern specifically may be beneficial in attempting to initiate, nurture, and sustain a productive and healthy work atmosphere.     

Examining the relationship between job design and worker strain over time in a sample of office workers

This study examines relationships between job design variables and worker strain. Office workers from a public service organization participated in a three-year study. Once during each of the three years, the same questionnaire was handed out to the subjects to examine job design and worker strain. The results indicate that the bivariate relationships between job design and worker strain change over time. At round 1, quantitative workload, work pressure and supervisor social support were the most important predictors of the worker strain variables. At round 2, task clarity, supervisor social support, and job future ambiguity were the most important predictors of worker strain. At round 3, task clarity, attention, and job future ambiguity were the most consistent predictors of worker strain. The results of the canonical correlation analysis were relatively similar for rounds 1 and 3, but not for round 2. There appears to be some consistency in the overall underlying structure of the relationships between job design and worker strain, but there is also some inconsistency in terms of which specific job design factors are related to specific measures of worker strain.     

An evaluation of EU legislation concerning risk assessment and preventive measures in occupational safety and health

The European Council Directive 89/391/EC of 12 June 1989 is concerned with the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the occupational safety and health. For example, it deals with risk assessment and preventive measures. The Finnish legislation enacts the risk assessment and prevention measures in a similar way as the EU Directive 89/391/EC. The aim of this study was to examine: 1) the implementation of risk assessment process as a part of OSH management, and 2) the effectiveness of the OSH legislation concerned with risk assessment. The quantitative method involved an online questionnaire. The respondents were employers (N = 1478), workers (N = 1416) and occupational care (OHC) professionals’ units (N = 469). Three quarters of the employer respondents and two thirds of the workers and OHC service providers felt that the EU legislative provisions have promoted the engagement of the management. According to the study, improvement is needed in ensuring the cooperation between employers and workers. The combined variables of Risk Assessment Process revealed positive impacts both on Cooperation and Management Measures and on the Concrete Preventive Measures among the employers and the workers. The combined variables of Use of Documents of Risk Assessments highlighted positive impacts on both the Exploiting of Results of Risk Assessments in Planning and Management and on the Exploiting of Results of Risk Assessment in Cooperation and Technology.     

Structural stability and reliability of the Swedish occupational fatigue inventory among Chinese VDT workers

The aim of the present study was to test the structural stability and reliability of the Swedish occupational fatigue inventory (SOFI) for use in a group of Chinese visual display terminal (VDT) workers. A qualified translator was recruited to translate the Chinese version of the SOFI (SOFI-C). The content validity was established with 12 bilingual practitioners and seven professional experts. The translated SOFI was administered to 104 sedentary workers on two occasions with an interval of 60 min. Most of them were female (80.8%) and they had a mean age of 34.5 years. Fifty-one percent of them reported using a VDT for 4h or more at work. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a five-factor solution, which was comparable to the original latent factors. Cronbach's alpha for the five-factor scales was between 0.88 and 0.95. The test-retest reliability was satisfactory with intra-class correlations ranging from 0.69 to 0.83. The workers who used a VDT for 4h or more had significantly higher SOFI scores than those who used one for less than 4 h (p = 0.007 - 0.046). The results indicated that the SOFI-C was valid and reliable for measuring fatigue among Chinese sedentary workers. The satisfactory structural stability suggested that cultural influences on the construct of fatigue were not strong. Its characteristics of discrimination of the sedentary workers who had high VDT exposure suggested that the SOFI-C would be a useful instrument for prevention and intervention programs designed for work-related injuries in the workplace.     

An examination of the relationship between cycle training,cycle accidents,attitudes and cycling behaviour among children

Around 40% of 10–11-year-old children receive cycle training every year in the UK, but concern has been expressed over the efficacy of training courses. One argument is that accidents occur too infrequently to be a viable evaluative criterion, and attitudes and behaviour have been suggested as alternatives. A questionnaire that measured a number of variables including accidents, attitudes, and behaviour was completed by 336 participants from two schools in the London Borough of Bromley. At least one cycling injury had been sustained by 58.3% of respondents, requiring hospital treatment in 19.1% of cases. Girls reported fewer accidents than boys. No relationship between training and accidents was found. A principal components analysis (PCA) of the attitudes items produced a ‘safe attitudes’ factor. Girls displayed ‘safer’ attitudes, but there was no evidence that training produced safer attitudes. A PCA of the cycling behaviour scales produced two factors, ‘safe cycling’ and ‘showing off’. Safe cyclists who obeyed basic safety rules were less likely to sustain cycle injuries, but showing off was not related to accidents. Girls were less likely to show off, but the safe behaviour gender difference did not reach significance. Training did not relate to either factor.     

An examination of the relationship between cycle training,cycle accidents,attitudes and cycling behaviour among children

Around 40% of 10-11-year-old children receive cycle training every year in the UK, but concern has been expressed over the efficacy of training courses. One argument is that accidents occur too infrequently to be a viable evaluative criterion, and attitudes and behaviour have been suggested as alternatives. A questionnaire that measured a number of variables including accidents, attitudes, and behaviour was completed by 336 participants from two schools in the London Borough of Bromley. At least one cycling injury had been sustained by 58.3% of respondents, requiring hospital treatment in 19.1% of cases. Girls reported fewer accidents than boys. No relationship between training and accidents was found. A principal components analysis (PCA) of the attitudes items produced a 'safe attitudes' factor. Girls displayed 'safer' attitudes, but there was no evidence that training produced safer attitudes. A PCA of the cycling behaviour scales produced two factors, 'safe cycling' and 'showing off'. Safe cyclists who obeyed basic safety rules were less likely to sustain cycle injuries, but showing off was not related to accidents. Girls were less likely to show off, but the safe behaviour gender difference did not reach significance. Training did not relate to either factor.     

An evaluation of methods assessing the physical demands of manual lifting in scaffolding

Four methods assessing the physical demands of manual lifting were compared. The scaffolding job was evaluated and three distinct scaffolding tasks were ranked using: (1) the revised NIOSH lifting equation (NIOSH method), (2) lifting guidelines for the Dutch construction industry (Arbouw method), (3) rapid appraisal of the NIOSH lifting equation (practitioners' method), and (4) systematic observations. For the three first-mentioned methods the same dataset was used; observation took place in a different setting in the same company. At job level, all methods indicated that ergonomic interventions are required to protect scaffolders from an increased risk for low back pain. The NIOSH, Arbouw and practitioners' method resulted in a similar ranking order of tasks (transport>construction>dismantlement). In contrast, the observational method gave transport the lowest ranking. The underlying cause was probably that the observational method is more sensitive to durations of tasks and lifting within tasks than the three other methods.     

An intervention method for occupational safety in farming -- evaluation of the effect and process

In order to increase safety in Swedish farming an intervention methodology to influence attitudes and behaviour was tested. Eighty eight farmers and farm workers in nine groups gathered on seven occasions during 1 year. The basic concept was to create socially supportive networks and encourage discussions and reflection, focusing on risk manageability. Six of the groups made structured incident/accident analyses. Three of the latter groups also received information on risks and accident consequences. Effects were evaluated in a pre-post questionnaire using six-graded scales. A significant increase in safety activity and significant reduction in stress and risk acceptance was observed in the total sample. Risk perception and perceived risk manageability did not change. Analysing incidents/accidents, but not receiving information, showed a more positive outcome. Qualitative data indicated good feasibility and that the long duration of the intervention was perceived as necessary. The socially supportive network was reported as beneficial for the change process.     

Examining the impact of privacy, trust and risk perceptions beyond monetary transactions: An integrated model

Much interest in privacy and trust studies is about shopping, but privacy research in other forms of online activities is beginning to emerge. This study examined the antecedents of privacy, trust and risk as well as their joint effect on two similar but fundamentally different activities: online transactions and retrieval of privileged information. Both activities involve the delivery of private user information, but the latter gives some leeway for users to control (or even falsify) their true identity. User shopping experience in the present study moderated the relationships and strengths of constructs. The effect of Internet literacy, social awareness and disposition to trust on privacy concern and trust was weaker for experienced shoppers. Privacy concern, trust and risk assessment played a lesser role on the two activity variables for those who were more experienced. Perceived privacy risk stood out as a strong antecedent for respondents in both experience groups, but the effect of Internet literacy, social awareness and disposition on trust was statistically insignificant for the same group. Further practical and managerial implications are provided.     

The relationships among the Big Five Personality factors,self-esteem,narcissism, and sensation-seeking to Chinese University students’ uses of social networking sites (SNSs)

It has been suggested that personality factors are related to an individuals’ use of social networking sites (SNSs). The present research explores the relationships between the Big Five Personality factors, narcissism, self-esteem, and sensation seeking and individuals’ use of specific features of SNS. Self-reports were collected from 265 SNS users from a university in China. Regression analyses revealed that personality factors play an important role in how SNS are used. Specifically, extraverts are more likely to use the communicative function of SNS including status update, comment, and adding more friends. Neurotic are more likely to use the feature of status update as a way of self-expression. Agreeable individuals tend to make more comments on others’ profiles. Individuals with high self-esteem are more likely to comment on others’ profiles. Users scoring high on openness and sensation seeking are more likely to play online games on SNS. Narcissistic users are more likely to upload their attractive photos on SNS and tend to use update status more frequently for self-presentation. Gender also played an important role in predicting types of SNS use. Males reported more SNS friends and were more likely to play online games than were females, who were more likely to upload self-photos and update their status.     

An empirical evaluation of the comprehensibility of decision table, tree and rule based predictive models

An important objective of data mining is the development of predictive models. Based on a number of observations, a model is constructed that allows the analysts to provide classifications or predictions for new observations. Currently, most research focuses on improving the accuracy or precision of these models and comparatively little research has been undertaken to increase their comprehensibility to the analyst or end-user. This is mainly due to the subjective nature of ‘comprehensibility’, which depends on many factors outside the model, such as the user's experience and his/her prior knowledge. Despite this influence of the observer, some representation formats are generally considered to be more easily interpretable than others. In this paper, an empirical study is presented which investigates the suitability of a number of alternative representation formats for classification when interpretability is a key requirement. The formats under consideration are decision tables, (binary) decision trees, propositional rules, and oblique rules. An end-user experiment was designed to test the accuracy, response time, and answer confidence for a set of problem-solving tasks involving the former representations. Analysis of the results reveals that decision tables perform significantly better on all three criteria, while post-test voting also reveals a clear preference of users for decision tables in terms of ease of use.     

An evaluation of the time-varying extended logistic, simple logistic, and Gompertz models for forecasting short product lifecycles

Many successful technology forecasting models have been developed but few researchers have explored a model that can best predict short product lifecycles. This research studies the forecast accuracy of long and short product lifecycle datasets using simple logistic, Gompertz, and the time-varying extended logistic models. The performance of the models was evaluated using the mean absolute deviation and the root mean square error. Time series datasets for 22 electronic products were used to evaluate and compare the performance of the three models. The results show that the time-varying extended logistic model fits short product lifecycle datasets 70% better than the simple logistic and the Gompertz models. The findings also show that the time-varying extended logistic model is better suited to predict market capacity with limited historical data as is typically the case for short lifecycle products.     

Trust, privacy, and legal protection in the use of software with surreptitiously installed operations: An empirical evaluation

The class of software which is “surreptitiously installed on a user’s computer and monitors a user’s activity and reports back to a third party on that behavior” is referred to as spyware “(Stafford and Urbaczewski in Communications of the AIS 14:291–306, 2004)”. It is a strategic imperative that software vendors, who either embed surreptitious data collection and other operations in legitimate software applications or whose software is unwittingly used as a delivery vehicle for surreptitious operations, understand users’ perceptions of trust, privacy, and legal protection of such software to remain competitive. This paper develops and tests a research model to explore application software users’ perceptions in the use of software with embedded surreptitious operations. An experiment was undertaken to examine whether the presence of spyware in application software impacts users’ perceptions and beliefs about trustworthiness of the application software, privacy control of the software vendor, United States legal protection, and overall trust of the software vendor. The results indicate users of software with spyware, versus users of software without spyware, have lower trust perceptions of a software vendor. Further examination of trustworthiness as a multi-dimensional construct reveals a software vendor’s competence in appropriately using private user information collected and the user’s belief that the vendor will abide by acceptable principles in information exchange are important influences in gaining users’ overall trust in a vendor. User trust in software utilization is critical for a software vendor’s success because without it, users may avoid a vendor’s software should the presence of spyware be discovered. Software vendors should respond to the strategic necessity to gain users’ trust. Vendors must institute proactive and protective measures to demonstrate that their software should be trusted. These protections could take the form of technological approaches or government legislation, or both.

An evaluation of remote sensing techniques for enhanced detection of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis

Optical techniques were investigated to enhance current bloom detection capabilities in support of an operational system for forecasting harmful Karenia brevis blooms along the west coast of Florida, within the Gulf of Mexico. Algorithms pertaining to backscatter and changes in spectral shape of remote-sensing reflectance were applied to SeaWiFS and MODIS imagery during known K. brevis and non-K. brevis events. A method to remove resuspended chlorophyll in Texas showed limited use when applied to several scenes following tropical storms off the west Florida coast. This analysis suggests that an ensemble image approach, wherein a combination of a chlorophyll anomaly, spectral shape at 490 nm and a backscatter ratio product would provide an improvement in satellite detection of K. brevis blooms. For southwest Florida, the combination of these methods through an ensemble approach may lead to an increase in user accuracy by 30-50%, as a result of correctly identifying non-K. brevis features. Where available, MODIS FLH scenes were analyzed to determine their use in K. brevis detection. However, insufficient imagery was available to make a fair assessment. Similar approaches could be applied to bloom tracking and monitoring in other regions.