Guide for Quantitative Approaches to Systemic Safety Analysis


Book Description

Traditional approaches to safety have focused on identifying high-crash locations and implementing projects to address predominant concerns at these locations. The systemic approach to safety is a method of safety management that typically involves lower unit cost safety improvements that are widely implemented based on high risk factors. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Research Report 955: Guide for Quantitative Approaches to Systemic Safety Analysis provides guidance to state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation agencies on how to apply a systemic safety management approach for identifying safety improvement projects. Material associated with the report includes NCHRP Web-Only Document 285: Developing a Guide for Quantitative Approaches to Systemic Safety Analysis and a PowerPoint of the summary of project findings and future research needs.













Rail Human Factors around the World


Book Description

The rail human factors/ergonomics community has grown quickly and extensively, and there is much increased recognition of the vital importance of ergonomics/human factors by rail infrastructure owners, rail operating companies, system developers, regulators and national and trans-national government. This book, the third on rail human factors, is drawn from papers presented at the Lille 3rd International Conference on Rail Human Factors. The contributions cover the range of human and organisational issues on the railway, from driving to signalling and control to maintenance and engineering work, to passengers and security issues such as trespass, and address improvements in safety, reliability, use of capacity, efficiency and quality. The book represents the best of recent work in rail human factors, and starts to define the framework for the next few years. As well as the human factors areas listed above, the conference and thus the book are notable for sessions on simulation in rail human factors and on human factors in metro design and operation. The book also reflects the increased attention being paid to, and developments in, understanding all aspects of rail stakeholders’ behaviour, and also the contribution of ergonomics/human factors to innovative network control systems which will enhance reliability, safety and use of capacity. The book will be of interest to a number of groups: those working in the rail sector from a human factors point of view; the larger rail industry and related bodies generally; and in terms of transferrable knowledge to ergonomists and human factors specialists working in other industries.




Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions


Book Description

Healthcare providers, consumers, researchers and policy makers are inundated with unmanageable amounts of information, including evidence from healthcare research. It has become impossible for all to have the time and resources to find, appraise and interpret this evidence and incorporate it into healthcare decisions. Cochrane Reviews respond to this challenge by identifying, appraising and synthesizing research-based evidence and presenting it in a standardized format, published in The Cochrane Library (www.thecochranelibrary.com). The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions contains methodological guidance for the preparation and maintenance of Cochrane intervention reviews. Written in a clear and accessible format, it is the essential manual for all those preparing, maintaining and reading Cochrane reviews. Many of the principles and methods described here are appropriate for systematic reviews applied to other types of research and to systematic reviews of interventions undertaken by others. It is hoped therefore that this book will be invaluable to all those who want to understand the role of systematic reviews, critically appraise published reviews or perform reviews themselves.




A Guide to Fire and Gas Detection Design in Hazardous Industries


Book Description

In the last 15 years, the field of fire and gas mapping has grown extensively, yet very little is published on the subject. The text includes deeper discussions on important engineering factors associated with fire and gas detection, along with anecdotes and examples. It will guide the readers on what to consider when you do not have access to proprietary guides, and how to interpret the design process even when one does not have access to a guidance document. The text covers important topics including visual flame detection, flame detection mapping, infrared point gas detector (IRPGD), infrared open path gas detector (OPGD), ultrasonic/acoustic design, and gas detection mapping. The book plays the following roles: Explores practical aspects of designing a detection layout Enables users in interpreting a detector data sheet and coverage analysis Teaches readers working on a project to cut through the marketing of detection and design an effective system Inclusion of real-life experiences on projects will provide engineers with clear examples of where things can, and often do, go wrong It is an ideal text for professionals and graduate students working in the fields of occupational health and safety, fire protection engineering, and environmental safety. The text discusses fundamental aspects of fire and gas mapping, which has been applied with great success in many parts of the world and is commonly adopted by the major operators in the process industries.







Handbook of Cognitive and Autonomous Systems for Fire Resilient Infrastructures


Book Description

This handbook aims at modernizing the current state of civil engineering and firefighting, especially in this era where infrastructures are reaching new heights, serving diverse populations, and being challenged by unique threats. Its aim is to set the stage toward realizing contemporary, smart, and resilient infrastructure. The Handbook of Cognitive and Autonomous Systems for Fire Resilient Infrastructures draws convergence between civil engineering and firefighting to the modern realm of interdisciplinary sciences (i.e., artificial intelligence, IoT, robotics, sensing, and human psychology). As such, this work aims to revolutionize the current philosophy of design for one of the most notorious extreme events: fire. Unlike other publications, which are narrowed to one specific research area, this handbook cultivates a paradigm in which critical aspects of structural design, technology, and human behavior are studied and examined through chapters written by leaders in their fields. This handbook can also serve as a textbook for graduate and senior undergraduate students in Civil, Mechanical, and Fire Protection engineering programs as well as for students in Architectural and social science disciplines. Students, engineers, academics, professionals, scientists, firefighters, and government officials involved in national and international societies such as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), among others, will benefit from this handbook.




Guide to Applying Human Factors Methods


Book Description

Human error plays a significant role in many accidents involving safety-critical systems, and it is now a standard requirement in both the US and Europe for Human Factors (HF) to be taken into account in system design and safety assessment. This book will be an essential guide for anyone who uses HF in their everyday work, providing them with consistent and ready-to-use procedures and methods that can be applied to real-life problems. The first part of the book looks at the theoretical framework, methods and techniques that the engineer or safety analyst needs to use when working on a HF-related project. The second part presents four case studies that show the reader how the above framework and guidelines work in practice. The case studies are based on real-life projects carried out by the author for a major European railway system, and in collaboration with international companies such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation, Volvo, Daimler-Chrysler and FIAT.