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1. Human Performance Best Practices in the Electrical Workplace

   https://doi.org/10.1109/esw41045.2019.9024716  

   Aroke, Olugbemi; Doherty, Mike; Esmaeili, Behzad (March 2019, 2019 IEEE IAS Electrical Safety Workshop (ESW))

   The construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries worldwide, and contact with electricity is a major cause of injury and death among construction workers. It is well known that unsafe acts resulting from human error are the primary cause for up to 80% of accidents across various industries, and some studies show that human performance tools may be functional in mitigating these incidents. Accordingly, this paper provides empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of human performance tools as used to curb the frequency, probability, and severity of accidents. To achieve its objectives, this study first executed an extensive literature review to identify best practices related to human factors in mitigating the risk of electrical incidents. Then, the authors distributed an online questionnaire among various safety managers to determine the effectiveness of each practice in reducing the frequency, probability and severity of these incidents. The results and analysis show which human performance tools are recognized as most effective in helping safety managers mitigate human errors in electrical jobsites. The results of this study and paper will accelerate and transform current injury-prevention practices as well as overcome some of the barriers in the electrical workplace. An easy-to-use and effective set of human performance best practice solutions will be provided based on standards and industry experience. 

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2. Comparison and Quantification of Cognitive Load generated by Sternberg Test using EEG Signals

   Wang, Y. (June 2020, Construction Research Congress 2020)

   Driven by the increasing complexity of built environments, firefighters are often exposed to extensive wayfinding information which could cause high cognitive load and ineffective or even dangerous decision making. To reduce injuries and fatal incidents in firefighters’ line of duty, this study aims at measuring the cognitive load and identifying the source of such cognitive overload in wayfinding information review. We developed a Sternberg Test to induce cognitive load on participants pertaining to working memory development, where participants were required to memorize colors, letters, numbers, directions, icons, words, and letter combinations that are relevant to wayfinding tasks. We used an Electroencephalogram (EEG) device to monitor neural activities especially in frontal, parietal, and occipital areas of brain. The fast Fourier transformation (FFT) was applied to separate the sub-band energy. The speed of response in Sternberg Test and the EEG signals were compared to show the coherence between the results of the two methods in representing the cognitive load in the review test. Results indicate that the cognitive load arises from diverse information can be measured to help customize wayfinding information for controlled cognitive load of firefighters in wayfinding tasks. 

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3. In pursuit of ‘safe’ water: the burden of personal injury from water fetching in 21 low-income and middle-income countries

   https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003328  

   Venkataramanan, Vidya; Geere, Jo-Anne L; Thomae, Benjamin; Stoler, Justin; Hunter, Paul R; Young, Sera L (October 2020, BMJ Global Health)

   null (Ed.)

   Introduction Water fetching for household needs can cause injury, but documentation of the burden of harm globally has been limited. We described the frequency, characteristics and correlates of water-fetching injuries in 24 sites in 21 low-income and middle-income countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Methods In a survey of 6291 randomly selected households, respondents reported whether and how they had experienced water-fetching injuries. Responses were coded for injury type, mechanism, bodily location and physical context. We then identified correlates of injury using a multilevel, mixed-effects logistic regression model. Results Thirteen per cent of respondents reported at least one water-fetching injury. Of 879 injuries, fractures and dislocations were the most commonly specified type (29.2%), and falls were the most commonly specified mechanism (76.4%). Where specified, 61.1% of injuries occurred to the lower limbs, and dangerous terrain (69.4%) was the most frequently reported context. Significant correlates included being female (aOR=1.50, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.96); rural (aOR=4.80, 95% CI 2.83 to 8.15) or periurban residence (aOR=2.75, 95% CI 1.64 to 4.60); higher household water insecurity scores (aOR=1.09, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.10) and reliance on surface water (aOR=1.97, 95% CI 1.21 to 3.22) or off-premise water sources that required queueing (aOR=1.72, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.49). Conclusion These data suggest that water-fetching injuries are an underappreciated and largely unmeasured public health challenge. We offer guidelines for comprehensive data collection on injuries to better capture the true burden of inadequate water access. Such data can guide the design of interventions to reduce injury risk and promote equitable water access solutions. 

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4. Cost–benefit analysis of a distracted pedestrian intervention

   https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2022-044740  

   Rahim, Md Jillur; Schwebel, David C; Hasan, Ragib; Griffin, Russell; Sen, Bisakha (November 2022, Injury Prevention)

   Objective Cellphone ubiquity has increased distracted pedestrian behaviour and contributed to growing pedestrian injury rates. A major barrier to large-scale implementation of prevention programmes is unavailable information on potential monetary benefits. We evaluated net economic societal benefits of StreetBit, a programme that reduces distracted pedestrian behaviour by sending warnings from intersection-installed Bluetooth beacons to distracted pedestrians’ smartphones. Methods Three data sources were used as follows: (1) fatal, severe, non-severe pedestrian injury rates from Alabama’s electronic crash reporting system; (2) expected costs per fatal, severe, non-severe pedestrian injury—including medical cost, value of statistical life, work-loss cost, quality-of-life cost—from CDC and (3) prevalence of distracted walking from extant literature. We computed and compared estimated monetary costs of distracted walking in Alabama and monetary benefits from implementing StreetBit to reduce pedestrian injuries at intersections. Results Over 2019–2021, Alabama recorded an annual average of 31 fatal, 83 severe and 115 non-severe pedestrian injuries in intersections. Expected costs/injury were US$11 million, US$339 535 and US$93 877, respectively. The estimated distracted walking prevalence is 25%–40%, and StreetBit demonstrates 19.1% (95% CI 1.6% to 36.0%) reduction. These figures demonstrate potential annual cost savings from using interventions like StreetBit statewide ranging from US$18.1 to US$29 million. Potential costs range from US$3 208 600 (beacons at every-fourth urban intersection) to US$6 359 200 (every other intersection). Conclusions Even under the most parsimonious scenario (25% distracted pedestrians; densest beacon placement), StreetBit yields US$11.8 million estimated net annual benefit to society. Existing data sources can be leveraged to predict net monetary benefits of distracted pedestrian interventions like StreetBit and facilitate large-scale intervention adoption. 

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5. Assessing Lower Extremity Kinematics of Roofing Tasks

   https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483985.049  

   Jahani Jirsaraei, Matin; Esmaeili, Behzad; Pathak, Parth (March 2022, Construction Research Congress 2022)

   Roofers spend considerable time in awkward postures due to steep-slope rooftops. The combination of these postures, the forces acting on them, and the time spent in such postures increases the chance of roofers developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Several studies have connected these awkward postures to potential risk factors for injuries and disorders; however, existing models are not appropriate in roof workplaces because they are designed to assess work-related risk factors for general tasks. This study examines the impacts of work-related factors, namely working posture and roof slope, on kinematics measurements of body segments in a laboratory setting. To achieve this objective, time-stamped motion data from inertial measurement unit (IMU) devices (i.e., accelerometer, gyroscope, and quaternion signals) were collected from a sample of six undergraduate students at George Mason University. Participants performed two common roofing activities, namely walking along the roof and squatting in different roof slopes (0°, 30°). Comparing IMU signals using statistical analysis demonstrated significant differences in body kinematics between roofing activities on the slope and level ground. Overall, sloped-surface activities on a 30° roof resulted in changes in about 26% of walking and 12% of squatting variables. Such information is useful for a logical understanding of roofing MSD development and may lead to better interventions and guidelines for reducing roofing injuries. 

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