Determining risk potential through accidents and near-accidents: an empirical study in a steel factory

Fatal and permanently disabling accidents form only one per I cent of all occupational accidents but in many branches of industry they account for more than half the accident costs. Furthermore the human suffering of the victim and his family is greater in severe accidents than in slight ones. For both human and economic reasons the severe accident risks should be identified befor injuries occur. It is for this purpose that different safety analysis methods have been developed . This study shows two new possible approaches to the problem.. The first is the hypothesis that it is possible to estimate the potential severity of accidents independent of the actual severity. The second is the hypothesis that when workers are also asked to report near accidents, they are particularly prone to report potentially severe near accidents on the basis of their own subjective risk assessment. A field study was carried out in a steel factory. The results supported both the hypotheses. The reliability and the validity of post incident estimates of an accident's potential severity were reasonable. About 10 % of accidents were estimated to be potentially critical; they could have led to death or very severe permanent disability. Reported near accidents were significantly more severe, about 60 $ of them were estimated to be critical. Furthermore the validity of workers subjective risk assessment, manifested in the near accident reports, proved to be reasonable. The studied new methods require further development and testing. They could be used both in routine usage in work places and in research for identifying and setting the priorities of accident risks.

Investigation of Oxygen Cutting Process in Solid-State Welding

The oxygen cutting is a thermal cutting process, in which metal is heated locally up to its ignition temperature and burnt off by oxygen blast. Oxygen cutting can be used to remove upset metal of a hollow bar occurred due to solid-state welding process. The main goal of this research was to establish a connection between oxygen blasts and mass of metal removed and relate findings to production to suggest improvements to the current process. This master´s thesis describes the designing and building of a test rig for oxygen blowing measurements. It also contains all executed tests and test results, which were carried out. There are different cutting parameters which were studied as well as their effect on cutting process. The oxygen cutting process, used in solid-state welding process, can be improved by the test results.

Pysy Suomessa pyhänä

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Författaren Heikki Turunen 10.12.1974 Joensuu

Kirje

Maanviljelijä Heikki Lankinen 21/4 1966

Kirje 21.4.1966

Kirjailija Heikki Turunen 10/12 1974

Kirje 10.12.1974

Sisäasiainministeri Heikki Tuominen 24/11 1973

Kirje 24.11.1973

Päätoimittaja Viljo Laitinen 6/10 1972

Kirje 6.10.1972

Ministeri Heikki Tuominen 12/11 1975

Kirje 12.11.1975

Vuorineuvos Heikki Lehtonen 28/8 1967

Kirje