Accidents and close call situations connected to the use of mobile phones

The aim of our work was to study the accidents and close call situations connected to the use of mobile phones. We have analyzed how the accidents/close call situations are connected to background information, in particular age, gender and self-reported symptoms. The study was carried out as a cross-sectional study by posting the questionnaire to 15,000 working-age Finns. The responses (6121) were analyzed using the logistic regression models. Altogether 13.7% of respondents had close call situations and 2.4% had accidents at leisure, in which the mobile phone had a partial effect, and at work the amounts were 4.5% and 0.4% respectively, during the last 12 months. Essentially, we found that: (1) men tend to have more close calls and accidents while on a mobile phone, (2) younger people tend to have more accidents and close calls while on a mobile phone, but it does not appear to be large enough to warrant intervention, (3) employed people tend to have more problems with mobile phone usage and accidents/close calls, and (4) there was a slight increase in mobile-phone-related accidents/close calls if the respondent also reported sleep disturbances and minor aches and pains. In the future, it is important to take into account and study how symptoms can increase the risk of accidents or close call situations in which a mobile phone has a partial effect.     

Sleep debt,sleepiness and accidents among males in the general population and male professional drivers

Men from the general population and male professional lorry and bus drivers were surveyed with regard to sleep habits and motor vehicle and other types of accidents. A random sample of 4000 men in the general population of Dalarna County in mid-Sweden were mailed a questionnaire and served as referents. A total of 1389 male professional lorry and bus drivers from this county responded to the same questionnaire. A total of 161 of the drivers also underwent a sleep study in their homes.The proportion of total accidents was higher among the professional drivers as compared with the males in the population, P=0.03. Reports on traffic accidents were the same in both groups, but the professional drivers reported more accidents at leisure compared with referents, P<0.0001. Accidents of any kind, traffic accidents included, among those affected by both snoring and apneas, were not reported more in either of the groups. At the sleep study, 17% of those examined received the diagnosis of obstructive sleep-apnea syndrome (OSAS).The professional drivers reported proportionally more sleep debt than the referents, P<0.001. Among referents, traffic accidents at leisure, traffic accidents while commuting and accidents at work increased in proportion to sleep debt (P<0.001, 0.006 and 0.002, respectively). The finding that self-perceived sleep debt may have an adverse effect on males in the general population and male professional drivers concerning accident likelihood should have an impact on prevention. These results stress the need to educate the general population on the importance of complying with our biological need of sleep.     

Road accidents caused by drivers falling asleep

About 29600 Norwegian accident-involved drivers received a questionnaire about the last accident reported to their insurance company. About 9200 drivers (31%) returned the questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions about sleep or fatigue as contributing factors to the accident. In addition, the drivers reported whether or not they had fallen asleep some time whilst driving. and what the consequences had been. Sleep or drowsiness was a contributing factor in 3.9% of all accidents, as reported by drivers who were at fault for the accident. This factor was strongly over-represented in night-time accidents (18.6%), in running-off-the-road accidents (8.3%), accidents after driving more than 150 km on one trip (8.1%), and personal injury accidents (7.3%). A logistic regression analysis showed that the following additional factors made significant and independent contributions to increasing the odds of sleep involvement in an accident: dry road, high speed limit, driving one's own car, not driving the car daily, high education, and few years of driving experience. More male than female drivers were involved in sleep-related accidents, but this seems largely to be explained by males driving relatively more than females on roads with high speed limits. A total of 10% of male drivers and 4% of females reported to have fallen asleep while driving during the last 12 months. A total of 4% of these events resulted in an accident. The most frequent consequence of falling asleep--amounting to more than 40% of the reported incidents--was crossing of the right edge-line before awaking, whereas crossing of the centreline was reported by 16%. Drivers' lack of awareness of important precursors of falling asleep--like highway hypnosis, driving without awareness, and similar phenomena--as well as a reluctance to discontinue driving despite feeling tired are pointed out as likely contributors to sleep-related accidents. More knowledge about the drivers' experiences immediately preceding such accidents may give a better background for implementing effective driver warning systems and other countermeasures.     

Early morning awakening and nonrestorative sleep are associated with increased minor non-fatal accidents during work and leisure time

Background

The relationship between a composite measure of insomnia and occupational or fatal accidents has been investigated previously; however, little is known regarding the effect of various insomnia symptoms on minor non-fatal accidents during work and leisure time.

Objective

We investigated the predicting role of insomnia symptoms on minor non-fatal accidents during work and leisure time.

Methods

Data from the 2005 Taiwan Social Development Trend Survey of 36,473 Taiwanese aged ≥18 years were analyzed in 2013. Insomnia symptoms, including difficulty in initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty in maintaining sleep (DMS), early morning awakening (EMA), and nonrestorative sleep (NRS) were investigated. A minor non-fatal accident was defined as any mishap such as forgetting to turn off the gas or faucets, accidental falls, and abrasions or cuts occurring during work and leisure time in the past month that do not require immediate medical attention. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) of minor non-fatal accidents (as a binary variable) for each insomnia symptom compared with those of people presenting no symptoms, while controlling for possible confounders.

Results

EMA and NRS increased the odds of minor non-fatal accidents occurring during work and leisure time (adjusted OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.08–1.32 and adjusted OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.17–1.37, respectively).

Conclusion

EMA and NRS are two symptoms that are significantly associated with an increased likelihood of minor non-fatal accidents during work and leisure time after adjusting for of a range of covariates.     

The contributions of sleep-related risk factors to diurnal car accidents

This study was intended to estimate the presence and number of individual sleep-related risk factors in a sample of diurnal car accidents and to analyze the extent to which these risk factors tended to be more represented in diurnal accidents involving only one vehicle, involving young drivers or occurring on non-urban roads. Two hundred fifty-three drivers involved in diurnal accidents were interviewed immediately after the accidents to assess their sleepiness-related personal conditions and the circumstances prior to the accident (i.e., individual sleep-related risk factors), such as poor sleep, changes in habitual sleeping patterns, prolonged wakefulness, self-reported acute sleepiness and daytime sleepiness, night-shift jobs and insomnia.     

Behavioural characteristics and accidents: findings from the Health Survey for England, 1997

This study analysed the relationship between major and minor accidents, and major accidents involving a moving vehicle, and behavioural and emotional factors in children, aged 4-15 years, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and adjusting for demographic, socio-economic and family type factors. Data from a large representative national sample of about 6000 children were analysed using simple and multiple logistic regression. The analysis shows that the prevalence of SDQ scales, such as hyperactivity and conduct disorder were significantly higher in boys, lower social classes and step- and single-parent families. After adjusting for the demographic, socio-economic and family type factors, children who scored borderline or high for hyperactivity were almost two times more likely to report having major accidents. Children who scored high for hyperactivity and emotional symptoms were one and a half times more likely to report having minor accidents. For major accidents involving moving vehicles, the relationships with the behavioural and emotional factors were generally stronger than for major accidents in general. Hyperactivity, in particular, was significantly associated with the occurrence of major and minor accidents, and major accidents involving moving vehicles. The behavioural risk factors were significantly more common in the lower social classes, families receiving benefits and step- and single-parent families.     

Impaired vigilance and increased accident rate in public transport operators is associated with sleep disorders

Objectives

Sleep disturbances can impair alertness and neurocognitive performance and increase the risk of falling asleep at the wheel. We investigated the prevalence of sleep disorders among public transport operators (PTOs) and assessed the interventional effects on hypersomnolence and neurocognitive function in those diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods

Overnight polygraphy and questionnaire data from 101 volunteers (72 males, median age 48 range [22–64] years, 87 PTOs) employed at the Gothenburg Public Transportation Company were assessed. Treatment was offered in cases with newly detected OSA. Daytime sleep episodes and neurocognitive function were assessed before and after intervention.

Results

At baseline, symptoms of daytime hypersomnolence, insomnia, restless legs syndrome as well as objectively assessed OSA (apnea hypopnea index (AHI, determined by polygraphic recording) = 17[5–46] n/h) were highly present in 26, 24, 10 and 22%, respectively. A history of work related traffic accident was more prevalent in patients with OSA (59%) compared to those without (37%, p < 0.08). In the intervention group (n = 12) OSA treatment reduced AHI by −23 [−81 to −5] n/h (p = 0.002), determined by polysomnography. Reduction of OSA was associated with a significant reduction of subjective sleepiness and blood pressure. Measures of daytime sleep propensity (microsleep episodes from 9 [0–20.5] to 0 [0–12.5], p < 0.01) and missed responses during performance tests were greatly reduced, indices of sustained attention improved.

Conclusions

PTOs had a high prevalence of sleep disorders, particularly OSA, which demonstrated a higher prevalence of work related accidents. Elimination of OSA led to significant subjective and objective improvements in daytime function. Our findings argue for greater awareness of sleep disorders and associated impacts on daytime function in public transport drivers.     

Passenger complaints about driver behaviors

Fifty-two couples were surveyed about their behavior while driving together. Each was asked to individually rate the driver's behavior, the passenger's amount of complaining about the driver's behavior, the effect of that complaining on the driver, the driver's use of vengeance while driving, and the driver's ability and safety. Drivers and passengers gave similar responses: the riskier the driver's behavior, the more the passenger complained. The more the passenger complained, the less both reported that it helped. Judged ability of the driver was not related to the driver's risky behavior by either the drivers or passengers, although passengers, but not drivers, saw more risky driving behaviors as less safe.     

Effects of road lighting: An analysis based on Dutch accident statistics 1987-2006

This study estimates the safety effect of road lighting on accidents in darkness on Dutch roads, using data from an interactive database containing 763,000 injury accidents and 3.3 million property damage accidents covering the period 1987-2006. Two estimators of effect are used, and the results are combined by applying techniques of meta-analysis. Injury accidents are reduced by 50%. This effect is larger than the effects found in most of the earlier studies. The effect on fatal accidents is slightly larger than the effect on injury accidents. The effect during twilight is about 2/3 of the effect in darkness. The effect of road lighting is significantly smaller during adverse weather and road surface conditions than during fine conditions. The effects on pedestrian, bicycle and moped accidents are significantly larger than the effects on automobile and motorcycle accidents. The risk of injury accidents was found to increase in darkness. The average increase in risk was estimated to 17% on lit rural roads and 145% on unlit rural roads. The average increase in risk during rainy conditions is about 50% on lit rural roads and about 190% on unlit rural roads. The average increase in risk with respect to pedestrian accidents is about 140% on lit rural roads and about 360% on unlit rural roads.     

Accidents in family forestry's firewood production

Firewood is commonly used around the world, but little is known about the work involved in its production and associated accidents. The objectives were to identify relationships between accidents and time exposure, workers’ age and sex, equipment used and work activities in family forestry's firewood production. Data from a postal survey in Northern Sweden were compared to a database of injuries in the same region. Most accidents occurred to 50–69 year old men, who also worked most hours. No significant differences in sex and age were found between expected and recorded accident frequencies when calculated from total work hours; however, when calculated using numbers of active persons significant differences were found for both age and sex. Frequency of accidents per unit worked time was higher for machine involving activities than for other activities. Accidents that occurred when using wedge splitter machines were responsible for most of this overrepresentation. Fingers were the most commonly injured body parts. Mean accident rate for the equipment used was 87 accidents per million work hours, and the rate was highest for wedge splitters (122 accidents per million work hours). Exposure to elevated risks due to violation of safety procedures is discussed, as well as possible preventative measures.     

Ocular parameters as an objective tool for the assessment of truck drivers fatigue

Ocular parameters are influenced by sleep derivation and the use of chemical substances which are two major causes for traffic accidents. We assessed the use of these parameters as an objective screening tool for a driver's fitness for duty. Pupillary diameter, pupil reaction to light and saccadic velocity were measured in 29 army truck drivers every morning for two months and compared to baseline measurements taken while the subjects were alert. An index which expressed the difference between study and baseline measurements was calculated, and drivers with significant deviation from baseline were disqualified and interviewed. Non-disqualified drivers served as controls. Twenty-nine percent of disqualified drivers reported sleeping less than the minimum of 7 h required by army regulations compared with 8% of control drivers (p = 0.01). Disqualified drivers had worse sleep quality the night before the test (Groningen Sleep Quality Scale, p = 0.03) and incurred more accidents per driving day during their service (0.023 vs. 0.015 accidents/day, p = 0.03). Two disqualified drivers admitted to using alcohol or sleeping pills. Thus, these ocular parameters may serve as a screening tool for drivers that are at high risk for driving. Drivers who were disqualified even once, tend to be involved in more motor vehicle accidents than their peers.     

功能性多孔炭材料在突发性环境污染事故中的应用

多孔炭材料具有比表面积大、孔结构发达等优点，是应急处理泄漏油品、有毒化学品和废水的理想吸附剂。通过对多孔炭材料作为吸附剂在突发性环境污染事故中的应用研究进行了归纳和总结，对多孔炭材料在突发性环境污染事故中的应用前景及未来工作进行了评述和展望。讨论了突发性环境污染事故应急处置过程中基于多孔炭材料的合理技术路线和工艺条件，指出研发新型功能性多孔炭材料及做好基础数据的积累是今后研究工作的努力方向。     

Chasing the silver bullet: measuring driver fatigue using simple and complex tasks

Driver fatigue remains a significant cause of motor-vehicle accidents worldwide. New technologies are increasingly utilised to improve road safety, but there are no effective on-road measures for fatigue. While simulated driving tasks are sensitive, and simple performance tasks have been used in industrial fatigue management systems (FMS) to quantify risk, little is known about the relationship between such measures. Establishing a simple, on-road measure of fatigue, as a fitness-to-drive tool, is an important issue for road safety and accident prevention, particularly as many fatigue related accidents are preventable. This study aimed to measure fatigue-related performance decrements using a simple task (reaction time - RT) and a complex task (driving simulation), and to determine the potential for a link between such measures, thus improving FMS success. Fifteen volunteer participants (7 m, 8 f) aged 22-56 years (mean 33.6 years), underwent 26 h of supervised wakefulness before an 8h recovery sleep opportunity. Participants were tested using a 30-min interactive driving simulation test, bracketed by a 10-min psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) at 4, 8, 18 and 24h of wakefulness, and following recovery sleep. Extended wakefulness caused significant decrements in PVT and driving performance. Although these measures are clearly linked, our analyses suggest that driving simulation cannot be replaced by a simple PVT. Further research is needed to closely examine links between performance measures, and to facilitate accurate management of fitness to drive, which requires more complex assessments of performance than RT alone.     

Accident rates and types among self-employed private forest owners

Half of all Swedish forests are owned by private individuals, and at least 215,000 people work in these privately owned forest holdings. However, only lethal accidents are systematically monitored among self-employed forest workers. Therefore, data from the registries of the Swedish Work Environment Authority, the Labor Insurance Organization and the regional University Hospital in Umeå were gathered to allow us to perform a more in-depth assessment of the rate and types of accidents that occurred among private forest owners.We found large differences between the registries in the type and number of accidents that were reported. We encountered difficulties in defining “self-employed forest worker” and also in determining whether the accidents that did occur happened during work or leisure time. Consequently, the estimates for the accident rate that we obtained varied from 32 to ≥4300 injured persons per year in Sweden, depending on the registry that was consulted, the definition of the sample population that was used, and the accident severity definition that was employed. Nevertheless, the different registries gave a consistent picture of the types of accidents that occur while individuals are participating in self-employed forestry work. Severe accidents were relatively common, as self-employed forestry work fatalities constituted 7% of the total number of fatalities in the work authority registry. Falling trees were associated with many of these fatal accidents as well as with accidents that resulted in severe non-fatal injuries. Thus, unsafe work methods appeared more related to the occurrence of an accident than the equipment that was being used at the time of the accident (e.g., a chainsaw). Improvement of the workers’ skills should therefore be considered to be an important prevention measure that should be undertaken in this field.The challenges in improving the safety in these smallest of companies, which fall somewhere between the purview of occupational and consumer safety, are exemplified and discussed.     

Modelling fatigue and the use of fatigue models in work settings

In recent years, theoretical models of the sleep and circadian system developed in laboratory settings have been adapted to predict fatigue and, by inference, performance. This is typically done using the timing of prior sleep and waking or working hours as the primary input and the time course of the predicted variables as the primary output. The aim of these models is to provide employers, unions and regulators with quantitative information on the likely average level of fatigue, or risk, associated with a given pattern of work and sleep with the goal of better managing the risk of fatigue-related errors and accidents/incidents. The first part of this review summarises the variables known to influence workplace fatigue and draws attention to the considerable variability attributable to individual and task variables not included in current models. The second part reviews the current fatigue models described in the scientific and technical literature and classifies them according to whether they predict fatigue directly by using the timing of prior sleep and wake (one-step models) or indirectly by using work schedules to infer an average sleep-wake pattern that is then used to predict fatigue (two-step models). The third part of the review looks at the current use of fatigue models in field settings by organizations and regulators. Given their limitations it is suggested that the current generation of models may be appropriate for use as one element in a fatigue risk management system. The final section of the review looks at the future of these models and recommends a standardised approach for their use as an element of the ‘defenses-in-depth’ approach to fatigue risk management.     

Content analysis of 100 consecutive media reports of amusement ride accidents

Accident investigations influence public perceptions and safety management strategies by determining the amount and type of information learned about the accident. To examine the factors considered in investigations, this study used a content analysis of 100 consecutive media reports of amusement ride accidents from an online media archive. Fatalities were overrepresented in the media dataset compared with U.S. national estimates. For analysis of reports, a modified "Haddon matrix" was developed using human-factors categories. This approach was useful to show differences between the proportions and types of factors considered in the different accident stages and between employee and rider accidents. Employee injury accounts primarily referred to the employee's task and to the employee. Rider injury reports were primarily related to the ride device itself and rarely referred to the rider's "task", social influences, or the rider's own actions, and only some reference to their characteristics. Qualitatively, it was evident that more human factors analysis is required to augment scant pre-failure information about the task, social environment, and the person, to make that information available for prevention of amusement ride accidents. By design, this study reflected information reported by the media. Future work will use the same techniques with official reports.     

Associations between task,training and social environmental factors and error types involved in rail incidents and accidents

Rail accidents can be understood in terms of the systemic and individual contributions to their causation. The current study was undertaken to determine whether errors and violations are more often associated with different local and organisational factors that contribute to rail accidents. The Contributing Factors Framework (CFF), a tool developed for the collection and codification of data regarding rail accidents and incidents, was applied to a sample of investigation reports. In addition, a more detailed categorisation of errors was undertaken. Ninety-six investigation reports into Australian accidents and incidents occurring between 1999 and 2008 were analysed. Each report was coded independently by two experienced coders. Task demand factors were significantly more often associated with skill-based errors, knowledge and training deficiencies significantly associated with mistakes, and violations significantly linked to social environmental factors.     

The relationship between alcohol consumption patterns and car, work, sports and home accidents for different age groups

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption patterns and car, work, sports and home accidents for different age groups. A secondary analysis of data from a randomized household survey of 10385 Canadians was conducted. Overall, alcohol consumption patterns were significantly associated with car collisions, work and sports accidents for younger age groups (i.e. 15-24 and 25-34), but this relationship was not significant for the older age groups.     

Risk analysis of hazardous materials in oil shale

A future oil shale industry will be a massive solids-handling industry generating large amounts of hazardous materials. A risk analysis was performed on a hypothetical oil shale industry to aid in the formulation and management of research. The analysis considered occupational, public, and ecosystem risks for a steady-state one million barrels per day (160 cubic dekameters per day) industry. The risks for designated groups of the occupational workforce were statistically described by accident and injury rates for fatalities, accidents with days lost from work, and accidents with no days lost from work. Workforce diseases analyzed were cancers, silicosis, pneumoconiosis, chronic bronchitis, chronic airway obstruction, and high-frequency hearing loss. The miners represented the group with the largest fatality and the most serious accident rate. Lung disease from inhalation exposure to dust about the nuisance dust threshold limit value presented the most significant risk for future concerns. Public health inhalation risks were estimated for life-time cancer risks from As, Cd, Cr, Ni, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and radiation to be less than 10⁻⁷ occurrences per person per year. An air pollution surrogate, sulfate, as a measure of all air pollution exposure, yielded a result of 10⁻⁵ deaths per person per year with large uncertainties. Public health risks associated with oil shale solid waste were considered for leachates. Ecosystem risks considered impact on designator species, plant damage from sulfates, and disturbance in plant communities. The simple analysis approach indicated that the potential impact on the semi-arid, high-altitude ecosystem was minimal from air pollutants and land disturbances, but of potential concern for aquatic systems under extreme conditions. The methodology and treatment of uncertainties are oriented towards establishing research implications.