Fuzzy approach for reducing subjectivity in estimating occupational accident severity

Quantifying or, more generally, estimating the severity of the possible consequences of occupational accidents is a decisive step in any occupational risk assessment process. Because of the lack of historic information (accident data collection and recording are incipient and insufficient, particularly in construction) and the lack of practical tools in the construction industry, the estimation/quantification of occupational accident severity is a notably arbitrary process rather than a systematic and rigorous assessment. This work proposes several severity functions (based on a safety risk assessment) to represent biomechanical knowledge with the aim of determining the severity level of occupational accidents in the construction industry and, consequently, improving occupational risk assessment quality. The authors follow a fuzzy approach because it makes it possible to capture and represent imprecise knowledge in a simple and understandable way for users and specialists.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457511002120
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission from Elsevier
• Authors:
  • Pinto, Abel
  • Ribeiro, Rita A
  • Nunes, Isabel L
• Publication Date: 2012-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 281-290
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 45
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Biophysics; Construction industry; Crash severity; Fuzzy sets; Industrial accidents; Risk assessment
• Subject Areas: Construction; Safety and Human Factors; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01367603
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 10 2012 3:17PM