Safety Level of Acrobatic Work: A Probabilistic Study.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• Risk Assessment
• Industrial Hygiene

Background:

• Acrobatic work involves using mountaineering techniques on structures, posing significant fall risks.
• Rope ascenders and descenders are critical but vulnerable to shock loads from free falls or errors.
• The fatal accident rate (FAR) quantifies occupational hazards based on fatal accidents per exposure hours.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish safety parameters for acrobatic work by evaluating securing system rupture probability.
• To ensure the fatal accident rate (FAR) in acrobatic professions remains lower than in high-risk construction jobs.
• To define the acceptable risk range for fall-initiating events in acrobatic work.

Main Methods:

• Modeling the fatal accident rate (FAR) as proportional to fall-initiating events (η).
• Estimating the average number of fall-initiating events (η) per worker per hour.
• Calculating maximum allowable rupture probabilities for securing systems.

Main Results:

• The study estimates fall-initiating events (η) between 10⁻³ and 3 × 10⁻³ per hour.
• Maximum permissible rupture probabilities for securing systems were determined.
• These values define critical parameters influencing securing system reliability in acrobatic work.

Conclusions:

• The research provides a framework for assessing and managing risks in acrobatic work.
• It establishes safety benchmarks by comparing acrobatic work FAR to construction industry standards.
• The findings aid in optimizing safety protocols and equipment for high-risk professions.