Using process control concepts to model conditions required for sudden-onset occupational injuries

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Injury Epidemiology
• Engineering Risk Management

Background:

• Sudden-onset injuries result from abrupt energy exchange, leading to immediate tissue damage.
• Common causes include falls, mechanical impacts, extreme temperatures, and electrical currents in various settings.
• Existing prevention strategies often rely on reactive measures rather than proactive control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a process control model for understanding and managing risk-of-exposure to injury agents during the pre-event phase of sudden-onset injuries.
• To apply principles of quality engineering's process control to occupational health and safety for injury prevention.
• To extend existing injury etiology models and inform the design of epidemiologic studies and fault-tolerant work systems.

Main Methods:

• Review of epidemiologic and engineering approaches to injury prevention.
• Development of a process control model to describe risk-of-exposure fluctuations during work shifts.
• Analysis of various input factors influencing risk-of-exposure, including hazards, controls, safety climate, and worker/supervision factors.

Main Results:

• The proposed model illustrates how work activities influence risk-of-exposure to injury agents.
• Risk-of-exposure is identified as a complex function influenced by stable and transient factors.
• Injury occurs when risk-of-exposure crosses a threshold, leading to injurious energy exchange.

Conclusions:

• Process control principles offer a proactive framework for preventing workplace injuries.
• The model provides insights for designing better epidemiologic studies and fault-tolerant work systems.
• Interdisciplinary approaches are crucial for advancing the understanding and prevention of sudden-onset injuries.