Fuzzy approach for reducing subjectivity in estimating occupational accident severity

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• Risk Management
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate quantification of occupational accident severity is crucial for effective risk assessment.
• Current methods in the construction industry are often arbitrary due to insufficient data and practical tools.
• Existing approaches lack systematic rigor, leading to potential underestimation or overestimation of risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and propose novel severity functions for estimating occupational accident consequences in the construction sector.
• To enhance the quality and systematic nature of occupational risk assessments.
• To integrate biomechanical knowledge into accident severity evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Development of several severity functions based on safety risk assessment principles.
• Application of a fuzzy approach to handle imprecise and uncertain data.
• Utilizing biomechanical knowledge to model accident outcomes.

Main Results:

• The proposed severity functions provide a more systematic way to assess accident severity.
• The fuzzy approach effectively captures and represents imprecise knowledge related to accident consequences.
• The methodology offers a practical tool for the construction industry.

Conclusions:

• The developed severity functions represent a significant improvement over arbitrary estimation methods.
• Implementing these functions can lead to more accurate and reliable occupational risk assessments in construction.
• The fuzzy logic-based approach facilitates better understanding and application by users and specialists.