Human and organizational factors in offshore safety

The role of human and organizational factors in predicting accidents and incidents has become of major interest to the UK offshore oil and gas industry. Some of these factors had been measured in an earlier study focusing on the role of risk perception in determining accident involvement. The current study sought to extend the methodology by focusing on perceptions of organizational factors that could have an impact on safety. A self-report questionnaire was developed and distributed to 11 installations operating on the UK Continental Shelf. A total of 722 were returned (33% response rate) from a representative sample of the offshore workforce on these installations. The study investigated the underlying structure and content of offshore employees' attitudes to safety, feelings of safety and satisfaction with safety measures. Correlations and step-wise regression analysis were used to test the relationships between measures. The results suggest that 'unsafe' behaviour is the 'best' predictor of accidents/near misses as measured by self-report data and that unsafe behaviour is, in turn, driven by perceptions of pressure for production.     

Reengineering the medical staff. Thirteen equals two

Managed care forces were putting pressure on Athens Regional Medical Center, Inc., and its medical staff to sustain quality of care, and simultaneously tighten the budget, achieve continued improvements in efficiency, and retrain employees. To ensure its leadership position in Northeast Georgia, ARMC decided to restructure the organization to avoid a "slash and burn" crusade later. This article addresses the medical staff restructuring and how it came about. The strategy eliminated five committees and reduced 13 Medical Staff departments to two.     

A comparison of methods for collecting self-report data on sensitive topics

Insufficient attention has been paid to whether disclosure rates of sensitive or stigmatizing information vary as a function of method of inquiry. Methods vary both in terms of the anonymity afforded the participant and the opportunity to make a connection with the researcher, both of which might affect participants' willingness to disclose such information. In this investigation, 215 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to complete identical questionnaires using one of the three most common methods of data collection (in-person interview, telephone interview, and paper-and-pencil questionnaire) or an automated telephonic data collection (ATDC) system. Questions on six topic areas of increasing social sensitivity (study habits, substance use, physical and sexual aggression, victimization and perpetration) were included. The results indicated that there were no differences in disclosure rates due to methods and no method by topic interaction, but the two telephonic methods both produced significantly higher participation rates than the two other methods. The results suggest that, at least for a college student sample, an automated telephonic system produces data comparable to that of more traditional methods, while offering greater convenience, economy, and participation.     

Young people and social action: youth participation in the United Kingdom and United States

This chapter provides two case studies of projects in the United Kingdom and United States using a social action approach to encourage youth participation and civic engagement. The authors provide a snapshot of U.K. and U.S. policy related to inclusionary practice in youth development work, along with testimony from youth participating in the two community development initiatives. As part of the positive youth development approach, youth inclusion is seen as a key to policy, programs, planning, and practice with young people. Educators, researchers, and practitioners using participatory methodologies have continued to move the youth development field forward. Social action provides a theory and practice that enhances community building, social cohesion, and positive youth development.     

Cost-Effectiveness of Risk-Reduction Measures from a National Viewpoint: A Case Study of the Angra Nuclear Plant in Brazil

In this paper a systemic or national approach to cost-effectiveness analysis of risk-reduction measures is reviewed, and its advantages and limitations are discussed. The method is applied to the problem of the cost-effectiveness of increasing the Angra 3 NPP containment wall thickness from the present 60 cm to 180 cm thick in order to prevent damage to the reactor core in case of a direct commercial aircraft crash on it. It is concluded that this measure is not cost-effective if the referred approach is considered.