Work accidents prevention is one of the strongest paradigms of safety management. When developing its own mental accident causation model, the occupational health and safety professional should acknowledge the benefits and drawbacks of the various available models, to be able to critically assess the most fitted risk assessment tools for practical applications. Nevertheless, he should be skilled enough to make the difference between "what is happening?" and what "should happen?" in the work environment. This paper is aimed at developing a rational systematization of 31 occupational risk assessment methods. It gives clear selection criteria for practical application of most adequate tools. The results obtained will support the decision -making process within the health and safety management process in industrial work environments.
The influence of the piston effect in subway tunnels depends on a train speed, the geometry of a tunnel and a train, the types of air flow caused by mechanical ventilation and other variable characteristics. Tables and graphs of changes in air flows generated by the effect of the piston are presented depending on the speed of a train and the degree of fill rate of a tunnel. It is noted that the piston effect is characterized by two phases. At the first stage, the piston effect and the processes of changing physical fields are non-stationary whereas at the second stage, the processes become stable. The speed of the circulation flow created by the piston effect, in accordance with the fill factor of a tunnel, is characterised by a linear relationship; the degree of its growth is directly proportional to the speed of a train. Based on the results from the present paper it is possible to calculate the velocity and consumption of an air flow in an underground space. The maximum value of air flow carried out by the piston effect does not exceed 90-100 m 3 /s. It corresponds to the stationary phase of motion, when the tunnel filling factor α = 0.35 and train speed is in the range of 40-45 km/h. Based on the obtained numerical simulation results, technological parameters for metro ventilation systems can be calculated more accurately.
In order to meet statutory requirements concerning the workers health and safety, it is necessary for mine managers within Valea Jiului coal basin in Romania to address the potential for underground fires and explosions and their impact on the workforce and the mine ventilation systems. Highlighting the need for a unified and systematic approach of the specific risks, the authors are developing a general framework for fire/explosion risk assessment in gassy mines, based on the quantification of the likelihood of occurrence and gravity of the consequences of such undesired events and employing Root-Cause analysis method. It is emphasized that even a small fire should be regarded as being a major hazard from the point of view of explosion initiation, should a combustible atmosphere arise. The developed methodology, for the assessment of underground fire and explosion risks, is based on the known underground explosion hazards, fire engineering principles and fire test criteria for potentially combustible materials employed in mines.
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