D. M. Cantis

Minimum requirements for taxicab security cameras

Problem The homicide rate of taxicab-industry is 20 times greater than that of all workers. A NIOSH study showed that cities with taxicab-security cameras experienced significant reduction in taxicab driver homicides. Methods Minimum technical requirements and a standard test protocol for taxicab-security cameras for effective taxicab-facial identification were determined. The study took more than 10,000 photographs of human-face charts in a simulated-taxicab with various photographic resolutions, dynamic ranges, lens-distortions, and motion-blurs in various light and cab-seat conditions. Thirteen volunteer photograph-evaluators evaluated these face photographs and voted for the minimum technical requirements for taxicab-security cameras. Results Five worst-case scenario photographic image quality thresholds were suggested: the resolution of XGA-format, highlight-dynamic-range of 1 EV, twilight-dynamic-range of 3.3 EV, lens-distortion of 30%, and shutter-speed of 1/30 second. Practical Applications These minimum requirements will help taxicab regulators and fleets to identify effective taxicab-security cameras, and help taxicab-security camera manufacturers to improve the camera facial identification capability.

Evaluating the protective capacity of two-post ROPS for a seat-belted occupant during a farm tractor overturn.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a commercial rollover protective structure (ROPS) and size-extended ROPS in protecting a 95th percentile male operator during tractor overturns. Six rear upset tests (commercial ROPS) and ten side upset tests (commercial and size-extended ROPS) were conducted. A 95th percentile instrumented male manikin was used in all tests. Head injury criterion (HIC15), 80 g limit on resultant head acceleration, neck injury criterion (Nij), and peak axial force (extension-compression) were employed to evaluate injury potential. In all rear tests, the manikins head impact with the ground was within the tolerance limits for head/neck injuries. Based on limited trials in the side tests, the study observed a small to moderate chance of neck injuries under the commercial and size-extended ROPS conditions; the injury risk was not statistically significant between these two test conditions. This study identified a risk of non-fatal injuries for large-size operators in side overturns, although the prevention effectiveness of commercial versus size-extended ROPS cannot be determined without further testing. These findings may have implications for future ROPS designs.

Design of Testing Apparatus to Evaluate the Strength of Guardrail Systems

Fall-related occupational injuries and fatalities are serious problems in the U.S. construction industry. An important sub-set of falls-to-lower-level incidents is when workers fall through openings or surfaces, including skylights. OSHA regulations require that holes (openings) in roofs must be protected by a guardrail or cover, or nearby workers must use personal fall-arrest systems. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Division of Safety Research, Morgantown, WV has initiated a pilot project to evaluate the effectiveness of guardrail systems. Two commercially available edge-protection products were evaluated as guardrails around a roof opening. Installation methods for the two edge-protection products, which have not been designed to be used as guardrails for openings, are compared to job-built guardrails constructed of two-by-four lumber. To evaluate how well the commercial products comply with existing OSHA regulations as a guardrail, an experimental hypothesis and a laboratory-based testing system were developed. OSHA regulations require that a force of at least 200 pounds shall be supported by the top rail of the guardrail system. The governing variable is the 200-pound force. This was generated by using a weighted rescue dummy mounted on a specially designed hinged steel frame. Adjusting the fall distance of the dummy, a dynamic 200-pound force was generated in the middle of the top rail. To evaluate the overall strength of the guardrail systems, a hydraulic testing apparatus was designed. Combining a hydraulic cylinder and pump, with a piezoelectric force transducer, a pull-to-failure (PTF) test apparatus was developed. This system was designed to pull the guardrail systems in the same direction in which the test dummy fell. Maximum PTF forces were recorded for both commercially available products and then compared with the job-built systems.Copyright

NIOSH AutoROPS 3rd Generation Static Testing and Human Interaction Element

To address the need for rollover protective structures (ROPS) on farm tractors that are easily adapted to low overhead clearance situations, the Division of Safety Research (DSR), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), developed an automatically deploying, telescoping ROPS (AutoROPS). The NIOSH AutoROPS at the present is in the third generation design and static testing phase, and the first phase of human subject (human operator) testing and manufacturing. The static testing is based on the SAE J2194 standard for testing ROPS for agricultural tractor use. The nature of the NIOSH AutoROPS is to be in a retracted position until an overturn is determined to be imminent. It is during the deployment time period that potential safety hazards exist that are not present in a traditional fixed ROPS and not addressed in the standards. Human interaction is a key ingredient in refining the design to be both functional and desirable while considering possible hazards. Feedback from farmers who have operated a tractor with the NIOSH AutoROPS installed and in the ready state will enhance the design and acceptability. NIOSH’s goal is to reduce the number of fatal agricultural overturns by increasing the percentage of tractors with ROPS and seatbelts which operate in low clearance environments. This design has met laboratory static testing criteria of the SAE J2194 standard for ROPS on agricultural tractors. Field evaluation of the AutoROPS use by poultry farmers (N=32) in eastern West Virginia showed favorable results and a preference for wanting to purchase and use the NIOSH AutoROPS compared with a currently available manually foldable ROPS. This paper discusses the overall performance of the NIOSH AutoROPS as subjected to the SAE J2194 standard and human interaction/feedback of operating an agricultural tractor with this added safety device.© 2003 ASME

NIOSH AutoROPS Research to Practice: Zero Turn Commercial Mowers

Marketing new safety devices is a critical function on the research-to-practice path. This path to adoption of new safety technology is not always straightforward. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Automatically deployable Rollover Protective Structure (AutoROPS) is a passive safety device developed to protect tractor operators in an overturn event. Tractor overturns kill more than 100 farmers each year in the United States (Myers, 2003). This technology was first designed to target the agricultural low-clearance environments involving “low-profile” tractors where traditional ROPS may not be feasible. These tractors are exempted from ROPS use as stated in OSHA 1928.51(b) (5) (i & ii). The upper portion of the AutoROPS remains retracted under low clearance areas but deploys to full height when an overturn is detected. The AutoROPS has been tested under both field and laboratory conditions prescribed in the ROPS performance standard, SAE J2194. To translate successful research into occupational practice, NIOSH formed a partnership with FEMCO, a ROPS manufacturer, in 2003. FEMCO’s efforts found Scag Power Equipment, a zero-turn commercial mower manufacturer. NIOSH has partnered with them as well. The Scag AutoROPS has been successfully laboratory tested to industry standards. Preliminary field evaluations of the deployment system have been conducted in preparation for field upset tests. Product development, test procedures, test results, and current marketing efforts are presented on this innovative safety device.