John Pine

Natural hazards analysis : reducing the impact of disasters

Introduction to Hazards Analysis Hazard Identification Modeling Natural Environmental Hazards Spatial Analysis Risk Analysis: Assessing the Risks of Natural Hazards Social, Economic, and Ecological Vulnerability Risk Communication The Hazards Risk Management Process Planning for Sustainable and Disaster Resilient Communities Disaster-Resilient Communities: A New Hazards Risk Management Framework Index

Characteristics of Injuries in the Logging Industry of Louisiana, USA: 1986 to 1998

Abstract Characterizing injuries and their trends will allow safety managers to concentrate their resources on the areas of safety that will be most effective in the workplace. Injuries reported to the Louisiana Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration for 1986 to 1998 were characterized according to the part of the body affected, the nature of the injury, the source of the injury, and the type of accident for the timber harvesting industry. Many of the injuries in the logging sector were sprains / strains to the knees. Injuries resulting from falling onto structures and surfaces were common and rising. Although the number of accidents in each category is generally decreasing, some trends should be of concern. There was no significant linear trend in overall accident rates since 1991. While the proportion of cuts and lacerations declined, the proportion of fractures increased. This coincided with a time period when logging operations in Louisiana experienced rapid mechanization and insurance companies started enforcing the use of personal protective equipment. The proportion of transportation accidents rose more than any other category. Some suggestions on focusing and improving current safety programs are given. The need for continued and improved training of managers and employees seems to be most critical.

Utilizing state hazardous materials transportation data in hazardous analysis

Local communities in the United States are required by federal law to assess and plan for risks posed by the transportation of hazardous chemicals in the community. Two sources of data relating to the transportation of hazardous chemicals by motor carrier were examined to determine their value in the hazardous analysis process. Local road side transportation surveys were examined and compared with state truck inventory data drawn on a national basis by the United States Department of Transportation. Statistical analyses of the two data sets suggests that state data collected on a national basis by the US Department of Transportations truck inventory use survey was not representative of the hazardous chemical data transportation profiles collected at the local road side surveys. The state truck inventory use survey data provides a statewide perspective of motor carrier hazardous materials shipments. The authors determined that additional commodity flow studies should be completed to provide a more precise view of local chemical hazards presented by motor carrier shipments of hazardous chemicals.

Investigating Recovery Patterns in Post Disaster Urban Settings: Utilizing Geospatial Technology to Understand Post-Hurricane Katrina Recovery in New Orleans, Louisiana

This chapter seeks to improve upon current disaster research in the discipline of geography by expanding the geographic study of hazards beyond the event and into the recovery process. A review of current disaster based literature in geography illustrates a lack of comprehensive research by geographers in the arena of disaster recovery. It appears as if established researchers in this field are content to focus their efforts on the issues preceding disasters, as well as the immediate response to, and physical results of disaster events. The responsibility of understanding the topic of reco very has thus far been the primary focus of researchers in the fields of social science and public administration. This study will utilize Geographic Information Technology (GIT) to assess the level of recovery, determine the most appropriate scale to study the spatial aspects of recovery, and identify spatial indicators of recovery in New Orleans, Louisiana as of February 2008.

Research Needs to Support the Emergency Manager of the Future

Changes in technology have dramatically transformed emergency management operations from interagency communications, to decision support systems, agency hazards analysis, and training. Dramatic advances in technology have and will continue to enhance elements of decision-making by those involved in emergency management. This paper outlines future research needs associated with the application of technology to emergency management and outlines operational issues associated with the application of technology to the emergency management system. Emergency management research will need to support developments in the technology and its impacts on the design and support of emergency management operations. Interdisciplinary research must bring new technology to traditional emergency management agencies and to integrate public, private and non-profit agencies in the emergency management process. Enhancing partnerships with other agencies allows for a broader approach to addressing emergency management issues.

An Examination of Accidental-Release Scenarios from Chemical-Processing Sites: The Relation of Race to Distance

Objective. This study is intended to enhance the discussion of environmental equity by offering a methodology that is based on chemical-specific risk zones that reflect inventories of chemical facilities, risk dispersion modeling, local weather conditions, and the unique chemical processes of each site. The central question concerns whether the racial makeup of a community near a chemical-processing site is characteristic of the city, county, or community as a whole. In essence, does the racial makeup of a community vary by distance from a chemical-processing facility? Methods. A comparison of the racial makeup of the community was examined for 13 chemical-processing sites submitting off-site consequence data under the Environmental Protection Agency Risk Management Plan, by clusters of the sites, and for all sites in the community. Instead of relative ratios, we look at odds ratios. The odds ratio compares the odds of being African American to the odds of being non-African American at two given distance classes. In this way we may make inferences about how much higher (or lower) are the odds of an African American (relative to a non-African American) living in a closer distance class (as opposed to a further distance class). Results. The results show that as one moves further from a facility, the characteristics of the community reflect less and less the makeup near the site. The percentage of African Americans living near a chemical-processing site tends to be much higher when compared to population characteristics further from the site. Conclusions. The study shows that distance does make a significant difference in the racial characteristics of the population from a chemical-processing site. Using data reflecting accidental-release scenarios, weather conditions, and the chemical process from the local community provides a more realistic basis for determining vulnerability zones.

A multiple additive regression tree analysis of three exposure measures during Hurricane Katrina

This paper analyses structural and personal exposure to Hurricane Katrina. Structural exposure is measured by flood height and building damage; personal exposure is measured by the locations of 911 calls made during the response. Using these variables, this paper characterises the geography of exposure and also demonstrates the utility of a robust analytical approach in understanding health-related challenges to disadvantaged populations during recovery. Analysis is conducted using a contemporary statistical approach, a multiple additive regression tree (MART), which displays considerable improvement over traditional regression analysis. By using MART, the percentage of improvement in R-squares over standard multiple linear regression ranges from about 62 to more than 100 per cent. The most revealing finding is the modelled verification that African Americans experienced disproportionate exposure in both structural and personal contexts. Given the impact of exposure to health outcomes, this finding has implications for understanding the long-term health challenges facing this population.