Tsung-Chih Wu

Applying data mining techniques to explore factors contributing to occupational injuries in Taiwan's construction industry

Construction accident research involves the systematic sorting, classification, and encoding of comprehensive databases of injuries and fatalities. The present study explores the causes and distribution of occupational accidents in the Taiwan construction industry by analyzing such a database using the data mining method known as classification and regression tree (CART). Utilizing a database of 1542 accident cases during the period 2000-2009, the study seeks to establish potential cause-and-effect relationships regarding serious occupational accidents in the industry. The results of this study show that the occurrence rules for falls and collapses in both public and private project construction industries serve as key factors to predict the occurrence of occupational injuries. The results of the study provide a framework for improving the safety practices and training programs that are essential to protecting construction workers from occasional or unexpected accidents.

Predicting safety culture: the roles of employer, operations manager and safety professional.

INTRODUCTION This study explores predictive factors in safety culture. METHOD In 2008, a sample 939 employees was drawn from 22 departments of a telecoms firm in five regions in central Taiwan. The sample completed a questionnaire containing four scales: the employer safety leadership scale, the operations manager safety leadership scale, the safety professional safety leadership scale, and the safety culture scale. The sample was then randomly split into two subsamples. One subsample was used for measures development, one for the empirical study. RESULTS A stepwise regression analysis found four factors with a significant impact on safety culture (R²=0.337): safety informing by operations managers; safety caring by employers; and safety coordination and safety regulation by safety professionals. Safety informing by operations managers (ß=0.213) was by far the most significant predictive factor. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY The findings of this study provide a framework for promoting a positive safety culture at the group level.

Isothermal versus non-isothermal calorimetric technique to evaluate thermokinetic parameters and thermal hazard of tert-butyl peroxy-2-ethyl hexanoate

Liquid organic peroxides have been broadly employed in the process industries such as tert-butyl peroxy-2-ethyl hexanoate (TBPO). This study investigated the thermokinetic parameters of TBPO, a typical liquid organic peroxide, by isothermal kinetic algorithms and non-isothermal kinetic algorithms with thermal activity monitor III, and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. An attempt has been made to determine the thermokinetic parameters by simulation software, such as exothermic onset temperature (T0), maximum temperature (Tmax), decomposition (∆Hd), activation energy (Ea), self-accelerating decomposition temperature, and isothermal time to maximum rate (TMRiso). A liquid thermal explosion model was established for a reactor containing liquid organic peroxide of interest. From experimental results, liquid organic peroxides’ optimal conditions for avoiding a violent runaway reaction of storage and transportation were created.