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PubMed2001

Passengers' injuries reflected carriage interior at the railway accident in Mundelstrup, Denmark.

On 1st March 1994, a passenger train with a speed of 85 km/h ran into the rear end of a stopped passenger train north of Aarhus, Denmark. No fatalities occurred. Questionnaires were sent to passengers and crew and 113 of 128 (88%) answered. In the stopped train 32% (9/28) of the sitting passengers compared with 12% (9/76) in the moving train had symptons corresponding to a whiplash lesion. Only the chairs in the moving train had head rests which might explain the observed difference. In the rest section of the moving train with all seats facing the same direction 81% (13/16) of the sitting passengers had face injuries compared to 13% (8/60) in the rest of the train. The higher incidence in the rest section was caused by folding tables at the back of the seats. Serious thoraco-abdominal injuries were only seen in one patient despite the fact that 37 passengers were thrown againsts tables between the seats in the second class section of the moving train. The tables were fragile and usually gave way. In conclusion, carriage interior has a major influence on personal injuries at railway accidents.

Accidents↗
PubMed2002

An alternative accident prediction model for highway-rail interfaces.

Safety levels at highway/rail interfaces continue to be of major concern despite an ever-increasing focus on improved design and appurtenance application practices. Despite the encouraging trend towards improved safety, accident frequencies remain high, many of which result in fatalities. More than half of these accidents occur at public crossings, where active warning devices (i.e. gates, lights, bells, etc.) are in place and functioning properly. This phenomenon speaks directly to the need to re-examine both safety evaluation (i.e. accident prediction) methods and design practices at highway-rail crossings. With respect to earlier developed accident prediction methods, the Peabody Dimmick Formula, the New Hampshire Index and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Hazard Index, all lack descriptive capabilities due to their limited number of explanatory variables. Further, each has unique limitations that are detailed in this paper. The US Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Accident Prediction Formula, which is most widely, also has limitations related to the complexity of the three-stage formula and its decline in accident prediction model accuracy over time. This investigation resulted in the development of an alternate highway-rail crossing accident prediction model, using negative binomial regression that shows great promise. The benefit to be gained through the application of this alternate model is (1) a greatly simplified, one-step estimation process; (2) comparable supporting data requirements and (3) interpretation of both the magnitude and direction of the effect of the factors found to significantly influence highway-rail crossing accident frequencies.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2003

Health-health analysis-an alternative method for economic appraisal of health policy and safety regulation. Some empirical Swedish estimates.

Health-health analysis (HHA) focuses on statistical lives themselves as a numeraire. The underlying principle is that the expected gains in health and safety of reduced risks in one area may result in increasing risks somewhere else in society. By reducing one risk other risks may increase due to changed individual behaviour. In addition to this direct effect, another indirect effect will also be present. Expenditure on a particular health policy or safety regulation must be financed in one way or another, which will result in an opportunity cost or income effect leaving less resources for other health and safety promoting activities in society. Thus, we will have an effect that reduces safety and health benefits induced by that income loss. Whether the total net health effect from a specific safety regulation or health policy is positive or negative must be empirically analysed. One way of estimating the income loss that induces one death, which we call the value of an induced death (VOID), is to estimate it as a multiple of the traditional value to avert a statistical death, also named the value of a statistical life (VOSL).A contingent valuation (CV) study eliciting the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for reducing the overall risk of dying was performed as a postal questionnaire in Sweden in 1998. By use of data from this study, it was possible to estimate the VOID and the VOSL in Sweden amounting to SEK116 and SEK20.8 million respectively, indicating that the net health result confined to mortality effects, will be negative (more lives will be lost than saved) if a health policy or safety regulation will cost more than SEK116 million per life saved.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2003

Estimating transport fatality risk from past accident data.

This paper examines the statistical properties of estimates of fatal accident rates, mean fatalities per accident, and fatality rates when these estimates are based on past accident data. The statistical properties are illustrated by two long-term transport fatal accident datasets from Great Britain, the principal one for railways and the other for roads, chosen to provide a statistical contrast. In both modes, the accident rates have fallen substantially over the long term. Two statistical estimates of current accident and fatality rates are presented for each dataset, one based only on recent data and the other based on estimates of long-term trends. The trend-based estimate is preferred for train accidents because this makes maximum use of the limited and variable data; the recent data are preferred for road accidents because this avoids unnecessary dependence on modelling the trends. For train accidents, the estimated fatality rate based on past accidents is compared with an estimate produced by the railway industry using a risk model. The statistical estimate is less than half the industry's estimate, and the paper concludes that the statistical estimate is to be preferred.

Accidents↗
PubMed2003

An evaluation of four types of railway pedestrian crossing safety intervention.

This study evaluated a programme of interventions designed to reduce the incidence of illegal and unsafe crossing of a rail corridor at a city station by boys on their way to and from the adjacent high school in Auckland, New Zealand. The boys were observed crossing before, during, and after implementation of each intervention; in addition, surveys were carried out before and after the programme to discover the boys' attitudes. Rail safety education in school, punishment for every unsafe crossing (continuous punishment), and punishment occasionally for unsafe crossing (intermittent punishment) were associated with significant decreases in unsafe crossing compared with that observed prior to any intervention. General communications about rail safety were not associated with significant decreases in unsafe crossing. When interventions were examined consecutively, unsafe crossing was significantly reduced between the communications and education phases, and even more so between education and continuous punishment, but there was no statistically significant difference in frequency of unsafe crossing between continuous and intermittent punishment. It was concluded that punishment may be more effective in reducing unsafe behaviour in this type of situation than targeted education, and is much more effective than communications to heighten awareness.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1996

Trams--a risk factor for pedestrians.

In Gothenburg tram injuries were identified to be an important cause of traffic injuries and fatalities (48%) among pedestrians. During the summer middle-aged men, often under the influence of alcohol, were often severely injured and the injury rate was also high during the autumn. A majority (60%) of those fatally injured were under the influence of alcohol. Most injury events happened at or near a tram stop. The most serious injuries arose when the victim landed under a tram. In 1992, a runaway tram caused a major disaster, killing 10 pedestrians and injuring 30. The injury reducing measures the tram company has now started to introduce include safety railings at tram stops, side barriers on the tramcars to prevent people from falling under the tram and lower speeds near tram stops.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1997

The evaluation of road-rail crossing safety with limited accident statistics.

Safety evaluation is an essential issue in ranking road-rail crossings as candidates for grade-separation. Many small countries like Israel do not possess sufficient data to generate statistical models similar to the US DOT accident prediction formula or others. At the same time, it is desirable to provide estimates stemming from local conditions. For these, available Israeli accident data were artificially enlarged using the unification of accident statistics and information from crossings functioning over a six-year period. A hazard index serves as a basic evaluation tool. The datasets on accidents and crossings are split according to several crossing characteristics (category of warning device, volume of vehicle traffic, volume of train traffic, visibility conditions); the obtained values are combined to supply safety estimates for crossing types defined by these characteristics. The validity of model performance is explored. For Israeli conditions the model provides for a safety evaluation of 168 crossing types. This presents a sufficient base from which to estimate the accident potential of any local crossing when the need for its grade separation is discussed.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1997

The influence of sustained attention on railway accidents.

Train accidents and near accidents occurring over a 3-year period were examined within an Australian public rail authority. Retrospective analysis of 112 incidents according to Reason's (1992) Generic Error Modelling System (Reason, 1992, Human Error. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge), revealed a propensity of skill based errors across the more common types of rail mishaps. In agreement with previous rail research, sustained attention was the most salient contributing human factor across all incident types, particularly inattentiveness to railway signals. The unfavourable nature of the working environment and the repetitive nature of the train driving task are discussed in light of reducing attentional deficits. In addition, a Railway Safety Checklist was developed to identify train drivers perception of safety. One hundred and ninety train drivers indicated that staff attitude in the form of low morale was a serious problem in the safe conduct of their job. The results of this study imply that useful strategies for improving driver vigilance should be directed at improving the safety culture of the operating environment.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1997

The importance of the time factor in fire and rescue service operations in Sweden.

The aim of the paper is to measure the benefits and costs for the society if the fire and rescue service is delayed by 5 and 10 min respectively. A 5 min longer turn-out time is often the difference between a full-time and a voluntary crew. A 10 min difference may represent what happens if a voluntary crew on the outskirts of the municipality is closed down and their services are taken over by the centrally located full-time staff. In Sweden a full-time staff costs USD 180,000 more per year and man on duty. When it comes to the costs of a longer turn-out time three items dominates: fires in buildings; road transport accidents; and drowning cases. These three account for 38% of the alarms but 97% of the damage increase if the rescue operation is delayed, whether it is for 5 or 10 min. For all these three items we have carried out calculations based on our own empirical material. To be allowed to fight fires using breathing apparatus Swedish legislation requires a minimum crew of five. For a municipality in Sweden with the average number and distribution of alarms a full time crew of five is not economically justifiable until it reaches a population of 30,000.

Accidents↗
PubMed2000

Preventing vehicle crashes with trains at grade crossings: the risk seeker challenge.

A formative evaluation for a communication campaign to decrease rail-automobile accidents was conducted with a survey of 891 randomly selected residents in Michigan, USA. The formative evaluation was theoretically grounded in the extended parallel process model. The results of the study suggest that the majority of respondents engage in safe driving behaviors around railways. However, 10-20% reported extremely risky behaviors such as trying to 'beat the train' (labeled 'risk seekers'). Further analyses revealed that the risk seekers were disproportionately male with strong sensation seeking tendencies to engage in new and novel experiences and to avoid boredom. The results suggest that high sensation seeking tendencies cause one to experience greater frustration and exhibit greater judgment distortions around rail crossings, which in turn, cause one to try and beat the train. Specific recommendations are given for campaign developers and limitations to the study are addressed.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1998

Magnetic fields on British trains.

People on trains can be exposed to static and alternating magnetic fields which are higher than background levels in most homes and many workplaces. Quantification of such exposure may be of interest for epidemiological purposes but it is also important to ensure that exposure guidelines are complied with. This article describes the types of electric trains and trams in use in the UK and the results of measurements of static and alternating magnetic flux density. Many of the data have been supplied by the operators of the systems described. The measurements summarised in this article are indicative of the magnitudes of magnetic field exposures to be encountered on British trains, but without concomitant frequency information, they are not sufficient to allow demonstration of compliance with exposure standards.

Electromagnetic Fields↗
PubMed2000

Assessment, re-design and evaluation of changes to the driver's cab in a suburban electric train.

A new type of electric train, called the Tangara, began replacing older trains on the Sydney city and suburban network in 1990. Shortly afterwards, some of the train drivers began reporting pain in the arms while driving the new train. The Ergonomics Unit of Worksafe Australia was then engaged to identify and assess ergonomic problems in the driver's cab. This process included direct observation of drivers at work, distribution of a self-administered questionnaire to all drivers, and analysis of anthropometric problems using a computer-aided design package. The analysis of 193 completed questionnaires and the problems shown by the design study were used in developing an improved design. A mock-up of the modified cab was made and tried out by 134 drivers whose comments led to further changes. The modified design was applied to new production, and existing cabs were modified during major maintenance. By 1996, 96% of the driver's cabs were to the new design. An evaluation of the new design was undertaken using written questionnaires, which were completed by 227 drivers. The results were strongly in favour of the new design, showing the effectiveness of the ergonomic modifications.

Computer-Aided Design↗
PubMed1998

Psychophysical methods and passenger preferences of interior designs.

A psychophysical experiment was conducted to evaluate the interior design alternatives of a high-speed train. Preference of each design alternative was quantitatively measured by using the magnitude estimation technique. Subsequent analyses showed that (1) passenger seats should be able to be arranged in the moving direction of a train, (2) a variety of interior convenience facilities, especially, an audio facility, should be provided to enhance passenger comfort and (3) the design requirements suggested by young passengers could improve the overall preference level. In addition, guidelines for collecting, standardizing, and analyzing the data are suggested when the magnitude estimation technique is used. The use of psychophysical data is expected to be very useful when it is necessary to make engineering decisions based on quantitative preference data.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Coach design for the Korean high-speed train: a systematic approach to passenger seat design and layout.

Proper ergonomic design of a passenger seat and coach layout for a high-speed train is an essential component that is directly related to passenger comfort. In this research, a systematic approach to the design of passenger seats was described and the coach layout which reflected the tradeoff between transportation capacity and passenger comfort was investigated for the Korean high-speed train. As a result, design recommendations and specifications of the passenger seat and its layout were suggested. The whole design process is composed of four stages. A survey and analysis of design requirement was first conducted, which formed the base for designing the first and second class passenger seats. Prototypes were made and evaluated iteratively, and seat arrangement and coach layout were finally obtained. The systematic approach and recommendations suggested in this study are expected to be applicable to the seat design for public transportations and to help modify and redesign existing vehicular seats.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

A longitudinal study of "intrusion-based reasoning" and posttraumatic stress disorder after exposure to a train disaster.

Previously, we found that chronic PTSD relates to "intrusion-based reasoning" (IR), i.e. the tendency to interpret distressing intrusions themselves as evidence that danger is impending, regardless of objective danger information (Engelhard et al., Behav. Res. Ther. 39 (2001) 1139). This study was intended to elucidate the causal status of this relation. Twenty-nine residents of a Belgian town witnessed a train crash and were assessed for IR and PTSD symptoms within 1 month and were re-assessed for PTSD at 3.5 months. Fourteen control residents did not witness the crash and were also tested for IR. The IR paradigm involved rating the danger of brief scenarios in which objective danger and presence of intrusions about the crash were systematically varied. The directly exposed residents showed greater danger ratings to scenarios in which intrusions were included than did the controls. IR was strongly related to both acute and chronic PTSD symptoms. It did not significantly predict chronic PTSD symptoms after controlling for acute symptoms, although the partial correlation (r=0.26, p=0.09) was in the expected direction. The data suggest that IR is involved in the onset and maintenance of PTSD symptoms, but more clarity about causality awaits future larger and experimental studies.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2003

Digital redesign of anti-wind-up controller for cascaded analog system.

The cascaded conventional anti-wind-up (CAW) design method for integral controller is discussed. Then, the prediction-based digital redesign methodology is utilized to find the new pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) digital controller for effective digital control of the analog plant with input saturation constraint. The desired digital controller is determined from existing or pre-designed CAW analog controller. The proposed method provides a novel methodology for indirect digital design of a continuous-time unity output-feedback system with a cascaded analog controller as in the case of PID controllers for industrial control processes with the presence of actuator saturations. It enables us to implement an existing or pre-designed cascaded CAW analog controller via a digital controller effectively.

Equipment Design↗
PubMed2001

Tram-related injuries in Sheffield.

The aim of this study was to identify the number of accidents and types of injury related to the Supertram system in Sheffield. Data was collected prospectively over an 18 month period, commencing in April 1994, on all patients attending the Accident and Emergency department at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital whose injuries were related to the tram system. Ninety patients were included in the study, 54 males and 36 females with a median age of 39 years (range 16-82), representing approximately 0.13% of the patients attending the department during the study period. Forty one patients were cyclists, twenty three pedestrians, twelve were motorists or motorcyclists and fourteen sustained injuries due to ongoing construction work. Thirty one patients sustained fractures, most commonly involving the upper limb/shoulder girdle (63%), with cyclists suffering 83% of these serious upper limb injuries. Following assessment 38 patients were discharged, 29 patients were referred to fracture clinic, 12 were sent for physiotherapy and 11 admitted to hospital. Eight patients required a total of 13 operations during the study period. We have demonstrated a significant number of injuries in this study related to the tram system in Sheffield. Cyclists appear to be the group at highest risk, followed by pedestrians and motor vehicle users.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2004

Three part posterior fracture dislocation of the hip without fracture of the femoral head: review of literature and a case report.

This case report describes a rare posterior dislocation of the hip with fractures of the ipsilateral femoral neck and greater trochanter, without fracture of the femoral head, in a young adult male following a railway accident. This patient was managed within 6h of injury by open reconstruction. This unusual injury has not been reported previously. Cases of posterior fracture dislocation of the hip with a fracture of the femoral neck without fracture of the femoral head were reviewed from the literature. Mechanism of injury, controversies regarding operative procedures and appropriate surgical approach are discussed. The authors also believe that this injury pattern merits inclusion in the existing classification system of fracture dislocation of hip for management and prediction of outcome.

Accidents↗