Citation

Lombardi M, Fargnoli M, Parise G. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019; 16(23): e16234748.

Affiliation

Department of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment (DICMA), Sapienza-University of Rome, via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph16234748

PMID

31783585

Abstract

The number of accidents and victims in the construction sector has not decreased significantly despite the increasingly stricter laws and regulations. The analysis of accidents, as well as their root causes and determinants can certainly contribute to the development of more effective preventive interventions. The present study proposes a methodology for the analysis and synthesis of data provided by accidents statistics with the goal of defining specific risk profiles based on the accidents determinants, their variables, and how they interact with one another in influencing the occurrence of an accident. For this purpose, a procedure capable of extracting this type of information from the European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) database was developed. In particular, data processing and aggregation are performed by means of the synergic use of the Matrix of Descriptors (MoD) and cluster analysis. To validate such a procedure, the analysis of fatalities due to electrical shocks was carried out. The results achieved allowed us to elicit valuable information for both safety managers and decision makers. The proposed methodology can facilitate a systemic analysis of accidents databases reducing the difficulties in managing reports and accident statistics.

Language: en

Keywords

ESAW variables; accident databases; cindynic approach; cluster analysis; construction; electric risk; occupational health and safety; risk profiling; safety management