Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing

Developing an Evaluation Framework for

Occupation Safety and Health Management

Wong Yu-Siou, Master of Science in Engineering Management, Tatung University

wong9987@hotmail.com

Weng Tsai-Lung, Professor, Tatung University

wengabc@ttu.edu.tw

Pin Hu, Bachelor of Business Administration, Tatung University

b01705003@ntu.edu.tw

Tatung University, No.40, Sec. 3, Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei City 104, Taiwan

TEL: +886-2-2592-5252 ext 2458 FAX: +886-2-2585-5215

National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan

TEL+886-2-3366-3366 FAX+886-2-2362-7651
Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing

Abstract

BackgroundIn order to build an effective management system for implementing the

operation of safety and health, the performance indicators should be taken to measure the

management of safety and health for continual improvement in the prevention of workplace

incidents and accidents.

PurposesThrough literature review of the relevant domestic and overseas resources, an

evaluation framework for occupational safety and health management was developed.

MethodsThe Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) was applied to confirm and finalize this

evaluation framework.

ResultsThe five major domain of this research are material and equipment management,

occupational accidents prevention, equality of the sexes, process safety assessment, and

promotion of safety and health culture. Under these five major domains, it developed 25

factors to appropriate evaluation indicators of occupational safety and health.

Conclusions/Implications for PracticeIt suggests this evaluation framework should be

validated with case studies or actual implementation for further work.

Keywordsoccupation safety and health management, performance evaluation, Fuzzy Delphi

method.

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Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing

1. Foreword

The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that developing countries

occupational safety and health services cover only five to ten percent of labors; even when in

developed countries, the ratio was between twenty to fifty percent. Due to the low coverage of

occupational safety and health services, in addition to changes in globalization,

unemployment, technology improvement, aging, consumer orientation, quality management,

decreasing human resource, and increasing employment in small and medium enterprises, the

method of traditional safety and health services, which emphasizes the acknowledgement,

estimation, and management of dangers in workplaces, is insufficient (ILO, 2003). Comparing

to the International Labor Organizations measurement of professional safety and health, the

occupational injury system of our country is still immature in various terms, including

laboring inspection, safety inspection for machinery, equipment and tools, chemical

management, occupational safety and health promotion, etc. Improvement and development is

required.

2. Research Purpose

The goal of the research is to set up the occupational safety and health inspection

organization in our country. By collecting and aggregating occupational safety and health

management methods both home and abroad, thereby developing our domestic occupational

safety and health inspection system and measurement, this research aims to produce a better

instrument for different industries to measure their own safety and health condition, so as to

prevent harm and improve safety and health. The details are:

1. To collect home and abroad relating occupational safety and health management

literatures and examples, and to aggregate the latest trend of it.

2. To develop the measurement aimed at the amendment of our domestic occupational

safety and health regulation.

3. By applying the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) survey domestic experts and scholars, to

filter an occupational safety and health inspection system suited for our country.

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Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing
3. Research Method

This research would be using literature collecting and surveying, so as to collect home

and abroad literatures relating to occupational safety and health management, then applying

the Fuzzy Delphi Method in surveying domestic experts and scholars to assure the

inspections suitability to finish the system.

(1) Fuzzy Sets Theory

The Fuzzy Sets Theory was first put forward by control theorist Zadeh of UC Berkley. It

was a subject discussing how to transform the fuzzy phenomenon to mathematics, so as to

express the uncertainty of things. The way people solve problems is similar to it, with many

subjective expressions being blurry, having unclear boundaries, and difficult to explain with

binary logic. Hence, professor Zadeh utilized membership function to stipulate the features of

fuzzy sets. The function outputs values between 0 and 1 to expresses the level of uncertainty.

Since the fuzzy sets theory tolerates uncertainty in the process, it can effectively solve the

uncertainty problems in real life. Hence, applying the fuzzy sets theory upon multi - criteria

assessment problems might improve the rationality of the assessments. Ishikawa et al. (1993)

introduced fuzzy theory into the Delphi method, as well as setting up Max-min and Fuzzy

Integration methods. It has the advantage of including opinions of other experts, decreasing

investigation frequency, lowering consumed time and assets, and the clear predicted semantic

structure.

() Fuzzy Delphi Method

There are many research in our country using Fuzzy Delphi methods (Chen, 2001;

Zheng, 2001), which could effectively decrease investigation frequency. They utilized the

double triangle fuzzy technique to integrate the opinion of experts, and were able to

effectively examine whether the opinions of experts are consistent by the gray zone

examination. This research follows the same method to confirm the experts and scholars

opinions and advices to occupational safety and health management inspection system, so as

to make the outcome more objective and practical. The procedure of the inspection is detail

below.

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Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing
4. Results

(1) Occupational Safety and Health Management System Draft

This research integrates home and abroad relative literatures and focus on the revision of

our domestic occupational safety and health regulation. It also invites domestic experts and

scholars to select the inspection systems suited for domestic occupational safety and health

management. This includes material and equipment management, occupational accidents

prevention, equality of the sexes, process safety assessment, and promotion of safety and

health culture. In all, there are twenty-five measurements.

Material and equipment management includes 1-1 equipment standard safety regulation,

1-2 equipment and material hazard labeling, 1-3 new equipment and material hazard

inspection, 1-4 safety and health purchasing management, and 1-5 essence safe equipment

and material selection.

Occupational accidents prevention includes 2-1 safety and health equipment and

measures, 2-2 new occupational disease prevention and management, 2-3 workplace violence

prevention, 2-4 occupational injury patient caring, 2-5 operation environment inspection and

management, and 2-6 medical management system implementation.

Equality of the sexes includes 3-1 female workers job type specification and protection,

3-2 female employment protection and anti-discrimination, 3-3 female parental protection and

planning, and 3-4 female workers occupational health protection.

Process safety assessment includes 4-1 process safety risk assessment, 4-2 professional

safety assessment personnel appointment and training, 4-3 emergency respond planning and

drilling, 4-4 process modifying safety assessment, and 4-5 regular inspecting and updating

results.

Promotion of safety and health culture includes 5-1 improved reported tracking system,

5-2 setting up safety and health advisory system, 5-3 safety and health management

inspection system, 5-4 introducing occupational safety and health management system, and

5-5 high level managers safety leadership and communicate inspections.

The system of occupational safety and health management is detailed below.

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Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing
(2)Fuzzy Delphi Method Survey Results

This research utilizes Fuzzy Delphi Method survey to consult experts. From the outcome

detailed in graph 2, we could set up the survey of experts opinion, with the targets having the

professional knowledges essential to understanding it. Hence, the target must be selected from

experts of occupational safety and health, so as to provide precious ideas about the integrity

and suitability of the occupational safety and health management system. We had twelve

experts to answer the survey.

The survey was sent on June 3rd 2013, and all were retrieved by June 29th, 2013. Some

experts advices had been supplemented. This research utilized the double triangle fuzzy

technique to examine whether the value (Mi-Zi) is larger than 0, which indicates the opinions

of experts are consistent. The outcome of the first survey is sorted in table 1, in which all 25

drafted measurements passed. It also filters the inspection measurements by experts

consensus value Gi. The threshold value, which would affect the outcome of inspection

measurement filtered, was decided by using the Delphi Method, which usually calls for

subjective judgement. In general, the threshold is usually set on 6.00 to 7.00 on a scale of 0 to

10. This research uses 7 as threshold so as to guarantee the precise Table 1 illustrates that all

drafted measurements passed the examination, and all consensus values are higher than 7. The

highest five consensus values are 2-1, 2-2, 2-4, 4-1, and 2-5. Four of which are related to

occupational hazard prevention, which indicates that experts generally view prevention of

accidents as the most important issue. To take a close look, the consensus values of 2-1 and

2-2 are even higher than 9, showing that experts consider facilities of safety and health should

be frequently restored and maintained, and should be repaired or improved immediately when

irregular was noticed as cited by the regulation. In addition, since overworking and new

occupational illness are spreading, firms should enhance the labor health service system

including health management, health improvement, and to assist safety and health personnel

in occupational illness prevention.ness of the inspection system.

5. Results and Application

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Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing
This research aggregates relevant domestic and overseas literature resources and aims on

domestic safety and health law amendment focal points, which includes material and

equipment management, occupational accidents prevention, equality of the sexes, process

safety assessment, and promotion of safety and health culture, with 25 inspection

measurements. By utilizing Fuzzy Delphi Method, we surveyed 12 domestic experts in related

fields to affirm domestic occupational safety and health management inspection system. It

could be used as reference in future law amendments, and to be a useful tool for industries

that are not included by safety and health regulations to take a look at possible improvements.

However, the occupational safety and health management inspection system set up by

this research was based on the 2013 domestic law amendment focal points. If one hopes to

have a more detailed examination on a specific industry or process, than one needs to increase

its ratio in the measurements. Additionally, if domestic industries are willing to promote

occupational safety and health management in the future, they could use this inspection

system as a trial to find out the unfulfilled improvements, and then develop into a strategy in

accordance with the features of the industry or process.

6. Limlits

This research is aimed at proposing an evaluation system for occupational safety and health

regulations, and to be suitable for safety and health management references. However it may

need adjustment due to amendment of the law in the future.

7. Appreciation

Wed like to thank all cooperating scholars for supporting and providing advices.

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Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing
References

1. Xu, S.J. (1995). A Study on Fuzzy PERT and the Related Issues. Master's dissertation of

Tunghai University.

2. Cheng, J.H. (2011). Indexes of Competitive Power and Core Competence in Selecting

Asia-Pacific Ports. Journal of the Chinese Institute of Transportation. 13(1).1-25

3. Ministry of Labor (2013). Occupational Safety and Health Act. Retrieved from

http://laws.mol.gov.tw/Chi/FLAW/FLAWDAT0201.asp

4. Jeng, T.B. (2001). Fuzzy Assessment Model for Maturity of Software Organization in

Improving its Staff's Capability. Master's dissertation of National Taiwan Science and

Technology University.

5. International Labor Office, ILO (2003). Global strategy on occupational safety and

health. Retrieved from

http://ilo.org/safework/info/policy-documents/WCMS_107535/lang--en/index.htm

6. International Social Security Association, ISSA (2008). Seoul Declaration on Safety and

Health at Work. http://www.issa.int/.

7. Ishikawa, A., Amagasa, M., Shiga, T., Tomizawa, G., Tatsuta, R., & Mieno, H. (1993).

The max-min Delphi method and fuzzy Delphi method via fuzzy integration. Fuzzy sets

and systems, 55(3), 241-253.

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Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing

Graph1. Fuzzy Delphi Method Process

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Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing
Occupational
Safety and
1-1 equipment standard safety regulation
Health
Management material and
Inspection equipment
1-2 equipment and material hazard labeling
System management
1-3 new equipment and material hazard inspection
1-4 safety and health purchasing management
1-5 essence safe equipment and material selection
2-1 safety and health equipment and measures

2-2 new occupational disease prevention and management

occupational
accidents 2-3 workplace violence prevention
prevention 2-4 occupational injury patient caring
2-5 operation environment inspection and management
2-6 medical management system implementation
3-1 female workers job type specification and protection

equality of the 3-2 female employment protection and anti-discrimination

sexes
3-3 female parental protection and planning
3-4 female workers occupational health protection
4-1 process safety risk assessment
4-2 professional safety assessment personnel appointment and
process safety training
assessment 4-3 emergency respond planning and drilling
4-4 process modifying safety assessment
4-5 regular inspecting and updating results
5-1 improved reported tracking system
5-2 setting up safety and health advisory system
promotion of 5-3 safety and health management inspection system
safety and
5-4 introducing occupational safety and health management system
health culture
5-5 high level managers safety leadership and communicate
inspections

Table 1.

Occupational Safety and Health Management Inspection System

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 Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing
Table 2. Fuzzy Delphi Expert Survey Filtered Statistic Outcome
Most Most
examination Experts
Conservative Optimistic
Facets Measurements value consensus
Value Value
(Mi-Zi) value (Gi)
CiL CiM CiU OiL OiM OiU
1-1 equipment standard
5 7.07 8 8 9.40 10 2.33 8.23
safety regulation
1-2 equipment and material
5 6.50 9 7 8.93 10 0.43 7.87
hazard labeling
material and
1-3 new equipment and
equipment 5 7.16 8 8 9.33 10 2.17 8.24
material hazard inspection
management
1-4 safety and health
5 6.58 9 8 9.23 10 1.65 8.34
purchasing management
1-5 essence safe equipment
5 6.79 9 8 9.42 10 1.63 8.39
and material selection
2-1 safety and health
6 7.78 10 9 9.61 10 0.84 9.22
equipment and measures
2-2 new occupational disease
5 7.35 10 9 9.71 10 1.36 9.21
prevention and management
2-3 workplace violence
occupational 5 6.63 8 8 8.86 10 2.24 7.75
prevention
accidents
2-4 occupational injury
prevention 5 7.00 8 9 9.43 10 3.43 8.70
patient caring
2-5 operation environment
6 7.49 9 8 9.31 10 0.82 8.46
inspection and management
2-6 medical management
6 7.23 8 8 9.33 10 2.10 8.28
system implementation
3-1 female workers job type
6 6.86 8 8 9.25 10 2.39 8.06
specification and protection
3-2 female employment
protection and 6 6.85 8 8 9.14 10 2.30 7.99
equality of anti-discrimination
the sexes 3-3 female parental
6 7.03 8 8 9.24 10 2.21 8.14
protection and planning
3-4 female workers
occupational health 5 6.83 8 8 9.03 10 2.20 7.93
protection
process 4-1 process safety risk 6 7.37 9 8 9.42 10 1.05 8.47

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 Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing
Most Most
examination Experts
Conservative Optimistic
Facets Measurements value consensus
Value Value
(Mi-Zi) value (Gi)
CiL CiM CiU OiL OiM OiU
safety assessment
assessment 4-2 professional safety
assessment personnel 6 7.37 9 8 9.31 10 0.94 8.44
appointment and training
4-3 emergency respond
5 6.92 9 7 9.02 10 0.11 7.99
planning and drilling
4-4 process modifying safety
7 7.38 9 8 9.23 10 0.85 8.43
assessment
4-5 regular inspecting and
5 7.26 9 8 9.12 10 0.86 8.39
updating results
5-1 improved reported
6 7.35 9 8 9.32 10 0.97 8.44
tracking system
5-2 setting up safety and
6 7.19 8 8 8.90 10 1.71 8.04
health advisory system
5-3 safety and health
promotion of
management inspection 5 6.89 9 8 9.05 10 1.15 8.33
safety and
system
health
5-4 introducing occupational
culture
safety and health 5 7.18 9 8 9.13 10 0.96 8.38
management system
5-5 high level managers
safety leadership and 5 6.86 9 7 9.11 10 0.25 7.99
communicate inspections

CiL CiM CiU Oi L Oi M OiU (Mi-Zi) (Gi)

1-1 5 7.07 8 8 9.40 10 2.33 8.23

1-2 5 6.50 9 7 8.93 10 0.43 7.87

1-3 5 7.16 8 8 9.33 10 2.17 8.24

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 Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing
Most Most
examination Experts
Conservative Optimistic
Facets Measurements value consensus
Value Value
(Mi-Zi) value (Gi)
CiL CiM CiU OiL OiM OiU

1-4 5 6.58 9 8 9.23 10 1.65 8.34

1-5 5 6.79 9 8 9.42 10 1.63 8.39

2-1 6 7.78 10 9 9.61 10 0.84 9.22

2-2 5 7.35 10 9 9.71 10 1.36 9.21

2-3 5 6.63 8 8 8.86 10 2.24 7.75

2-4 5 7.00 8 9 9.43 10 3.43 8.70

2-5 6 7.49 9 8 9.31 10 0.82 8.46

2-6 6 7.23 8 8 9.33 10 2.10 8.28

3-1 6 6.86 8 8 9.25 10 2.39 8.06

3-2 6 6.85 8 8 9.14 10 2.30 7.99

3-3 6 7.03 8 8 9.24 10 2.21 8.14

3-4 5 6.83 8 8 9.03 10 2.20 7.93

4-1 6 7.37 9 8 9.42 10 1.05 8.47

4-2 6 7.37 9 8 9.31 10 0.94 8.44

4-3 5 6.92 9 7 9.02 10 0.11 7.99

4-4 7 7.38 9 8 9.23 10 0.85 8.43

4-5 5 7.26 9 8 9.12 10 0.86 8.39

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 Occupation Safety and Health Framework Evaluation Developing
Most Most
examination Experts
Conservative Optimistic
Facets Measurements value consensus
Value Value
(Mi-Zi) value (Gi)
CiL CiM CiU OiL OiM OiU

5-1 6 7.35 9 8 9.32 10 0.97 8.44

5-2 6 7.19 8 8 8.90 10 1.71 8.04

5-3 5 6.89 9 8 9.05 10 1.15 8.33

5-4 5 7.18 9 8 9.13 10 0.96 8.38

5-5 5 6.86 9 7 9.11 10 0.25 7.99

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