Safety and Human Error Analysis of High-risk Work Environments-With Focus on Pyrotechnics Factories

• Main Authors: Jui-Tang Sung, 宋瑞堂
• Other Authors: Chiuh-Siang Lin
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/52767977197318421532

碩士 === 中原大學 === 工業工程研究所 === 95 === Fireworks and firecrackers are widely used in Taiwan to enhance festive moods, especially during deity-ushering events, ancestor worship days, harvest festivals, weddings, major celebrations, political campaigns etc. Due to the unique power and audio-visual effects of these pyrotechnic products, they are popular among organizers of political, commercial, show-business, and religious events. These products and semi-finished products, however, pose catastrophic and lethal danger if not handled with care. The raw materials for fireworks and firecrackers are easily accessible, and production of these goods does not require sophisticated machinery, so manufacturers mass-produce to meet popular demands. The hazard lies in the facts that the materials and finished products are inherently unstable, that some of the machinery needs updated, that few safety equipments are in place, that workers lack safety education, and that the industry has not instituted a standard manufacturing process. There are only 12 legal pyrotechnics factories in 2007, down from 26 in 1994. This figure seems negligible compared to other industries that pose safety and public health threat to laborers, but due to the explosive nature of fireworks facilities, a breach of safety measure can often result in explosions and fires, maiming or killing employees and residents in the vicinity. The risks are too significant to ignore. In light of the risks involved, I would like to delve into the industry from various academic angles, utilizing analytic hierarchy process to identify its most hazardous workstations, analyzing key factors in human error from engineering psychology’s point of view, in the hope that the number of industrial accidents will be minimized and loss of human lives and property will be avoided.