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INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely afreet reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Infonnaticn Company 300 North Zed) Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 INVESTIGATING CONSTRUCTION FALLS USING FAULT TREE ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPING A PROTOTYPE TOOL TO REDUCE FALLS USING EXPERT SYSTEM AND COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION METHODS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Carlos A. Vargas. M.S. * * * * The Ohio State University 1998 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Fabian C. Hadipriono, Adviser Professor Josann W. Duane Professor Richard E. Larew Adviser Professor Zoltan A. Nemeth Civil Engineering Graduate Program UMI Number: 9834087 UMI Microform 9834087 Copyright 1998, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 ABSTRACT Construction falls have been identified as the most frequent cause of deaths and injuries to workers during construction operations. The objective of this study is to systematically analyze construction systems as they relate to fall protection safety and identify the potential hazards that may cause falls and slips. A fault tree analysis technique is used to identify all the possible events that may lead to falls in construction. This knowledge is then incorporated into a prototype tool, SAFETY FIRST, that may be used to investigate construction falls, evaluate the factors that may contribute to construction falls, and train users on fall hazards and ways to avoid them. The system developed consists of the following four modules: 1 An expert system to investigate a construction fall that has already occurred. The system identifies a particular event or combination of events that are the likely cause of the fall and explains how it could have been prevented. 2. An expert system to evaluate the existing fall protection in a construction site. The system determines if the fall protection in a given elevated component is adequate and provides suggestions to eliminate or avoid any potential hazard identified. 3. An expert system tool that can be used at the design and planning stages o f a construction project to identify and eliminate potential fall hazards at the early stages of the project. 4. A computer based training tool to educate workers on all aspects of fall safety. The training program will also maintain records on each of its users’ performance. In addition to the computer tool which can be used to tackle specific aspects of the fall safety process (i.e., investigation, evaluation, design and planning, and training), it is important to recognize that this kind of tool will be best used in a company whose environment already promotes safety as a major priority. Therefore, as a part of this study, we include a discussion o f the elements that a sound, long term safety program should have in order to succeed. The SAFETY FIRST system is expected to be used by private companies, such as general contractors and subcontractors, as a tool to identify potentially dangerous conditions, investigate falls, and train their employees; by government agencies, such as OSHA and BWC to investigate falls and to train their safety inspectors; and by academic institutions to train construction students in fall related matters. The system has been evaluated by experts and potential users. All evaluation criteria, including the overall performance of the system have been rated to be good or better than good. Ill Dedicated to my parents, brothers, and wife IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Fabian C. Hadipriono. my advisor, for all his guidance, support, and continuous encouragement during my graduate studies. Thank you for all the Friday nights spend reading my reports and your patience during our Thursday presentations. 1 would also like to thank the members of my advisory committee: Dr. Richard E. Larew for sharing all his valuable construction experience with me and for his valuable comments to improve my dissertation. Dr. Josann W. Duane for all of her comments on this research and her continuous encouragement, and Dr. Zoltan A. Nemeth for his suggestions regarding this dissertation. 1 would also like to acknowledge all of the professionals from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) who agreed to become experts for this research: Mr. John Sahayda. Mr. Mike G. Ypsilantis, Mr. Dan Feeney, and Mr. Greg Mather. Their knowledge was invaluable to this project. In addition. 1 wish to thank all of the professionals who provided their time and effort to test and improve the program developed in this research. Special thanks go to Meg Conlon from the Builders Exchange of Ohio (BX) for her help in testing the program and gathering many of the professionals who did the final testing. 1 also thank the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for providing the financial support for my master degree studies. Further, my thanks go to all my colleagues at the Construction Laboratory for Automation and System Simulation (CLASS) for their help throughout my studies. 1 would also like to acknowledge Mr. Bruce Rogers for his help in editing my dissertation. Finally. 1 wish to thank my parents, brothers, and wife for their continuous love, encouragement, and faith in me. VI VITA December 27, 1966 Bom - Bogota, Colombia 1994 M.S. Civil Engineering, The Ohio State University, USA 1992 B.S. Civil Engineering, The Ohio State University, USA PUBLICATIONS Research Publications 1. Vargas C A (1993). Construction Falls: Knowledge Acquisition and Faidt Tree Development. A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University. 2. Vargas C. A. and Hadipriono F. C. (1995), "Knowledge Acquisition and Knowledge Structure for the Safety First Expert System," Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference, Associated Schools o f Construction, Edited by Dale J. Koehler, pp. 227-236. 3. Hadipriono F.C., Vargas C A , and Yoo W.H. (1995a). SAFETY FIRST: A Fault Tree Expert System for Construction Falls. Volume I: The Knowledge Acquisition. Report submitted to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 4. Hadipriono F.C., Vargas C A , and Yoo W.H. (1995b). SAFETY FIRST: A Fault Tree Expert System for Construction Falls. Volume II: The Knowledge Structure. Report submitted to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 5. Hadipriono F.C. and Vargas C.A. (1995c). SAFETY FIRST: A Fault Tree Expert System for Construction Falls. Volume III: The Knowledge Base. Report submitted to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. vu 6. Vargas C.A., Hadipriono F.C., and Larew R.E. (1996). "Causes of Construction Falls from Floor Openings and Edges." Proceedings o f the First International Conference o f CIB Working Commission W99. Implementation o f Safety and Health on Construction Sites, edited by Luis A. Dias and Richard J. Coble, pp. 303-312. 7. Vargas C.A., Hadipriono F.C., Larew R E, and Yoo W.H. (1996). "A Fault Tree Model for Falls from a Form Scaffolding." Proceedings of the First International Conference o f CIB Working Commission W99. Implementation of Safety and Health on Construction Sites, edited by Luis A. Dias and Richard J. Coble, pp. 291-301. 8. Larew R.E., Hadipriono F.C., Vargas C A , and Barsoum A S. (1996). "International Collaboration for Construction Safety." Proceedings of the First International Conference of CIB Working Commission W99. Implementation o f Safety and Health on Construction Site, edited by Luis A. Dias and Richard J. Coble, pp. 543- 551. 9. Vargas C. A, Hadipriono F. C , Yoo W. H., and Larew R. E. (1996). "A Fault Tree Model of Falls from a Tube and Coupler Scaffolding," Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Great Lakes Regional Meeting Proceedings, pp. 13-26. FIELD