Organizations need to make decisions about risk acceptance, to decide about the need of risk-reducing measures. In this process, the personal judgments of occupational safety and health (OSH) practitioners have great importance. If on one hand, they have the technical knowledge about risk; on the other hand, the decisions can be dependent on their level of risk acceptance. This paper analyzes judgments of OSH practitioners about the level of risk acceptance, using the fuzzy logic approach. A questionnaire to analyze the reported level of risk acceptance was applied. The questionnaire included 79 risk scenarios, each accounting for the frequency of an accident with more lost workdays than a given magnitude. Through the two-step cluster analysis, three groups of OSH practitioners were identified: unacceptable, tolerable, and realistic groups. A further analysis of the realistic group judgments about risk was performed, using the fuzzy logic approach. The fuzzy sets of input and output variables were determined, and the relationship between the variables was mapped through fuzzy rules. After that, the min–max fuzzy inference method was used. The obtained results show that the risk level is acceptable when input variables are at the lowest value and unacceptable when the risk level is high. The obtained results allow us to better understand the modeling of OSH practitioners’ judgments about risk acceptance, noting the uncertainty related to these judgments.
Skip Nav Destination
e-mail: mar@estsp.ipp.pt
e-mail: enunes@dps.uminho.pt
e-mail: sds@dps.uminho.pt
e-mail: parezes@dps.uminho.pt
Article navigation
December 2016
Technical Briefs
A Fuzzy Logic Approach in the Definition of Risk Acceptance Boundaries in Occupational Safety and Health
Matilde A. Rodrigues,
e-mail: mar@estsp.ipp.pt
Matilde A. Rodrigues
Research Centre on Environment and Health, School of Allied Health Technology of Institute Polytechnic of Porto
, Vila Nova de Gaia 4400-330
, Portugal
e-mail: mar@estsp.ipp.pt
Search for other works by this author on:
Celina P. Leão,
Celina P. Leão
Mem. ASME
e-mail: cpl@dps.uminho.pt
DPS/ALGORITMI Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Minho
, Guimarães, 4800-058
, Portugal
e-mail: cpl@dps.uminho.pt
Search for other works by this author on:
Eusébio Nunes,
e-mail: enunes@dps.uminho.pt
Eusébio Nunes
DPS/ALGORITMI Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Minho
, Guimarães, 4800-058
, Portugal
e-mail: enunes@dps.uminho.pt
Search for other works by this author on:
Sérgio Sousa,
e-mail: sds@dps.uminho.pt
Sérgio Sousa
DPS/ALGORITMI Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Minho
, Guimarães, 4800-058
, Portugal
e-mail: sds@dps.uminho.pt
Search for other works by this author on:
Pedro Arezes
e-mail: parezes@dps.uminho.pt
Pedro Arezes
DPS/ALGORITMI Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Minho
, Guimarães, 4800-058
, Portugal
e-mail: parezes@dps.uminho.pt
Search for other works by this author on:
Matilde A. Rodrigues
Research Centre on Environment and Health, School of Allied Health Technology of Institute Polytechnic of Porto
, Vila Nova de Gaia 4400-330
, Portugal
e-mail: mar@estsp.ipp.pt
Celina P. Leão
Mem. ASME
e-mail: cpl@dps.uminho.pt
DPS/ALGORITMI Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Minho
, Guimarães, 4800-058
, Portugal
e-mail: cpl@dps.uminho.pt
Eusébio Nunes
DPS/ALGORITMI Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Minho
, Guimarães, 4800-058
, Portugal
e-mail: enunes@dps.uminho.pt
Sérgio Sousa
DPS/ALGORITMI Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Minho
, Guimarães, 4800-058
, Portugal
e-mail: sds@dps.uminho.pt
Pedro Arezes
DPS/ALGORITMI Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Minho
, Guimarães, 4800-058
, Portugal
e-mail: parezes@dps.uminho.pt
Manuscript received February 24, 2015; final manuscript received March 3, 2016; published online August 19, 2016. Assoc. Editor: Chimba Mkandawire.
ASME J. Risk Uncertainty Part B. Dec 2016, 2(4): 044501 (6 pages)
Published Online: August 19, 2016
Article history
Received:
February 24, 2015
Revision Received:
March 3, 2016
Accepted:
March 3, 2016
Citation
Rodrigues, M. A., Leão, C. P., Nunes, E., Sousa, S., and Arezes, P. (August 19, 2016). "A Fuzzy Logic Approach in the Definition of Risk Acceptance Boundaries in Occupational Safety and Health." ASME. ASME J. Risk Uncertainty Part B. December 2016; 2(4): 044501. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4032923
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
On the consistent classification and treatment of uncertainties in structural health monitoring applications
ASME J. Risk Uncertainty Part B
A FMEA Optimization Method Based on TODIM and Best Worst Method-Water Filling Theory in Pythagorean Fuzzy Language Environment for Reliability Assessment of Industrial Robot
ASME J. Risk Uncertainty Part B (June 2025)
A Data Driven Black Box Approach for the Inverse Quantification of Set-Theoretical Uncertainty
ASME J. Risk Uncertainty Part B (September 2025)
Uncertainty Quantification in the Prediction of Remaining Useful Life Considering Multiple Failure Modes
ASME J. Risk Uncertainty Part B (September 2025)
Related Articles
Risk Assessment Methodology for Electric-Current Induced Drowning Accidents
ASME J. Risk Uncertainty Part B (September,2016)
Understanding the Impact of Subjective Uncertainty on Architecture and Supplier Identification in Early Complex Systems Design
ASME J. Risk Uncertainty Part B (September,2015)
Risk Assessment in Bridge Construction Projects Using Fault Tree and Event Tree Analysis Methods Based on Fuzzy Logic
ASME J. Risk Uncertainty Part B (September,2015)
Risk Analysis of Gas Pipeline in Karst Area Based on Multilevel Hierarchical Structure Model
J. Pressure Vessel Technol (October,2024)
Articles from Part A: Civil Engineering
Multihazard Risk Model for Reliability Analysis of Expansive Soil Landslide Based on T–S Fuzzy Logic
ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering (June,2022)
Deep-Sea Accident Risk Posture Assessment Based on a Variable-Weighted Five-Element Connection Number
ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering (June,2024)
Climate Impact Risks and Climate Adaptation Engineering for Built Infrastructure
ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering (March,2015)
Risk Assessment for Stream Modification Projects in Urban Settings
ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering (June,2015)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
QRAS Approach to Phased Mission Analysis (PSAM-0444)
Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment & Management (PSAM)
Corrosion Risk Analysis
Corrosion and Materials in Hydrocarbon Production: A Compendium of Operational and Engineering Aspects
Digital Transformation by the Implementation of the True Digital Twin Concept and Big Data Technology for Structural Integrity Management
Ageing and Life Extension of Offshore Facilities