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First aid training as provided by the St John Ambulance Brigade appeared to be related to reduced incidence of accidents at work. It was also related to heightened safety awareness in a community which was not, however, accompanied by changes in relevant behaviour. A model of factors affecting safety is discussed. In the comment following, Philip Powell draws attention to some risks of defective data and the faulty conclusions that inadequate information may lead to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subjective estimates of risk made by twenty-five chain-saw operators were compared with an objective risk distribution derived from reported accident frequencies. There was significant agreement amongst the subjects on the distribution of risk, but very little correlation between the subjects' estimates and an objective distribution. The implications of such a mismatch are discussed with respect to accident preventions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety precautions have traditionally been orientated towards the removal or engineering control of potentially damaging energy, but the use of techniques for reducing non-culpable error is also potentially fruitful. These parallel approaches are here combined into a simple model from which is derived a conceptual outline to guide the selection of countermeasures. From this model a course of brutal study can be constructed in a manner suitable for incorporation into the curriculum at those who will be professionally concerned with the prevention of accidental injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an experiment where half the clients visiting ten of the Department of Employments Occupational Guidance Units completed the Kuder Preference Record as well as going through the normal vocational guidance procedure. Follow-up suggested that the Kuder Record influenced the guidance officers to make recommendations more in line with people's expressed job preferences, and influenced clients to choose jobs in line with these preferences; but use of the Kuder did not relate to subsequent job satisfaction or to satisfaction with the guidance received. For the purposes of this study an objective method was evolved by which scores of the Kuder could be related to the jobs chosen and a measure of agreement obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex problems of a driver in controlling hovercraft are described. A study was conducted to determine whether drivers with experience in flying fixed-wing aircraft had a lasting advantage over those without it in their ability to control an SRN-5 hovercraft. No evidence of such a difference was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sample of dentists and pharmacists in South Wales provided information on their work by questionnaire. Dentists suffered more physical disability, found the pace of work more exacting, and described more difficulties and distastes than did pharmacists. The latter however reported more problems affecting their professional standing. The findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation was undertaken to validate the widely held assumption that a course a an Industrial Rehabilitation Unit may improve clients' attitudes. By means of a pilot study two major attitudes, labelled `Inadequacy' and `Keenness for Work' were identified, and scales were constructed to measure them. These were administered to 327 men on entry to an Industrial Rehabilitation Unit and again to the 213 of these still available five weeks later. Results supported the hypotheses that a reduction of Inadequacy but no change in Keenness for Work would occur during industrial rehabilitation. Further analysis showed that keenness for work was related to employment status six months tater, age, and amount of family responsibility. Inadequacy was related to psychiatric classification. Implications for further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper briefly reviews past accident research, particularly pointing out two areas which have bred misconceptions: accident proneness and unicausality. It puts forward a model of the accident process which could provide a more fruitful basis for future work as well as an explanation of past research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on the paper "First aid training and accidents," by Gary Miller and Neil Agnew in this issue. Miller and Agnew tested the hypothesis that the probability that people trained in first aid will be involved in accidents is less than those who have not been trained. However, the data used were all obtained from the company for which the victim worked. This is erroneous because the number of accidents is not the same as the number of recorded accidents, particularly in British firms. Moreover, the authors failed to consider the fact that first-aiders are not exposed to the same risks for the same time as the other workers.

Presents comments of the author on an article written by J.G. Dunn regarding subjective and objective risk distribution, published in the October 1972 issue of the journal "Occupational Psychology." Focus on Dunn's objective measures of risk distribution that were derived from accident reports submitted to the U.S. Forestry Commission for the years 1967 to 1970; Opinion of the author on samples of Dunn's reported accidents whose proportions fell into categories of job and body part injured; Reference to the mismatch between risks perceived by Dunn's group of twenty-five sawyers and risks as measured by the official statistics for the forestry population as a whole.