The Role of Human Factor in the Transport of Hazardous Materials

Abstract

This article describes and analyses issues related to modelling of human factor in the transport of hazardous materials. Due to its complexity, a human being constitutes an element parameterization of which encounters numerous difficulties. In the literature various attempts of human actions’ modelling have been presented. Authors of the article have used heuristic techniques – particularly, fuzzy set methods – in order to build a model of human factor for the purposes of their work. This model defines human actions by text description, that is, linguistically. The specificity of fuzzy sets allows the “precision” of human actions’ description to be “naturally” limited. The model has been built upon proprietary expert-based surveys, enabling selection of specific features, influencing driver’s efficiency, with their corresponding fuzzy sets. The model’s initial parameter is λL – intensity of accidents caused by driver’s mistake. The parameter has been created for the purposes of the proprietary risk assessment model in the road transportation of hazardous materials. Driving mistakes can significantly increase the risk of accidents. This heuristic model has been used to prepare a simulation of the influence of selected features on the driving safety.

Keywords: Human factor, hazardous materials, transport.

DOI: 10.54941/1007