Re-assessing hazard recognition ability in occupational environment with microvascular function in the brain

Abstract Hazard recognition (HR) is a critical process for safety management in the complex and dynamic occupational environment. Although previous studies have attempted to quantify hazard recognition ability (HRA), the results are potentially optimistic because of limitations in their experimental settings and/or single data collection channels. This study aims to re-develop a compound HRA index that incorporates microvascular function in the brain. First, the authors identify critical indicators of HR and design an experiment to be conducted in a real scene. Data are then collected through questionnaires (experience and risk tolerance), eye-tracking devices (eye movement), and near-infrared spectroscopy. Finally, discriminant analysis is applied to develop an HRA index. The prediction accuracy of the proposed HRA index is shown to outperform previous approaches. Theoretically, this research signals a new perspective (changes in hemodynamic properties of the prefrontal cortex) in the assessment of HRA. The proposed HRA index can be used for onboard assessment of workers or safety inspectors, reducing human errors and undetected occupational hazards.