Background

A positive Patient Safety Culture (PSC) is considered as the main barrier to adverse events (AEs) that affect healthcare quality and safety. Thus, the assessment of PSC became a priority for healthcare providers in order to identify problematic areas that need improvement actions.

Method

A cross sectional multi-center study was conducted to evaluate quantitatively PSC in 10 Algerian healthcare establishments (HEs) within the framework of the Algerian Observatory of Safety Culture (ASCO Project). The French version of the HSOPSC was used as a measurement tool where it was administered to participants (N = 1370) using convenience sampling.

Results

A total of 1118 respondents, all professional categories included, participated in this study. The response rate was estimated at 69% of the sample size (N = 1370). After statistical processing, 950 questionnaires were retained. Internal consistency was above 0.7 for all dimensions. Problematic PSC dimensions were identified, mainly ‘Non-punitive response to error’, ‘Staffing’ and ‘Communication openness’.

Conclusions

This article sheds light on the critical situation of PSC in the Algerian national health system. Quantitative findings were introduced in the framework of the Algerian Safety Culture Observatory project that will serve as a baseline for different stakeholders to guide long-term promotion actions.

Fire safety barriers installed in atmospheric storage tanks have an important role in the prevention and the mitigation of accident scenarios triggered by lightning strike. The aim of the present study is the integration of the role of fire safety barriers in the probabilistic analysis of accident scenarios triggered by lightning strike on atmospheric storage tanks of flammable liquids. A statistical analysis of past similar accidents was performed to show their importance with respect to other naturel events such as floods and earthquakes. Depending on the tank type, different event trees are provided to describe the possible event sequences and consequences following lightning impact. Fault tree method was used to quantify the expected availability of fire safety barriers, which are integrated in event trees. The event tree related to external floating roof tanks and fault trees of safety barriers have been converted to an equivalent Bayesian network for performing sensitivity analysis, in order to identify the most critical basic elements of fire safety barriers that need to be improved. The application of the methodology to a real case study proved the importance of the integration of all relevant safety barriers performance and the influence of amelioration measures on the annual probability of lightning-triggered accidents.

In the context of the industrial process safety, the domino effect has become a topical issue for scientists and managers of companies given the diversity of factors that contributed to the aggravation of this phenomenon such as; proximity to industrial facilities, transport networks, development of industrial complexes, storage of hazardous substances and population growth. The purpose of this article is the MICDE method (Method of Identification and Characterization of Domino Effects) application on industrial zone of LPG storage in SONATRACH-Algeria Group for analyzes the domino effects caused by a major industrial accident.

Our study is adopted on the MICDE method which constitutes an aid in the integration of the domino effects problem in hazard studies and safety studies. In our application, it aims to formalize the points relating to the domino effects due to the BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) phenomenon of an LPG storage sphere.

The results obtained show that the hazardous equipment in the vicinity is seriously affected by the thermal and overpressure effect of the main accident, and may be seats in a new accident. The MICDE method is a promising method can be applied in several fields since it studies the phenomenon. This method facilitates decision-making in the prevention of domino effects for the sustainability facilities

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the interest of focusing public policies for wildfire management on behavioral changes supported by sustainable development projects dedicated to the Algerian forest heritage. Thus, the Aurès region in the eastern part of Algeria will be used as an example to illustrate the proposed new strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed method, guided by projects' management in sustainable development, consists of developing a responsible citizenship strategy focused on behavioral changes of citizens. Therefore, the title of the proposed method: The Construct of Responsible Citizenship.

Findings

In order to cope with forest fires, the proposed approach highlights the interest of promoting responsible citizenship. Likewise, it outlines a tool for sustaining behavioral changes based on the principle of continuous improvement and field follow-up using a multicriteria approach known as “goal programming.”

Practical implications

The proposed new forest fire protection plan addresses the shortcomings in Algeria's current forest fire management policy, which appears unable to deal with the increasing severity of forests' fire risk that the country has been experiencing in recent decades.

Originality/value

The aim is to highlight the interest of investment in forest fires prevention within the framework of the sustainable development of Algerian forest heritage, specifically, to work toward citizen subcontracting of the Algerian forest heritage.

Purpose

Workplace violence is a universal phenomenon that is constantly increasing. In this regard, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of violence committed against Algerian health professionals.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey, based on an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire, was conducted in healthcare settings of eastern Algeria (where 144 respondents participated in this study). Besides, socio-demographic characteristics and data related to violence, including its prevalence, different forms, perpetrators, reporting and the way it is handled, were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings

Half of the respondents were victims of violence. More specifically, 90.1% of them were verbally abused. Compared to physical violence, verbal violence was significantly perpetrated against women and young health professionals (p < 0.05). However, nurses and those with less than or equal to five years of work experience were the most vulnerable to both types of violence (p < 0.05). Moreover, the main perpetrators were the patients' relatives (70%) followed by the patients themselves (51.4%). In terms of risk treatment, aggressors were verbally warned (60%). For violence reporting, 31% of the respondents observe such a fact as not being important. Finally, 65.7% of the participants reported that their employers had provided them with security measures (guards).

Originality/value

This is the first study conducted in Algeria that examines the prevalence of violence and its relationship with socio-demographic characteristics. Authorities must react effectively to solve this problem by implementing preventive and anticipatory strategies.

Purpose

The objective of this article is to carry out an exploratory study on the emergence of health and safety committees (HSC) in Algerian companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology chosen, governed by the systemic approach, is centered on the exploration of HSC emergence factors in companies.

Findings

The suggested method consists in defining hypotheses found in the literature on the emergence of HSC in order to affirm or refute them in the case of Algerian companies.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the fact that a good number of Algerian industrial companies were solicited; the number of respondents was limited. This limitation confirms the difficulty commonly encountered in exploratory studies by questionnaire.

Practical implications

The results of this exploratory study serve as a basis for the elaboration of a national action plan dedicated to HSC emergence in Algerian companies.

Originality/value

This is the first study conducted in Algerian companies on HSC emergence. The identification of emergence problems allows drawing up an effective action plan to solve them.