@article{ref1,
title="Stability and reproducibility of semi-quantitative risk assessment methods within the occupational health and safety scope",
journal="Work",
year="2014",
author="Carvalho, F. and Melo, R. B.",
volume="51",
number="3",
pages="591-600",
abstract="BACKGROUND: In many enterprises the semi-quantitative approach turns out to be the available and most suitable technique to perform a risk assessment. Despite its advantages, we cannot disregard the existing gap in terms of validation of this type of applications. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: This paper reports a study about risk assessments' reliability, namely both inter-coder (reproducibility) and intra-coder (stability) reliability of the semi-quantitative approach. <br><br>METHODS: This study comprised 4 fundamental stages. Data collection relied on free and systematized observations and made use of video recording, documental research, analysis grids and questionnaires specifically developed for this purpose. A set of different analysts were asked to use four semi-quantitative risk assessment methods (in two different moments) to estimate and assess six risks identified in two tasks accomplished to produce Airbags. The Krippendorff's Alpha Coefficient (α<formula> _K</formula>) was the agreement measure selected to evaluate both inter-coder and intra-coder consensus. <br><br>RESULTS: The preliminary results revealed a general low concordance (α<formula> _K</formula> < 0.6) for both reliability evaluations. Apparently there are no relevant differences between the risk assessment results obtained by individuals with different levels of experience or expertise. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the use of the semi-quantitative approach should be done with caution.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1051-9815",
doi="10.3233/WOR-141878",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/WOR-141878"
}