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Article

Occupational Risk Assessment of Wind Turbines in Bangladesh

Industrial Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5(2), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/asi5020034
Submission received: 24 December 2021 / Revised: 22 February 2022 / Accepted: 2 March 2022 / Published: 4 March 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments in Risk Management)

Abstract

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Wind energy is among the foremost vital renewable energy sources in the world. With the increase in its popularity and use, the requirement for safety measures regarding this type of energy is becoming more prevalent. The development and operation requirements that come with installing and running wind turbines have many risks that need managing and mitigation. This study implemented a risk evaluation method for the transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance of wind turbines, employing the fuzzy method. Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP), a multi-criteria higher cognitive process technique, was used to determine the weights of the risk parameters evaluated with the Fine–Kinney method. After that, the Fuzzy Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS) was employed for ranking the hazard’s source. Using Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) consultants, this study was conducted in Bangladesh regarding its onshore turbines. Findings have revealed that the most prevalent hazards during transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance, respectively, are “Driving vehicles at night in dark weather conditions”, “Work in hot and humid conditions”, “Inclement weather”, and “Entering of unauthorized persons”. The results of this study can help the OHS department to track these risks and to control and minimize them.

1. Introduction

Wind energy is now considered one of the mainstream alternative electricity sources in the electricity generation industry. Over the last half-decade, there has been a reported increase of 19% in average installed wind generation capacity [1]. The sole purpose of a wind turbine is to produce electricity from wind. The kinetic energy from the wind is transformed into mechanical energy through the wind turbine. The mechanical energy is then converted into electrical energy, before being sent out or stored for use later. The turbines can be placed either onshore or offshore; however, the original purpose of the wind turbine does not change regardless of location. The wind energy sector regularly introduces updated technology, updated processes, and new material that expose workplace safety and health issues [2]. Risks are involved throughout the wind turbine’s whole lifecycle, including manufacturing, transportation, construction, operation, maintenance, and disbandment [2,3].
The power demand is almost 6000 MW; however, Bangladesh’s power generation capacity falls short by 1500 MW. The power generated serves around 49% of the Bangladeshi population, which translates to the fact that the per-person electricity usage is around 180 kWh, one of the lowest in the region. Most of the electricity generated in Bangladesh comes from fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal. Currently, there are no reliable sources of renewable energy available to Bangladesh. Bangladesh only recently has begun researching the feasibility of wind energy and has discovered that the districts bordering the Bay of Bengal have the most viable location to harness wind power. These districts near the coast experience the monsoon winds, which occur from March until October. These winds carry much kinetic energy, and therefore, these districts are the ideal regions to harness the energy from the monsoon winds and convert them into electricity. This will allow Bangladesh to increase its energy generation capacity, while slowly reducing its dependency on fossil fuels [4]. In March 2021, the government of Bangladesh and Japan International Cooperation Agency reviewed and signed the Record of Discussion for the Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan. This signifies that the government of Bangladesh is laying the groundwork for long-term electricity generation capabilities, which will fuel growth in these sectors in the coming years.
The majority of the past research on occupational risk analysis of wind turbines has concentrated on identifying and analyzing the risk partially. For instance, Asian et al. [5] (identified and analyzed the wind turbine accident and death data. Gul et al. [6] analyzed the occupational risk of wind turbines during the construction and operation period using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and Fuzzy ViseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (FVIKOR) methods. Mustafa and Al-Mahadin (2018) identified and analyzed the hazards of onshore wind turbines using risk matrix. Karanikas et al. [2] only identified the occupational health hazards. According to the previous work, this study answers the following research questions (RQs):
RQ1: What are the occupational risks in different stages of wind turbines’ lifecycles in an emerging economy context?
RQ2: How can these occupational risks be systematically assessed so that they could be controlled or handled effectively?
This study contributes to the extant literature by being amongst the earliest works to assess the occupational risk of wind turbines during the transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance stages in Bangladesh. Within this context, this article endeavors to achieve the following objectives:
  • To identify the occupational risk of wind turbines during the transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance stages.
  • To implement the Fine–Kinney, Fuzzy-AHP, and Fuzzy-TOPSIS methods for analyzing and ranking the hazards using occupational health and safety (OSH) expertise in judgment.
  • To control and mitigate risks using the risk control framework.
According to the Fine–Kinney method, the three risk parameters exposure (E), consequence (C), and probability (P) of an accident are identified. The Fuzzy-AHP was used for calculating the weight of these three risk parameters. The Fuzzy-TOPSIS was used for ranking hazards in terms of transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance in the observed wind turbine. In this study, Fuzzy-TOPSIS was used because of its capability for handling vague and ambiguous information and ability to consider both positive and negative alternative criteria [7].
The remainder of the article is laid out as follows. Section 2 discusses the literature review related to occupational risk assessment of wind turbines using various Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) tools. Section 3 discusses the theoretical framework for the method. Section 4 presents the research methodology, while Section 5 discusses the data collection and analysis. Section 6 highlights the results and discussion, and a conclusion is discussed in the final section.

2. Literature Review

This section discusses the previous studies related to wind turbines and their occupational risk assessment method.

2.1. Wind Turbine and Occupational Risk

A wind turbine is a device that has a tower and a vanned wheel. The vanned wheel is turned by the wind to produce electricity [6]. Recently, the wind energy sector has experienced tremendous growth [2,8]. To produce electricity from wind turbines, various occupational risks are involved, shown in Table 1.

2.2. Occupational Risk Assessment Methods

Occupational risk assessment is the process of determining whether or not the risks posed by a hazard are acceptable, considering the effectiveness of any controls. Risk assessment can be carried out in a variety of ways, ranging from expert to participatory procedures, and using basic to complex methodologies [12]. Risk assessment entails assessing, ranking, and categorizing risks. An assessment can use MCDA tools. Table 2 shows the recent occupational risk assessment methodology that has appeared in the literature.

2.3. Wind Turbines Occupational Risk Assessment

Several research works have been performed in this field by different researchers. For example, Aneziris et al. [10] performed risk quantification for workers in the operations, construction, and maintenance of an onshore wind farm. In this article, occupation risk assessment methodology was developed during the initial project definition. Failure analysis with a focus on proper data attribute measurement needs to be conducted for clear analysis. Besides that, data mining for identifying WTs’ bearing faults, signal analysis, and processing are some critical components that need to be taken into account for further proceeding. Katzner et al. [22] reviewed the core analysis of types of failure and their respective use in a wind turbine system’s safety analysis. Gul et al. [6] assessed the risk during the construction and operation phases of an onshore Turkish wind turbine.
To carry out the risk analysis parameter, consideration of the FAHP was made in this specific study. Afterward, fuzzy VIKOR methods were used to analyze the critical context of hazard prioritization. The results of the study show that the most serious risks that occur during construction are generally occurring due to lack of seat belts, panic during emergencies, falls from heights, as well as the inability to quickly respond during emergencies. Mustafa and Al-Mahadin [23] have demonstrated that workplace risk assessment requires a clear analytical model of five phases including identification of hazards, identifying employees who may be harmed, assessing the risks, making a record, and reviewing the risk assessment. Nevertheless, in the discussed article, phases involving making a record and reviewing the risk assessment parameters are not mentioned, which may create issues in case similar risks occur in the future. Mentes and Turan [18] demonstrated that a risk analysis process is critical for an effective energy management system.
Nevertheless, in this context, the main focus has been kept in the context of energy management. Karanikas et al. [2] have demonstrated that in the construction stage and monitoring phase of a wind farm, hazardous gasses, dust, and vapor are some critical elements that can impact workers’ health. Therefore, the OHS executives need to track these specific contexts or issues to ensure a clear demarcation concerning the discussed attribute of strategic development.

3. Proposed Framework

Wind turbines are usually one of two types, offshore and onshore, shown in Figure 1 [6,24] A general wind turbine system has six major components, which are identified in Figure 1 [8,25].
Before selecting and ranking hazards by the planned method, the OHS specialists must identify and document the main hazards and risks using their best judgment and previous work/literature review. An occupational risk is one that occurred during the transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance period [5]. The project framework is shown in Figure 2. This framework is used to identify and prioritize the occupational risk of a wind turbine for a developing country such as Bangladesh.
This framework consists of seven main points: 1. Assessment of scope; 2. Tasks and risks identification by OHS experts; 3. Assessment of risks. In this step, hazards from transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance of the wind turbine are assessed. C, E, and P are weighted by Buckley’s FAHP, and pairwise comparisons are considered. Hazards are ranked using the fuzzy-TOPSIS method. This step is the main point of this paper; 4. Mitigation of risk by reducing or removing risk using hazard control hierarchy; 5. Residual risk assessment. This is to ensure that the measures taken can mitigate risk; 6. Deciding if the residual risk is acceptable; and 7. Documenting the results.

4. Research Methodology

The objective of this study is to identify and analyze the occupational risk in wind turbines. For occupational risk assessment, transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance stages are considered in this study. According to the literature review and previous work, a hybrid method (Fine–Kinney, FAHP, and FTOPSIS) is considered in this study.

4.1. Fine–Kinney Method

This method is used for MCDA weight calculation [13,27]. Three parameters determine the risk value as follows: severity of consequences of hazards for an employee (C), the exposure frequency or prevalence of hazards (E), and also their probability (P) [27]. Firstly, the scale of those three parameters is set (Table 3). Next, the risk values (R) are measured as R = C × E × P [13]. According to the score of R’s (R = C × E × P), hazards are classified into five risk levels (Table 4). This methodology has an equal coefficient for all the risk values [13].

4.2. Buckley’s Fuzzy AHP Method

The traditional AHP method has some limitations [28]. For instance, the AHP methodology is especially used in nearly crisp rating applications [29]. Some other drawbacks of AHP methodology are that the AHP methodology does not take into consideration the unpredictability of human judgment, the ratings given by the AHP methodology are quite broad, and the ratings are subject to the preference and approach of the administrator. Fuzzy theory and AHP have been integrated by many decision-makers to reduce uncertainty. Various versions of FAHP are used for multi-criteria decision analysis work [16,29]. Buckley’s FAHP method is used in this study. Buckley’s FAHP steps are as follows [16,30]:
Step 1: Develop a pairwise comparison matrix with all the hazards. Use linguistic terms with the pairwise comparisons by asking which hazard is more important compared to another hazard and construct the decision matrix.
M ˜ = [ 1   a ˜ 12    a ˜ 1 n a ˜ 21 1        a ˜ 2 n        a ˜ n 1       a ˜ n 2           1 ] = [ 1   a ˜ 12    a ˜ 1 n 1 a ˜ 12 1        a ˜ 2 n        1 a ˜ 1 n       1 a ˜ 2 n           1 ]
and     a ˜ i j = { 1 ˜ ,     3 ˜ ,     5 ˜ ,     7 ˜ ,     9 ˜             i   is   relatively   important   than   j                   1                          i = j 1 ˜ 1 ,   3 ˜ 1 ,   5 ˜ 1 ,   7 ˜ 1 ,   9 ˜ 1    j   is   relatively   important   than   i
Step 2: By using geometric mean value, determine the fuzzy geometric mean and fuzzy weights of each criterion, based on Equations (3) and (4).
r ˜ i = ( a ˜ i 1     a ˜ i 2         a ˜ i n ) 1 n
W ˜ i = r i ( r ˜ 1     r ˜ 2         a ˜ n ) 1
Here, W ˜ i indicates the fuzzy weight of criterion i and, W ˜ i = ( l w i   , m w i , u w i ); l w i , m w i , u w i indicate a lower, middle, and upper value of fuzzy weight, respectively.
Step 3: Finally, calculate the weight by using the following formula.
w i = [ ( u w i   l w i ) + ( m w i l w i ) ] 3 + l w i

4.3. Fuzzy TOPSIS Method

Fuzzy TOPSIS multi-criteria is a higher cognitive process and has been credited with helping to create many methods to solve multi-criteria problems [31]. The principle of TOPSIS is that the choice must be the closest to the most preferred solution and the furthest from the least preferred outcome. The most preferred outcome should maximize the benefits and reduce the costs, while the least preferred outcome should have the opposite effect. In order to achieve maximum benefit, the option closest to the most preferred outcome should be chosen. FTOPSIS methods were developed after the fuzzy set theory [32]. The FTOPSIS method is as follows [7,33]:
Step 1: Determine the weighted value of each criterion. This analysis employs fuzzy AHP to search out the fuzzy preference weights.
Step 2: Construct the fuzzy performance/decision matrix and choose the suitable linguistic variables for the alternatives concerning criteria:
     C   1             C 2                  C n   D ˜ = A 1 A 2 A m [ x ˜ 11 x ˜ 12    x ˜ 1 n x ˜ 21 x ˜ 22    x ˜ 2 n                     x ˜ m 1           x ˜ m 2        x ˜ m n ]
where i = 1, 2, 3, ……… m; j = 1, 2, 3, 4, …………. n;
and   X ˜ i j = 1 K   ( x ˜ i j 1   x ˜ i j l . x ˜ i j k )
where x ˜ i j k is the performance of alternative A i concerning criterion C j according to the data of k t h expert, and X ˜ i j k = ( l i j k ,   m i j k ,   u i j k ) .
Step 3: Develop a combined decision matrix using the following formula:
x ˜ i j = ( l i j ,    m i j ,   u i j )   where   l i j = min { l i j k } ,   m i j = 1 k   k = 1 k m i j k ,    u i j = max { u i j k }
Step 4: Normalize the fuzzy decision matrix by the following formula:
R ˜ = [ r ˜ i j ] m × n ,   where   i = 1 ,   2 ,   3 ,   . ,   m ;   j = 1 ,   2 ,   3 ,   ,   n
and r ˜ i j = ( l i j u j + ,   m i j u j + ,   u i j u j + ), where u j + = m a x i { u i j | i = 1 ,   2 ,   3 ,   ,   n   } .
The weighted fuzzy normalized decision matrix is shown as the following matrix V ˜
where   the   V ˜ = [ v ˜ i j ] n × m ,     i = 1 ,   2 ,   3 ,   , m ; j = 1 ,   2 ,   3 , ,   n
and v ˜ i j   = r ˜ i j   w ˜ j ; here, w ˜ i is the fuzzy weight of criterion i.
Step 5: Evaluate the fuzzy positive ideal solution (FPIS) and fuzzy negative solution (FNIS).
From the weight-normalized fuzzy decision matrix, it is clear that the elements v ˜ i j   are normalized positive triangular fuzzy numbers. Its range is [0, 1]. The fuzzy positive ideal solution A + and fuzzy negative ideal solution A are as follows:
A + = ( v ˜ 1 * ,         v ˜ j * , .     v ˜ n * )
A = ( v ˜ 1 ,         v ˜ j , .     v ˜ n )
where v ˜ 1 * = ( 1 , 1 , 1 ) w ˜ j = ( l w j ,   m w j ,   u w j ) and v ˜ 1 = ( 0 ,   0 ,   0 ) ,   j = 1 ,   2 ,   3 ,   , n .
Step 6: Calculate the difference ( d i + ,   d i ) between each criterion and fuzzy positive ideal solution as well as a negative ideal solution.
d ˜ i + = j = 1 n d ( v ˜ i j   ,   v ˜ j * )     where   i = 1 ,   2 ,   3 ,   . . , m ;   j = 1 ,   2 ,   3 ,   . n
d ˜ i = j = 1 n d ( v ˜ i j   ,   v ˜ j )     where   i = 1 ,   2 ,   3 ,   . . , m ;   j = 1 ,   2 ,   3 ,   . n
The distance between two fuzzy numbers is calculated by the following formula:
d ( x ˜ ,   y ˜ ) = 1 3 × [ ( x 1 y 1 ) 2 + ( x 2 y 2 ) 2 + ( x 3 y 3 ) 2   ]
where x ˜ = ( x 1 ,   x 2 ,   x 3 ) = FPIS   ( A + )   or   FNIS   ( A ) and y ˜ = ( y 1 ,   y 2 ,   y 3 )   .
Step 7: Determine a closeness coefficient ( C C i ˜ ) using the following formula:
C C ˜ i   = d i d i * + d i ,   where   i = 1 ,   2 ,   3 ,   ,   m .
Step 8: The order of ranking of all alternatives may be established using the C C i ˜ value. The best alternatives are closest to the FPIS and farthest from the FNIS.

5. Data Collection and Risk Initialization

Data were collected from the Muhuri Dam wind power plant, Sonagazi, Feni, Bangladesh (under the Bangladesh Power Development Board). The OHS experts were identified who could give their best judgment for assessing occupational risk due to their practical experience in this area and their long-term experience in the corporate field. Due to COVID-19 protocol, only three experts were considered in this study. Table 5 provides the profiles of the three OHS experts. After that, the most crucial risk and hazard sources were identified in terms of transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance by the OHS experts and are shown in Table 6, Table 7, Table 8 and Table 9, respectively.

6. Result and Discussions

6.1. Risk Assessment and Risk Prioritizing

After defining the hazards of all sections, according to Buckley’s Fuzzy AHP, Fine–Kinney parameters (probability (P), consequence (C), and exposure (E)) values were determined by OHS experts using the linguistic scale provided in Table 10. The pairwise linguistic comparison matrix of the three experts is presented in Table A1 (in Appendix A), and corresponding fuzzy numbers are shown in Table 11.
After that, the pairwise comparison matrix was computed using Buckley’s geometric mean method.
a ˜ i j = ( a ˜ i j 1     a ˜ i j 2     a ˜ i j 3 ) for a ˜ 21 as an example:
a ˜ 21 = ( ( 2 ,   3 ,   4 )     ( 1 ,   1 ,   1 )     ( 2 ,   3 ,   4 ) ) 1 3 = ( 2 × 1 × 2 ) 1 / 3 ,   ( 3 × 1 × 3 ) 1 / 3 ,   ( 4 × 1 × 4 ) 1 / 3 = ( 1.59 ,   2.08 ,   2.52 )
Using the same computational process, the pairwise comparison matrix A was constructed.
                  C                               E                              P A = C E P [ 1 ( 0.40 ,   0.48 ,   0.63 ) ( 0.40 ,   0.48 ,   0.63 ) ( 1.59 ,   2.08 ,   2.52 ) 1 ( 1.59 ,   2.08 ,   2.52 ) ( 1.59 ,   2.08 ,   2.52 ) ( 0.40 ,   0.48 ,   0.63 ) 1 ]
Then, the fuzzy weight dimensions were calculated.
r ˜ 1 = ( a ˜ 11     a ˜ 12     a ˜ 13 ) 1 / 3 = ( 1 × 0.40 × 0.40 ) 1 / 3 ,   ( 1 × 0.48 × 0.48 ) 1 / 3   ,   ( 1 × 0.63 × 0.63 ) 1 / 3 = ( 0.54 ,   0.61 ,   0.73 )
Similarly, r ˜ 2 = ( 1.36 ,   1.63 ,   1.85 ) and r ˜ 3 = ( 0.86 ,   1.00 ,   1.17 )
By using Equation (3), the weight of each criterion was determined.
W ˜ 1 = r ˜ 1   ( r ˜ 1   r ˜ 2   r ˜ 3 ) 1 = ( 0.54 ,   0.61 ,   0.73 ) ( 1 / ( 0.54 ,   0.61 ,   0.73 ) ,   1 / ( 1.36 ,   1.63 ,   1.85 ) ,   1 / ( 0.86 ,   1.00 ,   1.17 ) ) = (   0.54 ( 0.73 + 1.85 + 1.17 ) ,   0.61 ( 0.61 + 1.63 + 1.00 ) ,   0.73 ( 0.54 + 1.36 + 0.86 ) ) =   ( 0.144 ,   0.189 ,   0.266 )
Similarly, W ˜ 2 = (0.363, 0.502, 0.671) and W ˜ 3 = (0.228, 0.308, 0.423).
Finally, the non-fuzzy weight was calculated by using Equation (4).
W i = [ ( u w i   l w i ) + ( m w i l w i ) ] 3 + l w i
Therefore, W 1 = ((0.266 − 0.144) + (0.189 − 0.144))/3 + 0.144 = 0.200.
Similarly, W 2 = 0.512   and   W 3   = 0.320.
The normalized weights of C, E, P were determined as (0.194, 0.496, 0.310).
For the consistency check, m a x = 3.093 , consistency index CI = 0.046 and random consistency index RI = 0.540 were found. The consistency ratio CR = CI/RI = 0.086”, which is below 10%. Therefore, the result is consistent and reliable. The fuzzy-weight of C, E, and P ((0.144, 0.189, 0.266), (0.363, 0.502, 0.671), and (0.228, 0.308, 0.423)) were used for fuzzy-TOPSIS method, and the non-fuzzy weights of C, E, and P (0.194, 0.496, 0.310) were used for TOPSIS method.
Fuzzy-TOPSIS was used to rank the risks in all sections. In this study, the OHS experts evaluated hazards by the linguistic relations presented in Table 12.
The linguistic evaluations of all sections’ hazards by OHS experts in terms of consequence, exposure, and probability are given in Table 13, Table 14, Table 15 and Table 16.
All linguistic relations were converted into triangular fuzzy numbers, and the combined decision matrix is presented in Table 17 for the transportation stage. As an example, experts assessed the hazard “HIT1” for the consequence section by using linguistic relations (F, MG, F). From Table 13, the corresponding fuzzy values are (3, 5, 7), (5, 7, 9), and (3, 5, 7) respectively. For the combined decision matrix, l = min (3, 5, 3) = 3; m = average (5, 7, 5) = 5.67; and u = max (7, 9, 7) = 9. Thus, for the combined decision matrix, HIT1 (C) = (3, 5.67, 9) in Table 17.
After that, the normalized fuzzy decision matrix and weighted fuzzy decision matrix were evaluated using Equations (6) and (7). For example, according to the Table 17, HIT1 (C) = (3, 5.67, 9), u j + = max ( u i j ( C )   ) = 10 , and the fuzzy-weight (C) = (0.144, 0.189, 0.266). Therefore, the weighted normalized fuzzy decision matrix HIT1 (C) = ( 3 10 × 0.144 ,   5.67 10 × 0.189 ,   9 10 × 0.266 ) = (0.043, 0.107, 0.239) shown in Table 18.
Then, the FPIS and FNIS were computed by using the Equations (9) and (10). For example, FPIS   o f   H I T i C ( l ,   m ,   u ) = max ( l i j ,   m i j , u i j ) = (0.072, 0.158, 0.266) and F N I S   o f   H I T i C ( l ,   m ,   u ) = min ( l i j ,   m i j , u i j ) = (0, 0.032, 0.133) in Table 18.
The distance from each alternative to the FPIS and to the FNIS was determined using the Equations (11)–(13). For example, HIT1 (C, E, P) =
d c 1 + = 1 3 × [ ( x 1 y 1 ) 2 + ( x 2 y 2 ) 2 + ( x 3 y 3 ) 2   ] = 1 3 × [ ( 0.072 0.043 ) 2 + ( 0.158 0.107 ) 2 + ( 0.266 0.239 ) 2   ] = 0.037 ;   similarly ,   d e 1 + = 0.072 ,   and   d p 1 + = 0.012 .
Therefore, d 1 + = ( d c 1 + + d e 1 + + d p 1 + ) = 0.037 + 0.072 + 0.012 = 0.120 and d c 1 = 1 3 × [ ( 0.00 0.043 ) 2 + ( 0.032 0.107 ) 2 + ( 0.133 0.239 ) 2 ] = 0.079.
In a similar way, we can determine the d 1 value of 0.684. All values are shown in Table 19. The ranking of each hazard was measured by the C C i using Equation (14) and shown in Table 19. Based on Table 19, the order of hazard source for the observed wind turbine in times of transportation found that “Driving vehicles at night in dark weather conditions” (HIT09) has the highest ranking among these 12-hazard sources. Because it has the largest CCi, the second largest is “Turbines not secured properly” (HIT10), which is followed by “Rough weather conditions (windy, rainy)” (HIT07) and “Uncoordinated movement by heavy vehicles” (HIT8). On the other hand, “Unsuitable slope in the excavation roads” (HIT4) and “Industrial fluid under high pressure and excessive noise” (HIT12) represent the lowest two positions of the 12 hazard sources.
Similar analyses were performed for the construction, operation, and maintenance stages. Due to the space limitations, those results are not provided. Table 20 summarized the results of construction, operation, and maintenance stages. In the construction stage, “Work in hot and humid condition” (HIC14) has the highest ranking among these 20 hazard sources, followed by “Accidents from hand equipment use” (HIC20), “Lack of hazard signs” (HIC19), and “No plans for emergency” (HIC9). In addition, “Using ladders to get to a height” (HIC16) and “Elevator going up and down” (HIC15) are the least hazardous sources. For the operation and the maintenance stages, hazard sources are ranked as HIO12 > HIO2 > HIO15 > HIO6 …… and HIM11 > HIM3 > HIM5 > HIM6 ……. as shown in Table 20.
The fuzzy-TOPSIS multi-criteria decision analysis method can only prioritize the hazards’ sources and can suggest preventive action. For this reason, each risk should be kept to an acceptable level [35]. Hazards are identified and prioritized in the transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance stages using the FTOPSIS method. All hazards are classified into seven risk levels, which constitute what is called compromised ranking [6]. The C C i and compromised ranking of the hazards are shown in Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5 and Figure 6.

6.2. Model Comparison and Sensitivity Analysis

For the model comparison, we used the crisp TOPSIS method (Table A2, Table A3, Table A4 and Table A5 in Appendix A) for ranking the hazards in transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance stages of the observed wind turbine. The ranking results of the hazards determined by the TOPSIS method and a nearness constant approach show the strength of the relationship between the two methods’ results. Figure 7 and Figure 8 show the ranking of hazards by CCi data.
Almost similar results are found from both fuzzy-TOPSIS and TOPSIS methods. In addition to this, we also performed the Pearson correlation coefficient to identify the relation between the two systems. The Pearson correlation coefficient measures the linear relationship between two variables X and Y and is denoted by r. Its value is between [−1, +1]. The value of r = +1 reflects a perfect positive correlation, the value r = 0 indicates that there is no correlation, and the value of r = −1 reflects a perfect negative correlation between X and Y [36]. We obtained around 96%, 89%, 75%, and 95% of correlation coefficients for transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance period risk assessment, respectively. That represents that the relationships between both ranking results are very strong. Through the analysis, it is clear that the fuzzy-TOPSIS is consistent with the other methods for risk assessment.

6.3. Risk Control Straregies

This section takes a necessary step to control the risk of a hazard in the relevant stages. In times of transportation, “Dark conditions” (HIT09), “Turbines not secured properly” (HIT10), “Rough weather conditions (windy, rainy)” (HIT07), and “Uncoordinated movement by heavy vehicles” (HIT08) are identified as the riskiest ones. To control and reduce these hazards, the following steps should be taken.
  • Driving should be avoided during dark nights and periods of bad weather.
  • Follow the traffic rules and do not exceed the speed limit to reduce traffic accidents.
  • A special precaution should be taken during rain and windy weather.
  • An operator should take extra precautions to operate the excavation truck.
In the construction stage, the three most important hazards are “Work in hot and humid conditions” (HIC14), “Accidents from hand equipment use” (HIC20), and “Lack of hazard signs” HIC19). Gul et al. [6] also evaluated “falling from height while assembling the blades” as the highest-scoring hazard. To reduce this risk in times of construction, the operating process should be stopped, and safety measures should be implemented. In particular, the safety seat belt must be worn at all times while working at height (assembling the blades). Hand tools accidents occur while the operator is unskilled, or the tool is damaged. To reduce this risk, the operator should have to train properly and keep tools safe and in good condition at all times. “Lack of hazard signs” is another important health hazard in the construction stage of a wind turbine. To reduce the risk of this hazard, the authorities should place safety warning signs in every necessary place.
In times of operation in the observed wind turbine, the three most important hazards risks are HIO12 “Inclement weather”, HIO2 “Stairs, wet and slippery floor skidding risk”, and HIO15 “Transformer explosion”. To reduce the risk of the hazards to an acceptable level, the following steps can be considered.
  • Always check the weather news update and take an extra security step to overcome unexpected weather conditions.
  • For lightning risks, all manpower should leave the work area. All equipment must be placed on the ground and laid horizontally.
  • For reducing the skidding risk, always keep the floor clean and dry.
  • To reduce the risk of transformer explosion, cooling fans, securing isolation, tagging systems, and safe working methods can be implemented during the operation process in the wind turbine [37].
During the maintenance period, “Entering of unauthorized persons (HIM11)”, “Lack of safety signs of electrical panels (HIM2)”, “Oil spill from an explosion (HIM6)”, and “Lack of material management (HIM5)” are major risks. These risks occur due to unauthorized persons entering the work area, a lack of material management, fire due to lack of heat control, and spreading of oil in the work area. To reduce these risks and hazards, secure the wind turbine area, keep all work aid and material in a proper and safe place, and control the excess heat using a cooling fan and insulation.

7. Conclusions

Occupational risk assessment and control can reduce work-related accidents and death. This study analyzed the occupational risk of wind turbines for different stages using fuzzy-AHP and fuzzy-TOPSIS methods. Fuzzy-AHP was used for weight calculation of Fine–Kinney 3 risk parameters (consequence, exposer, and probability). Fuzzy-TOPSIS was applied for prioritizing hazards of wind turbines in the transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance periods. A comparison and sensitivity analysis were performed with the TOPSIS method. The results of this study demonstrate that the most important hazards are “Driving vehicles at night in dark weather conditions”, “Work in hot and humid conditions”, “Inclement weather”, and “Entering of unauthorized persons”, identified during the transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance periods, respectively. The OHS section should track these risks and control them at a certain time.
The study makes the following contributions:
  • Developed a systematic framework to assess the occupational risk of wind turbines for transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance stages from an emerging economy context.
  • Integrated fuzzy-AHP and fuzzy-TOPSIS methods to generate effective results considering the uncertainty and vagueness of the decision-making.
  • Established a benchmark for the assessment of the occupational risk of wind turbines in Bangladesh. The government and concerned authorities can utilize this information to develop an appropriate action plan to improve their occupational risk management practices.
  • Offered policymakers, engineers, managers, supervisors, and researchers more realistic decision-making visions and demonstrated an effective way to evaluate occupational risks associated with wind turbines.
  • Proposed analytical framework that is applicable for other renewable energies such as wind turbines, solar energy countries, and other emerging economies and low-income countries.
The findings of this study were well construed from the perspective of Bangladesh, but the proposed model can be applied to any country. These findings may differ from country to country for different situations as well as inputs. Therefore, different countries will generate different prioritized occupational risks or hazards for transportation, construction, operation, and maintenance stages following the same research methodology mentioned in this study. As the practical implications of this research, the results can be utilized in further investigations and implemented by governmental and concerned authorities to plan and promote renewable energies such as wind turbines and solar energy.
This project has some limitations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was challenging to communicate with the experts. Due to this, only three experts were considered in this study. All experts provided data based on their best judgment and their work experience. More experts or stakeholders can be considered in the future. The outcome of this study can be further compared with other MCDA methods such as Fuzzy-VIKOR and VIKOR.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, B.B. and G.K.; Methodology, B.B.; Software, B.B.; Validation, B.B. and G.K.; Formal analysis, B.B.; Investigation, B.B.; Resources, B.B. and G.K.; Data curation, B.B.; Writing—original draft preparation, B.B.; Writing—review and editing, G.K.; Visualization, B.B.; Supervision, G.K.; Project administration, G.K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The anonymized data are available from the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the experts for providing their feedback for performing this study.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Appendix A

Table A1. Pairwise linguistic comparison matrix of Fine–Kinney parameters.
Table A1. Pairwise linguistic comparison matrix of Fine–Kinney parameters.
ExpQ NoParameterHIMIISIEASUUMUHUParameter
11C E
2C P
3E P
21C E
2C P
3E P
31C E
2C P
3E P
Table A2. Hazards ranking using TOPSIS method at the transportation stage.
Table A2. Hazards ranking using TOPSIS method at the transportation stage.
Weighted Normalized Decision Matrix and S+, S−, Ci
HITiCEPS+S−CiRank
HIT10.0490.1530.1050.0470.1750.7895
HIT20.0140.1530.090.0740.1750.7036
HIT30.0550.1130.0660.0940.1440.6058
HIT40.020.0070.0970.1940.2070.51711
HIT50.0720.1270.0270.1090.1520.5849
HIT60.0550.0130.1050.1810.1990.52410
HIT70.0370.1870.1130.0350.2040.8533
HIT80.0720.1530.1090.040.1760.8144
HIT90.0660.1870.1130.0090.2020.9581
HIT100.0490.1930.1090.0230.2070.8992
HIT110.0720.1930.0080.1050.2040.6597
HIT120.0720.0470.0430.1630.1620.49912
X+0.0720.1930.113
X−0.0140.0070.008
Table A3. Hazards ranking using TOPSIS method at the construction stage.
Table A3. Hazards ranking using TOPSIS method at the construction stage.
Weighted Normalized Decision Matrix and S+, S−, Ci
HICiCEPS+S−CiRank
HIC10.0180.1250.0770.0460.0530.53313
HIC20.0540.1030.0750.0290.0540.6535
HIC30.0480.1120.0720.0240.0530.6873
HIC40.0480.1120.0640.0270.0490.6476
HIC50.0640.1030.0590.0320.0560.6357
HIC60.0480.1030.0640.0330.0450.57310
HIC70.0540.1030.0640.0310.0490.6098
HIC80.0180.1300.0750.0460.0550.54312
HIC90.0130.1300.0770.0510.0560.52314
HIC100.0180.1030.0690.0540.0320.37119
HIC110.0130.1250.0720.0510.0490.48916
HIC120.0130.1250.0770.0510.0520.50515
HIC130.0480.1030.0690.0320.0470.5999
HIC140.0640.1300.0750.0030.0740.9671
HIC150.0330.0940.0640.0490.030.38318
HIC160.0280.0850.0640.0590.0260.30420
HIC170.0480.1030.0440.0450.040.46717
HIC180.0430.1030.0690.0350.0440.55911
HIC190.0590.1030.0720.0280.0570.6714
HIC200.0590.1120.0750.0190.0610.7662
X+0.0640.1300.077
X−0.0130.0850.044
Table A4. Hazards ranking using TOPSIS method at the operation stage.
Table A4. Hazards ranking using TOPSIS method at the operation stage.
Weighted Normalized Decision Matrix and S+, S−, Ci
HIOiCEPS+S−CiRank
HIO10.2391.9422.2812.5240.6020.192519
HIO22.7432.0982.2050.1732.5980.93762
HIO30.8352.1762.2811.910.9940.342412
HIO42.7431.7872.0530.5192.5280.82973
HIO50.8352.1762.2051.9110.9680.336213
HIO61.3122.1762.2811.4331.3360.482511
HIO71.3122.2532.2051.4331.3590.486810
HIO81.7891.7871.9761.1051.5830.5899
HIO92.2661.7871.9000.7682.0510.72768
HIO102.5041.7872.0530.5712.2920.80054
HIO112.2661.9422.2050.5742.1020.78545
HIO122.7432.2532.2050.0762.640.9721
HIO130.2391.9422.1292.5280.5190.170320
HIO140.2392.2532.2812.5040.8650.256716
HIO152.0272.2532.1290.7321.9640.72867
HIO160.8351.4762.1292.0660.6380.236118
HIO170.8351.9422.2051.9350.8160.296615
HIO182.2661.7872.0530.7052.0570.74476
HIO190.3582.2532.1292.390.8190.255117
HIO200.8351.9422.2811.9330.8470.304614
X+2.7432.2532.281
X−0.2391.4761.900
Table A5. Hazards ranking using TOPSIS method at the maintenance stage.
Table A5. Hazards ranking using TOPSIS method at the maintenance stage.
Weighted Normalized Decision Matrix and S+, S−, Ci
HIMiCEPS+SCiRank
HIM10.0060.1250.0890.1320.1330.5029
HIM20.0130.0720.0820.1610.1090.40410
HIM30.0690.1840.1070.0510.1830.7833
HIM40.0060.1650.0960.1170.1650.5866
HIM50.1190.1650.10.0270.1670.862
HIM60.0060.1910.1030.1130.1910.6284
HIM70.0310.0720.0890.1490.10.40311
HIM80.0310.1510.0960.0970.1490.6055
HIM90.0130.1510.0750.1180.1510.5618
HIM100.0690.1250.0820.0860.120.5817
HIM110.1070.1840.1030.0150.190.9291
X+0.1190.1910.107
X−0.0060.0720.075

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Figure 1. Basic components of a wind turbine system and onshore and offshore wind turbines [25,26].
Figure 1. Basic components of a wind turbine system and onshore and offshore wind turbines [25,26].
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Figure 2. Proposed combined risk assessment method.
Figure 2. Proposed combined risk assessment method.
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Figure 3. CCi values and compromised rankings for the hazards in times of transportation.
Figure 3. CCi values and compromised rankings for the hazards in times of transportation.
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Figure 4. CCi values and compromised rankings for the hazards in times of construction.
Figure 4. CCi values and compromised rankings for the hazards in times of construction.
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Figure 5. CCi values and compromised rankings for the hazards in times of operation.
Figure 5. CCi values and compromised rankings for the hazards in times of operation.
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Figure 6. CCi values and compromised rankings for the hazards in times of maintenance.
Figure 6. CCi values and compromised rankings for the hazards in times of maintenance.
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Figure 7. Comparison of fuzzy-TOPSIS and TOPSIS model results in times of transportation and construction.
Figure 7. Comparison of fuzzy-TOPSIS and TOPSIS model results in times of transportation and construction.
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Figure 8. Comparison of fuzzy-TOPSIS and TOPSIS model results in times of operation and maintenance.
Figure 8. Comparison of fuzzy-TOPSIS and TOPSIS model results in times of operation and maintenance.
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Table 1. Occupational risks involved in wind power production.
Table 1. Occupational risks involved in wind power production.
ReferenceMajor Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Hazards
[2]Noise, vibration, electromagnetic fields, flickering shadows, materials and chemicals that are dangerous, material substance risks, environmental risks, biological hazards
[6]Fire, safety signs, faulty Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), weather conditions, road signs, toxic wild animal, tree pruning, electricity, transformer explosion, lights (high or low)
[9] Fall from heights, falling object, physical exertion, electric shock, crane fall or collapse, explosion, fire, moving parts, traffic, temperature, contamination, sea
[10]Working condition, fire, electricity, working tools, hazardous chemicals, weather condition
[11]Damaged equipment, improper location, lightning, flood, fire, earthquake, low or high temperature, the lack of equipment, occupational moral hazard
Table 2. Occupational risk assessment methodology.
Table 2. Occupational risk assessment methodology.
ReferenceMethodsApplication Area
[13]Fine–Kinney-based FTOPSIS, FVIKORGun factory
[14]ORAFood industry
[15]ORA Cement industry
[6]FAHP, FVIKORWind turbine
[16]FAHP, FVIKORArms industry
[17]FVIKOR, FAHP, FMEAGeothermal Power Plant (GPP)
[18]FDEMATELCargo ship industry
[19]FELECTREWaste recycling industry
[20]Fuzzy-ORA Production industry
[21]FTOPSISFood industry
ORA: Occupational Risk Assessment; FAHP: Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process; FTOPSIS: Fuzzy Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution; FVIKOR: Fuzzy Multicriteria Optimization and Compromise Solution; FMEA: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis; FDEMATEL: Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory; FELECTRE: Fuzzy Elimination Et Choice Translating Reality.
Table 3. Scale of risk parameters [13,27].
Table 3. Scale of risk parameters [13,27].
RankConsequence (C)
Description
RankExposer (E)
Description
RankProbability (P)
Description
100.0Catastrophic (many fatalities) 10.0Continuous (multiple times per day) 10.0To be expected
40.0Disaster (few fatalities) 6.0Recurring (everyday) 6.0Feasible
15.0Super serious (fatality) 3.0Occasional (weekly) 3.0Unusual but possible
7.0Serious (serious injury) 2.0Unusual (every month) 1.0Unlikely, possible in the long term
3.0Not serious (disability) 1.0Moderately rare (approximately once per year) 0.5Highly unlikely, but conceivable
1.0Noticeable 0.5Very rare (less than once per year) 0.2Almost unimaginable
0.1Almost impossible
Table 4. Level of risk [13,27].
Table 4. Level of risk [13,27].
Risk Score (R) Risk Classification
Above 400 Very high risk; immediately stop operations
In between 200 and 400 High risk; take quick large corrective actions
In between 70 and 200 More risk; take simple corrective actions
In between 20 and 70 Low risk: attention required
Less than 20 Very low risk; acceptable
Table 5. OHS experts’ profile.
Table 5. OHS experts’ profile.
ExpertsDesignationExperience (Years)Organization
Exp1General Manager (Production)20Bangladesh Power Development Board
Exp2Manager (Quality Control)14Bangladesh Power Development Board
Exp3Safety Supervisor (Wind Power)12Bangladesh Power Development Board
Table 6. Hazard and risks associated with wind turbine transportation [6].
Table 6. Hazard and risks associated with wind turbine transportation [6].
NoHazardsScopeHazard IdentificationRisk Identification
1 HIT1 Transportation
Security
Communication gap with the work siteUnable to assist in emergency
cases in the work site
2HIT2For Emergency Undefined dangerous
work sites
Trespassing of unauthorized people in the work area
3HIT3 Vehicle Use Presence of workers in the back of the vehicle while transporting materialsOccupational accidents
4HIT4Working MethodsUnsuitable slope in the excavation roadsTraffic accident because of the slope
5HIT5Turbine TransportationInsufficient road signsUnable to be warned of road hazards
6HIT6Turbine TransportationTree pruningInjury from fall, injury from falling branches
7HIT7Weather ConditionRough weather conditions (windy, rainy)Workers might get hit by flying objects; workers may slip due to wet surface
8HIT8Trucks and VehiclesUncoordinated movement by heavy vehiclesAccidents might happen due to the lack of coordination
9HIT9Wind Farm VehiclesDark conditionsCollision due to decreased vision
10HIT10Shipping of TurbinesTurbines not secured properlyTurbines may become unsecured and hit other property or person
11HIT11SecurityTheft and robberiesTheft and robberies may occur and cause injury to staff
12HIT12Use of Hytrol Industrial fluid under high pressure and excessive noiseLoss of hearing and possibility of injury due to malfunction
Table 7. Hazard and risks associated with wind turbine construction [6].
Table 7. Hazard and risks associated with wind turbine construction [6].
NoHazardsScopeHazard IdentificationRisk Identification
1HIC1Work With
Electricity
Lack of safety signs for
electrical panels
Electric shock and wrong response
2 HIC2 Work in Adverse
Weather Conditions
Unsuitable weather conditionsImproper working situations
3 HIC3 Night Works Insufficiency of lightingVisual disturbances and undesirable behavior
4HIC4Machine and
Equipment
Lack of workers supervising and enforcing safety Lapse of safety enforcement and increased chances of accidents
5HIC5Unauthorized PersonnelUnwanted personnel entering the worksiteAccidents may occur due to the entry of the unauthorized person
6HIC6ControlQuality of goods provided by suppliersLack of quality of material supplied may become a hazard
7 HIC7Construction Associated WorksLack of seat belts or faulty seat beltsInjury from fall or collision
8 HIC8 Construction Associated WorksIgnoring employment measures at a heightFall from heights
9HIC9Fire and Emergency CasesNo plans for emergency Unable to act properly during an emergency, injuries may occur
10HIC10Concrete MixerMaking concrete and lacking signals for backing upCollision with property and personnel
11HIC11ConcretingTreating with concrete at heightInjury from fall
12 HIC12Accidents and
Diseases
Unqualified workers being hiredIncrease in risk of accident for a worker not qualified for the job
13HIC13Weather ConditionRough weather conditions (windy, rainy)Workers might get hit by flying objects and slip due to wet surface
14HIC14Working in Hot Temperature for Attaching BladesWork in hot and humid conditionsSunstroke and fall from height
15HIC15After AssemblyElevator going up and downInjury from fall
16HIC16LaddersUsing ladders to get to a heightInjury from fall
17 HIC17Use of Guidewire Guidewire being pulled Injury to the hand from using the guidewires
18 HIC18 Use of PPE PPE not used by staffInjury or sickness from particles such as debris
19 HIC19 Hazard Signs Lack of hazard signsUnable to warn about construction hazard, might cause injury
20HIC20Personnel EquipmentAccidents from hand equipment useDamage of tools and injury to staff
Table 8. Hazard and risks associated with wind turbine operation [6].
Table 8. Hazard and risks associated with wind turbine operation [6].
NoHazardsScopeHazard IdentificationRisk Identification
1HIO1Administrative
Building
FireRisk of fire
2HIO2Administrative
Building
StairsWet and slippery floor, skidding risk
3HIO3Administrative
Building
Wind turbine transformerRisk of explosion or failure of the transformer
4 HIO4Administrative
Building
Unauthorized personnelLoss/damage of equipment by that unauthorized person
5HIO5Administrative
Building
Pests and insectsPest and insect bites
6HIO6Security DutyPossibility of electric shockInjury to security personnel from electric shock
7HIO7 Dump AreaPossibility of contact with dangerous chemicalStaff may get sick from contact with the chemicals
8HIO8StoragePossibility of stored materials fallingInjury of workers from the fall of materials
9 HIO9 Mixed-Use LandFarmers farming near the wind farmPossible damage to wind farm equipment
10 HIO10 CablesCables running through a public area such as roadsDamage to cables during maintenance of public infrastructure
11 HIO11 CablesCables being inspected Possibility of workers getting an electric shock
12HIO12 Wind TurbineInclement weatherDamage to the blades or wind turbine
13HIO13Turbine AreaUnauthorized personnel An unauthorized person may suffer from electric shock
14HIO14TransformerTransformer breakdownThe breakdown from wear and tear
15HIO15TransformerTransformer explosionExplosion from operation
16HIO16Ring Main Unit CellRing main unit setupPossibility of being electrocuted
17 HIO17 Ring Main Unit Cell Ring main unit setupBurns from explosion
18HIO18KiosksAccess by an unauthorized personLoss of equipment
19HIO19KiosksShort circuitEquipment damage
20HIO20KiosksBroken rectifiersPossibility of electric shock
Table 9. Hazard and risks associated with wind turbine maintenance [6].
Table 9. Hazard and risks associated with wind turbine maintenance [6].
NoHazardsScope/AreaHazard IdentificationRisk Identification
1HIM1Turbine Blade MaintenanceUsing long ladder and failing to use PPEFall from heights
2HIM2Turbine Blade MaintenanceLack of safety signs for
electrical panels
Electric shock by contacting the MV cables
3HIM3Turbine Blade MaintenanceFire due to the lack of heat controlRisk of fire
4HIM4Transformer MaintenanceLack of safety signs for
electrical panels
Electric shock
5HIM5Transformer MaintenanceLack of material managementAn accident resulting in material damage and spreading
6HIM6Transformer MaintenanceOil spill from an explosion The explosion resulted in injured personnel
7HIM7Ring Main Unit MaintenanceLack of Maintenance skills safetyExplosion during the maintenance
8HIM8Ring Main Unit MaintenanceFailure to use PPEShock from electricity
9HIM9Concrete Kiosk MaintenanceControl panel short circuitDamage as a result of fire
10HIM10Concrete Kiosk MaintenanceFailure to use PPEElectric shock
11HIM11Wind Turbine AreaEntering of unauthorized personsTheft
Table 10. Corresponding fuzzy number of the linguistic scale [29].
Table 10. Corresponding fuzzy number of the linguistic scale [29].
Linguistic ScaleFuzzy NumbersTriangular Fuzzy Scale
High Importance (HI) 9 ˜ (7, 9, 9)
More Importance (MI) 7 ˜ (5, 7, 9)
Importance (I) 5 ˜ (3, 5, 7)
Slight Importance (LI) 3 ˜ (1, 3, 5)
Equilibrium (EA) 1 ˜ (1, 1, 1)
Slight Unimportance (LU) 3 ˜ 1 (1/5, 1/3, 1)
Unimportance (U) 5 ˜ 1 (1/7, 1/5, 1/3)
More Unimportance (MU) 7 ˜ 1 (1/9, 1/7, 1/5)
High Unimportance (HU) 9 ˜ 1 (1/9, 1/9, 1/7)
Table 11. Corresponding fuzzy number of each expert.
Table 11. Corresponding fuzzy number of each expert.
Exp1Exp2Exp3
CEPCEPCEP
C 1 ˜ 3 ˜ 1 3 ˜ 1 1 ˜ 1 ˜ 3 ˜ 1 1 ˜ 3 ˜ 1 1 ˜
E 3 ˜ 1 ˜ 3 ˜ 1 ˜ 1 ˜ 3 ˜ 3 ˜ 1 ˜ 1 ˜
P 3 ˜ 3 ˜ 1 1 ˜ 3 ˜ 3 ˜ 1 1 ˜ 1 ˜ 1 ˜ 1 ˜
Table 12. Linguistic relations and triangular fuzzy value [34].
Table 12. Linguistic relations and triangular fuzzy value [34].
Linguistic TermFuzzy Number (Triangular)
Very poor (VP)(0, 0, 1)
Poor (P)(0, 1, 3)
Moderately poor (MP)(1, 3, 5)
Fair (F)(3, 5, 7)
Moderately good (MG)(5, 7, 9)
Good (G)(7, 9, 10)
Excellent (ET)(9, 10, 10)
Table 13. Linguistic assessment of hazards associated with wind turbine transportation.
Table 13. Linguistic assessment of hazards associated with wind turbine transportation.
Transportation Hazards HITiExpert Opinion
Consequence (C)Exposure (E)Probability (P)
Exp1Exp2Exp3Exp1Exp2Exp3Exp1Exp2Exp3
HIT1FMGFMGGMGGGG
HIT2MPPPMGGMGMGGMG
HIT3FMGMGFFMGFFMG
HIT4PRMPMPVPVPPRGGMG
HIT5GMGGMGFMGMPMPPR
HIT6MGFMGPRPRVPGGG
HIT7FMPFGETGETETG
HIT8MGGGGGMGGGET
HIT9MGGMGGGETETETG
HIT10FMGFETETGGGET
HIT11GGMGETETGPRPR VP
HIT12GGMGMPPRMPMPMPF
Table 14. Linguistic assessment of hazards associated with wind turbine construction.
Table 14. Linguistic assessment of hazards associated with wind turbine construction.
Constructional Hazards HICiExpert Opinion
Consequence (C)Exposure (E)Probability (P)
Exp1Exp2Exp3Exp1Exp2Exp3Exp1Exp2Exp3
HIC1PRMPMPGETGETETET
HIC2FMGGGMGMGGETET
HIC3MGFMGGMGGGETG
HIC4FM GMGMGGGGMGG
HIC5GMGGGMGMGMGGMG
HIC6FMGMGMGGMGGGMG
HIC7FMGGGMGMGMGGG
HIC8PRMPMPGETETGETET
HIC9MPPRPRGETETETETET
HIC10FPRPRGMGMGGGG
HIC11PRPRMPGGETGGET
HIC12MPPRPRGETGETETET
HIC13FMGMGMGGMGGGG
HIC14MGGGGETETETETG
HIC15FMPFMGMGMGGMGG
HIC16MPFMPFMGMGMGGG
HIC17FMGMGMGGMGFMGF
HIC18FFMGMGMGGGGG
HIC19MGMGGGMGMGGGET
HIC20GMGMGMGGGGETET
Table 15. Linguistic assessment of hazards associated with wind turbine operation.
Table 15. Linguistic assessment of hazards associated with wind turbine operation.
Operational Hazards HIOiExpert Opinion
Consequence (C)Exposure (E)Probability (P)
Exp1Exp2Exp3Exp1Exp2Exp3Exp1Exp2Exp3
HIO1PRPRVPGMGGETETET
HIO2MGGMGGGGETGET
HIO3PRMPMPGGETETETET
HIO4GMGMGGMGMGGGG
HIO5MPPRMPGGETETGET
HIO6FMPMPGGETETETET
HIO7FMPMPGETETETGET
HIO8MPFMPGMGGMGETMGG
HIO9MGFMGGMGMGGGMG
HIO10FMGGGMGMGGGG
HIO11MGMGFMGGGGETET
HIO12MGGMGGETETETGET
HIO13PRVPPRGMGGGETG
HIO14VPPRPRGETETETETET
HIO15MGFFGETETETGG
HIO16PRMPMPFGFGETG
HIO17MPMPPRGGMGETETG
HIO18FMGMGGMGMGGGG
HIO19PRPRPRGETETETGG
HIO20PRMPMPGMGGETETET
Table 16. Linguistic assessment of hazards associated with wind turbine maintenance.
Table 16. Linguistic assessment of hazards associated with wind turbine maintenance.
Maintenance hazards HIMiExpert Opinion
Consequence (C)Exposure (E)Probability (P)
Exp1Exp2Exp3Exp1Exp2Exp3Exp1Exp2Exp3
HIM1VPPVPFMGMGMGGG
HIM2PPVPMPFMPMGGMG
HIM3MPFMPGETGETETET
HIM4VPVPPGMGGGGG
HIM5MGFMGGMGGGETG
HIM6VPPVPGETETETGET
HIM7PMPPFMPMPMGGG
HIM8PRPRMPMGMGGGGG
HIM9PVPPGMGMGMGMGMG
HIM10MPFMPMGFMGGMGMG
HIM11FFMGFGETGETETG
Table 17. Combined decision matrix for the transportation stage.
Table 17. Combined decision matrix for the transportation stage.
HITiConsequence (C)Exposure (E)Probability (P)
lmulmulmu
HIT13.005.679.005.007.6710.007.009.0010.00
HIT20.001.675.005.007.6710.005.007.6710.00
HIT33.006.339.003.005.679.003.005.679.00
HIT40.002.335.000.000.333.005.008.3310.00
HIT55.008.3310.003.006.339.000.002.335.00
HIT63.006.339.000.000.673.007.009.0010.00
HIT71.004.337.007.009.3310.007.009.6710.00
HIT85.008.3310.003.007.6710.007.009.3310.00
HIT95.007.6710.007.009.3310.007.009.6710.00
HIT103.005.679.007.009.6710.007.009.3310.00
HIT115.008.3310.007.009.6710.000.000.673.00
HIT125.008.3310.000.002.335.001.003.677.00
u j + 10.0010.0010.00
Table 18. Weighted normalized fuzzy decision matrix for the transportation stage.
Table 18. Weighted normalized fuzzy decision matrix for the transportation stage.
HITiConsequence (C)Exposure (E)Probability (P)
lmulmulmu
HIT10.0430.1070.2390.1820.3850.6710.1600.2770.423
HIT20.0000.0320.1330.1820.3850.6710.1140.2360.423
HIT30.0430.1200.2390.1090.2840.6040.0680.1750.381
HIT40.0000.0440.1330.0000.0170.2010.1140.2570.423
HIT50.0720.1580.2660.1090.3180.6040.0000.0720.212
HIT60.0430.1200.2390.0000.0330.2010.1600.2770.423
HIT70.0140.0820.1860.2540.4690.6710.1600.2980.423
HIT80.0720.1580.2660.1090.3850.6710.1600.2870.423
HIT90.0720.1450.2660.2540.4690.6710.1600.2980.423
HIT100.0430.1070.2390.2540.4850.6710.1600.2870.423
HIT110.0720.1580.2660.2540.4850.6710.0000.0210.127
HIT120.0720.1580.2660.0000.1170.3360.0230.1130.296
FPIS   A + 0.0720.1580.2660.2540.4850.6710.1600.2980.423
FNIS   A 00.0320.13300.0170.20100.0210.127
Table 19. d i +   ,   d i   ,   C C i , and ranking for the hazard sources in times of transportation.
Table 19. d i +   ,   d i   ,   C C i , and ranking for the hazard sources in times of transportation.
Hazard
d c +
d e +
d p +
d c
d e
d p
d i +
d i
C C i
Rank
HIT10.0370.0720.0120.0790.3600.2440.1200.6840.8505
HIT20.1140.0720.0440.0000.3600.2210.2290.5820.7176
HIT30.0310.1480.0920.0840.2860.1760.2710.5460.6688
HIT40.1090.4100.0350.0070.0000.2280.5550.2360.29812
HIT50.0000.1340.2010.1140.2970.0570.3350.4680.5839
HIT60.0310.4040.0120.0840.0100.2440.4470.3380.43010
HIT70.0720.0100.0000.0430.4040.2520.0810.6990.8963
HIT80.0000.1020.0060.1140.3500.2480.1080.7120.8684
HIT90.0070.0100.0000.1090.4040.2520.0170.7650.9781
HIT100.0370.0000.0060.0790.4100.2480.0430.7370.9452
HIT110.0000.0000.2520.1140.4100.0000.2520.5240.6757
HIT120.0000.3230.1520.1140.0970.1120.4740.3220.40511
Table 20. Weighted normalized fuzzy decision matrix for the transportation stage.
Table 20. Weighted normalized fuzzy decision matrix for the transportation stage.
Construction HazardRankOperation HazardRankMaintenance HazardRank
HIC17HIO118HIM19
HIC25HIO22HIM211
HIC36HIO38HIM32
HIC413HIO46HIM46
HIC511HIO512HIM53
HIC616HIO64HIM64
HIC714HIO75HIM710
HIC810HIO814HIM85
HIC94HIO913HIM98
HIC1017HIO109HIM107
HIC1115HIO117HIM111
HIC128HIO121
HIC139HIO1319
HIC141HIO1411
HIC1519HIO153
HIC1620HIO1620
HIC1718HIO1717
HIC1812HIO1810
HIC193HIO1916
HIC202HIO2015
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Bepary, B.; Kabir, G. Occupational Risk Assessment of Wind Turbines in Bangladesh. Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5, 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/asi5020034

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Bepary B, Kabir G. Occupational Risk Assessment of Wind Turbines in Bangladesh. Applied System Innovation. 2022; 5(2):34. https://doi.org/10.3390/asi5020034

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Bepary, Bijoy, and Golam Kabir. 2022. "Occupational Risk Assessment of Wind Turbines in Bangladesh" Applied System Innovation 5, no. 2: 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/asi5020034

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