SAFE 2017

7th International Conference on Safety and Security Engineering

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6 - 8 September, 2017
Rome, Italy

Overview

SAFE 2017

The seventh International Conference on Safety and Security Engineering took place in Rome, Italy organised by Wessex Institute, UK, represented by Prof Carlos A Brebbia, and the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, represented by Professors Massimo Guarascio, Fabia Garzia and Mara Lombardi

The Conference was sponsored by WIT Transactions on the Built Environment; the International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering; the Foundation for the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi and the Senate of the Italian Republic.

The meeting followed the success of the other conferences in the series, which started in Rome (2005), followed by Malta (2007); Rome (2009), Antwerp (2011); Rome (2013) and Opatija (2015).  The Conference provided a forum for the presentation and discussion of the most recent research and industrial developments in the theoretical and practical aspects of safety and security engineering.  All papers presented at the conference are archived in the Institute’s eLibrary (www.witpress.com/elibrary).

Safety and Security, due to its special nature, is an interdisciplinary area of research and application that brings together in a systematic way, many disciplines of engineering, from the traditional to the most technologically advanced.  The conference covered areas such as crisis management, security engineering, natural disasters and emergencies, terrorism, IT security, man-made hazards, risk management, control, protection and mitigation issues, and many others.

Opening the Conference

Giorgio Passerini, Professor and member of the Board of Directors of WIT, welcomed the delegates on behalf of Prof Carlos A Brebbia, who was unable to attend.  He explained the aims of the Wessex Institute as acting as a centre for the transference of technology.  This is carried out by a number of activities taking place in the New Forest campus, as well as the conferences themselves.  These meetings are very important to increase contacts and collaboration amongst participants and they offer WIT guidelines related to the direction of research and areas which need to be investigated further.

A by-product of the WIT conference programme has been the launching of a series of interdisciplinary journals, including the one on Safety and Security Engineering, which originated at the first conference in the series, held in Rome in 2005.

Rome

Rome is an ideal location as it boasts a 3,000-year heritage of globally influential art, architecture and culture.  The city is home to iconic historic landmarks, including the ancient ruins of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, and abounds with world-class museums such as the Vatican Museums and Borghese Gallery.  As well as substantial Roman remains, significant Baroque and Renaissance buildings pepper the city centre.  Today, Rome is not only a cultural centre, but also a commercial, financial and educational hub that has successfully retained its traditional culture and regional cuisine.

Professor Passerini presented the Wessex Institute of Technology Medal to Professor Massimo Guarascio, giving a brief summary of his successful academic career and his cooperation with the Institute. It was a moving ceremony, which also marked the birthday of Massimo, who is now in retirement. He expressed his gratitude to WIT and the delegates and proceeded to deliver his keynote address. His talk focused on the scientific and epistemological references regarding safety and security in the history of science, ranging from Epicure to Quantum Theory.

Conference Topics

The papers presented at the conference were divided into the following topics:

  • Emergency response
  • Cyber security/e security
  • Fire safety
  • System safety engineering
  • Risk analysis and assessment
  • Human factors and behaviour
  • Modelling and experiments
  • Transportation safety and security
  • Occupational health and safety

Invited Presentations

The conference programme included some invited presentations by well-known colleagues, ie

  • “Prioritization of hazards by means of a QFD-based procedure”, by Mara Lombardi, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Italy.
  • “An emergency response decision matrix against terrorist attacks with improvised device in chemical clusters”, by Genserik Reniers, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
  • “Kinematics of collapse of a warehouse structure submitted to fire”, by Seddik Sakji, CSTB, France.
  • “Fire simulation in a full scale bilevel rail car: experimental analysis to assess passengers”, by Vincenzo Torretta, Insubria University of Varese, Italy.
  • “The experimental microclimate monitoring system of the Papal Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, Italy”, by Fabio Garzia, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Italy.
  • “Analysing the vulnerabilities of the German high-speed train network using quantitative graph theory”, by Martin Zsifkovits, University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich, Germany.
  • “Implementing an internet system in the archaeological area of Quintili’ Villa in ancient Appia Route Park in Rome”, by Fabio Garzia, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Italy.

Special Sessions

To enhance the meeting, two special sessions were arranged.  The first, organised by Mara Lombardi, Fabio Garzia and Massimo Guarascio on the subject of “Twelve Years of Research Opportunities” including the following papers:

  • “Preventive planning model for rescue priority management in seismic emergency”.
  • “Safety and security management through integrated multidisciplinary models and related integrated technological frameworks”.
  • “Italian hybrid fire prevention code”.

These presentations were followed by a discussion.

The second special session was on “Safety & Security in the Context of Smart Manufacturing “which was jointly organised by INAIL and ISSA, and chaired by Carlo De Petris from INAIL.  This session included the following papers:

  • “Risks created by cyber physical systems”.
  • “Augmented reality and artificial intelligence to create innovative solution to SISOM”.
  • “Stop defeating of protective devices: New challenges from smart manufacturing”.
  • “Next-generation collaborative robotic systems for industrial safety and health”.
  • “Managing emerging risks and occupational safety of Industry 4.0”.
  • “Involving the human as a security sensor in Industry 4.0”.
  • “Smart safety systems: Are they ready to control the hazard of major accidents?”
  • “Evolution of European produce directive in perspective of Industry 4.0”.

The presentations were followed by discussions chaired by Hans-Jürgen from ISSA.

Conference Dinner

The conference dinner was held at Al Boschetto in the in the heart of Rome, just a few steps from the Via Nazionale.  Its cuisine is inspired by the Roman tradition, using fresh and natural ingredients, with specialities based on porcini mushrooms and a rich variety of fish dishes.

The conference was closed by Giorgio Passerini who hoped that the delegates would consider attending future WIT conferences.

Conference Proceedings

The proceedings of SAFE 2017 - Safety and Security Engineering VII, 216pp (Print ISBN: 978-1-78466-211-0; eISBN: 978-1-78466-212-7) are available from WIT Press. Orders can be placed on the WIT Press web site at www.witpress.com or by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., telephone: +44 (0) 238 029 3223 or fax: +44 (0) 238 029 2853.

Associated Conferences:

SAFE 2017 Photos