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Papers by Rebecca Forsberg
Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2015
Blast wave, finite element model, rail bound, risk, security, structural damage
Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2015
Blast wave, finite element model, rail bound, risk, security, structural damage
International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, 2011
Rarely described are people's lived experiences from severe injury events such as train crash... more Rarely described are people's lived experiences from severe injury events such as train crashes. The number of train crashes named disasters with ≥10 killed and/or ≥100 nonfatally injured grows globally and the trend shows that more people survive these disasters today than did so in the past. This results in an increased number of survivors needing care. The aim of the study was to explore survivors' experiences from a train crash. Narrative interviews were performed with 14 passengers 4 years after a train crash event. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the interviews. Experiences were captured in three main themes: (1) Living in the mode of existential threat describes how the survivors first lost control, then were thrown into a state of unimaginable chaos as they faced death. (2) Dealing with the unthinkable described how survivors restored control, the central role of others, and the importance of reconstructing the event to move forward in their processi...
Läkartidningen
ABSTRACT Railway traffic and speeds continue to increase as do train crashes and their severity. ... more ABSTRACT Railway traffic and speeds continue to increase as do train crashes and their severity. Simultaneously, the Swedish railway network is overloaded, impeding necessary maintenance and aggravating an already dangerous situation. Crash avoidance systems have been improved, but interior safety seems to be neglected. In the present case study from a train collision with an excavator, 21 people in the train were injured - one fatally. Intrusion and interior structures (seats, tables, etc.) caused the most serious injuries. Luggage caused moderate and minor injuries and glass caused the most frequent, but minor injuries. Large height differences between the ground and the train entrance were regarded as a secondary injury risk when evacuating the carriage. Design changes such as creating energy absorbing interior structures would potentially mitigate the injuries, especially when combined with shutters over luggage compartments and anti-lacerative glass surfaces. Ladders for evacuation could also reduce the risk for secondary injuries.
![Research paper thumbnail of [New threats raise new disaster planning requirements]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/40533702/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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Prehospital and disaster medicine
This is a descriptive study of the medical responses to the bombings by terrorists in Madrid on 1... more This is a descriptive study of the medical responses to the bombings by terrorists in Madrid on 11 March 2004. The nature of the event, the human damage, and the responses are described. It describes the: (1) nature and operations associated with the alarm; (2) assignment of responding units and personnel; (3) establishment and operations of casualty collection points; (4) medical transport and distribution of injured victims; (5) prioritization and command; (6) hospital care; (7) psychosocial care; (8) identification of the dead; and (9) police investigation and actions. Each of these descriptions is discussed in terms of what currently is known and the implications for future planning, preparedness, and response.
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2011
Introduction: Globally, railway transport is increasing steadily. Despite the adoption of diverse... more Introduction: Globally, railway transport is increasing steadily. Despite the adoption of diverse safety systems, major railway incidents continue to occur. Higher speeds and increased passenger traffic are factors that influence the risk of mass-casualty incidents and make railway crashes a reality that merits extensive planning and training. Methods: Data on railway disasters were obtained from the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), which maintains the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT). This descriptive study consists of 529 railway disasters (≥10 killed and/or ≥100 non-fatally injured) from 1910 through 2009. Results: The number of railway disasters, people killed, and non-fatally injured, has increased throughout the last hundred years-particularly during the last four decades , when 88% of all disasters occurred. In the mid-20 th century, a shift occurred, resulting in more people being non-fatally injured than fatally injured. During 1970-2009, 74% of all railway disasters occurred in Asia, Africa, and South and Central America, combined. The remaining 26% occurred in Europe, North America, and Oceania, combined. Since 1980, railway disasters have increased, especially in Asia and Africa, while Europe has had a decrease in railway disasters. The number killed per disaster ) was highest in Africa (n = 55), followed by South and Central America (n = 47), and Asia (n = 44). The rate was lowest in North America (n = 10) and Europe (n = 29). On average, the number of non-fatal injuries per disaster was two to three times the number of fatalities, however, in the African countries (except South Africa) the relation was closer to 1:1, which correlates to the relation found in more developed countries during the mid-20 th century. The total losses (non-fatally and fatally injured) per disaster has shown a slight decreasing trend. Conclusions: Despite extensive crash avoidance and injury reduction safety systems, railway crashes occur on all continents, indicating that this type of incident must be accounted for in disaster planning and training. Better developed safety, crashworthiness, and rescue resources in North America and Europe may be factors explaining why the number of crashes and losses has stabilized and why the average number of people killed per disaster is lowest on these continents. Forsberg R, Björnstig U: One hundred years of railway disasters and recent trends. Prehosp Disaster Med 2011;26(X):mm-nn.
Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2014
Carriages 2 and 3 were more likely to have sustained injuries to their abdomen or pelvis. Other i... more Carriages 2 and 3 were more likely to have sustained injuries to their abdomen or pelvis. Other injury-inducing objects were seats, interior structures, wood pellets from the truck, and other passengers. Neck sprains were significantly more prevalent among those who had travelled facing backward. Improved train crashworthiness also needs to include interior safety, which would have a potential to reduce crash injuries.
Survivors' experiences of media at traumatic events, is still a limited research area. The aim of... more Survivors' experiences of media at traumatic events, is still a limited research area. The aim of this study is to explore survivors' experiences of interacting with journalists and media coverage, including their experiences of being portrayed in the media, following two Swedish train crashes. Qualitative interviews were conducted with passengers from two train crashes in Sweden. A qualitative content analysis generated meaning units, subcategories, and categories. Survivors experienced interacting with journalists mainly in three ways: harmful, inconsequential, and helpful. Media content and personal media exposure was experienced in a similar way: uncomfortable, insignificant, and useful. Journalists and media coverage have a large impact on survivors' experiences following a traumatic event. It is important that emergency responders, such as ambulance nurses, are aware of how victims are affected by journalists' presence and the media coverage that follows so that negative outcomes can be reduced and the positive can be enhanced. The present study also shows that media coverage in the long term can become important pieces of information for the victim in order to understand and process the traumatic event.
Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2015
Blast wave, finite element model, rail bound, risk, security, structural damage
Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2015
Blast wave, finite element model, rail bound, risk, security, structural damage
International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, 2011
Rarely described are people's lived experiences from severe injury events such as train crash... more Rarely described are people's lived experiences from severe injury events such as train crashes. The number of train crashes named disasters with ≥10 killed and/or ≥100 nonfatally injured grows globally and the trend shows that more people survive these disasters today than did so in the past. This results in an increased number of survivors needing care. The aim of the study was to explore survivors' experiences from a train crash. Narrative interviews were performed with 14 passengers 4 years after a train crash event. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the interviews. Experiences were captured in three main themes: (1) Living in the mode of existential threat describes how the survivors first lost control, then were thrown into a state of unimaginable chaos as they faced death. (2) Dealing with the unthinkable described how survivors restored control, the central role of others, and the importance of reconstructing the event to move forward in their processi...
Läkartidningen
ABSTRACT Railway traffic and speeds continue to increase as do train crashes and their severity. ... more ABSTRACT Railway traffic and speeds continue to increase as do train crashes and their severity. Simultaneously, the Swedish railway network is overloaded, impeding necessary maintenance and aggravating an already dangerous situation. Crash avoidance systems have been improved, but interior safety seems to be neglected. In the present case study from a train collision with an excavator, 21 people in the train were injured - one fatally. Intrusion and interior structures (seats, tables, etc.) caused the most serious injuries. Luggage caused moderate and minor injuries and glass caused the most frequent, but minor injuries. Large height differences between the ground and the train entrance were regarded as a secondary injury risk when evacuating the carriage. Design changes such as creating energy absorbing interior structures would potentially mitigate the injuries, especially when combined with shutters over luggage compartments and anti-lacerative glass surfaces. Ladders for evacuation could also reduce the risk for secondary injuries.
Prehospital and disaster medicine
This is a descriptive study of the medical responses to the bombings by terrorists in Madrid on 1... more This is a descriptive study of the medical responses to the bombings by terrorists in Madrid on 11 March 2004. The nature of the event, the human damage, and the responses are described. It describes the: (1) nature and operations associated with the alarm; (2) assignment of responding units and personnel; (3) establishment and operations of casualty collection points; (4) medical transport and distribution of injured victims; (5) prioritization and command; (6) hospital care; (7) psychosocial care; (8) identification of the dead; and (9) police investigation and actions. Each of these descriptions is discussed in terms of what currently is known and the implications for future planning, preparedness, and response.
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2011
Introduction: Globally, railway transport is increasing steadily. Despite the adoption of diverse... more Introduction: Globally, railway transport is increasing steadily. Despite the adoption of diverse safety systems, major railway incidents continue to occur. Higher speeds and increased passenger traffic are factors that influence the risk of mass-casualty incidents and make railway crashes a reality that merits extensive planning and training. Methods: Data on railway disasters were obtained from the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), which maintains the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT). This descriptive study consists of 529 railway disasters (≥10 killed and/or ≥100 non-fatally injured) from 1910 through 2009. Results: The number of railway disasters, people killed, and non-fatally injured, has increased throughout the last hundred years-particularly during the last four decades , when 88% of all disasters occurred. In the mid-20 th century, a shift occurred, resulting in more people being non-fatally injured than fatally injured. During 1970-2009, 74% of all railway disasters occurred in Asia, Africa, and South and Central America, combined. The remaining 26% occurred in Europe, North America, and Oceania, combined. Since 1980, railway disasters have increased, especially in Asia and Africa, while Europe has had a decrease in railway disasters. The number killed per disaster ) was highest in Africa (n = 55), followed by South and Central America (n = 47), and Asia (n = 44). The rate was lowest in North America (n = 10) and Europe (n = 29). On average, the number of non-fatal injuries per disaster was two to three times the number of fatalities, however, in the African countries (except South Africa) the relation was closer to 1:1, which correlates to the relation found in more developed countries during the mid-20 th century. The total losses (non-fatally and fatally injured) per disaster has shown a slight decreasing trend. Conclusions: Despite extensive crash avoidance and injury reduction safety systems, railway crashes occur on all continents, indicating that this type of incident must be accounted for in disaster planning and training. Better developed safety, crashworthiness, and rescue resources in North America and Europe may be factors explaining why the number of crashes and losses has stabilized and why the average number of people killed per disaster is lowest on these continents. Forsberg R, Björnstig U: One hundred years of railway disasters and recent trends. Prehosp Disaster Med 2011;26(X):mm-nn.
Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2014
Carriages 2 and 3 were more likely to have sustained injuries to their abdomen or pelvis. Other i... more Carriages 2 and 3 were more likely to have sustained injuries to their abdomen or pelvis. Other injury-inducing objects were seats, interior structures, wood pellets from the truck, and other passengers. Neck sprains were significantly more prevalent among those who had travelled facing backward. Improved train crashworthiness also needs to include interior safety, which would have a potential to reduce crash injuries.
Survivors' experiences of media at traumatic events, is still a limited research area. The aim of... more Survivors' experiences of media at traumatic events, is still a limited research area. The aim of this study is to explore survivors' experiences of interacting with journalists and media coverage, including their experiences of being portrayed in the media, following two Swedish train crashes. Qualitative interviews were conducted with passengers from two train crashes in Sweden. A qualitative content analysis generated meaning units, subcategories, and categories. Survivors experienced interacting with journalists mainly in three ways: harmful, inconsequential, and helpful. Media content and personal media exposure was experienced in a similar way: uncomfortable, insignificant, and useful. Journalists and media coverage have a large impact on survivors' experiences following a traumatic event. It is important that emergency responders, such as ambulance nurses, are aware of how victims are affected by journalists' presence and the media coverage that follows so that negative outcomes can be reduced and the positive can be enhanced. The present study also shows that media coverage in the long term can become important pieces of information for the victim in order to understand and process the traumatic event.