The neural basis of responsibility attribution in decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Peng; Shen, Yue; Sui, Xue; Chen, Changming; Feng, Tingyong; Li, Hong; Holroyd, Clay

2013-01-01

Social responsibility links personal behavior with societal expectations and plays a key role in affecting an agent's emotional state following a decision. However, the neural basis of responsibility attribution remains unclear. In two previous event-related brain potential (ERP) studies we found that personal responsibility modulated outcome evaluation in gambling tasks. Here we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to identify particular brain regions that mediate responsibility attribution. In a context involving team cooperation, participants completed a task with their teammates and on each trial received feedback about team success and individual success sequentially. We found that brain activity differed between conditions involving team success vs. team failure. Further, different brain regions were associated with reinforcement of behavior by social praise vs. monetary reward. Specifically, right temporoparietal junction (RTPJ) was associated with social pride whereas dorsal striatum and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were related to reinforcement of behaviors leading to personal gain. The present study provides evidence that the RTPJ is an important region for determining whether self-generated behaviors are deserving of praise in a social context.

The neural basis of responsibility attribution in decision-making.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Li

Full Text Available Social responsibility links personal behavior with societal expectations and plays a key role in affecting an agent's emotional state following a decision. However, the neural basis of responsibility attribution remains unclear. In two previous event-related brain potential (ERP studies we found that personal responsibility modulated outcome evaluation in gambling tasks. Here we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI study to identify particular brain regions that mediate responsibility attribution. In a context involving team cooperation, participants completed a task with their teammates and on each trial received feedback about team success and individual success sequentially. We found that brain activity differed between conditions involving team success vs. team failure. Further, different brain regions were associated with reinforcement of behavior by social praise vs. monetary reward. Specifically, right temporoparietal junction (RTPJ was associated with social pride whereas dorsal striatum and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC were related to reinforcement of behaviors leading to personal gain. The present study provides evidence that the RTPJ is an important region for determining whether self-generated behaviors are deserving of praise in a social context.

Desire or Disease? Framing Obesity to Influence Attributions of Responsibility and Policy Support.

Science.gov (United States)

McGlynn, Joseph; McGlone, Matthew S

2018-02-01

The way we describe health threats affects perceptions of severity and preferred solutions to reduce risk. Most people agree obesity is a problem, but differ in how they attribute responsibility for development and decline of the disease. We explored effects of message framing on attributions of responsibility and support for public obesity policies using a 3 × 2 factorial design. Participants read one of six versions of a health message describing the negative effects of obesity. Message frames influenced respondent attributions and their support for policies to reduce obesity. Those who read a message that assigned agency to the disease (e.g., Obesity causes health problems) endorsed genetics as the cause to a greater degree than those who read a semantically equivalent message that instead assigned agency to people (e.g., Obese people develop health problems). In contrast, assigning agency to people rather than to the disease prompted higher attributions of individual responsibility and support for public policies. Explicit message frames that directly connected responsibility for obesity to either individual or societal factors had no effect on respondent perceptions. Findings suggest explicit arguments may be less effective in shifting perceptions of health threats than arguments embedded in agentic message frames. The results demonstrate specific message features that influence how people attribute responsibility for the onset and solution of obesity.

Cookstove options for safety and health: Comparative analysis of technological and usability attributes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimemia, David; Van Niekerk, Ashley

2017-01-01

Energy use in low-income households in South Africa is considerably more hazardous than in middle to high-income households. Poverty is a key underlying factor. However, poor quality domestic energy technologies, including stoves, heaters and light sources contribute to this vulnerability. The problem is compounded by behavioural and environmental factors. Since cooking is a key energy-using chore, access to efficient, safe and versatile stoves portend safety improvements. This paper reports on a comparative analysis of eleven technological and usability attributes (CO emissions, firepower, efficiency, fuel toxicity, fuel cost, stove price, controllability, durability, availability, temperature of touchable-parts, and mechanical stability) of commercially available stoves that utilise four energy sources (kerosene, methanol, ethanol gel, and LPG). The ensuing discussion serves as a guide to enable the selection of the best-fit stove-fuel combination for low-income households. The findings indicate that LPG stoves have comparatively better overall rankings for cleanliness, firepower, safety, and durability. This analysis highlights that no combustion technology is risk-proof and there remains a burden on users to exercise diligence. We recommend that South Africa adopts an affirmative policy and strategic actions that discourage the use of kerosene as a household combustion fuel, and promotes the adoption of LPG as a safer and practical alternative. - Highlights: • Inefficient fuel combustion stoves raise risk profile in energy-poor households. • This study uses quantitative methods to compare the attributes of four stove types. • LPG stoves have comparatively better ranking for emissions, safety, and durability. • Transformative policies and strategies are required to promote safe, clean stoves.

Licensee responsibility for nuclear power plant safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, Horst

2010-01-01

Simple sentences easy to grasp are desirable in regulations and bans. However, in a legal system, their meaning must be unambiguous. Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the EURATOM Directive on a community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear facilities of June 2009 states that 'responsibility for the nuclear safety of a nuclear facility is incumbent primarily on the licensee.' The draft 'Safety Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants, Revision D, April 2009' of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) (A Module 1, 'Safety Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants: Basic Safety Criteria' / '0 Principles' Paragraph 2) reads: 'Responsibility for ensuring safety rests with the licensee. He shall give priority to compliance with the safety goal over the achievement of other operational objectives.' In addition, the existing rules and regulations, whose rank is equivalent to that of international regulations, assign priority to the safety goal to be pursued by the licensee over all other objectives of the company. The operator's responsibility for nuclear safety can be required and achieved only on the basis of permits granted, which must meet legal requirements. The operator's proximity to plant operation is the reason for his 'primary responsibility.' Consequently, verbatim incorporation of Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the EURATOM Directive would only be a superscript added to existing obligations of the operator - inclusive of a safety culture designed as an incentive to further 'the spirit of safety-related actions' - without any new legal contents and consequences. In the reasons of the regulation, this would have to be clarified in addition to the cryptic wording of 'responsibility.. primarily,' at the same time expressing that operators and authorities work together in a spirit of openness and trust. (orig.)

[Organisational responsibility versus individual responsibility: safety culture? About the relationship between patient safety and medical malpractice law].

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Dieter

2009-01-01

The contribution is concerned with the correlations between risk information, patient safety, responsibility and liability, in particular in terms of liability law. These correlations have an impact on safety culture in healthcare, which can be evaluated positively if--in addition to good quality of medical care--as many sources of error as possible can be identified, analysed, and minimised or eliminated by corresponding measures (safety or risk management). Liability influences the conduct of individuals and enterprises; safety is (probably) also a function of liability; this should also apply to safety culture. The standard of safety culture does not only depend on individual liability for damages, but first of all on strict enterprise liability (system responsibility) and its preventive effects. Patient safety through quality and risk management is therefore also an organisational programme of considerable relevance in terms of liability law.

Food safety--who is responsible?

Science.gov (United States)

Rollin, Bernard E

2006-01-01

Though scientists believe that issues of risk can be handled without appeal to values in general or ethics in particular, this is demonstrably false. The very notion of risk is enmeshed in a complex of social ethics. This is clearly true with regard to food safety. With this in mind, it is plausible to affirm that responsibility for food safety at a given point in the chain from producer to consumer rests with the person or entity under whose control the management of that risk most plausibly lies. This principle is illustrated with various examples and with clear cases of industry shouldering and avoiding responsibility. An additional ethical concern relevant to food safety arises from genetically modified foods. Given that the situation here is uncertain and risk unknown, it is hard to see who is responsible for managing such risks. It is arguable that this situation militates in favor of labeling, since consumers are in effect research subjects. The reasonable moral approach to risk we have outlined is jeopardized by the societal tendency towards "victimology" and abrogation of personal responsibility. In such a world, it is incumbent on industry to educate the public with regard to consumer minimization of food safety risks, the impossibility of zero-risk situations, and the economic costs to freedom of protectionism.

Attributions of Responsibility for Obesity: Narrative Communication Reduces Reactive Counterarguing among Liberals

Science.gov (United States)

Niederdeppe, Jeff; Shapiro, Michael A.; Porticella, Norman

2011-01-01

Informed by theory and research on attributions and narrative persuasion, we compared the effectiveness of narrative and nonnarrative messages in changing attributions of responsibility for causes and solutions related to obesity in the United States. We randomly assigned 500 adults to view one of three messages (narrative, evidence, and a hybrid…

Fundamental attributes of a practical configuration management program for nuclear plant design control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, S.M.

1988-06-01

This summarizes the results of an evaluation of findings identifies during a number of Safety-System Functional Inspections and Safety System Outage Modification Inspections which are related to configuration management for nuclear plant design control. A computerized database of these findings was generated from a review of the design inspection reports. Based on the results of the evaluation, attributes of a configuration management program were developed which are responsive to minimizing these types of inspection findings. Incorporation of these key attributes is considered good practice in the development of a configuration management program for design control at operating nuclear plants

Influences of Product Temperature on Emotional Responses to, and Sensory Attributes of, Coffee and Green Tea Beverages

Science.gov (United States)

Pramudya, Ragita C.; Seo, Han-Seok

2018-01-01

Coffee and green tea are popular beverages consumed at both hot and cold temperatures. When people consume hot beverages concurrently with other activities, they may experience at different temperatures over the period of consumption. However, there has been limited research investigating the effects of product temperatures on emotional responses and sensory attributes of beverages. This study aimed to determine whether emotional responses to, and sensory attributes of, brewed coffee and green tea vary as a function of sample temperature. Using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) method, 157 participants (79 for coffee and 78 for green tea) were asked to evaluate either coffee or green tea samples served at cold (5°C), ambient (25°C), and hot (65°C) temperatures with respect to emotional responses and sensory attributes. The results showed that sample temperature could have significant influences on emotional responses to, and sensory attributes of, coffee and green tea samples. More specifically, 6 and 18 sensory attributes of coffee and green tea samples, respectively, significantly differed with sample temperature. Beverage samples evaluated at 65°C were characterized, regardless of activation/arousal level, by positive emotional responses terms and favorable sensory attributes. While beverages evaluated at 25°C were associated more with negative emotional responses with low activation/arousal, those evaluated at 5°C were more frequently characterized as having negative emotional responses with high activation/arousal. Sensory and emotional drivers of liking for both coffee and green tea differed both with sample temperature and gender. While both emotional responses and sensory attributes were identified as drivers of liking among females, only emotional responses were identified as drivers of liking among males. In conclusion, this study provides empirical evidence that both emotional responses to, and sensory attributes of, coffee and green tea beverages can

Brain Responses Underlying Anthropomorphism, Agency, and Social Attribution in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Ammons, Carla J; Doss, Constance F; Bala, David; Kana, Rajesh K

2018-01-01

Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others, is frequently impaired in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and may result from altered activation of social brain regions. Conversely, Typically Developing (TD) individuals overextend ToM and show a strong tendency to anthropomorphize and interpret biological motion in the environment. Less is known about how the degree of anthropomorphism influences intentional attribution and engagement of the social brain in ASD. This fMRI study examines the extent of anthropomorphism, its role in social attribution, and the underlying neural responses in ASD and TD using a series of human stick figures and geometrical shapes. 14 ASD and 14 TD adults watched videos of stick figures and triangles interacting in random or socially meaningful ways while in an fMRI scanner. In addition, they completed out-of-scanner measures of ToM skill and real-world social deficits. Whole brain statistical analysis was performed for regression and within and between group comparisons of all conditions using SPM12's implementation of the general linear model. ToM network regions were activated in response to social movement and human-like characters in ASD and TD. In addition, greater ToM ability was associated with increased TPJ and MPFC activity while watching stick figures; whereas more severe social symptoms were associated with reduced right TPJ activation in response to social movement. These results suggest that degree of anthropomorphism does not differentially affect social attribution in ASD and highlights the importance of TPJ in ToM and social attribution.

Response surface use in safety analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prosek, A.

1999-01-01

When thousands of complex computer code runs related to nuclear safety are needed for statistical analysis, the response surface is used to replace the computer code. The main purpose of the study was to develop and demonstrate a tool called optimal statistical estimator (OSE) intended for response surface generation of complex and non-linear phenomena. The performance of optimal statistical estimator was tested by the results of 59 different RELAP5/MOD3.2 code calculations of the small-break loss-of-coolant accident in a two loop pressurized water reactor. The results showed that OSE adequately predicted the response surface for the peak cladding temperature. Some good characteristic of the OSE like monotonic function between two neighbor points and independence on the number of output parameters suggest that OSE can be used for response surface generation of any safety or system parameter in the thermal-hydraulic safety analyses.(author)

Using Assessment to Develop Social Responsibility as a Graduate Attribute in Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Howells, Kerry; Fitzallen, Noleine; Adams, Christine

2016-01-01

Australian higher education institutions have struggled to develop clear strategies for developing and assessing graduate attributes within their specific disciplinary contexts. Using the example of the graduate attribute of social responsibility, this paper explores the outcomes of using assessment tasks to raise the awareness of development of…

Radiological Emergency Response Health and Safety Manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D. R. Bowman

2001-05-01

This manual was created to provide health and safety (H&S) guidance for emergency response operations. The manual is organized in sections that define each aspect of H and S Management for emergency responses. The sections are as follows: Responsibilities; Health Physics; Industrial Hygiene; Safety; Environmental Compliance; Medical; and Record Maintenance. Each section gives guidance on the types of training expected for managers and responders, safety processes and procedures to be followed when performing work, and what is expected of managers and participants. Also included are generic forms that will be used to facilitate or document activities during an emergency response. These ensure consistency in creating useful real-time and archival records and help to prevent the loss or omission of information.

Final Technical Report on Quantifying Dependability Attributes of Software Based Safety Critical Instrumentation and Control Systems in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smidts, Carol; Huang, Fuqun; Li, Boyuan; Li, Xiang

2016-01-01

With the current transition from analog to digital instrumentation and control systems in nuclear power plants, the number and variety of software-based systems have significantly increased. The sophisticated nature and increasing complexity of software raises trust in these systems as a significant challenge. The trust placed in a software system is typically termed software dependability. Software dependability analysis faces uncommon challenges since software systems' characteristics differ from those of hardware systems. The lack of systematic science-based methods for quantifying the dependability attributes in software-based instrumentation as well as control systems in safety critical applications has proved itself to be a significant inhibitor to the expanded use of modern digital technology in the nuclear industry. Dependability refers to the ability of a system to deliver a service that can be trusted. Dependability is commonly considered as a general concept that encompasses different attributes, e.g., reliability, safety, security, availability and maintainability. Dependability research has progressed significantly over the last few decades. For example, various assessment models and/or design approaches have been proposed for software reliability, software availability and software maintainability. Advances have also been made to integrate multiple dependability attributes, e.g., integrating security with other dependability attributes, measuring availability and maintainability, modeling reliability and availability, quantifying reliability and security, exploring the dependencies between security and safety and developing integrated analysis models. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the dependencies between various dependability attributes as a whole and of how such dependencies are formed. To address the need for quantification and give a more objective basis to the review process -- therefore reducing regulatory uncertainty

Final Technical Report on Quantifying Dependability Attributes of Software Based Safety Critical Instrumentation and Control Systems in Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smidts, Carol [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States); Huang, Funqun [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States); Li, Boyuan [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States); Li, Xiang [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)

2016-03-25

With the current transition from analog to digital instrumentation and control systems in nuclear power plants, the number and variety of software-based systems have significantly increased. The sophisticated nature and increasing complexity of software raises trust in these systems as a significant challenge. The trust placed in a software system is typically termed software dependability. Software dependability analysis faces uncommon challenges since software systems’ characteristics differ from those of hardware systems. The lack of systematic science-based methods for quantifying the dependability attributes in software-based instrumentation as well as control systems in safety critical applications has proved itself to be a significant inhibitor to the expanded use of modern digital technology in the nuclear industry. Dependability refers to the ability of a system to deliver a service that can be trusted. Dependability is commonly considered as a general concept that encompasses different attributes, e.g., reliability, safety, security, availability and maintainability. Dependability research has progressed significantly over the last few decades. For example, various assessment models and/or design approaches have been proposed for software reliability, software availability and software maintainability. Advances have also been made to integrate multiple dependability attributes, e.g., integrating security with other dependability attributes, measuring availability and maintainability, modeling reliability and availability, quantifying reliability and security, exploring the dependencies between security and safety and developing integrated analysis models. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the dependencies between various dependability attributes as a whole and of how such dependencies are formed. To address the need for quantification and give a more objective basis to the review process -- therefore reducing regulatory uncertainty

A multi-agent safety response model in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Meliá, José L

2015-01-01

The construction industry is one of the sectors with the highest accident rates and the most serious accidents. A multi-agent safety response approach allows a useful diagnostic tool in order to understand factors affecting risk and accidents. The special features of the construction sector can influence the relationships among safety responses along the model of safety influences. The purpose of this paper is to test a model explaining risk and work-related accidents in the construction industry as a result of the safety responses of the organization, the supervisors, the co-workers and the worker. 374 construction employees belonging to 64 small Spanish construction companies working for two main companies participated in the study. Safety responses were measured using a 45-item Likert-type questionnaire. The structure of the measure was analyzed using factor analysis and the model of effects was tested using a structural equation model. Factor analysis clearly identifies the multi-agent safety dimensions hypothesized. The proposed safety response model of work-related accidents, involving construction specific results, showed a good fit. The multi-agent safety response approach to safety climate is a useful framework for the assessment of organizational and behavioral risks in construction.

Attributing Agency to Automated Systems: Reflections on Human-Robot Collaborations and Responsibility-Loci.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyholm, Sven

2017-07-18

Many ethicists writing about automated systems (e.g. self-driving cars and autonomous weapons systems) attribute agency to these systems. Not only that; they seemingly attribute an autonomous or independent form of agency to these machines. This leads some ethicists to worry about responsibility-gaps and retribution-gaps in cases where automated systems harm or kill human beings. In this paper, I consider what sorts of agency it makes sense to attribute to most current forms of automated systems, in particular automated cars and military robots. I argue that whereas it indeed makes sense to attribute different forms of fairly sophisticated agency to these machines, we ought not to regard them as acting on their own, independently of any human beings. Rather, the right way to understand the agency exercised by these machines is in terms of human-robot collaborations, where the humans involved initiate, supervise, and manage the agency of their robotic collaborators. This means, I argue, that there is much less room for justified worries about responsibility-gaps and retribution-gaps than many ethicists think.

Attributions of blame and responsibility in sexual harassment: reexamining a psychological model.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Kristen M; Apple, Kevin J; Kahn, Arnold S

2011-04-01

Kelley's (Nebr Symp Motiv 15:192-238, 1967) attribution theory can inform sexual harassment research by identifying how observers use consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness information in determining whether a target or perpetrator is responsible for a sexual harassment situation. In this study, Kelley's theory is applied to a scenario in which a male perpetrator sexually harasses a female target in a university setting. Results from 314 predominantly female college students indicate that consistency and consensus information significantly affect participants' judgments of blame and responsibility for the situation. The authors discuss the importance of the reference groups used to derive consensus and distinctiveness information, and reintroduce Kelley's attribution theory as a means of understanding observers' perceptions of sexual harassment.

Primary health care attributes and responses to intimate partner violence in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Goicolea, Isabel; Mosquera, Paola; Briones-Vozmediano, Erica; Otero-García, Laura; García-Quinto, Marta; Vives-Cases, Carmen

This study provides an overview of the perceptions of primary care professionals on how the current primary health care (PHC) attributes in Spain could influence health-related responses to intimate partner violence (IPV). A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 160 health professionals working in 16 PHC centres in Spain. Data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis. Four categories emerged from the interview analysis: those committed to the PHC approach, but with difficulties implementing it; community work relying on voluntarism; multidisciplinary team work or professionals who work together?; and continuity of care hindered by heavy work load. Participants felt that person-centred care as well as other attributes of the PHC approach facilitated detecting IPV and a better response to the problem. However, they also pointed out that the current management of the health system (workload, weak supervision and little feedback, misdistribution of human and material resources, etc.) does not facilitate the sustainability of such an approach. There is a gap between the theoretical attributes of PHC and the "reality" of how these attributes are managed in everyday work, and how this influences IPV care. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

A Study of Time Response for Safety-Related Operator Actions in Non-LOCA Safety Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Min Seok; Lee, Sang Seob; Park, Min Soo; Lee, Gyu Cheon; Kim, Shin Whan [KEPCO E and C Company, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

The classification of initiating events for safety analysis report (SAR) chapter 15 is categorized into moderate frequency events (MF), infrequent events (IF), and limiting faults (LF) depending on the frequency of its occurrence. For the non-LOCA safety analysis with the purpose to get construction or operation license, however, it is assumed that the operator response action to mitigate the events starts at 30 minutes after the initiation of the transient regardless of the event categorization. Such an assumption of corresponding operator response time may have over conservatism with the MF and IF events and results in a decrease in the safety margin compared to its acceptance criteria. In this paper, the plant conditions (PC) are categorized with the definitions in SAR 15 and ANS 51.1. Then, the consequence of response for safety-related operator action time is determined based on the PC in ANSI 58.8. The operator response time for safety analysis regarding PC are reviewed and suggested. The clarifying alarm response procedure would be required for the guideline to reduce the operator response time when the alarms indicate the occurrence of the transient.

Children's Moral Emotion Attribution in the Happy Victimizer Task: The Role of Response Format.

Science.gov (United States)

Gummerum, Michaela; López-Pérez, Belén; Ambrona, Tamara; Rodríguez-Cano, Sonia; Dellaria, Giulia; Smith, Gary; Wilson, Ellie

2016-01-01

Previous research in the happy victimizer tradition indicated that preschool and early elementary school children attribute positive emotions to the violator of a moral norm, whereas older children attribute negative (moral) emotions. Cognitive and motivational processes have been suggested to underlie this developmental shift. The current research investigated whether making the happy victimizer task less cognitively demanding by providing children with alternative response formats would increase their attribution of moral emotions and moral motivation. In Study 1, 93 British children aged 4-7 years old responded to the happy victimizer questions either in a normal condition (where they spontaneously pointed with a finger), a wait condition (where they had to wait before giving their answers), or an arrow condition (where they had to point with a paper arrow). In Study 2, 40 Spanish children aged 4 years old responded to the happy victimizer task either in a normal or a wait condition. In both studies, participants' attribution of moral emotions and moral motivation was significantly higher in the conditions with alternative response formats (wait, arrow) than in the normal condition. The role of cognitive abilities for emotion attribution in the happy victimizer task is discussed.

Attributing Responsibility, Sexist Attitudes, Perceived Social Support, and Self-Esteem in Aggressors Convicted for Gender-Based Violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerrero-Molina, Mónica; Moreno-Manso, Juan Manuel; Guerrero-Barona, Eloísa; Cruz-Márquez, Beatriz

2017-06-01

This work analyzes how the assumption of responsibility by aggressors convicted for gender-based violence is related to sexist attitudes, self-esteem and perceived functional social support. Similarly, the predictive capacity of these variables is studied with respect to the aggressors' minimization of the harm done and a lack of attributing responsibility to themselves. The participants in the research were males condemned to prison sentences for crimes related with gender-based violence in Spain. The instruments applied were the Attribution of Responsibility and Minimization of Harm Scale, the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), the Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ), and the Social Desirability Scale (SDS). The study concludes that sexist attitudes are related with a greater lack of attribution of responsibility, as well as with a greater tendency to minimize the harm done by the aggression. In addition, the aggressors with low self-esteem use self-defense as a strategy to justify the violence. Similarly, the presence of an adequate social support network for the aggressor increases the attribution of responsibility on the part of those convicted for gender-based violence.

Selection methodology for LWR safety R and D programs and proposals. Volume III. User's manual for the multi-attribute utility package (MAUP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hale, M.; Turnage, J.J.; Husseiny, A.A.; Ritzman, R.L.

1981-02-01

The computer program which was developed to apply the multi-attribute utility (MAU) methodology to the selection of LWR safety R and D programs and proposals is described. An overview of the MAU method is presented, followed by a description of the steps incorporated in developing individual modules for use in the multi-attribute utility package (MAUP). Each module is described complete with usage information and an example of computer output

Confusion in practice: on nuclear safety responsibility subject of our nation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jia

2014-01-01

Nuclear safety responsibility subject seems a unquestionable issue, but when I took part in the CNNC searching team of 'nuclear law legislation', I found that there are confusions on understanding of this concept and in application. The paper focuses on the content of nuclear safety responsibility, using legal and practical method to dig out the differences with the related and frequently confusing concepts, on which basis to analyze the situation of nuclear safety responsibility subject of our nation. In conclusion, I give suggestions on who shall be the nuclear safety responsibility subject. (author)

Leadership for Safety in Practice: Perspectives from a Nuclear Regulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyobeka, B. M.

2016-01-01

The principal responsibility for a nuclear regulator is to assure compliance with regulations and safety standards by operators. One of these requirements is demonstration of, and adherence to, nuclear safety culture by the operators. At the same time, the regulators themselves are expected to live the talk and practice what they preach, i.e., demonstrate highest levels of nuclear safety culture within their organizations. Consequently, it is recognised that leadership is important in the creation of a culture that supports and promotes a strong nuclear safety performance of an organization. The leaders of a regulatory body are vital in inspiring employees to a higher level of safety and productivity, which means that they must apply good leadership attributes on a daily basis. This paper will attempt to bring forth and share attributes for strong leadership role in promoting a safety culture within a nuclear regulatory body by surveying world-wide practices and examples in developing and advanced nuclear countries. (author)

Draft Law on the creation, attribution, organization and functioning of a ''Regulatory Authority and Nuclear Safety'' (ARSN)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Issoufou, Mahamadou

2016-08-01

This Draft Law deals with the establishment, responsibilities, organization and functioning of an Autority Control and Nuclear Safety. Through this law, the Regulatory and Nuclear Safety Autority is responsible for regulation of nuclear and radiological activities to ensure the safety, security and protection of persons and the environment against the effects of radiation throughout the national territory. [fr

Neuroimaging Impaired Response Inhibition and Salience Attribution in Human Drug Addiction: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zilverstand, Anna; Huang, Anna S; Alia-Klein, Nelly; Goldstein, Rita Z

2018-06-06

The impaired response inhibition and salience attribution (iRISA) model proposes that impaired response inhibition and salience attribution underlie drug seeking and taking. To update this model, we systematically reviewed 105 task-related neuroimaging studies (n > 15/group) published since 2010. Results demonstrate specific impairments within six large-scale brain networks (reward, habit, salience, executive, memory, and self-directed networks) during drug cue exposure, decision making, inhibitory control, and social-emotional processing. Addicted individuals demonstrated increased recruitment of these networks during drug-related processing but a blunted response during non-drug-related processing, with the same networks also being implicated during resting state. Associations with real-life drug use, relapse, therapeutic interventions, and the relevance to initiation of drug use during adolescence support the clinical relevance of the results. Whereas the salience and executive networks showed impairments throughout the addiction cycle, the reward network was dysregulated at later stages of abuse. Effects were similar in alcohol, cannabis, and stimulant addiction. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Systematic approach to training for competence building in radiation safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asiamah, S.D.; Schandorf, C.; Darko, E.O.

2003-01-01

Competence building involves four main attributes, namely, knowledge, skills, operating experience and attitude to radiation safety. These multi-attribute requirements demand a systematic approach to education and training of regulatory staff, licensees/registrants and service providers to ensure commensurate competence in performance of responsibilities and duties to specified standards. In order to address issues of competencies required in radiation safety a national programme for qualification and certification has been initiated for regulatory staff, operators, radiation safety officers and qualified experts. Since the inception of this programme in 1993, 40 training events have been organized involving 423 individuals. This programme is at various levels of implementation due to financial and human resource constraints. A department for Human Resource Development and Research was established in 2000 to enhance and ensure the sustainability of the effectiveness of capacity building in radiation safety. (author)

Who regulates food? Australians' perceptions of responsibility for food safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Julie; Coveney, John; Ward, Paul

2010-01-01

Food scares have diminished trust in public institutions to guarantee food safety. Food governance after the food scare era is concerned with institutional independence and transparency leading to a hybrid of public and private sector management and to mechanisms for consumer involvement in food governance. This paper explores Australian consumers' perceptions of who is, and should be responsible for food safety. Forty-seven participants were interviewed as part of a larger study on trust in the food system. Participants associate food governance with government, industry, and the individual. While few participants can name the national food regulator, there is a strong belief that the government is responsible for regulating the quality and safety of food. Participants are wary of the role of the food industry in food safety, believing that profit motives will undermine effective food regulation. Personal responsibility for food safety practices was also identified. While there are fewer mechanisms for consumer involvement and transparency built into the food governance system, Australian consumers display considerable trust in government to protect food safety. There is little evidence of the politicisation of food, reflecting a level of trust in the Australian food governance system that may arise from a lack of exposure to major food scares.

Analysis respons to the implementation of nuclear installations safety culture using AHP-TOPSIS

Science.gov (United States)

Situmorang, J.; Kuntoro, I.; Santoso, S.; Subekti, M.; Sunaryo, G. R.

2018-02-01

An analysis of responses to the implementation of nuclear installations safety culture has been done using AHP (Analitic Hierarchy Process) - TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution). Safety culture is considered as collective commitments of the decision-making level, management level, and individual level. Thus each level will provide a subjective perspective as an alternative approach to implementation. Furthermore safety culture is considered by the statement of five characteristics which in more detail form consist of 37 attributes, and therefore can be expressed as multi-attribute state. Those characteristics and or attributes will be a criterion and its value is difficult to determine. Those criteria of course, will determine and strongly influence the implementation of the corresponding safety culture. To determine the pattern and magnitude of the influence is done by using a TOPSIS that is based on decision matrix approach and is composed of alternatives and criteria. The weight of each criterion is determined by AHP technique. The data used are data collected through questionnaires at the workshop on safety and health in 2015. .Reliability test of data gives Cronbah Alpha value of 95.5% which according to the criteria is stated reliable. Validity test using bivariate correlation analysis technique between each attribute give Pearson correlation for all attribute is significant at level 0,01. Using confirmatory factor analysis gives Kaise-Meyer-Olkin of sampling Adequacy (KMO) is 0.719 and it is greater than the acceptance criterion 0.5 as well as the 0.000 significance level much smaller than 0.05 and stated that further analysis could be performed. As a result of the analysis it is found that responses from the level of decision maker (second echelon) dominate the best order preference rank to be the best solution in strengthening the nuclear installation safety culture, except for the first characteristics, safety is a

Food safety - the roles and responsibilities of different sectors

Science.gov (United States)

Karabasil, N.; Bošković, T.; Dimitrijević, M.; Vasilev, D.; Đorđević, V.; Lakićević, B.; Teodorović, V.

2017-09-01

Serbia is a relatively small country but with a long tradition in food production, especially meat and meat products. Serbia, as part of its open negotiation process as a candidate country with the European Union (EU), started to harmonise its legislation with the EU, and has published a set of laws and regulations relating to the hygiene of food production and food safety, the official control of production and the welfare of animals. Therefore, the food safety system in Serbia is based on principles established in the EU. There is a need for cooperation of different sectors (government, food business operators and consumers) in the management of food safety, and every sector has its role and responsibility. This paper aims to provide analytical support for the process of upgrading safety and quality in Serbia’s food sector and explains the roles and responsibilities of different sectors in the food chain.

Radiological Safety Officer (RSO): role and responsibilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joshi, M.L.; Yadav, J.S.; Gopalakrishnan, R.K.; Ansari, I.A.

2017-01-01

The fundamental safety objective in a radiological facility (RF) is to protect people and the environment from harmful effects of ionising radiation. The radiation risks to people and the environment that may arise from the use of radiation and radioactive material must be assessed and must be controlled by means of the application of the relevant standards of safety. Thus, all facilities handling radioactive material must have experts, who are responsible for assisting the plant management in radiation protection programme

Teacher response to learning disability: a test of attributional principles.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, M D

1997-01-01

Attribution research has identified student ability and effort expended as causes of achievement outcomes that result in differing teacher affect, evaluative feedback, and expectation of future performance. Ninety-seven elementary-school general education teachers (84 women and 13 men) rated their responses to the test failures of hypothetical boys with and without learning disabilities. In most cases, greater reward and less punishment, less anger and more pity, and higher expectations of future failure followed the negative outcomes of the boys with learning disabilities, when compared with their nondisabled ability and effort matches, indicating that learning disability acts as a cause of achievement outcomes in the same way as ability and effort. This pattern of teacher affect and response can send negative messages that are often interpreted as low-ability cues, thus affecting students' self-esteem, sense of competence as learners, and motivation to achieve.

Customers' attributional judgments towards complaint handling in airline service: a confirmatory study based on attribution theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiou, Wen-Bin

2007-06-01

Besides flight safety, complaint handling plays a crucial role in airline service. Based upon Kelley's attribution theory, in the present study customers' attributions were examined under different conditions of complaint handling by the airlines. There were 531 passengers (216 women; ages 21 to 63 years, M = 41.5, SD = 11.1) with experiences of customer complaints who were recruited while awaiting boarding. Participants received one hypothetical scenario of three attributional conditions about complaint handling and then reported their attributional judgments. The findings indicated that the passengers were most likely to attribute the company's complaint handling to unconditional compliance when the airline company reacted to customer complaints under low distinctiveness, high consistency, and when consensus among the airlines was low. On the other hand, most passengers attributed the company's complaint handling to conditional compliance under the conditions in which distinctiveness, consistency, and consensus were all high. The results provide further insights into how different policies of complaint management affect customers' attributions. Future directions and managerial implications are also discussed.

Manual of functions, assignments, and responsibilities for nuclear safety: Revision 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-10-15

The FAR Manual is a convenient easy-to-use collection of the functions, assignments, and responsibilities (FARs) of DOE nuclear safety personnel. Current DOE directives, including Orders, Secretary of Energy Notices, and other assorted policy memoranda, are the source of this information and form the basis of the FAR Manual. Today, the majority of FARs for DOE personnel are contained in DOE`s nuclear safety Orders. As these Orders are converted to rules in the Code of Federal Regulations, the FAR Manual will become the sole source for information relating to the functions, assignments, responsibilities of DOE nuclear safety personnel. The FAR Manual identifies DOE directives that relate to nuclear safety and the specific DOE personnel who are responsible for implementing them. The manual includes only FARs that have been extracted from active directives that have been approved in accordance with the procedures contained in DOE Order 1321.1B.

Promoting safety in the work environment: the role of internal marketing

OpenAIRE

2009-01-01

M.Comm. The process of creating a safe working environment for all has proved to be one of the most complex facets within an organisation. This may be attributed to the fact that there are so many elements involved in ensuring occupational safety. Not only has the individual employee a responsibility towards safety, including his or her attitude and risk-taking behaviour, but also does the organisation contribute towards this hazard-free environment in providing a culture where safety is r...

Planning and Preparing for Emergency Response to Transport Accidents Involving Radioactive Material. Safety Guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

This Safety Guide provides guidance on various aspects of emergency planning and preparedness for dealing effectively and safely with transport accidents involving radioactive material, including the assignment of responsibilities. It reflects the requirements specified in Safety Standards Series No. TS-R-1, Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, and those of Safety Series No. 115, International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Framework for planning and preparing for response to accidents in the transport of radioactive material; 3. Responsibilities for planning and preparing for response to accidents in the transport of radioactive material; 4. Planning for response to accidents in the transport of radioactive material; 5. Preparing for response to accidents in the transport of radioactive material; Appendix I: Features of the transport regulations influencing emergency response to transport accidents; Appendix II: Preliminary emergency response reference matrix; Appendix III: Guide to suitable instrumentation; Appendix IV: Overview of emergency management for a transport accident involving radioactive material; Appendix V: Examples of response to transport accidents; Appendix VI: Example equipment kit for a radiation protection team; Annex I: Example of guidance on emergency response to carriers; Annex II: Emergency response guide.

Safety, Efficacy, and Exposure-Response of Voriconazole in Pediatric Patients With Invasive Aspergillosis, Invasive Candidiasis or Esophageal Candidiasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Judith M; Macias-Parra, Mercedes; Mudry, Peter; Conte, Umberto; Yan, Jean L; Liu, Ping; Capparella, M Rita; Aram, Jalal A

2017-01-01

Data on safety and efficacy of voriconazole for invasive aspergillosis (IA) and invasive candidiasis/esophageal candidiasis (IC/EC) in pediatric patients are limited. Patients aged 2-<18 years with IA and IC/EC were enrolled in 2 prospective open-label, non-comparative studies of voriconazole. Patients followed dosing regimens based on age, weight and indication, with adjustments permitted. Treatment duration was 6-12 weeks for IA patients, ≥14 days after last positive Candida culture for IC patients and ≥7 days after signs/symptoms resolution for EC patients. Primary analysis for both the studies was safety and tolerability of voriconazole. Secondary end points included global response success at week 6 and end of treatment (EOT), all-causality mortality and time to death. Voriconazole exposure-response relationship was explored. Of 53 voriconazole-treated pediatric patients (31 IA; 22 IC/EC), 14 had proven/probable IA, 7 had confirmed IC and 10 had confirmed EC. Treatment-related hepatic and visual adverse events, respectively, were reported in 22.6% and 16.1% of IA patients, and 22.7% and 27.3% of IC/EC patients. All-causality mortality in IA patients was 14.3% at week 6; no deaths were attributed to voriconazole. No deaths were reported for IC/EC patients. Global response success rate was 64.3% (week 6 and EOT) in IA patients and 76.5% (EOT) in IC/EC patients. There was no association between voriconazole exposure and efficacy; however, a slight positive association between voriconazole exposure and hepatic adverse events was established. Safety and efficacy outcomes in pediatric patients with IA and IC/EC were consistent with previous findings in adult patients.

Extension of responsibilities of the State Office for Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hrehor, M.

1995-01-01

The responsibilities of the State Office for Nuclear Safety have been extended by Act No. 85/1995 to cover protection against ionizing radiation. The following responsibilities of the State Office for Nuclear Safety are defined by the Act: a) state surveillance over nuclear safety of nuclear facilities, and over radioactive waste and spent fuel management; b) state surveillance over nuclear materials, their record-keeping and accountancy; c) state surveillance over the safeguarding of nuclear facilities and nuclear materials; d) state surveillance over selected materials, facilities and technologies used in the nuclear field, as well as dual-purpose materials and facilities; e) state surveillance over protection against ionizing radiation; f) coordination of the performance of the Radiation Monitoring Network over the Czech Republic and responsibility for international exchange of data on the radiological situation. The Act is reproduced in full, and the organizational structure of the Office is shown in a chart. (J.B.)

Let another praise you? The effects of source and attributional content on responses to group-directed praise.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabinovich, Anna; Morton, Thomas A; Crook, Michael; Travers, Claire

2012-12-01

Not all types of praise may be equally stimulating. Instead, positive feedback carries different meaning depending on the source that delivers it and the attributions for success that it contains. In the present study, source (in-group vs. out-group) of praise and its content (attributing success to internal vs. external causes) were experimentally manipulated. The results revealed that there was a significant interaction between source and content of praise on performance in a praise-related task. As predicted, participants exposed to out-group praise were motivated by external attributions for success rather than by internal attributions. Conversely, when praise originated from an in-group source, the attributional content of praise did not affect performance. This effect of source and content of praise on relevant behaviour was mediated by willingness to protect group image. Thus, responses to praise are contingent on what it implies about group success--corresponding to patterns demonstrated in previous work on group-directed criticism. ©2012 The British Psychological Society.

Responsibility for the Violation of Ecological Safety Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Selivanovskaya, J. I.; Gilmutdinova, I.

2018-01-01

The article deals with the problems of responsibility for the violation of ecological safety requirements from the point of view of sustainable development of the state. Such types of responsibility as property, disciplinary, financial, administrative and criminal responsibility in the area are analysed. Suggestions on the improvement of legislation are put forward. Among other things it is suggested to introduce criminal sanctions against legal bodies (enterprises) for ecological crimes with punishments in the form of fines, suspension or discontinuation of activities.

Safety culture in nuclear installations. Management of safety and safety culture in Indian NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rawal, S.C.

2002-01-01

Nuclear Power Corporation Of India Ltd. (NPCIL) is a company owned by Government of India and is responsible for Design, Construction, Commissioning, Operation and Decommissioning of Nuclear Power plants in India. Presently, a total of 13 Nuclear power Stations are in operation with an installed capacity of 2620 MWe and 2 VVR type PWR Units of 1000 MWe capacity each, 2 PHWR type units of 500 MWe capacity each and 4 PHWR type 220 MWe capacity each are under construction. NPPs generation capacity has been increased from 70% to 85% in the span Of last 7 years with high level of safety standards. This could be achieved through Management commitment towards building a strong Safety Culture. Safety culture is that assembly of characteristics and attitudes in organisation and individuals which establishes that as an overriding priority nuclear plant safety issues receives the attention warranted by their significance. This definition of safety culture brings out two major components in its manifestation. The framework within which individuals within the organisation works.The attitude and response of individual towards the safety issues over productivity and economics in the organisational work practices. The two attributes of safety culture are built in and upgraded in each individuals through special training at the time of entry in the organisation and later through in built procedures in the work practices, motivation and encouragement for free participation of each individuals. Individuals are encouraged to participate in Quality circle teams at the sectional level and review of safety proposal originated by individuals in Station operation Review Committee at Station level, in addition to this to continuously enhance the safety culture, refresher training courses are being organised at regular intervals. The safety related proposals are categorised in to two namely: Proposals from Operating Plants, and Proposals from projects and Design. The concept of safety

LIVEABILITY DIMENSIONS AND ATTRIBUTES: THEIR RELATIVE IMPORTANCE IN THE EYES OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RESIDENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Hariza Hashim

2010-06-01

Full Text Available It is important for a neighbourhood to provide a quality and good environment to ensure that inhabitants are able to live their lives in a satisfying way. There have been few attempts to investigate people’s perceptions about the places they currently live, especially what makes their neighbourhoods a good or bad place to live. Thus, this study aims (1 to identify the attributes and the dimensions that residents consider in evaluating the liveability of their neighbourhood and (2 to assess the importance of these attributes and dimensions. A literature review found that four dimensions are used in most studies to understand the liveability issues: social, physical, functional and safe. Sixteen attributes are also identified to be indicators for the four dimensions. The study was conducted in one of the neighbourhoods in the Subang Jaya Municipal Council vicinity, and data were collected using mailed questionnaires. A total of 170 questionnaires were completed and returned, which represented a 57% response rate. Results revealed that residents are most concerned about safety, while social issues are deemed to be the least important factor. Thus, efforts to promote neighbourhood liveability should be focused on ensuring the overall safety of the community by incorporating a design that creates territoriality and allows more surveillance. Neighbourhoods should be maintained to avoid incivilities to reduce the fear of crime and crime itself.

Quality Attribute Techniques Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Chiam, Yin Kia; Zhu, Liming; Staples, Mark

The quality of software is achieved during its development. Development teams use various techniques to investigate, evaluate and control potential quality problems in their systems. These “Quality Attribute Techniques” target specific product qualities such as safety or security. This paper proposes a framework to capture important characteristics of these techniques. The framework is intended to support process tailoring, by facilitating the selection of techniques for inclusion into process models that target specific product qualities. We use risk management as a theory to accommodate techniques for many product qualities and lifecycle phases. Safety techniques have motivated the framework, and safety and performance techniques have been used to evaluate the framework. The evaluation demonstrates the ability of quality risk management to cover the development lifecycle and to accommodate two different product qualities. We identify advantages and limitations of the framework, and discuss future research on the framework.

Family caregivers' attributions about care-recipient behaviour: does caregiver relationship satisfaction mediate the attribution-distress relationship?

Science.gov (United States)

Hui, Siu-Kuen Azor; Elliott, Timothy R; Martin, Roy; Uswatte, Gitendra

2011-09-01

The relations of caregiver attributions about care-recipient's problem behaviour to caregiving relationship satisfaction and caregiver distress were examined. This is a cross sectional study. Seventy-five family caregivers of individuals diagnosed with various disabling health conditions were recruited and interviewed. Caregiver attributions (internality, intentionality, responsibility, and controllability), caregiving relationship satisfaction, and caregiver distress variables were measured. Structural equation techniques tested an a priori model of the latent constructs of caregiver attributions and caregiver relationship satisfaction to caregiver distress. Maladaptive caregiver attributions (i.e., more trait, higher intentionality, higher responsibility, and higher controllability) about care-recipients' problem behaviours predicted lower caregiving relationship satisfaction, which in turn was predictive of higher caregiver distress. Unexpectedly, caregiver attributions were not directly related to caregiver distress. However, attributions had an indirect effect on distress through relationship satisfaction. Younger caregivers experienced higher caregiver distress. Caregivers' explanations about care-recipient's problem behaviour are indicative of their satisfaction in the relationship with the care recipient, and poor caregiving relationship satisfaction is predictive of caregiver distress. Caregiver attributions and relationship quality may be considered in interventions with family caregivers. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Burnout in Chinese coal mine safety supervision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Hong; Chen, Feiyu; Zhu, Dandan; Qi, Hui; Long, Ruyin

2015-01-01

This study examines commonly-suffered job burnout as it relates to the practice of safety supervision in Chinese coal mine enterprises. Commonly-suffered job burnout is a form of job burnout caused by external factors. It is closely related to task characteristics rather than individual idiosyncrasies. To explore the causes of commonly-suffered job burnout, the special attributes (the integrated output attributes, conditional output attributes, and public goods attributes) of coal mine safety output and the inevitability of the invalidation of the bounded authority in safety supervision were analyzed in this study, which reveals the formation mechanism of commonly-suffered job burnout. Moreover, a confirmatory game model was constructed to analyze how the attributes of the safety output and bounded authority of safety supervision act on the safety output. The theoretical connotation of commonly-suffered job burnout was explained based on the job demands-resources theory. A comparative analysis of commonly-suffered job burnout and the job burnout that occurs in the traditional research object was also undertaken from the viewpoint of the job demands, which are determined by the characteristics of the work task and their corresponding coping resources. Policy suggestions were given based on interventions in commonly-suffered job burnout. -- Highlights: •We discuss commonly-suffered job burnout in Chinese coal enterprises. •We analyze the special attributes of coal mine safety output. •We explore two main causes of commonly-suffered job burnout. •We construct a game model to validate how the two causes act on safety output. •We put forward related policy suggestions

Salmonella source attribution based on microbial subtyping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barco, Lisa; Barrucci, Federica; Olsen, John Elmerdahl

2013-01-01

Source attribution of cases of food-borne disease represents a valuable tool for identifying and prioritizing effective food-safety interventions. Microbial subtyping is one of the most common methods to infer potential sources of human food-borne infections. So far, Salmonella microbial subtyping...... source attribution through microbial subtyping approach. It summarizes the available microbial subtyping attribution models and discusses the use of conventional phenotypic typing methods, as well as of the most commonly applied molecular typing methods in the European Union (EU) laboratories...

Violent Dynamics: Exploring Responsibility-Attribution for Harms Inflicted During Spontaneous Group Violence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antje du Bois Pedain

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Violent encounters between groups of individuals often leave one or more of the participants dead, and it may be clear from the evidence that the physical cause of death was set by the single, deliberate act of one of the participants only. When this happens, the question arises whether, and how, responsibility for the fatal act and/or for its consequences can be attributed to other participants in the punch-up. Criminal law has long sought – and found – ways of holding others apart from the direct agent responsible for the harms caused in such encounters, although the legal constructions used differ between legal systems and often change significantly over time even within the same jurisdiction. This paper investigates the appropriateness of different criminal-law responses to these cases from two directions: first, by exploring the possible doctrinal grounds within the criminal law for attributing responsibility for the fatal act/outcome to all participants; and then by investigating the extent to which these responsibility-ascriptions are supported or challenged by insights from psychological studies of group action. Los encuentros violentos entre grupos de individuos a menudo acaban con la muerte de uno o más de los participantes, y las pruebas pueden demostrar que la causa física de la muerte fue el acto único deliberado de uno solo de los participantes. Cuando esto ocurre, se plantea la pregunta de si se puede atribuir a otros participantes en la pelea la responsabilidad por el acto fatal y/o sus consecuencias, y cómo hacerlo. Durante mucho tiempo, el derecho penal ha buscado, y encontrado, formas de retener a otros participantes, además del responsable directo de los daños causados, aunque las construcciones legales utilizadas difieren entre sistemas jurídicos y a menudo cambian significativamente a lo largo del tiempo, incluso dentro de la misma jurisdicción. Este artículo investiga la conveniencia de diferentes respuestas

Seismic Safety Margins Research Program. Phase 1. Project V. Structural sub-system response: subsystem response review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fogelquist, J.; Kaul, M.K.; Koppe, R.; Tagart, S.W. Jr.; Thailer, H.; Uffer, R.

1980-03-01

This project is directed toward a portion of the Seismic Safety Margins Research Program which includes one link in the seismic methodology chain. The link addressed here is the structural subsystem dynamic response which consists of those components and systems whose behavior is often determined decoupled from the major structural response. Typically the mathematical model utilized for the major structural response will include only the mass effects of the subsystem and the main model is used to produce the support motion inputs for subsystem seismic qualification. The main questions addressed in this report have to do with the seismic response uncertainty of safety-related components or equipment whose seismic qualification is performed by (a) analysis, (b) tests, or (c) combinations of analysis and tests, and where the seismic input is assumed to have no uncertainty

Attributing Asymmetric Productivity Responses to Internal Ecosystem Dynamics and External Drivers Using Probabilistic Models

Science.gov (United States)

Parolari, A.; Goulden, M.

2017-12-01

A major challenge to interpreting asymmetric changes in ecosystem productivity is the attribution of these changes to external climate forcing or to internal ecophysiological processes that respond to these drivers (e.g., photosynthesis response to drying soil). For example, positive asymmetry in productivity can result from either positive skewness in the distribution of annual rainfall amount or from negative curvature in the productivity response to annual rainfall. To analyze the relative influences of climate and ecosystem dynamics on both positive and negative asymmetry in multi-year ANPP experiments, we use a multi-scale coupled ecosystem water-carbon model to interpret field experimental results that span gradients of rainfall skewness and ANPP response curvature. The model integrates rainfall variability, soil moisture dynamics, and net carbon assimilation from the daily to inter-annual scales. From the underlying physical basis of the model, we compute the joint probability distribution of the minimum and maximum ANPP for an annual ANPP experiment of N years. The distribution is used to estimate the likelihood that either positive or negative asymmetry will be observed in an experiment, given the annual rainfall distribution and the ANPP response curve. We estimate the total asymmetry as the mode of this joint distribution and the relative contribution attributable to rainfall skewness as the mode for a linear ANPP response curve. Applied to data from several long-term ANPP experiments, we find that there is a wide range of observed ANPP asymmetry (positive and negative) and a spectrum of contributions from internal and external factors. We identify the soil water holding capacity relative to the mean rain event depth as a critical ecosystem characteristic that controls the non-linearity of the ANPP response and positive curvature at high rainfall. Further, the seasonal distribution of rainfall is shown to control the presence or absence of negative

Rosatom's Crisis Response Centre within the national nuclear safety system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnov, S.N.; Komarovskij, A.V.; Moskalev, V.A.

2011-01-01

The Rosatom Corporation includes a number of subsidiaries associated with nuclear energy use as well as with the military, scientific, technological, nuclear and radiation safety management aspects. The Rosatom Corporation has a well-established and efficient industry-wide system of emergency prevention and response, whose purpose is to ensure safe functioning of the nuclear industry, protection of personnel, the public and nature from potential dangers; it is also a functional subsystem of the unified national system of emergency prevention and response. Overall management of the system is performed by Director General of the Rosatom Corporation, overall methodological management - by the Department of Licensing, Nuclear and Radiation Safety; everyday management of the emergency prevention and response system, round-the-clock monitoring and informational support - by the Rosatom Crisis and Response Centre (CRC). CRC acts as the national focal point for warning and communication in Russia, which provides continuous round-the-clock preparedness to cooperate with the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre using the formats of the ENATOM international emergency response system, similar national crisis response centres abroad [ru

Preliminary study on improving safety culture in Malaysian nuclear industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, Sabariah Kader; Lee, Y. E.

2012-01-01

This paper presents preliminary study on safety culture and its implementation in Malaysian nuclear industries by realizing the importance of safety culture; identification of important safety culture attributes; safety culture assessment and the practices to incorporate the identified safety culture attributes in organization. The first section of this paper explains the terms and definitions related to safety culture. Second, for the realization of importance of safety culture in organization, the international operational experiences emphasizing the importance of safety culture are described. Third, important safety culture attributes which are frequently cited in literature are provided. Fourth, methods to assess safety culture in operating organization are described. Finally, the practices to enhance the safety culture in an organization are discussed

Preliminary study on improving safety culture in Malaysian nuclear industries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ibrahim, Sabariah Kader [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Y. E. [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-15

This paper presents preliminary study on safety culture and its implementation in Malaysian nuclear industries by realizing the importance of safety culture; identification of important safety culture attributes; safety culture assessment and the practices to incorporate the identified safety culture attributes in organization. The first section of this paper explains the terms and definitions related to safety culture. Second, for the realization of importance of safety culture in organization, the international operational experiences emphasizing the importance of safety culture are described. Third, important safety culture attributes which are frequently cited in literature are provided. Fourth, methods to assess safety culture in operating organization are described. Finally, the practices to enhance the safety culture in an organization are discussed.

Nature of Blame in Patient Safety Incident Reports: Mixed Methods Analysis of a National Database.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Jennifer; Edwards, Adrian; Williams, Huw; Sheikh, Aziz; Parry, Gareth; Hibbert, Peter; Butlin, Amy; Donaldson, Liam; Carson-Stevens, Andrew

2017-09-01

A culture of blame and fear of retribution are recognized barriers to reporting patient safety incidents. The extent of blame attribution in safety incident reports, which may reflect the underlying safety culture of health care systems, is unknown. This study set out to explore the nature of blame in family practice safety incident reports. We characterized a random sample of family practice patient safety incident reports from the England and Wales National Reporting and Learning System. Reports were analyzed according to prespecified classification systems to describe the incident type, contributory factors, outcomes, and severity of harm. We developed a taxonomy of blame attribution, and we then used descriptive statistical analyses to identify the proportions of blame types and to explore associations between incident characteristics and one type of blame. Health care professionals making family practice incident reports attributed blame to a person in 45% of cases (n = 975 of 2,148; 95% CI, 43%-47%). In 36% of cases, those who reported the incidents attributed fault to another person, whereas 2% of those reporting acknowledged personal responsibility. Blame was commonly associated with incidents where a complaint was anticipated. The high frequency of blame in these safety, incident reports may reflect a health care culture that leads to blame and retribution, rather than to identifying areas for learning and improvement, and a failure to appreciate the contribution of system factors in others' behavior. Successful improvement in patient safety through the analysis of incident reports is unlikely without achieving a blame-free culture. © 2017 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Transfer of safety responsibilities to future generations: regulatory tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotra, Janet P.

2008-01-01

In a forward-looking local development plan, Nye County defends a series of principles like safety, equity, and societal acceptability of responsibility (safety being foremost). The Nye County community clearly advocates permanent oversight of facilities. To respond to community requirements the regulators can establish requirements and guidance to ensure that safety obligations that can reasonably be discharged are in fact carried out and that remaining obligations are transferred as responsibly as possible, so that subsequent generations have the maximum flexibility to discharge their responsibility. There are transferred burdens of cost, risk and effort and these need to be at least partially compensated for by ensuring a subsequent transfer of information, resources and continuity of education, skills and research. The US regulatory requirements for disposal in a geological repository set out obligations in terms of land-ownership and control, records maintenance, performance confirmation, post-closure monitoring, monuments and markers, archives and records preservation and post-closure oversight. For the future the Nye County is proposing that there would be a co-ordinated involvement of the county in planning, development, operation and long term monitoring of the repository. They want to encourage the development of a live-work community for the repository workers so that they will be engaged in the local community as well as working at the facility

Preference for pharmaceutical formulation and treatment process attributes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stewart KD

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Katie D Stewart,1 Joseph A Johnston,2 Louis S Matza,1 Sarah E Curtis,2 Henry A Havel,3 Stephanie A Sweetana,3 Heather L Gelhorn1 1Outcomes Research, Evidera, Bethesda, MD, USA; 2Global Patient Outcomes & Real World Evidence, 3Small Molecule Design and Development, Eli Lilly & Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA Purpose: Pharmaceutical formulation and treatment process attributes, such as dose frequency and route of administration, can have an impact on quality of life, treatment adherence, and disease outcomes. The aim of this literature review was to examine studies on preferences for pharmaceutical treatment process attributes, focusing on research in diabetes, oncology, osteoporosis, and autoimmune disorders.Methods: The literature search focused on identifying studies reporting preferences for attributes of the pharmaceutical treatment process. Studies were required to use formal quantitative preference assessment methods, such as utility valuation, conjoint analysis, or contingent valuation. Searches were conducted using Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Health Economic Evaluation Database, and National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (January 1993–October 2013.Results: A total of 42 studies met inclusion criteria: 19 diabetes, nine oncology, five osteoporosis, and nine autoimmune. Across these conditions, treatments associated with shorter treatment duration, less frequent administration, greater flexibility, and less invasive routes of administration were preferred over more burdensome or complex treatments. While efficacy and safety often had greater relative importance than treatment process, treatment process also had a quantifiable impact on preference. In some instances, particularly in diabetes and autoimmune disorders, treatment process attributes had greater relative importance than some or all efficacy and safety attributes. Some studies suggested that relative importance of treatment process depends on disease (eg

Safety culture for engineering companies. Licensing and design bases for Cofrentes NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nhorte Gomez, M.D.

1994-01-01

Safety culture must be given higher priority by all organisations. It must not be considered a separate concept, attributable to just one particular organisation, or a single responsible party. It is important to apply this criterion throughout the different phases of a nuclear power plant project (design, construction, commissioning and operation) without becoming isolated or dissociated. Nevertheless, it is absolutely essential to apply and consider it during operation, so to ensure highest possible safety standards. Consideration must also be given to the interfaces and interconnections between the different parties involved in the project (Owner of the NPP, Main Engineering Company, Main Supplier, Regulatory Body, etc) to build a SAFETY CULTURE in a collective and effective way. In applying the safety culture, an engineering company emphasises the following concepts: - Personal dedication and sense of responsibility in all those involved in any activity related to the safety of Nuclear Power Plants. - Clearly defined and readily accessible areas of responsibility and channels of communication - Strict adherence to procedures - Internal review of activities (Design review) (Author)

Response to Absorber-Focus Coil Preliminary Safety Review Panel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barr, Giles; Baynham, Elwyn; Black, Edgar; Bradshaw, Tom; Cummings, Mary Anne; Green, Michael A.; Ishimoto, Shigeru; Ivanyushenkov, Yury; Lau, Wing; Zisman, Michael S.

2004-01-01

In this document we provide responses to the various issues raised in the report of the Preliminary Safety Review Panel (see http://mice.iit.edu/mnp/MICE0069.pdf). In some cases we have made design changes in response to the Panels suggestions. In other cases, we have chosen not to do so. In a few cases, we indicate our plans, although the tasks have not yet been completed. For simplicity, the responses are organized along the same lines as those of the Panel Report

Occupational Safety and Health System for Workers Engaged in Emergency Response Operations in the USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Toyoda, Hiroyuki; Kubo, Tatsuhiko; Mori, Koji

2016-12-03

To study the occupational safety and health systems used for emergency response workers in the USA, we performed interviews with related federal agencies and conducted research on related studies. We visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the USA and performed interviews with their managers on the agencies' roles in the national emergency response system. We also obtained information prepared for our visit from the USA's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In addition, we conducted research on related studies and information on the website of the agencies. We found that the USA had an established emergency response system based on their National Incident Management System (NIMS). This enabled several organizations to respond to emergencies cooperatively using a National Response Framework (NRF) that clarifies the roles and cooperative functions of each federal agency. The core system in NIMS was the Incident Command System (ICS), within which a Safety Officer was positioned as one of the command staff supporting the commander. All ICS staff were required to complete a training program specific to their position; in addition, the Safety Officer was required to have experience. The All-Hazards model was commonly used in the emergency response system. We found that FEMA coordinated support functions, and OSHA and NIOSH, which had specific functions to protect workers, worked cooperatively under NRF. These agencies employed certified industrial hygienists that play a professional role in safety and health. NIOSH recently executed support activities during disasters and other emergencies. The USA's emergency response system is characterized by functions that protect the lives and health of emergency response workers. Trained and experienced human resources support system effectiveness. The findings provided valuable information that could be used to improve the

Benevolent sexist ideology attributed to an abusive partner decreases women's active coping responses to acts of sexual violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Durán, Mercedes; Moya, Miguel; Megías, Jesús L

2014-05-01

This article describes three studies in which we explored the influence of the sexist ideology attributed to the perpetrator on women's responses to hypothetical acts of sexual assault perpetrated by male intimate partners. In Study 1 (n = 83), college women read three sexual assault scenarios in the context of an intimate relationship. The male partner's sexist ideology (benevolent, hostile, or control) was manipulated within participants. Women showed less active responses when the partner had been described as a benevolent sexist man. This effect was replicated in Study 2 (n = 103), which showed a relationship between women's less active responses and the belief that benevolent sexist men are very attracted to and interested in their partners. Study 3 (n = 130) demonstrated experimentally that women's responses are less active when they are exposed to information that indicates that the perpetrator is both high in benevolent sexism and highly attracted to his victim than when the latter information is not provided. Results suggest that sexist ideology and particularly benevolent sexism-attributed to the perpetrator in this case-is highly important in women's reactions to acts of sexual violence perpetrated by male intimate partners.

Detection and attribution of observed impacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cramer, W.; Yohe, G.W.; Auffhammer, M.; Huggel, C.; Molau, U.; Dias, M.A.F.S.; Leemans, R.

2014-01-01

This chapter synthesizes the scientific literature on the detection and attribution of observed changes in natural and human systems in response to observed recent climate change. For policy makers and the public, detection and attribution of observed impacts will be a key element to determine the

Who deserves health care? The effects of causal attributions and group cues on public attitudes about responsibility for health care costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Gollust, Sarah E; Lynch, Julia

2011-12-01

This research investigates the impact of cues about ascriptive group characteristics (race, class, gender) and the causes of ill health (health behaviors, inborn biological traits, social systemic factors) on beliefs about who deserves society's help in paying for the costs of medical treatment. Drawing on data from three original vignette experiments embedded in a nationally representative survey of American adults, we find that respondents are reluctant to blame or deny societal support in response to explicit cues about racial attributes--but equally explicit cues about the causal impact of individual behaviors on health have large effects on expressed attitudes. Across all three experiments, a focus on individual behavioral causes of illness is associated with increased support for individual responsibility for health care costs and lower support for government-financed health insurance. Beliefs about social groups and causal attributions are, however, tightly intertwined. We find that when groups suffering ill health are defined in racial, class, or gender terms, Americans differ in their attribution of health disparities to individual behaviors versus biological or systemic factors. Because causal attributions also affect health policy opinions, varying patterns of causal attribution may reinforce group stereotypes and undermine support for universal access to health care.

A Multi-Session Attribution Modification Program for Children with Aggressive Behaviour: Changes in Attributions, Emotional Reaction Estimates, and Self-Reported Aggression.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassilopoulos, Stephanos P; Brouzos, Andreas; Andreou, Eleni

2015-09-01

Research suggests that aggressive children are prone to over-attribute hostile intentions to peers. The current study investigated whether this attributional style can be altered using a Cognitive Bias Modification of Interpretations (CBM-I) procedure. A sample of 10-12-year-olds selected for displaying aggressive behaviours was trained over three sessions to endorse benign rather than hostile attributions in response to ambiguous social scenarios. Compared to a test-retest control group (n = 18), children receiving CBM-I (n = 16) were less likely to endorse hostile attributions and more likely to endorse benign attributions in response to a new set of ambiguous social situations. Furthermore, aggressive behaviour scores reduced more in the trained group than in the untrained controls. Children who received attribution training also reported less perceived anger and showed a trend to report more self-control than those in the control group. Implications of these findings are discussed.

CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR FOOD SAFETY ATTRIBUTES IN FRESH APPLES: MARKET SEGMENTS, CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS, AND MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES

OpenAIRE

Baker, Gregory A.

1999-01-01

Past research has yielded conflicting results on consumer valuation of food safety characteristics. In this study, conjoint analysis is used to evaluate consumer responses to hypothetical apple products in a nationwide survey. Product characteristics include price, quality, pesticide use levels and the corresponding cancer risk, and type of government inspection. Consumers expressed a broad preference for reduced pesticide usage. Four market segments were identified corresponding to consumers...

Corporate social responsibility and safety and health at work

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zwetsloot, G.I.J.M.

2004-01-01

This paper about European situation and perspectives on corporate social responsibility and safety and health at work was presented at Jornada Tecnica: Conditiones de Trabajo y Responsabilidad Social. This congress was organised by the Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo (INHST)

Culturally Responsive: Exploring the Attributes of Islamic Health Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Mohd Khairie

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to explore the attributes (basis and values of faith-based communication strategy on health communication. Eight series of focus group studies on Muslim community were conducted to gather the data. The finding makes abundantly clear that the tawhidic (the belief in Oneness of God conception significantly determine the effectiveness of Islamic communication message. In addition, there were another six themes that contributes to Islamic health communication attributes which may influence the receiver’s attitudes and behaviours. The insights of this paper may contribute to the further development of health promotion strategies for Muslims community.

On the role of safety culture in risk-informed regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorensen, J.N.; Apostolakis, G.E.; Powers, D.A.

2000-01-01

There is a widespread belief that safety culture is an important contributor to safety of operations. The commonly accepted attributes of safety culture include good organizational communications, good organizational learning, and senior management commitment to safety. Safety culture may be particularly important in reducing latent errors in complex, well-defended systems. The role of regulatory bodies in fostering strong safety cultures remains unclear, and additional work is required to define the essential attributes of safety culture and to identify reliable performance indicators. (author)

Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. General Safety Requirements (Arabic Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

This publication, jointly sponsored by the FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ILO, IMO, INTERPOL, OECD/NEA, PAHO, CTBTO, UNEP, OCHA, WHO and WMO, is the new edition establishing the requirements for preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency which takes into account the latest experience and developments in the area. It supersedes the previous edition of the Safety Requirements for emergency preparedness and response, Safety Standards Series No. GS-R-2, which was published in 2002. This publication establishes the requirements for ensuring an adequate level of preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency, irrespective of its cause. These Safety Requirements are intended to be used by governments, emergency response organizations, other authorities at the local, regional and national levels, operating organizations and the regulatory body as well as by relevant international organizations at the international level.

Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. General Safety Requirements (Russian Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

This publication, jointly sponsored by the FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ILO, IMO, INTERPOL, OECD/NEA, PAHO, CTBTO, UNEP, OCHA, WHO and WMO, is the new edition establishing the requirements for preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency which takes into account the latest experience and developments in the area. It supersedes the previous edition of the Safety Requirements for emergency preparedness and response, Safety Standards Series No. GS-R-2, which was published in 2002. This publication establishes the requirements for ensuring an adequate level of preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency, irrespective of its cause. These Safety Requirements are intended to be used by governments, emergency response organizations, other authorities at the local, regional and national levels, operating organizations and the regulatory body as well as by relevant international organizations at the international level.

Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. General Safety Requirements (Chinese Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

This publication, jointly sponsored by the FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ILO, IMO, INTERPOL, OECD/NEA, PAHO, CTBTO, UNEP, OCHA, WHO and WMO, is the new edition establishing the requirements for preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency which takes into account the latest experience and developments in the area. It supersedes the previous edition of the Safety Requirements for emergency preparedness and response, Safety Standards Series No. GS-R-2, which was published in 2002. This publication establishes the requirements for ensuring an adequate level of preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency, irrespective of its cause. These Safety Requirements are intended to be used by governments, emergency response organizations, other authorities at the local, regional and national levels, operating organizations and the regulatory body as well as by relevant international organizations at the international level.

Mental models of safety: do managers and employees see eye to eye?

Science.gov (United States)

Prussia, Gregory E; Brown, Karen A; Willis, P Geoff

2003-01-01

Disagreements between managers and employees about the causes of accidents and unsafe work behaviors can lead to serious workplace conflicts and distract organizations from the important work of establishing positive safety climate and reducing the incidence of accidents. In this study, the authors examine a model for predicting safe work behaviors and establish the model's consistency across managers and employees in a steel plant setting. Using the model previously described by Brown, Willis, and Prussia (2000), the authors found that when variables influencing safety are considered within a framework of safe work behaviors, managers and employees share a similar mental model. The study then contrasts employees' and managers' specific attributional perceptions. Findings from these more fine-grained analyses suggest the two groups differ in several respects about individual constructs. Most notable were contrasts in attributions based on their perceptions of safety climate. When perceived climate is poor, managers believe employees are responsible and employees believe managers are responsible for workplace safety. However, as perceived safety climate improves, managers and employees converge in their perceptions of who is responsible for safety. It can be concluded from this study that in a highly interdependent work environment, such as a steel mill, where high system reliability is essential and members possess substantial experience working together, managers and employees will share general mental models about the factors that contribute to unsafe behaviors, and, ultimately, to workplace accidents. It is possible that organizations not as tightly coupled as steel mills can use such organizations as benchmarks, seeking ways to create a shared understanding of factors that contribute to a safe work environment. Part of this improvement effort should focus on advancing organizational safety climate. As climate improves, managers and employees are likely to agree

Security Implications of Physical Design Attributes in the Emergency Department.

Science.gov (United States)

Pati, Debajyoti; Pati, Sipra; Harvey, Thomas E

2016-07-01

Security, a subset of safety, is equally important in the efficient delivery of patient care. The emergency department (ED) is susceptible to violence creating concerns for the safety and security of patients, staff, and visitors and for the safe and efficient delivery of care. Although there is an implicit and growing recognition of the role of the physical environment, interventions typically have been at the microlevel. The objective of this study was to identify physical design attributes that potentially influence safety and efficiency of ED operations. An exploratory, qualitative research design was adopted to examine the efficiency and safety correlates of ED physical design attributes. The study comprised a multimeasure approach involving multidisciplinary gaming, semistructured interviews, and touring interviews of frontline staff in four EDs at three hospital systems across three states. Five macro physical design attributes (issues that need to be addressed at the design stage and expensive to rectify once built) emerged from the data as factors substantially associated with security issues. They are design issues pertaining to (a) the entry zone, (b) traffic management, (c) patient room clustering, (d) centralization versus decentralization, and (e) provisions for special populations. Data from this study suggest that ED security concerns are generally associated with three sources: (a) gang-related violence, (b) dissatisfied patients, and (c) behavioral health patients. Study data show that physical design has an important role in addressing the above-mentioned concerns. Implications for ED design are outlined in the article. © The Author(s) 2016.

Questionnaire responses concerning safety issues in MR examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi-Sekino, Sachiko; Nakai, Toshiharu; Muranaka, Hiroyuki

2011-01-01

Recently, the rising numbers of medical implants and scanners with higher static magnetic field have increased safety concerns for magnetic resonance (MR) examination. To determine future safety focus, we distributed anonymous questionnaires to 3250 members of the Japanese Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (JSMRM) and received 978 responses. Safety issues on the questionnaire concentrated on the handling of patients with implants (Q7-18, appendix), acoustic trauma due to scanning (Q19-21, appendix), and MR compatibility within the scanner room (Q22-25, appendix). Ninety-three percent of respondents indicated they had encountered cases with implants or medical materials of unknown MR compatibility; 21.7% reported heating problems and 15.0%, nerve stimulation problems, in patients with implants during MR examination. Although 88.7% of respondents recognized the term ''MR compatibility'', 68.2% indicated limited detailed understanding of the term. Eleven percent had had cases with suspected acoustic injury from MR scanner noise. Scanner noise levels were not clarified in any way in 37.4% cases, but 69.5% applied ear protection to patients. Labeling of ''MR compatibility'' of equipment brought into the MR scanner room was reported by 71.9%. More than 50% experienced MR compatibility issues related to equipment brought into the MR scanner room. With regard to safety issues on metallic objects which are implanted in MR workers, 88.1% indicated they would continue current operations even the implant is inside the body. Respondents identified lectures and seminars by professional societies, safety training by manufacturers, and information from the Internet and literature as the 3 main sources for up-dating safety information for MR examination. (author)

Development of a health and safety manual for emergency response operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riland, C.A.; Junio, S.S.

2000-01-01

The Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) Health and Safety Manual, which has been under development by a multi-agency group, is nearing completion and publication. The manual applies to offsite monitoring during a radiological accident or incident. Though written for multi-agency offsite monitoring activities (FRMAC), the manual is generic in nature and should be readily adaptable for other emergency response operations. Health and safety issues for emergency response situations often differ from those of normal operations. Examples of these differences and methodologies to address these issues are discussed. Challenges in manual development, including lack of regulatory and guidance documentation, are also discussed. One overriding principle in the Health and Safety Manual development is the overall reduction of risk, not just dose. The manual is broken into several chapters, which include Overview of Responsibities, Health Physics, Industrial Hygiene and Safey, Medical, and Environmental Compliance and Records. Included is a series of appendices, which presents additional information on forms and plans for default scenarios

76 FR 23810 - Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau; Federal Advisory Committee Act; Emergency Response...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-28

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau; Federal Advisory Committee Act; Emergency Response Interoperability Center Public Safety Advisory Committee Meeting AGENCY... Fullano, Associate Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission...

Multiple attribute decision making model and application to food safety risk evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Lihua; Chen, Hong; Yan, Huizhe; Yang, Lifeng; Wu, Lifeng

2017-01-01

Decision making for supermarket food purchase decisions are characterized by network relationships. This paper analyzed factors that influence supermarket food selection and proposes a supplier evaluation index system based on the whole process of food production. The author established the intuitive interval value fuzzy set evaluation model based on characteristics of the network relationship among decision makers, and validated for a multiple attribute decision making case study. Thus, the proposed model provides a reliable, accurate method for multiple attribute decision making.

Major structural response methods used in the seismic safety margins research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, C.K.; Lo, T.; Vagliente, V.

1979-01-01

In order to evaluate the conservatisms in present nuclear power plant seismic safety requirements, a probabilistic based systems model is being developed. This model will also be used to develop improved requirements. In Phase I of the Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (SSMRP), this methodology will be developed for a specific nuclear power plant and used to perform probabilistic sensitivity studies to gain engineering insights into seismic safety requirements. Random variables in the structural response analysis area, or parameters which cause uncertainty in the response, are discussed and classified into three categories; i.e., material properties, structural dynamic characteristics and related modeling techniques, and analytical methods. The sensitivity studies are grouped into two categories; deterministic and probabilistic. In a system analysis, transfer functions in simple form are needed since there are too many responses which have to be calculated in a Monte Carlo simulation to use the usual straightforward calculation approach. Therefore, the development of these simple transfer functions is one of the important tasks in SSMRP. Simplified as well as classical transfer functions are discussed

Perceived neighbourhood environmental attributes associated with adults׳ recreational walking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sugiyama, Takemi; Cerin, Ester; Owen, Neville

2014-01-01

This study examined the strength and shape of associations between perceived environmental attributes and adults' recreational walking, using data collected from 13,745 adult participants in 12 countries. Perceived residential density, land use mix, street connectivity, aesthetics, safety from cr...

Multiple attribute decision making model and application to food safety risk evaluation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lihua Ma

Full Text Available Decision making for supermarket food purchase decisions are characterized by network relationships. This paper analyzed factors that influence supermarket food selection and proposes a supplier evaluation index system based on the whole process of food production. The author established the intuitive interval value fuzzy set evaluation model based on characteristics of the network relationship among decision makers, and validated for a multiple attribute decision making case study. Thus, the proposed model provides a reliable, accurate method for multiple attribute decision making.

Railway safety climate: a study on organizational development.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yung-Hsiang

2017-09-07

The safety climate of an organization is considered a leading indicator of potential risk for railway organizations. This study adopts the perceptual measurement-individual attribute approach to investigate the safety climate of a railway organization. The railway safety climate attributes are evaluated from the perspective of railway system staff. We identify four safety climate dimensions from exploratory factor analysis, namely safety communication, safety training, safety management and subjectively evaluated safety performance. Analytical results indicate that the safety climate differs at vertical and horizontal organizational levels. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of the multilevel safety climate in a railway organization, presents possible causes of the differences under various cultural contexts and differentiates between safety climate scales for diverse workgroups within the railway organization. This information can be used to improve the safety sustainability of railway organizations and to conduct safety supervisions for the government.

Example of a single national regulator responsible for both transport safety and security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karhu, P.; Lahkola, A.; Markkanen, M.; Hellstén, S.

2016-01-01

Safety and security in the use of nuclear energy and in the use of radiation, including the transport of nuclear and other radioactive material, share a common objective: to protect people, society, environment, and future generations from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. Some measures for safety contribute to those for security, and vice versa, while some requirements of one conflict with those of the other. The differences in the requirements arise from the difference in the threat against which the measures are designed: accident vs. intent. A coordinated approach endeavours to take advantage of the similarities and to avoid the problems caused by the differences. One way to implement it is to have one competent authority responsible for the regulatory control of safety and security. It is the experience in Finland that this enables an efficient regulatory system. From the operators’ point of view, a one-stop shop regulatory authority ensures that requirements for safety and security are consistent. Both safety and security require the involvement of and cooperation between several authorities—regulatory, rescue, law enforcement—and operators. The approach in Finland is built on cooperation and a clear division of competences and responsibilities. One regulatory authority provides a fixed point of contact within the professional cooperation network as well as for the public. The one regulatory authority is also easily identifiable, as appropriate, as a point of contact in international cooperation in implementing nuclear and radiation safety and security. Whatever the national regulatory framework and the assignment of responsibilities between authorities, cooperation is essential in house, nationally, and internationally. (author)

Attributing human foodborne illness to food sources and water in Latin America and the Caribbean using data from outbreak investigations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pires, Sara Monteiro; Vieira, Antonio; Perez, Enrique

2012-01-01

&C). Foods implicated in outbreaks were classified by their ingredients as simple foods (i.e. belonging to one single food category), or complex foods (i.e. belonging to multiple food categories). For each agent, the data from simple-food outbreaks were summarized, and the proportion of outbreaks caused...... by each category was used to define the probability that an outbreak was caused by a source. For the calculation of the number of outbreaks attributed to each source, simple-food outbreaks were attributed to the single food category in question, and complex-food outbreaks were partitioned to each category......Foodborne pathogens are responsible for an increasing burden of disease worldwide. Knowledge on the contribution of different food sources and water for disease is essential to prioritize food safety interventions and implement appropriate control measures. Source attribution using outbreak data...

Agricultural Tractor Selection: A Hybrid and Multi-Attribute Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge L. García-Alcaraz

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Usually, agricultural tractor investments are assessed using traditional economic techniques that only involve financial attributes, resulting in reductionist evaluations. However, tractors have qualitative and quantitative attributes that must be simultaneously integrated into the evaluation process. This article reports a hybrid and multi-attribute approach to assessing a set of agricultural tractors based on AHP-TOPSIS. To identify the attributes in the model, a survey including eighteen attributes was given to agricultural machinery salesmen and farmers for determining their importance. The list of attributes was presented to a decision group for a case of study, and their importance was estimated using AHP and integrated into the TOPSIS technique. In this case, one tractor was selected from a set of six alternatives, integrating six attributes in the model: initial cost, annual maintenance cost, liters of diesel per hour, safety of the operator, maintainability and after-sale customer service offered by the supplier. Based on the results obtained, the model can be considered easy to apply and to have good acceptance among farmers and salesmen, as there are no special software requirements for the application.

Thermal-Responsive Polymers for Enhancing Safety of Electrochemical Storage Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hui; Leow, Wan Ru; Chen, Xiaodong

2018-03-01

Thermal runway constitutes the most pressing safety issue in lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors of large-scale and high-power density due to risks of fire or explosion. However, traditional strategies for averting thermal runaway do not enable the charging-discharging rate to change according to temperature or the original performance to resume when the device is cooled to room temperature. To efficiently control thermal runaway, thermal-responsive polymers provide a feasible and reversible strategy due to their ability to sense and subsequently act according to a predetermined sequence when triggered by heat. Herein, recent research progress on the use of thermal-responsive polymers to enhance the thermal safety of electrochemical storage devices is reviewed. First, a brief discussion is provided on the methods of preventing thermal runaway in electrochemical storage devices. Subsequently, a short review is provided on the different types of thermal-responsive polymers that can efficiently avoid thermal runaway, such as phase change polymers, polymers with sol-gel transitions, and polymers with positive temperature coefficients. The results represent the important development of thermal-responsive polymers toward the prevention of thermal runaway in next-generation smart electrochemical storage devices. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Operational safety - the IAEA response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, M.

1984-01-01

Nuclear safety is an international issue. The role of the International Atomic Energy Agency is growing because it offers a centre for contact and exchange between East and West, North and South. New initiatives are under way to intensify international co-operative safety efforts through exchange of information on abnormal events at nuclear power plants, and through greater sharing of safety research results. Emergency preparedness also lends itself to international co-operation. A report has been prepared on the need for establishing mutual emergency assistance. By analysing possible constraints to bilateral or multinational efforts in advance, a basis for agreement at the time of an emergency is being worked out. Safety standards have been developed in several areas. The NUSS Codes and Guides, now almost complete, make available to countries starting a nuclear power programme a coherent set of nuclear safety standards. A revised set of Basic Safety Standards for Radiation Protection has been issued in 1982. (author)

Attribute Learning for SAR Image Classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chu He

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a classification approach based on attribute learning for high spatial resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR images. To explore the representative and discriminative attributes of SAR images, first, an iterative unsupervised algorithm is designed to cluster in the low-level feature space, where the maximum edge response and the ratio of mean-to-variance are included; a cross-validation step is applied to prevent overfitting. Second, the most discriminative clustering centers are sorted out to construct an attribute dictionary. By resorting to the attribute dictionary, a representation vector describing certain categories in the SAR image can be generated, which in turn is used to perform the classifying task. The experiments conducted on TerraSAR-X images indicate that those learned attributes have strong visual semantics, which are characterized by bright and dark spots, stripes, or their combinations. The classification method based on these learned attributes achieves better results.

Salt Stress Responses of Pigeon Pea (Cajanus Cajan) on Growth, Yield and Some Biochemical Attributes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tayyab, A.; Azeem, M.; Ahmad, N; Ahmad, R.; Qasim, M.

2016-01-01

Growth responses of leguminous plants to salinity vary considerably among species. Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) is a sub-tropical crop, grown worldwide particularly in South Asia for edible and fodder purposes, while little is known about its salinity tolerance. In order to investigate the effect of salinity, plants were established at six different levels of sea salt concentrations i.e. 0.5, 1.6, 2.8, 3.5, 3.8 and 4.3 (EC/sub e/ dS.m/sup -1/). Plant growth was measured using vegetative (height, fresh and dry biomass, moisture, relative growth rate (RGR) and specific shoot length (SSL)), reproductive (number of flowers, pods, seeds and seed weight) and some biochemical parameters (chlorophylls, carotenoids, sugars and proteins). Pigeon pea showed a salt sensitive growth response, however, it survived up to 3.5 (EC/sub e/ dS.m/sup -1/) sea salt salinity. Plant height, biomass, SSL and RGR linearly decreased under saline conditions. Leaf pigments increased (chlorophylls) or maintained (carotenoids) at 1.6 dS.m/sup -1/ and subsequently decreased in higher salinity. Low moisture content and succulence along with more accumulation of soluble sugars and proteins may be attributed to leaf osmotic adjustments at low salinity. Salinity adversely affect reproductive growth of C. cajan where production of flowers, pods, number of seeds and seed weight were significantly reduced. Present study provides basic information related to plant growth, seed yield and some biochemical attributes, which suggest C. cajan as a salt sensitive leguminous crop. However, detailed information is required to understand the eco-physiological responses of this plant under field and green house conditions. (author)

Parental Health Attributions of Childhood Health and Illness: Development of the Pediatric Cultural Health Attributions Questionnaire (Pedi-CHAQ).

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughn, Lisa M; McLinden, Daniel J; Shellmer, Diana; Baker, Raymond C

2011-01-01

The causes attributed to childhood health and illness across cultures (cultural health attributions) are key factors that are now more frequently identified as affecting the health outcomes of children. Research suggests that the causes attributed to an event such as illness are thought to affect subsequent motivation, emotional response, decision making, and behavior. To date, there is no measure of health attributions appropriate for use with parents of pediatric patients. Using the Many-Facets approach to Rasch analysis, this study assesses the psychometrics of a newly developed instrument, the Pediatric Health Attributions Questionnaire (Pedi-CHAQ), a measure designed to assess the cultural health attributions of parents in diverse communities. Results suggest acceptable Rasch model statistics of fit and reliability for the Pedi-CHAQ. A shortened version of the questionnaire was developed as a result of this study and next steps are discussed.

Responsibility attribution of HIV infection and coping among injection drug users in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Chih-Chin; Chronister, Julie; Chou, Chih-Hung; Tan, Sooyin; Macewicz, Thomas

2013-01-01

This study explored responsibility attribution (RA) of HIV/AIDS infection (i.e., how an individual perceives the cause of their HIV/AIDS infection) and its relationship to coping styles among injection drug users (IDUs) with HIV/AIDS. In addition, this study investigated whether self-esteem, social support, and religiosity mediate the relationship between RA and coping styles of IDUs with HIV/AIDS. Participants were 201 adult IDUs with HIV/AIDS participating in the National Drug Rehabilitation Center in Malaysia. Five measures were used to assess the above constructs. Cluster analysis, analysis of variance, and mediation analyses were conducted. Results of this study indicated that IDUs with HIV/AIDS in Malaysia can be classified into four homogenous attribution groups: external, fatalistic, internal, and indeterminate. Mediator analyses revealed that combination of self-esteem, social support, and religiosity mediate the relationship between RA and coping behaviors. Clinicians working with IDUs with HIV/AIDS need to address the role of RA, self-esteem, religiosity, and social support as these psychosocial constructs are linked to coping with HIV/AIDS. Future researchers should investigate whether enhancing self-esteem, social support, and religiosity can promote active problem-solving coping and reduce the use of avoidance coping behaviors.

Real-time hostile attribution measurement and aggression in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Yaros, Anna; Lochman, John E; Rosenbaum, Jill; Jimenez-Camargo, Luis Alberto

2014-01-01

Hostile attributions are an important predictor of aggression in children, but few studies have measured hostile attributions as they occur in real-time. The current study uses an interactive video racing game to measure hostile attributions while children played against a presumed peer. A sample of 75 children, ages 10-13, used nonverbal and verbal procedures to respond to ambiguous provocation by their opponent. Hostile attributions were significantly positively related to parent-rated reactive aggression, when controlling for proactive aggression. Hostile attributions using a nonverbal response procedure were negatively related to proactive aggression, when controlling for reactive aggression. Results suggest hostile attributions in real-time occur quickly and simultaneously with social interaction, which differs from the deliberative, controlled appraisals measured with vignette-based instruments. The relation between real-time hostile attributions and reactive aggression could be accounted for by the impulsive response style that is characteristic of reactive aggression, whereas children exhibiting proactive aggression may be more deliberate and intentional in their responding, resulting in a negative relation with real-time hostile attributions. These findings can be used both to identify children at risk for aggression and to enhance preventive interventions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Safety Leadership Defined within the Australian Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luke Daniel

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This research explores the tenets of safety leadership within the Australian construction environment. The scope of this research aims to establish a universal definition of safety leadership and how it differs from other leadership disciplines. The literature review into this topic was governed by the parent disciplines of Safety and Leadership.  Gaps were identified in the literature that indicated safety leadership is not a well-defined concept and much of the work into safety leadership has been borrowed from other schools of leadership. An exploratory research methodology was utilised which rooted the research into the post-positivist methodology. There were twenty interviews conducted for this research, with participants coming from various leadership positions across multiple construction projects around Australia. Findings detailed a saturation of data that allowed for an empirical definition towards safety leadership to be established. As a person’s scope of responsibility increases, their view of safety leadership becomes synonymous with leadership; although differences do exist. These differences were attributed to the importance of demonstrating safety and working within the legal framework of Australian construction projects. It is proposed that this research offers a substantial contribution to knowledge, based upon a well-defined definition into safety leadership.

Uncertain safety: allocating responsibilities for safety

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2009-01-01

Flood prevention, food safety, the transport of hazardous substances, infectious diseases, the risk of new Technologies and many other threats to public health and the environment call for ongoing public alertness...

Use of roadway attributes in hot spot identification and analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-10-01

This research focuses on the addition of roadway attributes in the selection and analysis of hot spots. This : is in conjunction with the framework for highway safety mitigation in Utah with its six primary steps: network : screening, diagnosis...

Sustaining Nuclear Safety: Upholding the Core Regulatory Values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, S.

2016-01-01

Nuclear Energy and management of safety therein, has a somewhat distinct streak in that from its early days it has had the privilege of being shaped and supervised by the eminent scientists and engineers, in fact it owes its very origin to them. This unique engagement has resulted in culmination of the several safety elements like defence-in-depth in the form of multiple safety layers, redundancy, diversity and physical separation of components, protection against single failures as well as common cause failures right at the beginning of designing a nuclear reactor. The fundamental principles followed by regulators across the globe have many similarities such as, creation of an organization which has a conflict-free primary responsibility of safety supervision, laying down the safety criteria and requirements for the respective industry and developing and using various tools and regulatory methodology to ensure adherence to the laid down regulatory requirements. Yet the regulatory regimes in different States have evolved differently and therefore, has certain attributes which are unique to these and confer on them their identity.

Characteristics attributed to complementary foods by caregivers in four countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Tanushree; Sywulka, Sara M; Frongillo, Edward A; Lutter, Chessa K

2006-12-01

Attributes that caregivers assign to complementary foods have been primarily described in the context of illness, but attributes assigned to foods in everyday circumstances must be understood to effectively promote good complementary feeding. This study aimed to understand how mothers judge complementary foods to be appropriate by cross-cultural examination of food perceptions in four different Latin American and Caribbean countries. We used semistructured interviews to assess attributes that mothers ascribed to a list of key foods, both home-made and manufactured, and reasons for feeding or not feeding them. We elicited attributes from 79 caregivers with children 6 to 24 months of age from two urban and perirban sites each in Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico, and Panama. Textual analysis based on six home foods common to the four countries and manufactured foods resulted in six attribute categories, five of which could be positive or negative (Nutrient Content, Effects on Child, Child's Response, Availability and Accessibility, and Other Food Attributes); one (Food Quality and Safety) was only negative. Analysis of attributes of home foods (chicken, eggs, beans, carrots, bananas or plantains, and oranges) revealed many beliefs that were common within and across countries, whereas analysis of the attributes of manufactured foods revealed that these foods were less known. The consistency of the attribute categories across countries and across home and manufactured foods suggests their relevance to planning programs to improve complementary feeding in Latin America and the Caribbean and possibly other developing countries. These results can be used programmatically to assess the need for and the focus of food education programs, and to indicate which countries will be more receptive to certain foods as a means of improving complementary feeding.

Technology, attributions, and emotions in post-secondary education: An application of Weiner's attribution theory to academic computing problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Maymon, Rebecca; Hall, Nathan C; Goetz, Thomas; Chiarella, Andrew; Rahimi, Sonia

2018-01-01

As technology becomes increasingly integrated with education, research on the relationships between students' computing-related emotions and motivation following technological difficulties is critical to improving learning experiences. Following from Weiner's (2010) attribution theory of achievement motivation, the present research examined relationships between causal attributions and emotions concerning academic computing difficulties in two studies. Study samples consisted of North American university students enrolled in both traditional and online universities (total N = 559) who responded to either hypothetical scenarios or experimental manipulations involving technological challenges experienced in academic settings. Findings from Study 1 showed stable and external attributions to be emotionally maladaptive (more helplessness, boredom, guilt), particularly in response to unexpected computing problems. Additionally, Study 2 found stable attributions for unexpected problems to predict more anxiety for traditional students, with both external and personally controllable attributions for minor problems proving emotionally beneficial for students in online degree programs (more hope, less anxiety). Overall, hypothesized negative effects of stable attributions were observed across both studies, with mixed results for personally controllable attributions and unanticipated emotional benefits of external attributions for academic computing problems warranting further study.

Preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency. Safety requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This Safety Requirements publication establishes the requirements for an adequate level of preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency in any State. Their implementation is intended to minimize the consequences for people, property and the environment of any nuclear or radiological emergency. The fulfilment of these requirements will also contribute to the harmonization of arrangements in the event of a transnational emergency. These requirements are intended to be applied by authorities at the national level by means of adopting legislation, establishing regulations and assigning responsibilities. The requirements apply to all those practices and sources that have the potential for causing radiation exposure or environmental radioactive contamination warranting an emergency intervention and that are: (a) Used in a State that chooses to adopt the requirements or that requests any of the sponsoring organizations to provide for the application of the requirements. (B) Used by States with the assistance of the FAO, IAEA, ILO, PAHO, OCHA or WHO in compliance with applicable national rules and regulations. (C) Used by the IAEA or which involve the use of materials, services, equipment, facilities and non-published information made available by the IAEA or at its request or under its control or supervision. Or (d) Used under any bilateral or multilateral arrangement whereby the parties request the IAEA to provide for the application of the requirements. The requirements also apply to the off-site jurisdictions that may need to make an emergency intervention in a State that adopts the requirements. The types of practices and sources covered by these requirements include: fixed and mobile nuclear reactors. Facilities for the mining and processing of radioactive ores. Facilities for fuel reprocessing and other fuel cycle facilities. Facilities for the management of radioactive waste. The transport of radioactive material. Sources of radiation used in

THE ETHICS OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN TURKEY: RESPONSIBILITY AND CONSENT TO RISK.

Science.gov (United States)

Artvinli, Fatih

2016-06-01

Work-related diseases, injuries, risks and deaths are the issues that have been recently gaining importance especially in developing countries. The ethical dimensions of occupational health and safety have remained as relatively understudied areas. Concepts such as responsibility, consent, autonomy, paternalism, choice, and certain values or justifications that are used in medical ethics and bioethics are also applicable to occupational health and safety. This article examines the ethical issues of responsibility and consent to occupational risk. It will first define the concepts of consent and risk, and then different views on responsibility and consent to risk will be discussed. The article will also examine the responsibility of the society and government regarding these concepts.

Evolutionary Influences on Attribution and Affect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennie Brown

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Evolutionary theory was applied to Reeder and Brewer's schematic theory and Trafimow's affect theory to extend this area of research with five new predictions involving affect and ability attributions, comparing morality and ability attributions, gender differences, and reaction times for affect and attribution ratings. The design included a 2 (Trait Dimension Type: HR, PR × 2 (Behavior Type: morality, ability × 2 (Valence: positive, negative × 2 (Replication: original, replication × 2 (Sex: female or male actor × 2 (Gender: female or male participant × 2 (Order: attribution portion first, affect portion first mixed design. All factors were within participants except the order and participant gender. Participants were presented with 32 different scenarios in which an actor engaged in a concrete behavior after which they made attributions and rated their affect in response to the behavior. Reaction times were measured during attribution and affect ratings. In general, the findings from the experiment supported the new predictions. Affect was related to attributions for both morality and ability related behaviors. Morality related behaviors received more extreme attribution and affect ratings than ability related behaviors. Female actors received stronger attribution and affect ratings for diagnostic morality behaviors compared to male actors. Male and female actors received similar attribution and affect ratings for diagnostic ability behaviors. Diagnostic behaviors were associated with lower reaction times than non-diagnostic behaviors. These findings demonstrate the utility of evolutionary theory in creating new hypotheses and empirical findings in the domain of attribution.

Public Response to a Near-Miss Nuclear Accident Scenario Varying in Causal Attributions and Outcome Uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Jinshu; Rosoff, Heather; John, Richard S

2018-05-01

Many studies have investigated public reactions to nuclear accidents. However, few studies focused on more common events when a serious accident could have happened but did not. This study evaluated public response (emotional, cognitive, and behavioral) over three phases of a near-miss nuclear accident. Simulating a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) scenario, we manipulated (1) attribution for the initial cause of the incident (software failure vs. cyber terrorist attack vs. earthquake), (2) attribution for halting the incident (fail-safe system design vs. an intervention by an individual expert vs. a chance coincidence), and (3) level of uncertainty (certain vs. uncertain) about risk of a future radiation leak after the LOCA is halted. A total of 773 respondents were sampled using a 3 × 3 × 2 between-subjects design. Results from both MANCOVA and structural equation modeling (SEM) indicate that respondents experienced more negative affect, perceived more risk, and expressed more avoidance behavioral intention when the near-miss event was initiated by an external attributed source (e.g., earthquake) compared to an internally attributed source (e.g., software failure). Similarly, respondents also indicated greater negative affect, perceived risk, and avoidance behavioral intentions when the future impact of the near-miss incident on people and the environment remained uncertain. Results from SEM analyses also suggested that negative affect predicted risk perception, and both predicted avoidance behavior. Affect, risk perception, and avoidance behavior demonstrated high stability (i.e., reliability) from one phase to the next. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

SAFETY

CERN Multimedia

Niels Dupont

2013-01-01

CERN Safety rules and Radiation Protection at CMS The CERN Safety rules are defined by the Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Unit (HSE Unit), CERN’s institutional authority and central Safety organ attached to the Director General. In particular the Radiation Protection group (DGS-RP1) ensures that personnel on the CERN sites and the public are protected from potentially harmful effects of ionising radiation linked to CERN activities. The RP Group fulfils its mandate in collaboration with the CERN departments owning or operating sources of ionising radiation and having the responsibility for Radiation Safety of these sources. The specific responsibilities concerning "Radiation Safety" and "Radiation Protection" are delegated as follows: Radiation Safety is the responsibility of every CERN Department owning radiation sources or using radiation sources put at its disposition. These Departments are in charge of implementing the requi...

Safety culture: a survey of the state-of-the-art

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorensen, J.N.

2002-01-01

This paper discusses the evolution of the term 'safety culture' and the perceived relationship between safety culture and safety of operations in nuclear power generation and other hazardous technologies. There is a widespread belief that safety culture is an important contributor to safety of operations. Empirical evidence that safety culture and other management and organizational factors influence operational safety is more readily available for the chemical process industry than for nuclear power plant operations. The commonly accepted attributes of safety culture include good organizational communications, good organizational learning, and senior management commitment to safety. Safety culture may be particularly important in reducing latent errors in complex, well-defended systems. The role of regulatory bodies in fostering strong safety cultures remains unclear, and additional work is required to define the essential attributes of safety culture and to identify reliable performance indicators

Savannah River Site management response plan for chemical safety vulnerability field assessment. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahal, E.J.; Murphy, S.L.; Salaymeh, S.R.

1994-09-01

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) initiative to identify potential chemical safety vulnerabilities in the DOE complex, the Chemical Safety Vulnerability Core Working Group issued a field verification assessment report. While the report concluded that Savannah River Site (SRS) is moving in a positive direction, the report also identified five chemical safety vulnerabilities with broad programmatic impact that are not easily nor quickly remedied. The May 1994 SRS Management Response Plan addressed the five SRS vulnerabilities identified in the field assessment report. The SRS response plan listed observations supporting the vulnerabilities and any actions taken or planned toward resolution. Many of the observations were resolved by simple explanations, such as the existence of implementation plans for Safety Analysis Report updates. Recognizing that correcting individual observations does not suffice in remedying the vulnerabilities, a task team was assembled to address the broader programmatic issues and to recommend corrective actions

ATTRIBUTION OF CONDUCT TO A STATE-THE SUBJECTIVE ELEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY OT THE STATE FOR INTERNATIONALLY WRONGFUL ACTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FELICIA MAXIM

2012-05-01

Full Text Available In order to establish responsibility of states for internationally wrongful act, two elements are identified. First, the conduct in question must be attributable to the State under international law. Secondly, for responsibility to attach to the act of the State, the conduct must constitute a breach of an international legal obligation in force for that State at that time. For particular conduct to be characterized as an internationally wrongful act, it must first be attributable to the State. The State is a real organized entity, a legal person with full authority to act under international law. But to recognize this is not to deny the elementary fact that the State cannot act of itself. States can act only by and through their agents and representatives. In determining what constitutes an organ of a State for the purposes of responsibility, the internal law and practice of each State are of prime importance. The structure of the State and the functions of its organs are not, in general, governed by international law. It is a matter for each State to decide how its administration is to be structured and which functions are to be assumed by government. But while the State remains free to determine its internal structure and functions through its own law and practice, international law has a distinct role. Conduct is thereby attributed to the State as a subject of international law and not as a subject of internal law. The State as a subject of international law is held responsible for the conduct of all the organs, instrumentalities and officials which form part of its organization and act in that capacity, whether or not they have separate legal personality under its internal law.

Occupational safety and health criteria for responsible development of nanotechnology

Science.gov (United States)

Schulte, P. A.; Geraci, C. L.; Murashov, V.; Kuempel, E. D.; Zumwalde, R. D.; Castranova, V.; Hoover, M. D.; Hodson, L.; Martinez, K. F.

2014-01-01

Organizations around the world have called for the responsible development of nanotechnology. The goals of this approach are to emphasize the importance of considering and controlling the potential adverse impacts of nanotechnology in order to develop its capabilities and benefits. A primary area of concern is the potential adverse impact on workers, since they are the first people in society who are exposed to the potential hazards of nanotechnology. Occupational safety and health criteria for defining what constitutes responsible development of nanotechnology are needed. This article presents five criterion actions that should be practiced by decision-makers at the business and societal levels—if nanotechnology is to be developed responsibly. These include (1) anticipate, identify, and track potentially hazardous nanomaterials in the workplace; (2) assess workers' exposures to nanomaterials; (3) assess and communicate hazards and risks to workers; (4) manage occupational safety and health risks; and (5) foster the safe development of nanotechnology and realization of its societal and commercial benefits. All these criteria are necessary for responsible development to occur. Since it is early in the commercialization of nanotechnology, there are still many unknowns and concerns about nanomaterials. Therefore, it is prudent to treat them as potentially hazardous until sufficient toxicology, and exposure data are gathered for nanomaterial-specific hazard and risk assessments. In this emergent period, it is necessary to be clear about the extent of uncertainty and the need for prudent actions.

The relationship between attributional style and destructive responses to job dissatisfaction: an exploratory study of internal migrant workers in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwan, Siu-On; Wong, Fu-Keung Daniel

2014-01-01

This study examines the relationship between attributional style and destructive responses to job dissatisfaction among internal migrant workers in mainland China. Contrary to previous studies conducted in the West, we found that internality of bad events was negatively related to destructive responses to job dissatisfaction. Stability and globality were positively related to destructive responses to job dissatisfaction. We suggest that the concept of interdependent self-construal may explain the unique positive meaning of internality of bad events among Chinese migrant workers. The practical significance of the findings is discussed.

Safety, Clinical Response, and Microbiome Findings Following Fecal Microbiota Transplant in Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Alka; Yeh, Andrew; Bush, Brian R; Firek, Brian A; Siebold, Leah M; Rogers, Matthew Brian; Kufen, Adam D; Morowitz, Michael J

2018-01-18

The role of fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) in the treatment of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unknown. The aims of this study were to assess safety, clinical response, and gut microbiome alterations in children with Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), or indeterminate colitis (IC). In this open-label, single-center prospective trial, patients with IBD refractory to medical therapy underwent a single FMT by upper and lower endoscopy. Adverse events, clinical response, gut microbiome, and biomarkers were assessed at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months following FMT. Twenty-one subjects were analyzed, with a median age of 12 years, of whom 57% and 28% demonstrated clinical response at 1 and 6 months post-FMT, respectively. Two CD patients were in remission at 6 months. Adverse events attributable to FMT were mild to moderate and self-limited. Patients prior to FMT showed decreased species diversity and significant microbiome compositional differences characterized by increased Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Haemophilus, and Fusobacterium compared with donors and demonstrated increased species diversity at 30 days post-FMT. At 6 months, these changes shifted toward baseline. Clinical responders had a higher relative abundance of Fusobacterium and a lower diversity at baseline, as well as a greater shift toward donor-like microbiome after FMT compared with nonresponders. A single FMT is relatively safe and can result in a short-term response in young patients with active IBD. Responders possessed increased Fusobacterium prior to FMT and demonstrated more significant microbiome changes compared with nonresponders after FMT. Microbiome characteristics may help in predicting response. © 2018 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: OECD/NEA Nuclear Safety Response and Lessons Learnt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

Following the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, all NEA member countries took early action to ensure and confirm the continued safety of their nuclear power plants and the protection of the public. After these preliminary safety reviews, all countries with nuclear facilities carried out comprehensive safety reviews, often referred to as 'stress tests', which reassessed safety margins of nuclear facilities with a primary focus on challenges related to conditions experienced at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, for example extreme external events and the loss of safety functions, or capabilities to cope with severe accidents. As appropriate, improvements are being made to safety and emergency response systems to ensure that nuclear power plants are capable of withstanding events that lead to loss of electrical power and/or cooling capability. In the weeks following the accident, the NEA immediately began establishing expert groups in the nuclear safety and radiological protection areas, as well as contributing to information exchange with the Japanese authorities and other international organisations. It promptly provided a forum for high-level decision makers and regulators within the G8-G20 frameworks. The NEA actions taken at the international level in response to the accident have been carried out primarily by the three NEA standing technical committees concerned with nuclear and radiation safety issues - the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA), the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) and the Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) - under the leadership of the CNRA. More than two years following the accident, the NEA continues to assist the Japanese authorities in dealing with their nuclear safety and recovery efforts as well as to facilitate international co-operation on nuclear safety and radiological protection matters. It is strongly supporting the establishment of

Development of safety performance indicators for HANARO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Jong-Sup; Jung, Hoan-Sung; Ahn, Guk-Hoon; Lee, Kye-Hong; Lim, In-Cheol

2007-01-01

The nuclear facilities need an extensive basis for ensuring their safety. An operating organization should conduct its operation and utilization important to the safety in accordance with approved procedures and regulations. The general aims of a management system for nuclear facilities are to improve the safety performance through a planning, control and supervision of safety related activities and to foster a strong safety culture. The effectiveness of a management system can be monitored and measured to confirm the ability of its processes to achieve the intended safety performance by an assessment of the operational performance. The Operational Safety Performance Indicators, also known as SPI, help an organization define and measure a progress with regard to safety activity goals. The elements of a SPI are quantifiable measurements that reflect the critical success factors of an organizational safety. Since 1995, efforts have been directed towards the elaboration of a framework for the establishment of an operational safety performance indicator program in nuclear power plants (NPP). IAEA-TECDOC-1141, 'Operational safety performance indicators for NPP' attempted to provide a frame work for an identification of performance indicators which have a relationship to the desired safety attributes, and therefore, to a safe plant operation. Three key attributes of a smooth operation, an operation with a low risk, and an operation with a positive safety attitude, were recommended, which are associated with a safe operation. Because these attributes cannot be directly measured, an indicator structure is expanded further until a level of easily quantifiable or directly measurable indicators is identified. The intention of this approach is to use quantitative information provided by the specific indicators and to analyze performance trends relative to established goals. The safety activities in HANARO have been continuously conducted to enhance its safe operation. HANARO

Mixtures of toxic agents and attributable risk calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seiler, F.A.; Scott, B.R.

1987-01-01

Calculations of attributable risks have attracted increasing interest recently. However, these efforts have been limited to mostly one agent, radiation, and no interactions with effects of other toxic agents have been taken into account. This paper outlines a generic approach to the calculation of attributable risks for an exposure to several toxic agents and interaction effects associated with them. In this calculation, the partition of interaction terms between the agents responsible is of particular importance. At present, there are no rules on how to assign equitable shares, so one methodology will be proposed and others discussed briefly. For one example of an assignment, the standard errors of the attributable risks are determined in terms of the uncertainties of the input parameters, thus setting the stage for a comparison of the different shares of responsibility

An item-response theory approach to safety climate measurement: The Liberty Mutual Safety Climate Short Scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yueng-Hsiang; Lee, Jin; Chen, Zhuo; Perry, MacKenna; Cheung, Janelle H; Wang, Mo

2017-06-01

Zohar and Luria's (2005) safety climate (SC) scale, measuring organization- and group- level SC each with 16 items, is widely used in research and practice. To improve the utility of the SC scale, we shortened the original full-length SC scales. Item response theory (IRT) analysis was conducted using a sample of 29,179 frontline workers from various industries. Based on graded response models, we shortened the original scales in two ways: (1) selecting items with above-average discriminating ability (i.e. offering more than 6.25% of the original total scale information), resulting in 8-item organization-level and 11-item group-level SC scales; and (2) selecting the most informative items that together retain at least 30% of original scale information, resulting in 4-item organization-level and 4-item group-level SC scales. All four shortened scales had acceptable reliability (≥0.89) and high correlations (≥0.95) with the original scale scores. The shortened scales will be valuable for academic research and practical survey implementation in improving occupational safety. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Technology, attributions, and emotions in post-secondary education: An application of Weiner’s attribution theory to academic computing problems

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Nathan C.; Goetz, Thomas; Chiarella, Andrew; Rahimi, Sonia

2018-01-01

As technology becomes increasingly integrated with education, research on the relationships between students’ computing-related emotions and motivation following technological difficulties is critical to improving learning experiences. Following from Weiner’s (2010) attribution theory of achievement motivation, the present research examined relationships between causal attributions and emotions concerning academic computing difficulties in two studies. Study samples consisted of North American university students enrolled in both traditional and online universities (total N = 559) who responded to either hypothetical scenarios or experimental manipulations involving technological challenges experienced in academic settings. Findings from Study 1 showed stable and external attributions to be emotionally maladaptive (more helplessness, boredom, guilt), particularly in response to unexpected computing problems. Additionally, Study 2 found stable attributions for unexpected problems to predict more anxiety for traditional students, with both external and personally controllable attributions for minor problems proving emotionally beneficial for students in online degree programs (more hope, less anxiety). Overall, hypothesized negative effects of stable attributions were observed across both studies, with mixed results for personally controllable attributions and unanticipated emotional benefits of external attributions for academic computing problems warranting further study. PMID:29529039

Categorizing moving objects into film genres: the effect of animacy attribution, emotional response, and the deviation from non-fiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Visch, Valentijn T; Tan, Ed S

2009-02-01

The reported study follows the footsteps of Heider, and Simmel (1944) [Heider, F., & Simmel, M. (1944). An experimental study of apparent behavior. American Journal of Psychology, 57, 243-249] and Michotte (1946/1963) [Michotte, A. (1963). The perception of causality (T.R. Miles & E. Miles, Trans.). London: Methuen (Original work published 1946)] who demonstrated the role of object movement in attributions of life-likeness to figures. It goes one step further in studying the categorization of film scenes as to genre as a function of object movements. In an animated film scene portraying a chase, movements of the chasing object were systematically varied as to parameters: velocity, efficiency, fluency, detail, and deformation. The object movements were categorized by viewers into genres: non-fiction, comedy, drama, and action. Besides this categorization, viewers rated their animacy attribution and emotional response. Results showed that non-expert viewers were consistent in categorizing the genres according to object movement parameters. The size of its deviation from the unmanipulated movement scene determined the assignment of any target scene to one of the fiction genres: small and moderate deviations resulted in categorization as drama and action, and large deviations as comedy. The results suggest that genre classification is achieved by, at least, three distinct cognitive processes: (a) animacy attribution, which influences the fiction versus non-fiction classification; (b) emotional responses, which influences the classification of a specific fiction genre; and (c) the amount of deviation from reality, at least with regard to movements.

Examples of safety culture practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

This report has been prepared to illustrate the concepts and principles of safety culture produced in 1991 by the International Safety Advisory Group as 75-INSAG-4. It provides a small selection of examples taken from a worldwide collection of safety performance evaluations (e.g. IAEA safety series, national regulatory inspections, utility audits and a plant assessments). These documented evaluations collectively provide a database of safety performance strengths and weakness, and related safety culture observations. The examples which have been selected for inclusion in this report are those which are considered worthy of special mention and which illustrate a specific attribute of safety culture given in 75-INSAG-4

Safety culture and quality management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edmondson, B.

1992-01-01

The concept of Safety Culture is defined along with its general attributes. The characteristics of a satisfactory level of Safety Culture, as it applies to an operating organisation are then presented in two ways, descriptive and as sets of questions against which an organisation's provision may be judged. (author) 1 fig

Safety at CERN

CERN Document Server

2009-01-01

Safety is an integral part of our working lives, and should be in our minds whatever job we do at CERN. Ultimately, safety is the responsibility of the Director General – your safety is my concern. That’s why I have this week appointed a new Safety Policy Committee (SAPOCO) that reflects the new Organizational structure of CERN. CERN’s Staff Rules and Regulations clearly lay out in chapter 3 the scope of safety at CERN as well as my responsibilities and yours in safety matters. At CERN, safety is considered in the broadest sense, encompassing occupational Health and Safety, environmental protection, and the safety of equipment and installations. It is my responsibility to put appropriate measures in place to ensure that these conditions are met. And it is the responsibility of us all to ensure that we are fully conversant with safety provisions applicable in our areas of work and that we comply with them. The appointment of a n...

Interplay between marital attributions and conflict behavior in predicting depressive symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellison, Jenna K; Kouros, Chrystyna D; Papp, Lauren M; Cummings, E Mark

2016-03-01

Marital attributions-that is, causal inferences and explanations spouses make about their partners' behavior-have been implicated as predictors of relationship functioning. Extending previous work, we examined marital attributions as a moderator of the link between marital conflict and depressive symptoms 1 year later. Participants were 284 couples who reported on marital attributions and depressive symptoms. Couples also engaged in a videotaped marital conflict interaction, which was later coded for specific conflict behaviors. The results showed that husbands' and wives' marital attributions about their partner moderated relations between marital conflict behavior and later depressive symptoms, controlling for global marital sentiments. For husbands, positive behavior and affect during marital conflict predicted a decrease in depressive symptoms, but only for husbands' who made low levels of responsibility and causal attributions about their wives. Wives' causal attributions about their partner also moderated relations between positive behavior and affect during marital conflict and husbands' later depressive symptoms. Reflecting an unexpected finding, negative behavior and affect during marital conflict predicted increases in wives' depressive symptoms, but only for wives who made low levels of responsibility attributions about their partner. The findings suggest that, for husbands, low levels of negative marital attributions for spouses may be protective, strengthening the positive effect of constructive conflict behaviors for their mental health, whereas for wives low levels of responsibility attributions about their spouse may be a risk factor, exacerbating the negative effect of negative marital conflict behaviors on their later depressive symptoms. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Consumer attitudes towards vegetable attributes: potential buyers of pesticide-free vegetables in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Probst, Lorenz; Aigelsperger, Lisa; Hauser, Michael

2010-01-01

Considering the inappropriate use of synthetic pesticides on vegetables in West Africa, the rationale behind this research was to assess the extent to which consumers can function as demanders of risk reduced vegetables and hence act as innovators towards vegetable safety. Using the cases of Kumasi and Accra in Ghana, the study examined possible consumer responses to product certification that communicates freedom from pesticides (e.g., organic certification). Generally, search attributes such as the fresh and healthy appearance of a vegetable were found to be central to consumer choice. While consumers stress the importance of health value, they are mostly unaware of agro-chemical risks related to vegetable consumption.

Fuel safety criteria in NEA member countries - Compilation of responses received from member countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-03-01

In 2001 the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) issued a report on Fuel Safety Criteria Technical Review. The objective was to review the present fuel safety criteria and judge to which extent they are affected by the 'new' design elements, such as different cladding materials, higher burnup, the use of MOX fuels, etc. The report stated that the current framework of fuel safety criteria remains generally applicable, being largely unaffected by the 'new' or modern design elements. The levels (numbers) in the individual safety criteria may, however, change in accordance with the particular fuel and core design features. Some of these levels have already been - or are continuously being - adjusted. The level adjustments of several other criteria (RIA, LOCA) also appears to be needed, on the basis of experimental data and the analysis thereof. As a follow-up, among its first tasks, the CSNI Special Expert Group on Fuel Safety Margins (SEG FSM) initiated the collection of information on the present fuel safety criteria used in NEA member states with the objective to solicit national practices in the use of fuel safety criteria, in particular to get information on their specific national levels/values, including their recent adjustments, and to identify the differences and commonalties between the different countries. Two sources of information were used to produce this report: a compilation of responses to a questionnaire prepared for the June 2000 CNRA meeting, and individual responses from the SEGFSM members to the new revised questionnaire issued by the task Force preparing this report. In accordance with the latter, the fuel safety criteria discussed in this report were divided into three categories: (A) safety criteria - criteria imposed by the regulator; (B) operational criteria - specific to the fuel design and provided by the fuel vendor as part of the licensing basis; (C) design criteria - limits employed by vendors and/or utilities for fuel

From extended integrity monitoring to the safety evaluation of satellite-based localisation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Legrand, Cyril; Beugin, Julie; Marais, Juliette; Conrard, Blaise; El-Koursi, El-Miloudi; Berbineau, Marion

2016-01-01

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as GPS, already used in aeronautics for safety-related applications, can play a major role in railway safety by allowing a train to locate itself safely. However, in order to implement this positioning solution in any embedded system, its performances must be evaluated according to railway standards. The evaluation of GNSS performances is not based on the same attributes class than RAMS evaluation. Face to these diffculties, we propose to express the integrity attribute, performance of satellite-based localisation. This attribute comes from aeronautical standards and for a hybridised GNSS with inertial system. To achieve this objective, the integrity attribute must be extended to this kind of system and algorithms initially devoted to GNSS integrity monitoring only must be adapted. Thereafter, the formalisation of this integrity attribute permits us to analyse the safety quantitatively through the probabilities of integrity risk and wrong-side failure. In this paper, after an introductory discussion about the use of localisation systems in railway safety context together with integrity issues, a particular integrity monitoring is proposed and described. The detection events of this algorithm permit us to conclude about safety level of satellite-based localisation system.

Compatibility of safety and security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalouneix, J.

2013-01-01

Nuclear safety means the achievement of proper operating conditions, prevention of accidents or mitigation of accident consequences, resulting in protection of workers, the public and the environment from undue radiation hazards while nuclear security means the prevention and detection of, and response to, theft, sabotage, unauthorized access, illegal transfer or other malicious acts involving nuclear material. Nuclear safety and nuclear security present large similarities in their aim as in their methods and are mutually complementary in the field of protection with regard to the risk of sabotage. However they show specific attributes in certain areas which leads to differences in their implementation. For instance security culture must integrate deterrence and confidentiality while safety culture implies transparency and open dialogue. Two important design principles apply identically for safety and security: the graded approach and the defense in depth. There are also strong similarities in operating provisions: -) a same need to check the availability of the equipment, -) a same need to treat the experience feedback, or -) a same need to update the basic rules. There are also strong similarities in emergency management, for instance the elaboration of emergency plans and the performance of periodic exercises. Activities related to safety of security of an installation must be managed by a quality management system. For all types of nuclear activities and facilities, a well shared safety culture and security culture is the guarantee of a safe and secure operation. The slides of the presentation have been added at the end of the paper

Event Safety-A Culture of Responsibility

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Christian Alexander Buschhoff

2015-01-01

In this paper, the author introduces the concept of events and the importance of safety. And what is emphasized is that guests must set up the safety awareness in the process of the implementation of the safety, to ensure that every guest can move in the area according to their will, and won't produce any risk.

Attributions of Mental Illness: An Ethnically Diverse Community Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Bignall, Whitney J Raglin; Jacquez, Farrah; Vaughn, Lisa M

2015-07-01

Although the prevalence of mental illness is similar across ethnic groups, a large disparity exists in the utilization of services. Mental health attributions, causal beliefs regarding the etiology of mental illness, may contribute to this disparity. To understand mental health attributions across diverse ethnic backgrounds, we conducted focus groups with African American (n = 8; 24 %), Asian American (n = 6; 18 %), Latino/Hispanic (n = 9; 26 %), and White (n = 11; 32 %) participants. We solicited attributions about 19 mental health disorders, each representing major sub-categories of the DSM-IV. Using a grounded theory approach, participant responses were categorized into 12 themes: Biological, Normalization, Personal Characteristic, Personal Choice, Just World, Spiritual, Family, Social Other, Environment, Trauma, Stress, and Diagnosis. Results indicate that ethnic minorities are more likely than Whites to mention spirituality and normalization causes. Understanding ethnic minority mental health attributions is critical to promote treatment-seeking behaviors and inform culturally responsive community-based mental health services.

Safety first!

CERN Multimedia

2016-01-01

Among the many duties I assumed at the beginning of the year was the ultimate responsibility for Safety at CERN: the responsibility for the physical safety of the personnel, the responsibility for the safe operation of the facilities, and the responsibility to ensure that CERN acts in accordance with the highest standards of radiation and environmental protection.   The Safety Policy document drawn up in September 2014 is an excellent basis for the implementation of Safety in all areas of CERN’s work. I am happy to commit during my mandate to help meet its objectives, not least by ensuring the Organization makes available the necessary means to achieve its Safety objectives. One of the main objectives of the HSE (Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Protection) unit in the coming months is to enhance the measures to minimise CERN’s impact on the environment. I believe CERN should become a role model for an environmentally-aware scientific research laboratory. Risk ...

Response to NII review of the PCSR July 1982 - protection and essential safety systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burton, R.J.

1982-12-01

The design provisions of the systems are summarised, and response is made to the detailed concerns of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate as expressed in their review of the pre-construction safety report (PCSR). Further clarification is provided of work done on protection and essential safety systems since presentation of the PCSR, and the ongoing work programme is described. (U.K.)

Sex, college major, and attribution of responsibility in empathic responding to persons with HIV infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bécares, Laia; Turner, Castellano

2004-10-01

This investigation studied the influence of sex, college major, and attributed responsibility on college students' empathic responding towards persons infected with HIV. We hypothesized that (1) women would score higher on empathy than men; (2) nursing and psychology majors would score higher on empathy than business and computer science majors; and (3) participants would score higher on empathy towards a target who contracted HIV through blood transfusion (presented as a Nonresponsible target) rather than through unprotected sex (presented as a Responsible target). Two hundred and fifty-eight undergraduate students (110 male, 148 female) attending a large urban university in the northeast filled out an anonymous demographic questionnaire, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index of Davis (1983), and an Empathy Reaction Scale that was developed by the authors. Results indicated a higher mean Empathy Reaction score from nursing and psychology students as compared to business and computer science students. There was no difference in Empathy Reaction scores between men and women. A higher Empathy Reaction score was found among participants who had read a diary from the target portrayed as Nonresponsible, as opposed to those who read a diary from the target portrayed as Responsible.

Responding to vaccine safety signals during pandemic influenza: a modeling study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith C Maro

Full Text Available Managing emerging vaccine safety signals during an influenza pandemic is challenging. Federal regulators must balance vaccine risks against benefits while maintaining public confidence in the public health system.We developed a multi-criteria decision analysis model to explore regulatory decision-making in the context of emerging vaccine safety signals during a pandemic. We simulated vaccine safety surveillance system capabilities and used an age-structured compartmental model to develop potential pandemic scenarios. We used an expert-derived multi-attribute utility function to evaluate potential regulatory responses by combining four outcome measures into a single measure of interest: 1 expected vaccination benefit from averted influenza; 2 expected vaccination risk from vaccine-associated febrile seizures; 3 expected vaccination risk from vaccine-associated Guillain-Barre Syndrome; and 4 expected change in vaccine-seeking behavior in future influenza seasons.Over multiple scenarios, risk communication, with or without suspension of vaccination of high-risk persons, were the consistently preferred regulatory responses over no action or general suspension when safety signals were detected during a pandemic influenza. On average, the expert panel valued near-term vaccine-related outcomes relative to long-term projected outcomes by 3:1. However, when decision-makers had minimal ability to influence near-term outcomes, the response was selected primarily by projected impacts on future vaccine-seeking behavior.The selected regulatory response depends on how quickly a vaccine safety signal is identified relative to the peak of the pandemic and the initiation of vaccination. Our analysis suggested two areas for future investment: efforts to improve the size and timeliness of the surveillance system and behavioral research to understand changes in vaccine-seeking behavior.

Fuel Fracture (Crumbling) Safety Impact (OCRWM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DUNCAN, D.R.

1999-01-01

The safety impact of experimentally observed N Reactor fuel sample fracture and fragmentation is evaluated using an average reaction rate enhancement derived from data from thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) experiments on fuel samples. The enhanced reaction rates attributed to fragmentation were within the existing safety basis

Technical attributes, health attribute, consumer attributes and their roles in adoption intention of healthcare wearable technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Min; Luo, Meifen; Nie, Rui; Zhang, Yan

2017-12-01

This paper aims to explore factors influencing the healthcare wearable technology adoption intention from perspectives of technical attributes (perceived convenience, perceived irreplaceability, perceived credibility and perceived usefulness), health attribute (health belief) and consumer attributes (consumer innovativeness, conspicuous consumption, informational reference group influence and gender difference). By integrating technology acceptance model, health belief model, snob effect and conformity and reference group theory, hypotheses and research model are proposed. The empirical investigation (N=436) collects research data through questionnaire. Results show that the adoption intention of healthcare wearable technology is influenced by technical attributes, health attribute and consumer attributes simultaneously. For technical attributes, perceived convenience and perceived credibility both positively affect perceived usefulness, and perceived usefulness influences adoption intention. The relation between perceived irreplaceability and perceived usefulness is only supported by males. For health attribute, health belief affects perceived usefulness for females. For consumer attributes, conspicuous consumption and informational reference group influence can significantly moderate the relation between perceived usefulness and adoption intention and the relation between consumer innovativeness and adoption intention respectively. What's more, consumer innovativeness significantly affects adoption intention for males. This paper aims to discuss technical attributes, health attribute and consumer attributes and their roles in the adoption intention of healthcare wearable technology. Findings may provide enlightenment to differentiate product developing and marketing strategies and provide some implications for clinical medicine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Safety-at-work competences as a driver of corporate social responsibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Górny Adam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In order to operate effectively in a continuously changing and frequently turbulent markets, companies must account for the needs and expectations of both their management and lower-ranking employees. To that end, it is essential that business organizations identify ways to adopt changes that will guarantee their success. One way to improve the market position of a company is to employ the principles of corporate social responsibility. A key requirements as well as a key area of such responsibility is occupational health and safety, whose guidelines fall within the scope of the overall practices enshrined in labor law. A prerequisite for the effective fulfillment of such requirements is to secure competent contractors who will undertake all measures associated with this field. The article notes the issue and examines it against the standards set forth in ISO 26000. The author demonstrates the need to acquire competences that will enable the concerned company to ensure the safe performance of work and the fulfillment of occupational health and safety requirements in conformity with the principles of corporate social responsibility. Only by embracing the rules of CSR under such an approach will a business be able to achieve the desired outcomes.

Comparison of preferences of healthcare professionals and MS patients for attributes of disease-modifying drugs: A best-worst scaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Kremer, Ingrid E H; Evers, Silvia M A A; Jongen, Peter J; Hiligsmann, Mickaël

2018-02-01

The choice between disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) becomes more often a shared decision between the patient and the neurologist and MS nurse. This study aimed to assess which DMD attributes are most important for the healthcare professionals in selecting a DMD for a patient. Subsequently, within this perspective, the neurologists' and nurses' perspectives were compared. Lastly, the healthcare professionals' perspective was compared with the patients' perspective to detect any differences that may need attention in the communication about DMDs. A best-worst scaling (BWS) was conducted among 27 neurologists and 33 MS nurses treating patients with MS to determine the importance of 27 DMD attributes. These attributes were identified through three focus groups with MS patients in a previous study (N=19). Relative importance scores (RISs) were estimated for each attribute. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to compare the different perspectives. According to the neurologists and nurses, safety of the DMD was the most important DMD attribute in the treatment decision, closely followed by effect on disability progression, quality of life and relapse rate. Patients with MS agreed with the importance of the last three attributes, but valued safety significantly lower (b=-2.59, P<.001). This study suggests that, overall, neurologists and nurses regard the same DMD attributes as important as MS patients with the notable exception of safety. This study provides valuable information for the development of interventions to support shared decision making and highlights which attributes of DMDs may need additional attention. © 2017 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Attitude towards littering as a mediator of the relationship between personality attributes and responsible environmental behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ojedokun, Oluyinka

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Independently, altruism and locus of control contributed significantly toward attitude towards littering. → Altruism and locus of control jointly contributed significantly to attitude towards littering. → The results further show a significant joint influence of altruism and locus of control on REB. → The independent contributions reveal that altruism and locus of control contribute significantly to REB. → Attitude towards littering mediates the relationship between locus of control and REB. - Abstract: The study tested whether attitude towards littering mediates the relationship between personality attributes (altruism and locus of control) and responsible environmental behavior (REB) among some residents of Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. Using multistage sampling technique, measures of each construct were administered to 1360 participants. Results reveal significant independent and joint influence of personality attributes on attitude towards littering and responsible environmental behavior, respectively. Attitude towards littering also mediates the relationship between personality characteristics and REB. These findings imply that individuals who possess certain desirable personality characteristics and who have unfavorable attitude towards littering have more tendencies to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Therefore, stakeholders who have waste management as their priority should incorporate this information when guidelines for public education and litter prevention programs are being developed. It is suggested that psychologists should be involved in designing of litter prevention strategies. This will ensure the inclusion of behavioral issues in such strategies. An integrated approach to litter prevention that combines empowerment, cognitive, social, and technical solutions is recommended as the most effective tool of tackling the litter problem among residents of Ibadan metropolis.

Corporate apologia and the attribution of guilt

OpenAIRE

Bülow-Møller, Anne Marie

2010-01-01

This paper argues that in the difficult disciplines of crisis communication and image restoration, attribution theory has explanatory value. Corporate apologia – the explanations that an organisation offers after an attack on – differs with the type of crisis it is designed to diffuse, and if the crisis concerns legitimacy, the art is to shift the public attribution of guilt or responsibility. The case of Arla vs Hirtshals is used to demonstrate how a concerted effort in impression management...

Review of resistance temperature detector time response characteristics. Safety evaluation report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-08-01

A Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) is used extensively for monitoring water temperatures in nuclear reactor plants. The RTD element does not respond instantaneously to changes in water temperature, but rather there is a time delay before the element senses the temperature change, and in nuclear reactors this delay must be factored into the computation of safety setpoints. For this reason it is necessary to have an accurate description of the RTD time response. This report is a review of the current state of the art of describing and measuring this time response

The Emergency Action Plan of the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calvin Cuarteto, M.; Camarma, J. R.; Martin Calvarro, J. M

2007-01-01

The Spanish Nuclear safety Council (CSN) has assigned by law among others the function to coordinate the measures of support and answer to nuclear emergency situations for all the aspects related with nuclear safety and radiological protection. Integrating and coordinating the different organisations public and private companies whose aid is necessary for the fulfilment of the functions attributed to the Regulatory Body. In order to suitable perform this function, CSN has equipped itself with an Emergency Action Plan that structures the response organization, establishes responsibility levels, incorporates basic performance procedures and includes capabilities to face the nuclear and radiological emergencies considering the external supports, resulting from the collaboration agreements with public institutions and private companies. To accomplish the above mentioned Emergency Action Plan, CSN has established and implanted a formation and training and re-training program for the organization response for emergencies and has update an operative centre (Emergency Room called Salem), equipped with infrastructures, tools and communication and operative systems that incorporate the more advanced technologies available to date. (Author)

Plenty of Blame to Go Around: A Qualitative Approach to Attribution of Moral Responsibility

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Tomai, Emmett; Forbus, Ken

2007-01-01

We present a computational model of blame attribution. Recently Mao and Gratch, following Attribution theory, created a computational model that assigned blame to an agent for a negative occurrence...

International study of perceived neighbourhood environmental attributes and Body Mass Index

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Van Dyck, Delfien; Salvo, Deborah

2015-01-01

environmentally and culturally diverse countries. METHODS: A multi-site cross-sectional study was conducted in 17 cities (study sites) across 12 countries (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and USA). Participants (n = 14222, 18-66 years) self...... reason for these mixed results is the limited variability in built environments in these single-country studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine associations between perceived neighbourhood built environmental attributes and BMI/weight status in a multi-country study including 12......-reported perceived neighbourhood environmental attributes. Height and weight were self-reported in eight countries, and measured in person in four countries. RESULTS: Three environmental attributes were associated with BMI or weight status in pooled data from 12 countries. Safety from traffic was the most robust...

THE ETHICS OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN TURKEY: RESPONSIBILITY AND CONSENT TO RISK

OpenAIRE

Artvinli, Fatih

2016-01-01

Work-related diseases, injuries, risks and deaths are the issues that have been recently gaining importance especially in developing countries. The ethical dimensions of occupational health and safety have remained as relatively understudied areas. Concepts such as responsibility, consent, autonomy, paternalism, choice, and certain values or justifications that are used in medical ethics and bioethics are also applicable to occupational health and safety. This article examines the ethical iss...

Division of Cyber Safety and Security Responsibilities Between Control System Owners and Suppliers

OpenAIRE

Skotnes , Ruth

2016-01-01

Part 2: CONTROL SYSTEMS SECURITY; International audience; The chapter discusses the important issue of responsibility for information and communications technology (ICT) – or cyber – safety and security for industrial control systems and the challenges involved in dividing the responsibility between industrial control system owners and suppliers in the Norwegian electric power supply industry. Industrial control system owners are increasingly adopting information and communications technologi...

Responsibility for quality improvement and patient safety: hospital board and medical staff leadership challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Goeschel, Christine A; Wachter, Robert M; Pronovost, Peter J

2010-07-01

Concern about the quality and safety of health care persists, 10 years after the 1999 Institute of Medicine report To Err is Human. Despite growing awareness of quality and safety risks, and significant efforts to improve, progress is difficult to measure. Hospital leaders, including boards and medical staffs, are accountable to improve care, yet they often address this duty independently. Shared responsibility for quality and patient safety improvement presents unique challenges and unprecedented opportunities for boards and medical staffs. To capitalize on the pressure to improve, both groups may benefit from a better understanding of their synergistic potential. Boards should be educated about the quality of care provided in their institutions and about the challenges of valid measurement and accurate reporting. Boards strengthen their quality oversight capacity by recruiting physicians for vacant board seats. Medical staff members strengthen their role as hospital leaders when they understand the unique duties of the governing board. A quality improvement strategy rooted in synergistic efforts by the board and the medical staff may offer the greatest potential for safer care. Such a mutually advantageous approach requires a clear appreciation of roles and responsibilities and respect for differences. In this article, we review these responsibilities, describe opportunities for boards and medical staffs to collaborate as leaders, and offer recommendations for how boards and medical staff members can address the challenges of shared responsibility for quality of care.

Attributes of Spirituality Described by Survivors of Sexual Violence

Science.gov (United States)

Knapik, Gregory P.; Martsolf, Donna S.; Draucker, Claire B.; Strickland, Karen D.

2010-01-01

This study focuses on what aspects of attributes of spirituality as defined by Martsolf and Mickley (1998) are most salient for female and male survivors of sexual violence. Content analysis of secondary narrative data, provided by 50 participants in a study of women's and men's responses to sexual violence, was coded to the five attributes of…

Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (Phase I). Project IV. Structural building response; Structural Building Response Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Healey, J.J.; Wu, S.T.; Murga, M.

1980-02-01

As part of the Phase I effort of the Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (SSMRP) being performed by the University of California Lawrence Livermore Laboratory for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the basic objective of Subtask IV.1 (Structural Building Response Review) is to review and summarize current methods and data pertaining to seismic response calculations particularly as they relate to the objectives of the SSMRP. This material forms one component in the development of the overall computational methodology involving state of the art computations including explicit consideration of uncertainty and aimed at ultimately deriving estimates of the probability of radioactive releases due to seismic effects on nuclear power plant facilities

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH– VECTOR OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ROMANIAN COMPANIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geanina Constanța SPĂTARU (PRAVĂȚ

2015-11-01

The purpose of this article is to investigate the local reports of the corporate social responsibility of the companies that function in Romania, through their own web page and to make an analysis of the occupational safety and health component as presented in the CSR reports of these companies.

Corporate apologia and the attribution of guilt

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bülow-Møller, Anne Marie

This paper argues that in the difficult disciplines of crisis communication and image restoration, attribution theory has explanatory value. Corporate apologia - the explanations that an organisation offers after an attack - differs with the type of crisis it is designed to diffuse, and if the cr......, and if the crisis concerns legitimacy, the art is to shift the public attribution of guilt or responsibility. The case of Arla vs Hirtshals is used to demonstrate how a concerted effort in impression management succeeded in just such a shift.......This paper argues that in the difficult disciplines of crisis communication and image restoration, attribution theory has explanatory value. Corporate apologia - the explanations that an organisation offers after an attack - differs with the type of crisis it is designed to diffuse...

Health professionals’ familiarity and attributions to mental illness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aghukwa Nkereuwem Chikaodiri

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A few months from the time of this survey, the nearly completed inpatient psychiatric facility within the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital’s complex would be ready for admissions. Understanding the health workers’ level of experience of mental illness and their likely behavioural responses towards people with psychiatric illness, therefore, should be a good baseline to understanding their likely reactions towards admitting such patients within a general hospital setting. The study, which used a pre-tested and adapted attribution questionnaire, was pro­spective and cross-sectional. Randomly selected health workers in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital had their level of familiarity and attributions towards psychiatric patients assessed. The respondents showed a high level of experience with mental illness, with more than 3 in 5 of them having watched movies on mental illness before. More than half of them held positive (favorable attributions towards persons with mental illness on nine of the ten assessed attribution factors. Almost all held negative (unfavourable opinion towards intimate relationships with such persons. Attribution factors, “Responsibility, “Anger”, “Dangerousness”, “Fear” and “Segregation” were significantly related to the respondents’ level of education (P less than 0.05. Marital status of the respondents related significantly to “Pity” and “Avoidance” factors (P less than 0.05. Having watched movies on mental illness significantly related to “Responsibility” and “Fear” factors (P less than 0.05. Programs designed to improve the health workers mental health literacy, and increased positive professional contacts with mentally ill persons on treatment, would further enhance their perceived positive attributions towards them.

Beyond safety accountability

CERN Document Server

Geller, E Scott

2001-01-01

Written in an easy-to-read conversational tone, Beyond Safety Accountability explains how to develop an organizational culture that encourages people to be accountable for their work practices and to embrace a higher sense of personal responsibility. The author begins by thoroughly explaining the difference between safety accountability and safety responsibility. He then examines the need of organizations to improve safety performance, discusses why such performance improvement can be achieved through a continuous safety process, as distinguished from a safety program, and provides the practic

STUDENTS’ ATTRIBUTIONS ON THEIR ENGLISH SPEAKING ENHANCEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yustinus Mali

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Attribution refers to explanations and reasons that people provide for progress, achievement, and even failure towards something they have experienced, particularly in their language learning. This study aimed to investigate the attributions that students had for their English-speaking enhancement. The participants of the study were eighteen students at Sekolah Tinggi Pariwisata Ambarukmo Yogyakarta (STIPRAM. Open-ended questionnaire and interview were used as the instruments to collect the data. On the questionnaire, the participants were specifically asked to provide written responses to three statements, while in the interview process, the researcher involved three participants to provide further clarification toward their written responses on the questionnaire. The data analysis revealed that a clear purpose of doing particular English speaking activities, strategy, and the positive motivation/encouragement from friends as well as from the teacher became the major students’ attributions on their English-speaking enhancement. Besides, this study would seem to indicate that a teacher took an essential role in the enhancement of the students’ English speaking skill. Eventually, this study proposed some pedagogical implications for the development of teaching and learning in English speaking classes specifically in Indonesian context.

Visualized attribute analysis approach for characterization and quantification of rice taste flavor using electronic tongue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Lin; Hu, Xianqiao [Rice Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, Ministry of Agriculture, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006 (China); Tian, Shiyi; Deng, Shaoping [College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310035 (China); Zhu, Zhiwei, E-mail: 615834652@qq.com [Rice Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, Ministry of Agriculture, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006 (China)

2016-05-05

This paper deals with a novel visualized attributive analysis approach for characterization and quantification of rice taste flavor attributes (softness, stickiness, sweetness and aroma) employing a multifrequency large-amplitude pulse voltammetric electronic tongue. Data preprocessing methods including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) were provided. An attribute characterization graph was represented for visualization of the interactive response in which each attribute responded by specific electrodes and frequencies. The model was trained using signal data from electronic tongue and attribute scores from artificial evaluation. The correlation coefficients for all attributes were over 0.9, resulting in good predictive ability of attributive analysis model preprocessed by FFT. This approach extracted more effective information about linear relationship between electronic tongue and taste flavor attribute. Results indicated that this approach can accurately quantify taste flavor attributes, and can be an efficient tool for data processing in a voltammetric electronic tongue system. - Graphical abstract: Schematic process for visualized attributive analysis approach using multifrequency large-amplitude pulse voltammetric electronic tongue for determination of rice taste flavor attribute. (a) sample; (b) sensors in electronic tongue; (c) excitation voltage program and response current signal from MLAPS; (d) similarity data matrix by data preprocessing and similarity extraction; (e) feature data matrix of attribute; (f) attribute characterization graph; (g) attribute scores predicted by the model. - Highlights: • Multifrequency large-amplitude pulse voltammetric electronic tongue was used. • A visualized attributive analysis approach was created as an efficient tool for data processing. • Rice taste flavor attribute was determined and predicted. • The attribute characterization graph was represented for visualization of the

Emergency Preparedness and Response: A Safety Net

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aaltonen, H., E-mail: hannele.aaltonen@stuk.fi [Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Helsinki (Finland)

2014-10-15

Full text: The objective of nuclear regulatory work is to prevent accidents. Nevertheless, possibility of a severe accident cannot be totally excluded, which makes a safety net, efficient emergency preparedness and response, necessary. Should the possibility of accidents be rejected, the result would be in the worst case inadequate protection of population, functions of society, and environment from harmful effects of radiation. Adequate resources for maintenance and development of emergency arrangement are crucial. However, they need to be balanced taking into account risks assessments, justified expectations of society, and international requirements. To successfully respond to an emergency, effective emergency preparedness, such as up-to-date plans and procedures, robust arrangements and knowledgeable and regularly trained staff are required. These, however, are not enough without willingness and proactive attitude to • communicate in a timely manner; • co-operate and coordinate actions; • provide and receive assistance; and • evaluate and improve emergency arrangements. In the establishment and development of emergency arrangements, redundant and diverse means or tools used are needed in, for example, communication and assessment of hazard. Any severe nuclear emergency would affect all countries either directly or indirectly. Thus, national emergency arrangements have to be compatible to the extent practicable with international emergency arrangements. It is important to all countries that the safety nets of emergency arrangements are reliable - and operate efficiently in a coordinated manner when needed - on national, regional and international level. (author)

Aggressive and prosocial children's emotion attributions and moral reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Malti, Tina; Gasser, Luciano; Buchmann, Marlis

2009-01-01

Aggressive and prosocial children's emotion attributions and moral reasoning were investigated. Participants were 235 kindergarten children (M=6.2 years) and 136 elementary-school children (M=7.6 years) who were selected as aggressive or prosocial based on (kindergarten) teacher ratings. The children were asked to evaluate hypothetical rule violations, attribute emotions they would feel in the role of the victimizer, and justify their responses. Compared with younger prosocial children, younger aggressive children attributed fewer negative emotions and were more likely to provide sanction-oriented justifications when evaluating rule violations negatively. Furthermore, age-, gender- and context-effects in moral development occurred. The context-effects included both effects of transgression type (i.e., prosocial morality vs. fairness) on emotion attributions and moral reasoning and the effects of the context of moral evaluation and emotion attribution on moral reasoning. Findings are discussed in terms of the role of emotion attributions and moral reasoning as antecedents of children's aggressive and prosocial behavior. Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Tofacitinib 5 mg Twice Daily in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inadequate Response to Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs: A Comprehensive Review of Phase 3 Efficacy and Safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Bird, Paul; Bensen, William; El-Zorkany, Bassel; Kaine, Jeffrey; Manapat-Reyes, Bernadette Heizel; Pascual-Ramos, Virginia; Witcombe, David; Soma, Koshika; Zhang, Richard; Thirunavukkarasu, Krishan

2018-05-24

Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We performed a comprehensive review of phase 3 studies of tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily (BID) (approved dose in many countries) in patients with moderate to severe RA and inadequate response to prior disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. A search of PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov identified 5 studies: ORAL Solo (NCT00814307), ORAL Sync (NCT00856544), ORAL Standard (included adalimumab 40 mg once every 2 weeks; NCT00853385), ORAL Scan (NCT00847613), and ORAL Step (NCT00960440). Efficacy and safety data for tofacitinib 5 mg BID, placebo, and adalimumab were analyzed. Across the 5 studies, 1216 patients received tofacitinib 5 mg BID, 681 received placebo, and 204 received adalimumab. At month 3, tofacitinib demonstrated significantly higher 20%, 50%, and 70% improvement in American College of Rheumatology response criteria (ACR20, ACR50, and ACR70, respectively) response rates, greater improvement in Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index, and a higher proportion of Disease Activity Score-defined remission than placebo. Frequencies of adverse events (AEs), serious AEs, and discontinuations due to AEs were similar for tofacitinib and placebo at month 3; serious infection events were more frequent for tofacitinib. In ORAL Standard, although not powered for formal comparisons, tofacitinib and adalimumab had numerically similar efficacy and AEs; serious AEs and serious infection events were more frequent with tofacitinib. Tofacitinib 5 mg BID reduced RA signs and symptoms and improved physical function versus placebo in patients with inadequate response to prior disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Tofacitinib 5 mg BID had a consistent, manageable safety profile across studies, with no new safety signals identified.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where

Attributions of Responsibility and Blame for Procrastination Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahimi, Sonia; Hall, Nathan C; Pychyl, Timothy A

2016-01-01

The present study examined the relationship between procrastination, delay, blameworthiness, and moral responsibility. Undergraduate students (N = 240) were provided two scenarios in which the reason for inaction (procrastination, delay), the target (self, other), and the outcome (positive, negative) were manipulated, and students were asked to rate the moral responsibility and blameworthiness of the agent. Results indicated that individuals who procrastinated were seen as more morally responsible and blameworthy than those who experienced delay. More specifically, after a negative outcome, procrastination was associated with more moral responsibility, whereas delay was associated with less moral responsibility. After a positive outcome, individuals perceived procrastination as deserving of less moral responsibility, and delays as associated with more moral responsibility. Finally, a three-way interaction showed that participants rated procrastination that resulted in failure as deserving of responsibility when engaged in by others as opposed to oneself.

Realism in nuclear criticality safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin, T. P.

2009-01-01

Commercial nuclear power plant operation and regulation have made remarkable progress since the Three Mile Island Accident. This is attributed largely to a heavy dose of introspection and self-regulation by the industry and to a significant infusion of risk-informed and performance-based regulation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This truly represents reality in action both by the plant operators and the regulators. On the other hand, the implementation of nuclear criticality safety in ex-reactor operations involving significant quantities of fissile material has not progressed, but, tragically, it has regressed. Not only is the practice of the discipline in excess of a factor of ten more expensive than decades ago; the trend continues. This unfortunate reality is attributed to a lack of coordination within the industry (as contrasted to what occurred in the reactor operations sector), and to a lack of implementation of risk-informed and performance-based regulation by the NRC While the criticality safety discipline is orders of magnitude smaller than the reactor safety discipline, both operators and regulators must learn from the progress made in reactor safety and apply it to the former to reduce the waste, inefficiency and potentially increased accident risks associated with current practices. Only when these changes are made will there be progress made toward putting realism back into nuclear criticality safety. (authors)

Multi-attribute utility theory. Toward a more general framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaudoin, F.; Munier, B.; Serquin, Y.; Ecole Normale Superieure, 94 - Cachan

1997-12-01

Optimizing maintenance programs for nuclear power plants is a difficult task. Beyond the reliability of the systems at hand, one has to consider several conflicting objectives such as safety, availability, maintenance costs, personal exposure to radiations, all under risk. Multi-Attributed Utility Theory is a widely used framework to cope with such problems. This procedure is, however, based on a set of axioms which imply an expected utility treatment of risk. It has been shown elsewhere that the risk structure to be considered in such cases does not correspond to behavior consistent with such a treatment of risk, but would rather correspond to a rank dependent evaluation type of model. The question raised is then how to use a multi-attributed scheme of preferences under such conditions. (author)

Attributions of Responsibility and Blame for Procrastination Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia Rahimi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The present study examined the relationship between procrastination, delay, blameworthiness, and moral responsibility. Undergraduate students (N = 240 were provided two scenarios in which the reason for inaction (procrastination, delay, the target (self, other, and the outcome (positive, negative were manipulated, and students were asked to rate the moral responsibility and blameworthiness of the agent. Results indicated that individuals who procrastinated were seen as more morally responsible and blameworthy than those who otherwise experienced delay. More specifically, after a negative outcome, procrastination was associated with more moral responsibility, whereas delay was associated with less moral responsibility. After a positive outcome, individuals perceived procrastination as deserving of less moral responsibility, and delays as associated with more moral responsibility. Finally, a three-way interaction showed that participants rated procrastination that resulted in failure as deserving of responsibility when engaged in by others as opposed to oneself.

The impact of health and safety committees. A study based on survey, interview, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration data.

Science.gov (United States)

Boden, L I; Hall, J A; Levenstein, C; Punnett, L

1984-11-01

In a study conducted to determine if the existence of a joint labor-management health and safety committee (HSC) was correlated with either the number of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) complaints or hazardousness, as measured by OSHA serious citations, virtually no effect could be detected in a sample of 127 Massachusetts manufacturing firms. At a sample of 13 firms, interviews of HSC members were conducted. Committee attributes and perceptions about committee effectiveness were compared with the number of OSHA complaints and serious citations. There were fewer complaints and fewer serious citations at firms with HSCs that were perceived as effective. Results of the study suggest that the objective attributes of the committee may be less important to its success than the commitment of management and labor to solving workplace safety problems.

The Safety Pharmacology Society salary survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Pugsley, Michael K; Authier, Simon; Brabham, Tiffini; Soloviev, Maxim; Markgraf, Carrie G; Correll, Krystle; Traebert, Martin; Greiter-Wilke, Andrea; Valentin, Jean-Pierre; Vargas, Hugo; Botchway, Alfred; Leishman, Derek J; Curtis, Michael J

2017-11-01

Safety pharmacology is a growing discipline with scientists broadly distributed across international geographical regions. This electronic salary survey is the first to be distributed amongst the entire Safety Pharmacology Society (SPS) membership. An electronic survey was sent to all members of the Society. Categorical survey questions assessed membership employment types, annual incomes, and professional certifications, along with other associated career attributes. This survey was distributed to the SPS membership that is comprised of safety pharmacologists, toxicologists and pharmacologists working globally in the pharmaceutical industry, at contract research organizations (CRO), regulatory agencies, and academia or within the technology provider industry. The survey was open for responses from December 2015 to March 2016. The survey response rate was 28% (129/453). North America (68%) was the region with the largest number of respondents followed by Europe (28%). A preponderance of respondents (77%) had 12years of industry experience or more. 52% of responders earned annually between $40,000 and $120,000. As expected, salary was generally positively correlated with the number of years of experience in the industry or the educational background but there was no correlation between salary and the number of employee's directly supervised. The median salary was higher for male vs female respondents, but so was median age, indicative of no gender 'salary gap'. Our 2016 SPS salary survey results showcased significant diversity regarding factors that can influence salary compensation within this discipline. These data provided insights into the complex global job market trends. They also revealed the level of scientific specialization embedded within the organization, presently uniquely positioned to support the dynamic career paths of current and future safety pharmacologists. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mental disease-related emergency admissions attributable to hot temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Suji; Lee, Hwanhee; Myung, Woojae; Kim, E Jin; Kim, Ho

2018-03-01

The association between high temperature and mental disease has been the focus of several studies worldwide. However, no studies have focused on the mental disease burden attributable to hot temperature. Here, we aim to quantify the risk attributed to hot temperatures based on the exposure-lag-response relationship between temperature and mental diseases. From data on daily temperature and emergency admissions (EA) for mental diseases collected from 6 major cities (Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, and Gwangju in South Korea) over a period of 11years (2003-2013), we estimated temperature-disease associations using a distributed lag non-linear model, and we pooled the data by city through multivariate meta-analysis. Cumulative relative risk and attributable risks were calculated for extreme hot temperatures, defined as the 99th percentile relative to the 50th percentile of temperatures. The strongest association between mental disease and high temperature was seen within a period of 0-4days of high temperature exposure. Our results reveal that 14.6% of EA for mental disease were due to extreme hot temperatures, and the elderly were more susceptible (19.1%). Specific mental diseases, including anxiety, dementia, schizophrenia, and depression, also showed significant risk attributed to hot temperatures. Of all EA for anxiety, 31.6% were attributed to extremely hot temperatures. High temperature was responsible for an attributable risk for mental disease, and the burden was higher in the elderly. This finding has important implications for designing appropriate public health policies to minimize the impact of high temperature on mental health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

FLUOR HANFORD SAFETY MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

GARVIN, L. J.; JENSEN, M. A.

2004-04-13

This document summarizes safety management programs used within the scope of the ''Project Hanford Management Contract''. The document has been developed to meet the format and content requirements of DOE-STD-3009-94, ''Preparation Guide for US. Department of Energy Nonreactor Nuclear Facility Documented Safety Analyses''. This document provides summary descriptions of Fluor Hanford safety management programs, which Fluor Hanford nuclear facilities may reference and incorporate into their safety basis when producing facility- or activity-specific documented safety analyses (DSA). Facility- or activity-specific DSAs will identify any variances to the safety management programs described in this document and any specific attributes of these safety management programs that are important for controlling potentially hazardous conditions. In addition, facility- or activity-specific DSAs may identify unique additions to the safety management programs that are needed to control potentially hazardous conditions.

Responsibility for managing and legal consequences in the field of industrial safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buedenbender, U.

1987-01-01

The object of industrial safety is to protect the aspirations, the life and the health of the employee from injury and by accident prevention in the field to combat dangers to life and health. The necessity for industrial safety is just as uncontentious as the objectives pursued by it. There is also a humanitarian connotation here since the health and welfare of employees are of central importance. In addition, economic aspects have to be taken into consideration, for industrial accidents mean unnecessary industrial costs which can have not insignificant economic consequences. Boards of directors, heads of various departments in the hierarchy, also the members of those departments must be absolutely clear as to what are the requirements for industrial safety in detail, what consequences arise for the introduction and organization of industrial processes right through the organization of the enterprise itself and how in this respect responsibilities are to be allocated to those affected. (orig.) [de

Review of the OSHA-NIOSH Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Protecting the Health and Safety of Cleanup Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Michaels, David; Howard, John

2012-07-18

The fire and explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig resulted in an enormous oil spill that threatened large distances of coastline. The overall response was led by the United States Coast Guard and involved the oil company BP, federal agencies, and state and local governments of five states. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health focused extensive resources on ensuring that BP and its contractors provided safe working conditions for thousands of workers involved in the response. Federal personnel visited worksites daily, identifying hazards and means of abatement; assessed training programs to ensure that workers were adequately trained in languages they could understand; monitored chemical exposures and determined that the proper personal protective equipment was deployed; insisted on implementation of a heat mitigation program; rostered thousands of workers; and conducted extensive outreach in communities impacted by the spill. Advance planning, immediate deployment, and collaboration across agencies helped ensure that the response operations resulted in no worker fatalities, and relatively few injuries and illnesses. For future responses, improvements should be made in how safety and health information, as well as the process behind safety and health decisions, are communicated to the public. Michaels D, Howard J. Review of the OSHA-NIOSH Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Protecting the Health and Safety of Cleanup Workers. PLoS Currents Disasters. 2012 Jul 18.

"Causes" of pesticide safety behavior change in Latino farmworker families.

Science.gov (United States)

Grzywacz, Joseph G; Arcury, Thomas A; Talton, Jennifer W; D'Agostino, Ralph B; Trejo, Grisel; Mirabelli, Maria C; Quandt, Sara A

2013-07-01

To identify the source of behavior change resulting from a health education intervention focused on pesticide safety. Data were from the La Familia Sana demonstration project, a promotora-delivered pesticide safety education intervention conducted with immigrant Latinos (N = 610). The La Familia Sana program produced changes in 3 sets of pesticide safety behaviors. Changes in the conceptual targets of the intervention and promotora attributes explained 0.45-6% and 0.5-3% of the changes in pesticide-related behavior, respectively. The conceptual targets of the La Familia Sana program explained the greatest amount of change in pesticide-related behavior. Promotora attributes also contributed to intervention success.

A generalized measurement model to quantify health: the multi-attribute preference response model.

Science.gov (United States)

Krabbe, Paul F M

2013-01-01

After 40 years of deriving metric values for health status or health-related quality of life, the effective quantification of subjective health outcomes is still a challenge. Here, two of the best measurement tools, the discrete choice and the Rasch model, are combined to create a new model for deriving health values. First, existing techniques to value health states are briefly discussed followed by a reflection on the recent revival of interest in patients' experience with regard to their possible role in health measurement. Subsequently, three basic principles for valid health measurement are reviewed, namely unidimensionality, interval level, and invariance. In the main section, the basic operation of measurement is then discussed in the framework of probabilistic discrete choice analysis (random utility model) and the psychometric Rasch model. It is then shown how combining the main features of these two models yields an integrated measurement model, called the multi-attribute preference response (MAPR) model, which is introduced here. This new model transforms subjective individual rank data into a metric scale using responses from patients who have experienced certain health states. Its measurement mechanism largely prevents biases such as adaptation and coping. Several extensions of the MAPR model are presented. The MAPR model can be applied to a wide range of research problems. If extended with the self-selection of relevant health domains for the individual patient, this model will be more valid than existing valuation techniques.

Televised relational and physical aggression and children's hostile intent attributions.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Nicole

2013-12-01

An experiment was conducted with 150 children (mean age=10.1years) in third to fifth grades to test whether exposure to different forms of aggression in the media affected hostile attributional biases in response to different forms of provocation scenarios. Children were randomly assigned to watch a clip containing physical aggression, relational aggression, or no aggression. After exposure, children were asked to respond to a series of written provocation scenarios where a character caused some form of harm (instrumental or relational) to a target person, but the intent of the provocateur was ambiguous. Results revealed that exposure to relationally aggressive portrayals resulted in a hostile attributional bias in response to relational scenarios, whereas exposure to portrayals of physical aggression was associated with a hostile attributional bias in response to instrumental scenarios. Moreover, these biases were shown to be specific to the exposure condition (physical or relational) and not simply associated with exposure to aggression in general. The findings are discussed in terms of the general aggression model and children's social information processing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Main steam system piping response under safety/relief valve opening events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swain, E.O.; Esswein, G.A.; Hwang, H.L.; Nieh, C.T.

1980-01-01

The stresses in the main steam branch pipe of a Boiling Water Reactor due to safety/relief valve blowdown has been measured from an in situ piping system test. The test results were compared with analytical results. The predicted stresses using the current state of art analytical methods used for BWR SRV discharge transient piping response loads were found to be conservative when compared to the measured stress values. 3 refs

Improving Research Reactor Accident Response Capability at the Hungarian Nuclear Safety Authority

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vegh, J.; Gajdos, F.; Horvath, Cs.; Matisz, A.; Nyisztor, D.

2013-06-01

The paper describes the design and implementation of an on-line operation monitoring and accident response support system to be used at the CERTA emergency response centre of Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA). The monitored facility is the Budapest Research Reactor (BRR), which is a tank-type thermal reactor having 10 MW thermal power. The basic reason for the development of the on-line safety information system is to extend the emergency response capability of the CERTA crisis centre to include emergencies related to BRR, as well. CERTA is operated by HAEA at its Budapest headquarters and the centre already has an on-line system for monitoring the state of the four units of Paks NPP, Hungary. The system is called CERTA VITA and it is able to monitor the four VVER-440/V213 units during their normal operation, and during emergencies (including severe accidents). Ensuring appropriate emergency response capabilities, as well as improving the presently available systems and tools was one of the important recommendations resulting from the analyses following the severe accident at Fukushima. This task is valid not only for the operators of the nuclear facilities but also for the nuclear safety authorities, therefore HAEA decided to launch a project - together with the Centre for Energy Research, the operator of BRR - to establish an on-line information system similar to the CERTA VITA used for monitoring the four units of the Paks NPP. It is believed that by the introduction of this new on-line system the accident response capabilities of HAEA will be further enhanced and the BRR emergencies will be handled at the same professional level as potential emergencies at Paks NPP. (authors)

Shutdown Safety in NEK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gluhak, Mario; Senegovic, Marko

2014-01-01

Industry performance analysis since 2004 has revealed that 23% of the events reported to WANO occurred during outage periods. Given the fact that a plant is in the outage only 5 percent of the time, this emphasizes the importance of shutdown safety and measures station staffs undertake to maintain effective barriers to safety margins during the outage. Back in 1990s, the industry adopted guidance to meet safety requirements by focusing on safety functions. Both WANO and INPO released various documents, reports and guidelines to help accomplish those requirements. However, in the last decade inadequate 'defence in depth' has led to several events affecting shutdown safety and challenging one of the most important nuclear safety principles: 'The special characteristics of nuclear technology are taken into account in all decisions and actions. Reactivity control, continuity of core cooling, and integrity of fission product barriers are valued as essential, distinguishing attributes of nuclear station work environment'. NEK has recognized the importance of 'defence in depth'Industry performance analysis since 2004 has revealed that 23% of the events reported to WANO occurred during outage periods. Given the fact that a plant is in the outage only 5 percent of the time, this emphasizes the importance of shutdown safety and measures station staffs undertake to maintain effective barriers to safety margins during the outage. Back in 1990s, the industry adopted guidance to meet safety requirements by focusing on safety functions. Both WANO and INPO released various documents, reports and guidelines to help accomplish those requirements. However, in the last decade inadequate 'defence in depth' has led to several events affecting shutdown safety and challenging one of the most important nuclear safety principles: 'The special characteristics of nuclear technology are taken into account in all decisions and actions. Reactivity

Neural correlates of depressive realism--an fMRI study on causal attribution in depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidel, Eva-Maria; Satterthwaite, Theodore D; Eickhoff, Simon B; Schneider, Frank; Gur, Ruben C; Wolf, Daniel H; Habel, Ute; Derntl, Birgit

2012-05-01

Biased causal attribution is a critical factor in the cognitive model of depression. Whereas depressed patients interpret events negatively, healthy people show a self-serving bias (internal attribution of positive events and external attribution of negative events). Using fMRI, depressed patients (n=15) and healthy controls (n=15) were confronted with positive and negative social events and made causal attributions (internal vs. external). Functional data were analyzed using a mixed effects model. Behaviourally, controls showed a self-serving bias, whereas patients demonstrated a balanced attributional pattern. Analysis of functional data revealed a significant group difference in a fronto-temporal network. Higher activation of this network was associated with non self-serving attributions in controls but self-serving attributions in patients. Applying a psycho-physiological interaction analysis, we observed reduced coupling between a dorsomedial PFC seed region and limbic areas during self-serving attributions in patients compared to controls. Results of the PPI analysis are preliminary given the liberal statistical threshold. The association of the behaviourally less frequent attributional pattern with activation in a fronto-temporal network suggests that non self-serving responses may produce a self-related response conflict in controls, while self-serving responses produce this conflict in patients. Moreover, attribution-modulated coupling between the dorsomedial PFC and limbic regions was weaker in patients than controls. This preliminary finding suggests that depression may be associated with disturbances in fronto-limbic coupling during attributional decisions. Our results implicate that treatment of major depression may benefit from approaches that facilitate reinterpretation of emotional events in a more positive, more self-serving way. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The function of specialized organization in work safety engineering for nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salvatore, J.E.L.

1989-01-01

The attributions of Brazilian CNEN in the licensing procedures of any nuclear installation are discussed. It is shown that the work safety engineering and industrial safety constitute important functions for nuclear safety. (M.C.K.) [pt

Perspectives on dam safety in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halliday, R.

2004-01-01

Canadian dam safety issues were reviewed from the perspective of a water resources engineer who is not a dam safety practitioner. Several external factors affecting dam safety were identified along with perceived problems in dam safety administration. The author claims that the main weakness in safety practices can be attributed to provincial oversights and lack of federal engagement. Some additions to the Canadian Dam Safety Guidelines were proposed to address these weaknesses. Canada has hundreds of large dams and high hazard dams whose failure would result in severe downstream consequences. The safety of dams built on boundary waters shared with the United States have gained particular attention from the International Joint Commission. This paper also examined safety criteria for concerns such as aging dams, sabotage and global climate change that may compromise the safety of a dam. 26 refs

Nuclear criticality safety aspects of emergency response at the Los Alamos National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, J.S.

2003-01-01

Emergency response at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is handled through a graded approach depending on the specific emergency situation . LANL maintains a comprehensive capability to respond to events ranging from minor facility events (alerts) through major community events (general emergencies), including criticality accidents . Criticality safety and emergency response apply to all activities involving significant quantities of fissile material at LANL, primarily at Technical Area 18 (TA-18, the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility) and Technical Area 55 (TA-55, the Plutonium Facility). This discussion focuses on response to a criticality accident at TA-55; the approach at TA-18 is comparable .

Emergency response and nuclear risk governance. Nuclear safety at nuclear power plant accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuhlen, Johannes

2014-01-01

The present study entitled ''Emergency Response and Nuclear Risk Governance: nuclear safety at nuclear power plant accidents'' deals with issues of the protection of the population and the environment against hazardous radiation (the hazards of nuclear energy) and the harmful effects of radioactivity during nuclear power plant accidents. The aim of this study is to contribute to both the identification and remediation of shortcomings and deficits in the management of severe nuclear accidents like those that occurred at Chernobyl in 1986 and at Fukushima in 2011 as well as to the improvement and harmonization of plans and measures taken on an international level in nuclear emergency management. This thesis is divided into a theoretical part and an empirical part. The theoretical part focuses on embedding the subject in a specifically global governance concept, which includes, as far as Nuclear Risk Governance is concerned, the global governance of nuclear risks. Due to their characteristic features the following governance concepts can be assigned to these risks: Nuclear Safety Governance is related to safety, Nuclear Security Governance to security and NonProliferation Governance to safeguards. The subject of investigation of the present study is as a special case of the Nuclear Safety Governance, the Nuclear Emergency governance, which refers to off-site emergency response. The global impact of nuclear accidents and the concepts of security, safety culture and residual risk are contemplated in this context. The findings (accident sequences, their consequences and implications) from the analyses of two reactor accidents prior to Fukushima (Three Mile Iceland in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986) are examined from a historical analytical perspective and the state of the Nuclear Emergency governance and international cooperation aimed at improving nuclear safety after Chernobyl is portrayed by discussing, among other topics, examples of &apos

The Role of the Regulator in the Field of Safety Culture to Shun Nuclear Accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kandil, M.M.

2016-01-01

The 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has, as might be expected, led to improvements in equipment at plants around the world that have fortified safety systems and allowed for better protection against rare, extreme natural events. Equally important to the process of improving nuclear safety is the emphasis placed on implementing quality improvements to the human side of nuclear safety, a crucial element that is often not considered by those outside the nuclear sector. Ensuring nuclear reactor safety is not only a question of physical protection against all credible threats, enhancing robustness of important safety systems and increasing redundancy of back-up power and water cooling systems, but also one of making certain that qualified and trained staff are supported by effective procedures. However, these assets are valued only in an organizational culture that places a premium on ensuring high levels of safety, or implementing what is called an effective “nuclear safety culture”. Principles, characteristics and factors for effective safety culture are to great extent similar between licencees and regulatory bodies and can be applied for developing RB’s safety. Safety is the primary purpose of the regulatory body, Regulator plays a significant role in the field of nuclear safety even though the prime responsibility for safety belongs to the operator, and it is the regulator which actually decides what is considered to be safe. In order to effectively implement the international principle of high level of nuclear safety, nuclear safety culture should be clearly named as an objective in international nuclear legal acts and the regulator’s responsibility for promotion of nuclear safety culture should be established. What is more difficult for the regulator is finding the right balance of firmness but fairness in dealing with the operator. In addition to enforcing safety regulations, the regulator should have a positive

Management response plan for the Chemical Safety Vulnerability Working Group report. Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

The Chemical Safety Vulnerability (CSV) Working Group was established to identify adverse conditions involving hazardous chemicals at DOE facilities that might result in fires or explosions, release of hazardous chemicals to the environment, or exposure of workers or the public to chemicals. A CSV Review was conducted in 146 facilities at 29 sites. Eight generic vulnerabilities were documented related to: abandoned chemicals and chemical residuals; past chemical spills and ground releases; characterization of legacy chemicals and wastes; disposition of legacy chemicals; storage facilities and conditions; condition of facilities and support systems; unanalyzed and unaddressed hazards; and inventory control and tracking. Weaknesses in five programmatic areas were also identified related to: management commitment and planning; chemical safety management programs; aging facilities that continue to operate; nonoperating facilities awaiting deactivation; and resource allocations. To address the facility-specific and site-specific vulnerabilities, responsible DOE and site-contractor line organizations have developed initial site response plans. These plans, presented as Volume 2 of this Management Response Plan, describe the actions needed to mitigate or eliminate the facility- and site-specific vulnerabilities identified by the CSV Working Group field verification teams. Initial site response plans are described for: Brookhaven National Lab., Hanford Site, Idaho National Engineering Lab., Lawrence Livermore National Lab., Los Alamos National Lab., Oak Ridge Reservation, Rocky Flats Plant, Sandia National Laboratories, and Savannah River Site

Radiation Safety in Industrial Radiography. Specific Safety Guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

This Safety Guide provides recommendations for ensuring radiation safety in industrial radiography used in non-destructive testing. This includes industrial radiography work that utilizes X ray and gamma sources, both in shielded facilities that have effective engineering controls and in outside shielded facilities using mobile sources. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Duties and responsibilities; 3. Safety assessment; 4. Radiation protection programme; 5. Training and qualification; 6. Individual monitoring of workers; 7. Workplace monitoring; 8. Control of radioactive sources; 9. Safety of industrial radiography sources and exposure devices; 10. Radiography in shielded enclosures; 11. Site radiography; 12. Transport of radioactive sources; 13. Emergency preparedness and response; Appendix: IAEA categorization of radioactive sources; Annex I: Example safety assessment; Annex II: Overview of industrial radiography sources and equipment; Annex III: Examples of accidents in industrial radiography.

Behavioral Emergency Response Team: Implementation Improves Patient Safety, Staff Safety, and Staff Collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Zicko, Cdr Jennifer M; Schroeder, Lcdr Rebecca A; Byers, Cdr William S; Taylor, Lt Adam M; Spence, Cdr Dennis L

2017-10-01

Staff members working on our nonmental health (non-MH) units (i.e., medical-surgical [MS] units) were not educated in recognizing or deescalating behavioral emergencies. Published evidence suggests a behavioral emergency response team (BERT) composed of MH experts who assist with deescalating behavioral emergencies may be beneficial in these situations. Therefore, we sought to implement a BERT on the inpatient non-MH units at our military treatment facility. The objectives of this evidence-based practice process improvement project were to determine how implementation of a BERT affects staff and patient safety and to examine nursing staffs' level of knowledge, confidence, and support in caring for psychiatric patients and patients exhibiting behavioral emergencies. A BERT was piloted on one MS unit for 5 months and expanded to two additional units for 3 months. Pre- and postimplementation staff surveys were conducted, and the number of staff assaults and injuries, restraint usage, and security intervention were compared. The BERT responded to 17 behavioral emergencies. The number of assaults decreased from 10 (pre) to 1 (post); security intervention decreased from 14 to 1; and restraint use decreased from 8 to 1. MS staffs' level of BERT knowledge and rating of support between MH staff and their staff significantly increased. Both MS and MH nurses rated the BERT as supportive and effective. A BERT can assist with deescalating behavioral emergencies, and improve staff collaboration and patient and staff safety. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Vehicle track interaction safety standards

Science.gov (United States)

2014-04-02

Vehicle/Track Interaction (VTI) Safety Standards aim to : reduce the risk of derailments and other accidents attributable : to the dynamic interaction between moving vehicles and the : track over which they operate. On March 13, 2013, the Federal : R...

Attributions or Retributions: Student Ratings and the Perceived Causes of Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Theall, Michael; And Others

The nature and extent of variations in student attributions about performance in their courses were studied, and the relationships between the attributions and responses on certain items of a student ratings questionnaire were determined. Causal or predictive relationships among these variables were also investigated. Data were collected using:…

Personal Responsibility versus God's Will: Religious and Non-religious Attributions for the Death of a Friend.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Crystal L.; Cohen, Lawrence H.

Attributions, attempts to link an event with its causes, enable people to understand and react to their surroundings. Because attributions are directly related to understanding events, and because this understanding influences how individuals then deal with events, attributions play a vital role in the coping process. To explore the nature of…

IRSN - Institute of Radiation protection and Nuclear Safety. Report 2014. Corporate societal responsibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Repussard, Jacques; Dufer, Bruno

2015-06-01

After a discussion of the importance of the societal responsibility of the IRSN as a collective approach, and as an asset for nuclear safety, this report first addresses how to preserve the environment and to manage the risks (reduction of carbon print in the policy of trips and travels, improvement of energy efficiency of IRSN buildings). It describes how to maintain the social commitment at a high level, how to develop responsible purchases and sales, how to strengthen relationships between stakeholders

Regulatory supervision of safety indicators; experience with radiation safety indicators in Dukovany nuclear power plant performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urbancik, L.; Kulich, V.

2004-01-01

The State Office for Nuclear Safety uses three sets of indicators describing the following aspects of a favourable nuclear power plant operation: smooth operation in normal circumstances, low risk to the population, and operation with a positive safety attitude. These are three safety-related areas for assessment. Each area has its own set of indicators. Overall operational safety performance indicators were identified for each attribute. From this point, a level of strategic indicators was developed, and finally, a set of specific indicators was set up. While neither the overall indicators nor the strategic indicators are directly measurable, the specific indicators are directly measurable and are targeted during inspection. (author)

Leadership and Safety Management: Regulatory Initiatives for Enhancing Nuclear Safety in the Republic of Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, C.H.; Park, Y.W.; Choi, K.S.

2010-01-01

Since the construction of the first nuclear power plant (NPP) in the Republic of Korea in 1978, a high level of nuclear safety has continued to be maintained. This has been the important basis on which the continuous construction of NPPs has been possible in the country. To date, regulatory initiatives, leaderships and strategies adopting well harmonized regulatory systems and practices of advanced countries have contributed to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of safety regulation and further enhancing nuclear safety. The outcomes have resulted in a high level of safety and performance of Korean NPPs, attributing largely to the safety promotion policy. Recently, with the support of the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST), the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) established the International Nuclear Safety School and created a Nuclear Safety Master's Degree Programme. Further, it developed multilateral and bilateral cooperation with other agencies to promote global nuclear safety, with the aim of providing knowledge and training to new entrant countries in establishing the safety infrastructure necessary for ensuring an acceptable level of nuclear safety. (author)

Supervision of the safety culture in nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-11-01

This brochure issued by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI reports on safety culture aspects in nuclear facilities and ENSI’s activities as a supervisory instance. ENSI is the independent supervisory authority for the nuclear sector in Switzerland. A definition of safety culture is presented and the development of the concepts used in its monitoring are discussed. The main attributes of a good safety culture are discussed. Further, the conceptual basics and principles of such monitoring are looked at and the methods used for the supervision of safety culture in nuclear facilities are described

A neuroimaging investigation of attribute framing and individual differences

Science.gov (United States)

Murch, Kevin B.

2014-01-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to evaluate the neural basis of framing effects. We tested the reflexive and reflective systems model of social cognition as it relates to framing. We also examined the relationships among frame susceptibility, intelligence and personality measures. Participants evaluated whether personal attributes applied to themselves from multiple perspectives and in positive and negative frames. Participants rated whether each statement was descriptive or not and endorsed positive frames more than negative frames. Individual differences on frame decisions enabled us to form high and low frame susceptibility groups. Endorsement of frame-consistent attributes was associated with personality factors, cognitive reflection and intelligence. Reflexive brain regions were associated with positive frames while reflective areas were associated with negative frames. Region of Interest analyses showed that frame-inconsistent responses were associated with increased activation within reflective cognitive control regions including the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), dorsomedial PFC and left ventrolateral PFC. Frame-consistent responses were associated with increased activation in the right orbitofrontal cortex. These results demonstrate that individual differences in frame susceptibility influence personal attribute evaluations. Overall, this study clarifies the neural correlates of the reflective and reflexive systems of social cognition as applied to decisions about social attributions. PMID:23988759

Safety culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The response to a previous publication by the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG), indicated a broad international interest in expansion of the concept of Safety Culture, in such a way that its effectiveness in particular cases may be judged. This report responds to that need. In its manifestation, Safety Culture has two major components: the framework determined by organizational policy and by managerial action, and the response of individuals in working within and benefiting by the framework. 1 fig

Seismic Safety Program: Ground motion and structural response

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-05-01

In 1964, John A. Blume & Associates Research Division (Blume) began a broad-range structural response program to assist the Nevada Operations Office of the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in ensuring the continued safe conduct of underground nuclear detonation testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and elsewhere. Blume`s long experience in earthquake engineering provided a general basis for the program, but much more specialized knowledge was required for the AEC`s purposes. Over the next 24 years Blume conducted a major research program to provide essential understanding of the detailed nature of the response of structures to dynamic loads such as those imposed by seismic wave propagation. The program`s results have been embodied in a prediction technology which has served to provide reliable advanced knowledge of the probable effects of seismic ground motion on all kinds of structures, for use in earthquake engineering and in building codes as well as for the continuing needs of the US Department of Energy`s Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV). This report is primarily an accounting of the Blume work, beginning with the setting in 1964 and the perception of the program needs as envisioned by Dr. John A. Blume. Subsequent chapters describe the structural response program in detail and the structural prediction procedures which resulted; the intensive data acquisition program which, as is discussed at some length, relied heavily on the contributions of other consultant-contractors in the DOE/NV Seismic Safety Support Program; laboratory and field studies to provide data on building elements and structures subjected to dynamic loads from sources ranging from testing machines to earthquakes; structural response activities undertaken for testing at the NTS and for off-NTS underground nuclear detonations; and concluding with an account of corollary studies including effects of natural forces and of related studies on building response.

Definition, willingness-to-pay, and ranking of quality attributes of U.S. pork as defined by importers in Asia and Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, R G L; Howard, S T; Woerner, D R; Pendell, D L; Dixon, C L; Desimone, T L; Green, M D; Igo, J L; Tatum, J D; Belk, K E

2015-01-01

A survey was conducted from November 2009 to April 2010 to determine how importers of pork define 7 predetermined quality categories (food safety, customer service, eating quality, product specification, packaging, visual characteristics, and production history) and to estimate willingness-to-pay (WTP) and establish best-worst (B/W) scaling (rank) for the 7 quality categories. Interviews were conducted in Hong Kong/China (n = 83), Japan (n = 48), Mexico (n = 70) and Russia (n = 54) with importers of U.S. pork or those who had purchased U.S. pork from distributors in the last 3 yr. Interviews used dynamic routing software and were structured such that economic factors for purchase were addressed first, allowing all responses to focus on quality. Questions about WTP and B/W were asked and then each respondent was asked to define what each quality category meant to them. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze frequency data. Over 70% of interviewees in Hong Kong/China, Japan, and Mexico responded that purchase price was influential in deciding whether or not to purchase imported pork. This number was lower in Russia, where respondents stated tariff rates were also important, indicating market access was a larger issue in Russia. Food safety was the most important quality category (price was not included as a part of quality) for imported pork followed by specifications. Respondents indicated some form of government inspection was how they defined food safety, whereas product size, weight, and subcutaneous fat were all included in the definition of specifications. Interviewees were more likely to pay premiums for customer service and less likely to pay premiums for packaging (P variety meats were numerically lower than for whole muscle cuts or processed products. A guarantee associated with food safety of processed pork products was found to be the quality attribute for which importers would be willing to pay the highest premium. Production history was

Evaluation of Influence Factors within Implementing of Nuclear Safety Culture in Embarking Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Situmorang, J.

2016-01-01

The evaluation of the implementation nuclear safety culture at BATAN has been performed. BATAN is Indonesia’s national nuclear energy agency. Nowadays, BATAN is planning to develop an experimental power reactor. To implement the nuclear safety culture BATAN has issued BATAN chairman regulation (Perka BATAN 200). Perka BATAN is the reference for individuals and organizations to implement nuclear safety culture which includes basic principles, mechanisms, assessment, as well as the implementation of the application of safety culture. It covers the establishment of safety policies, program development, program implementation, development and measurement of safety culture. Each facilities within BATAN is expected to well implement a safety culture. The implementation of safety culture is developed by considering the characteristics, attributes and indicators. The characteristics, attributes and indicators referenced are elaborated from the IAEA. The activities to strengthen safety culture are monthly workshop with participants is head of every facilities, safety leadership training and workshop for safety division manager in every facilities. It is also issued a handbook of safety that is distributed to all employees BATAN.

Fundamental Safety Principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelmalik, W.E.Y.

2011-01-01

This work presents a summary of the IAEA Safety Standards Series publication No. SF-1 entitled F UDAMENTAL Safety PRINCIPLES p ublished on 2006. This publication states the fundamental safety objective and ten associated safety principles, and briefly describes their intent and purposes. Safety measures and security measures have in common the aim of protecting human life and health and the environment. These safety principles are: 1) Responsibility for safety, 2) Role of the government, 3) Leadership and management for safety, 4) Justification of facilities and activities, 5) Optimization of protection, 6) Limitation of risks to individuals, 7) Protection of present and future generations, 8) Prevention of accidents, 9)Emergency preparedness and response and 10) Protective action to reduce existing or unregulated radiation risks. The safety principles concern the security of facilities and activities to the extent that they apply to measures that contribute to both safety and security. Safety measures and security measures must be designed and implemented in an integrated manner so that security measures do not compromise safety and safety measures do not compromise security.

Plant control impact on IFR power plant passive safety response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vilim, R.B.

1993-01-01

A method is described for optimizing the closed-loop plant control strategy with respect to safety margins sustained in the unprotected upset response of a liquid metal reactor. The optimization is performed subject to the normal requirements for reactor startup, load change and compensation for reactivity changes over the cycle. The method provides a formal approach to the process of exploiting the innate self-regulating property of a metal fueled reactor to make it less dependent on operator action and less vulnerable to automatic control system fault and/or operator error

Westinghouse Small Modular Reactor passive safety system response to postulated events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, M. C.; Wright, R. F.

2012-01-01

The Westinghouse Small Modular Reactor (SMR) is an 800 MWt (>225 MWe) integral pressurized water reactor. This paper is part of a series of four describing the design and safety features of the Westinghouse SMR. This paper focuses in particular upon the passive safety features and the safety system response of the Westinghouse SMR. The Westinghouse SMR design incorporates many features to minimize the effects of, and in some cases eliminates the possibility of postulated accidents. The small size of the reactor and the low power density limits the potential consequences of an accident relative to a large plant. The integral design eliminates large loop piping, which significantly reduces the flow area of postulated loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs). The Westinghouse SMR containment is a high-pressure, compact design that normally operates at a partial vacuum. This facilitates heat removal from the containment during LOCA events. The containment is submerged in water which also aides the heat removal and provides an additional radionuclide filter. The Westinghouse SMR safety system design is passive, is based largely on the passive safety systems used in the AP1000 R reactor, and provides mitigation of all design basis accidents without the need for AC electrical power for a period of seven days. Frequent faults, such as reactivity insertion events and loss of power events, are protected by first shutting down the nuclear reaction by inserting control rods, then providing cold, borated water through a passive, buoyancy-driven flow. Decay heat removal is provided using a layered approach that includes the passive removal of heat by the steam drum and independent passive heat removal system that transfers heat from the primary system to the environment. Less frequent faults such as loss of coolant accidents are mitigated by passive injection of a large quantity of water that is readily available inside containment. An automatic depressurization system is used to

Product Engineering Class in the Software Safety Risk Taxonomy for Building Safety-Critical Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Janice; Victor, Daniel

2008-01-01

When software safety requirements are imposed on legacy safety-critical systems, retrospective safety cases need to be formulated as part of recertifying the systems for further use and risks must be documented and managed to give confidence for reusing the systems. The SEJ Software Development Risk Taxonomy [4] focuses on general software development issues. It does not, however, cover all the safety risks. The Software Safety Risk Taxonomy [8] was developed which provides a construct for eliciting and categorizing software safety risks in a straightforward manner. In this paper, we present extended work on the taxonomy for safety that incorporates the additional issues inherent in the development and maintenance of safety-critical systems with software. An instrument called a Software Safety Risk Taxonomy Based Questionnaire (TBQ) is generated containing questions addressing each safety attribute in the Software Safety Risk Taxonomy. Software safety risks are surfaced using the new TBQ and then analyzed. In this paper we give the definitions for the specialized Product Engineering Class within the Software Safety Risk Taxonomy. At the end of the paper, we present the tool known as the 'Legacy Systems Risk Database Tool' that is used to collect and analyze the data required to show traceability to a particular safety standard

DS424: A Roadmap for the Implementation of the IAEA Safety Standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yllera, Javier

2010-01-01

Many countries interested in developing nuclear power programmes for the first time need to have experience in using and regulating radioactive source materials. They need to have experience in building and operating large non-nuclear construction projects. Nuclear power has unique attributes and commitments associated with it that other industries do not. Although undertaken as a national endeavour with many national implications, building and operating a nuclear facility also has global implications (financial, political, safety, etc.). DG’s 2008 General Conference speech: “Every country has the right to introduce nuclear power, as well as the responsibility to do it right.”. The development of IAEA Safety Standards is an statutory function of the IAEA (article III of the IAEA Statute): “The Agency is authorized to establish or adopt… standards of safety for protection of health and minimization of danger to life and property…”. New guide (DS 424) constitutes a “Road-map” to apply the entire suite of IAEA Safety Standards progressively during the early phases of the implementation of a nuclear power programme. IAEA safety review missions based on internationally agreed safety standards are well established and are the best tools to build up confidence on the capacity of a country to develop nuclear energy in a safe way

Influence of brand personality-marker attributes on purchasing intention: the role of emotionality.

Science.gov (United States)

Guido, Gianluigi; Peluso, Alessandro M; Provenzano, Mariarosaria

2010-06-01

Marketing researchers employ the Five-Factor Model to describe branded products using attributes of human personality. "Marker attributes" used to elicit these brand personality attributes may be related to consumers' intention to purchase. Two connected studies, carried out on two samples of 91 and 557 participants, respectively, indicated that brand personality-marker attributes predict intention to purchase, but only to the extent that such attributes are "vivid" and, in particular, when they elicit emotional responses (i.e., when they are emotionally interesting). These findings have several implications for people involved in developing strategies for advertising.

Are retailers' preferences for seafood attributes predictive for consumers wants?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernández-Polancoa, José; Mueller Loose, Simone; Luna, Ladislao

2013-01-01

Aquaculture production has grown considerably in the southern countries of Europe during the last two decades. This increase in supply has not been matched by an equivalent rise in consumer demand, resulting in price decay. For farmed seabream (Sparus aurata) this paper examines which attributes...... choice and to test for differences in attribute preferences between retailers and consumers. Results indicate that both consumers and retailers agree in their marginal willingness to pay for wild over farmed seabream. However, they differ in the extent to which the disutility from farmed production can...... be offset by the declaration of domestic origin, sustainability certifications, and presence of health benefits or safety claims. Results suggest an asymmetry between retailer and consumer preferences that might explain why seabream differentiated by claims still struggles to find the desired retail...

Neural correlates of depressive realism – An fMRI study on causal attribution in depression

Science.gov (United States)

Seidel, Eva-Maria; Satterthwaite, Theodore D.; Eickhoff, Simon B.; Schneider, Frank; Gur, Ruben C.; Wolf, Daniel H.; Habel, Ute; Derntl, Birgit

2013-01-01

Background Biased causal attribution is a critical factor in the cognitive model of depression. Whereas depressed patients interpret events negatively, healthy people show a self-serving bias (internal attribution of positive events and external attribution of negative events). Methods Using fMRI, depressed patients (n=15) and healthy controls (n=15) were confronted with positive and negative social events and made causal attributions (internal vs. external). Functional data were analyzed using a mixed effects model. Results Behaviourally, controls showed a self-serving bias, whereas patients demonstrated a balanced attributional pattern. Analysis of functional data revealed a significant group difference in a fronto-temporal network. Higher activation of this network was associated with non self-serving attributions in controls but self-serving attributions in patients. Applying a psycho-physiological interaction analysis, we observed reduced coupling between a dorsomedial PFC seed region and limbic areas during self-serving attributions in patients compared to controls. Limitations Results of the PPI analysis are preliminary given the liberal statistical threshold. Conclusions The association of the behaviourally less frequent attributional pattern with activation in a fronto-temporal network suggests that non self-serving responses may produce a self-related response conflict in controls, while self-serving responses produce this conflict in patients. Moreover, attribution-modulated coupling between the dorsomedial PFC and limbic regions was weaker in patients than controls. This preliminary finding suggests that depression may be associated with disturbances in fronto-limbic coupling during attributional decisions. Our results implicate that treatment of major depression may benefit from approaches that facilitate reinterpretation of emotional events in a more positive, more self-serving way. PMID:22377511

Evaluation of response factors for seismic probabilistic safety assessment of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebisawa, K.; Abe, K.; Muramatsu, K.; Itoh, M.; Kohno, K.; Tanaka, T.

1994-01-01

This paper presents a method for evaluating 'response factors' of components in nuclear power plants for use in a seismic probabilistic safety assessment (PSA). The response factor here is a measure of conservatism included in response calculations in seismic design analysis of components and is defined as a ratio of conservative design resonse to actual response. This method has the following characteristic features: (1) The components are classified into several groups based on the differences in their location and in the vibration models used in design response analyses; (2) the response factors are decomposed into subfactors corresponding to the stages of the seismic response analyses in the design practices; (3) the response factors for components are calculated as products of subfactors; (4) the subfactors are expressed either as a single value or as a function of parameters that influence the response of components. This paper describes the outline of this method and results from an application to a sample problem in which response factors were quantified for examples of components selected from the groups. (orig.)

Operational safety reliability research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, R.E.; Boccio, J.L.

1986-01-01

Operating reactor events such as the TMI accident and the Salem automatic-trip failures raised the concern that during a plant's operating lifetime the reliability of systems could degrade from the design level that was considered in the licensing process. To address this concern, NRC is sponsoring the Operational Safety Reliability Research project. The objectives of this project are to identify the essential tasks of a reliability program and to evaluate the effectiveness and attributes of such a reliability program applicable to maintaining an acceptable level of safety during the operating lifetime at the plant

Improving the Accuracy of Attribute Extraction using the Relatedness between Attribute Values

Science.gov (United States)

Bollegala, Danushka; Tani, Naoki; Ishizuka, Mitsuru

Extracting attribute-values related to entities from web texts is an important step in numerous web related tasks such as information retrieval, information extraction, and entity disambiguation (namesake disambiguation). For example, for a search query that contains a personal name, we can not only return documents that contain that personal name, but if we have attribute-values such as the organization for which that person works, we can also suggest documents that contain information related to that organization, thereby improving the user's search experience. Despite numerous potential applications of attribute extraction, it remains a challenging task due to the inherent noise in web data -- often a single web page contains multiple entities and attributes. We propose a graph-based approach to select the correct attribute-values from a set of candidate attribute-values extracted for a particular entity. First, we build an undirected weighted graph in which, attribute-values are represented by nodes, and the edge that connects two nodes in the graph represents the degree of relatedness between the corresponding attribute-values. Next, we find the maximum spanning tree of this graph that connects exactly one attribute-value for each attribute-type. The proposed method outperforms previously proposed attribute extraction methods on a dataset that contains 5000 web pages.

Public’s Attribution vs Punitive Behavior in Indonesian Public Relations Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachmat Kriyantono

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The research aims to test situational crisis communication and attribution theories in Indonesian context. Crisis threats companies’ reputation and affects the public’s attribution which will lead to the creation of punitive behavior from the public towards the organization. The study used a quantitative approach with experimental method and content analysis in the pre-research. Involving 90 respondents, the research fi nds that mass media infl uences public’s attribution within the experimental group who were given positive and negative news. The research shows that the crisis history and the relational reputation determine the public attribution toward the initial crisis responsibility.

Safety and skin delayed-type hypersensitivity response in vervet monkeys immunized with Leishmania donovani sonicate antigen delivered with adjuvants

OpenAIRE

Mutiso,Joshua M.; Macharia,John C.; Taracha,Evans; Wafula,Kellern; Rikoi,Hitler; Gicheru,Michael M.

2012-01-01

In this study, we report on the safety and skin delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), responses of the Leishmania donovani whole cell sonicate antigen delivered in conjunction with alum-BCG (AlBCG), Montanide ISA 720 (MISA) or Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) in groups of vervet monkeys. Following three intradermal injections of the inoculums on days 0, 28 and 42, safety and DTH responses were assessed. Preliminary tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) levels ...

Evaluation of the Benefits Attributable to Automotive Lighweight Materials Program Research and Development Projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, S.

2002-01-11

The purpose of this project is to identify and test methods appropriate for estimating the benefits attributable to research and development (R and D) projects funded by the Automotive Lightweight Materials (ALM) Program of the Office of Advanced Automotive Technologies (OAAT) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The program focuses on the development and validation of advanced lightweight materials technologies to significantly reduce automotive vehicle body and chassis weight without compromising other attributes such as safety, performance, recyclability, and cost. The work supports the goals of the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV). Up to thirty percent of the improvement required to meet the PNGV goal of tripling vehicle fuel economy and much of its cost, safety, and recyclability goal depend on the lightweight materials. Funded projects range from basic materials science research to applied research in production environments. Collaborators on these projects include national laboratories, universities, and private sector firms, such as leading automobile manufacturers and their suppliers.

Lessons Learned from a Five-year Evaluation of the Belgian Safety Culture Oversight Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, B.

2016-01-01

The Belgian Regulatory Body has implemented a Safety Culture oversight process since 2010. In a nutshell, this process is based on field observations provided by inspectors or safety analysts during any contact with a licencee (inspections, meetings, phone calls, etc). These observations are recorded within an observation (excel) sheet—aiming at describing factual and contextual issues — and are linked to IAEA Safety Culture attributes. It should be stressed that the purpose of the process is not to give a comprehensive view of a licencee safety culture but to address findings that require attention or action on the part of a licencee. In other words, gathering safety culture observations aims at identifying cultural, organizational or behavioural issues in order to feed a regulatory response to potential problems. Safety Culture Observations (SCO) are then fully integrated in routine inspection activities and must be seen as an input of the overall oversight process. As a result, the assessment of the SCO is inserted within the yearly safety evaluation report performed by Bel V and transmitted to the licencee. However, observing safety culture is not a natural approach for engineers. Guidance, training and coaching must be provided in order to open up safety dimensions to be captured. In other words, a SCO process requires a continuous support in order to promote a holistic and systemic view of safety.

Equivalent linear and nonlinear site response analysis for design and risk assessment of safety-related nuclear structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolisetti, Chandrakanth; Whittaker, Andrew S.; Mason, H. Benjamin; Almufti, Ibrahim; Willford, Michael

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Performed equivalent linear and nonlinear site response analyses using industry-standard numerical programs. • Considered a wide range of sites and input ground motions. • Noted the practical issues encountered while using these programs. • Examined differences between the responses calculated from different programs. • Results of biaxial and uniaxial analyses are compared. - Abstract: Site response analysis is a precursor to soil-structure interaction analysis, which is an essential component in the seismic analysis of safety-related nuclear structures. Output from site response analysis provides input to soil-structure interaction analysis. Current practice in calculating site response for safety-related nuclear applications mainly involves the equivalent linear method in the frequency-domain. Nonlinear time-domain methods are used by some for the assessment of buildings, bridges and petrochemical facilities. Several commercial programs have been developed for site response analysis but none of them have been formally validated for large strains and high frequencies, which are crucial for the performance assessment of safety-related nuclear structures. This study sheds light on the applicability of some industry-standard equivalent linear (SHAKE) and nonlinear (DEEPSOIL and LS-DYNA) programs across a broad range of frequencies, earthquake shaking intensities, and sites ranging from stiff sand to hard rock, all with a focus on application to safety-related nuclear structures. Results show that the equivalent linear method is unable to reproduce the high frequency acceleration response, resulting in almost constant spectral accelerations in the short period range. Analysis using LS-DYNA occasionally results in some unrealistic high frequency acceleration ‘noise’, which can be removed by smoothing the piece-wise linear backbone curve. Analysis using DEEPSOIL results in abrupt variations in the peak strains of consecutive soil layers

The spirit of safety: oriental safety culture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kondo, J. [Science Council of Japan, Tokyo (Japan)

1996-09-01

Failure of a large system causes disasters. However, after an accident, the causes are frequently attributed to human error when the operators do not survive the accident. It might be difficult to prove that the real cause of the accident is human error. Process decision program chart (PDPC) would be a useful tool in indicating the causes of an accident since it can clearly show that if the operator made the correct choice, the safety of the system could be maintained. The case of the incident of the nuclear reactor at Mihama unit 2 is indicated by PDPC in which the sequence of events and the operations are indicated in this paper together with the safe operation. One can easily understand the cause of the incident and the way to avoid it. Also, PDPC for the Three Mile Island (TMI) accident is shown. Initially, in order to prevent an accident, mental training and safety culture is most important. The oriental safety culture based on Zentoism, a school of Buddhism is discussed. (orig.)

The spirit of safety: oriental safety culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, J.

1996-01-01

Failure of a large system causes disasters. However, after an accident, the causes are frequently attributed to human error when the operators do not survive the accident. It might be difficult to prove that the real cause of the accident is human error. Process decision program chart (PDPC) would be a useful tool in indicating the causes of an accident since it can clearly show that if the operator made the correct choice, the safety of the system could be maintained. The case of the incident of the nuclear reactor at Mihama unit 2 is indicated by PDPC in which the sequence of events and the operations are indicated in this paper together with the safe operation. One can easily understand the cause of the incident and the way to avoid it. Also, PDPC for the Three Mile Island (TMI) accident is shown. Initially, in order to prevent an accident, mental training and safety culture is most important. The oriental safety culture based on Zentoism, a school of Buddhism is discussed. (orig.)

A neuroimaging investigation of attribute framing and individual differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Murch, Kevin B; Krawczyk, Daniel C

2014-10-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to evaluate the neural basis of framing effects. We tested the reflexive and reflective systems model of social cognition as it relates to framing. We also examined the relationships among frame susceptibility, intelligence and personality measures. Participants evaluated whether personal attributes applied to themselves from multiple perspectives and in positive and negative frames. Participants rated whether each statement was descriptive or not and endorsed positive frames more than negative frames. Individual differences on frame decisions enabled us to form high and low frame susceptibility groups. Endorsement of frame-consistent attributes was associated with personality factors, cognitive reflection and intelligence. Reflexive brain regions were associated with positive frames while reflective areas were associated with negative frames. Region of Interest analyses showed that frame-inconsistent responses were associated with increased activation within reflective cognitive control regions including the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), dorsomedial PFC and left ventrolateral PFC. Frame-consistent responses were associated with increased activation in the right orbitofrontal cortex. These results demonstrate that individual differences in frame susceptibility influence personal attribute evaluations. Overall, this study clarifies the neural correlates of the reflective and reflexive systems of social cognition as applied to decisions about social attributions. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Response Patterns in Health State Valuation Using Endogenous Attribute Attendance and Latent Class Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hole, Arne Risa; Norman, Richard; Viney, Rosalie

2016-02-01

Not accounting for simplifying decision-making heuristics when modelling data from discrete choice experiments has been shown potentially to lead to biased inferences. This study considers two ways of exploring the presence of attribute non-attendance (that is, respondents considering only a subset of the attributes that define the choice options) in a health state valuation discrete choice experiment. The methods used include the latent class (LC) and endogenous attribute attendance (EAA) models, which both required adjustment to reflect the structure of the quality-adjusted life year (QALY) framework for valuing health outcomes. We find that explicit consideration of attendance patterns substantially improves model fit. The impact of allowing for non-attendance on the estimated QALY weights is dependent on the assumed source of non-attendance. If non-attendance is interpreted as a form of preference heterogeneity, then the inferences from the LC and EAA models are similar to those from standard models, while if respondents ignore attributes to simplify the choice task, the QALY weights differ from those using the standard approach. Because the cause of non-attendance is unknown in the absence of additional data, a policymaker may use the range of weights implied by the two approaches to conduct a sensitivity analysis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Is embedding entailed in consumer valuation of food safety characteristics?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mørkbak, Morten Raun; Christensen, Tove; Gyrd-Hansen, Dorte

2011-01-01

Consumers' preferences for food safety characteristics are investigated with a particular focus on the existence of an embedding effect. Embedding exists if consumer valuation of food safety is insensitive to scope. We conduct between-attribute external tests for embedding in two choice experiments...

The attribution of animacy and agency in frontotemporal dementia versus Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Fong, Sylvia S; Paholpak, Pongsatorn; Daianu, Madelaine; Deutsch, Mariel B; Riedel, Brandalyn C; Carr, Andrew R; Jimenez, Elvira E; Mather, Michelle M; Thompson, Paul M; Mendez, Mario F

2017-07-01

Impaired attribution of animacy (state of living or being sentient) and of agency (capability of intrinsically-driven action) may underlie social behavior disturbances in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). We presented the Heider and Simmel film of moving geometric shapes to 11 bvFTD patients, 11 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and 12 healthy controls (HCs) and rated their recorded verbal responses for animacy attribution and agency attribution. All participants had skin conductance (SC) continuously recorded while viewing the film, and all dementia participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for regions of interest. The bvFTD patients, but not the AD patients, were impaired in animacy attribution, compared to the HCs. In contrast, both bvFTD and AD groups were impaired in agency attribution, compared to the HCs, and only the HCs had increasing SC responsiveness during viewing of the film. On MRI analysis of cortical thicknesses, animacy scores significantly correlated across groups with the right pars orbitalis and opercularis; agency scores with the left inferior and superior parietal cortices and the supramarginal gyrus; and both scores with the left cingulate isthmus involved in visuospatial context. These findings suggest that bvFTD is specifically associated with impaired animacy attribution from right inferior frontal atrophy. In contrast, both dementias may have impaired agency attribution from left parietal cortical atrophy and absent SC increases during the film, a sympathetic indicator of attribution of a social "story" to the moving shapes. These findings clarify disease-related changes in social attribution and corroborate the neuroanatomical origins of animacy and agency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Safety: Preventive Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotula, John R.; Digenakis, Anthony

1985-01-01

Underscores the need for community colleges to practice safety within the institutions and to instruct students in workplace safety procedures and requirements. Reviews Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) regulations and their impact on industry and education. Looks at the legal responsibilities of colleges for safety. (DMM)

Actors, observers, and causal attributions of homelessness: Differences in attribution for the causes of homelessness among domiciled and homeless people in Madrid (Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Vázquez, José Juan; Panadero, Sonia; Zúñiga, Claudia

2017-01-01

The study analyzes the differences in causal attributions of homelessness and attributions of responsibility among the members of 3 groups: homeless group, consisting of a representative sample of homeless people in Madrid, Spain (n = 188); domiciled service-users group, consisting of people at risk of homelessness (n = 164); and domiciled nonservice-users group, consisting of people at no imminent risk of homelessness (n = 180). The domiciled service-users group and domiciled nonservice-users group were matched to the homeless group or sex, age, and nationality. The article also analyzes homeless people's causal attributions as regards their own situation. The results show that compared with the domiciled nonservice-users group, a higher percentage of members of the homeless group and domiciled service-users group attributed homelessness to individualistic causes and they blamed homeless people for their situation to a greater extent. The results also show that there was no "actor-observer bias" in causal attributions for homelessness in Madrid. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Improved safety culture and labor-management relations attributed to changing at-risk behavior process at Union Pacific.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

Changing At-Risk Behavior (CAB) is a safety process that is being conducted at Union Pacifics San Antonio Service Unit (SASU) with the aim of improving road and yard safety. CAB is an example of a proactive safety risk-reduction method called Clea...

The impact of staff and service user gender on staff responses towards adults with intellectual disabilities who display aggressive behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinberg, I; Scior, K

2014-02-01

The impact of staff and service user gender on responses of staff in intellectual disability (ID) services is poorly understood. The present study set out to assess the role of gender in influencing staff emotions, attributions and behavioural intentions in response to aggression displayed by adults with ID. A new scale measuring staff behavioural intentions was developed. A two × two (staff gender × service user gender) between subjects design was used to compare the responses of day and residential support staff to physical aggression by a hypothetical service user. In response to a vignette depicting a service user with ID assaulting a member of staff, 160 respondents completed measures of affective responses, causal attributions and behavioural intentions while imagining themselves as the target of the service user's assault. Female participants reported feeling more fear/anxiety, more depression/anger and less confident/relaxed than male participants. The longer staff had worked with people with ID, the more likely they were to favour safety-focused behaviours. More confident female participants were less likely to favour safety-focused behaviours, but confidence had no effect on male participants' endorsement of these behaviours. Increased confidence in both was associated with lower agreement of safety-focused behaviours in relation to the female vignette, regardless of participant gender. The more control women believed the service user had over their behaviour, the more likely they were to choose safety-focused behaviours. Punitive behaviours were favoured more in response to the male rather than the female service user. Punitive behaviours were also favoured more by more junior staff and by participants who expected feeling more depressed/angry in response to the vignettes. Both staff and service user gender influenced staff responses to aggression, yet the latter played a smaller role than expected. The role of gender in staff-service user

Attributable causes of esophageal cancer incidence and mortality in China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian-Bing Wang

Full Text Available To estimate the contribution of tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, low vegetable intake and low fruit intake to esophageal cancer mortality and incidence in China.We calculated the proportion of esophageal cancer attributable to four known modifiable risk factors [population attributable fraction (PAF]. Exposure data was taken from meta-analyses and large-scale national surveys of representative samples of the Chinese population. Data on relative risks were also from meta-analyses and large-scale prospective studies. Esophageal cancer mortality and incidence came from the 3(rd national death cause survey and population-based cancer registries in China. We estimated that 87,065 esophageal cancer deaths (men 67,686; women: 19,379 and 108,206 cases (men: 83,968, women: 24,238 were attributable to tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, low vegetable intake and low fruit intake in China in 2005. About 17.9% of esophageal cancer deaths among men and 1.9% among women were attributable to tobacco smoking. About 15.2% of esophageal cancer deaths in men and 1.3% in women were caused by alcohol drinking. Low vegetable intake was responsible for 4.3% esophageal cancer deaths in men and 4.1% in women. The fraction of esophageal cancer deaths attributable to low fruit intake was 27.1% in men and 28.0% in women. Overall, 46% of esophageal cancers (51% in men and 33% in women were attributable to these four modifiable risk factors.Tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, low vegetable intake and low fruit intake were responsible for 46% of esophageal cancer mortality and incidence in China in 2005. These findings provide useful data for developing guidelines for esophageal cancer prevention and control in China.

Reactor system safety assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattson, R.J.

1984-01-01

The philosophy of reactor safety is that design should follow established and conservative engineering practices, there should be safety margins in all modes of plant operation, special systems should be provided for accidents, and safety systems should have redundant components. This philosophy provides ''defense in depth.'' Additionally, the safety of nuclear power plants relies on ''safety systems'' to assure acceptable response to design basis events. Operating experience has shown the need to study plant response to more frequent upset conditions and to account for the influence of operators and non-safety systems on overall performance. Defense in depth is being supplemented by risk and reliability assessment

Searchable attribute-based encryption scheme with attribute revocation in cloud storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shangping; Zhao, Duqiao; Zhang, Yaling

2017-01-01

Attribute based encryption (ABE) is a good way to achieve flexible and secure access control to data, and attribute revocation is the extension of the attribute-based encryption, and the keyword search is an indispensable part for cloud storage. The combination of both has an important application in the cloud storage. In this paper, we construct a searchable attribute-based encryption scheme with attribute revocation in cloud storage, the keyword search in our scheme is attribute based with access control, when the search succeeds, the cloud server returns the corresponding cipher text to user and the user can decrypt the cipher text definitely. Besides, our scheme supports multiple keywords search, which makes the scheme more practical. Under the assumption of decisional bilinear Diffie-Hellman exponent (q-BDHE) and decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) in the selective security model, we prove that our scheme is secure.

The demand attributes of assurance services providers and the role of independent accountants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knechel, W.R.; Wallage, P.; Eilifsen, A.; van Praag, B.

2006-01-01

This study reports on desirable attributes of assurance services providers for assurance services based on responses from a sample of Dutch senior accounting and financial officers. In general, overall expertise and objectivity are perceived as the most important attributes for selecting an

Field studies of safety security rescue technologies through training and response activities

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Robin R.; Stover, Sam

2006-05-01

This paper describes the field-oriented philosophy of the Institute for Safety Security Rescue Technology (iSSRT) and summarizes the activities and lessons learned during calendar year 2005 of its two centers: the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue and the NSF Safety Security Rescue industry/university cooperative research center. In 2005, iSSRT participated in four responses (La Conchita, CA, Mudslides, Hurricane Dennis, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Wilma) and conducted three field experiments (NJTF-1, Camp Hurricane, Richmond, MO). The lessons learned covered mobility, operator control units, wireless communications, and general reliability. The work has collectively identified six emerging issues for future work. Based on these studies, a 10-hour, 1 continuing education unit credit course on rescue robotics has been created and is available. Rescue robots and sensors are available for loan upon request.

The application of integrated safety management principles to the Tritium Extraction Facility project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hickman, M.O.; Viviano, R.R.

2000-01-01

The DOE has developed a program that is accomplishing a heightened safety posture across the complex. The Integrated Safety Management (ISM) System (ISMS) program utilizes five core functions and seven guiding principles as the basis for implementation. The core functions define the work scope, analyze the hazards, develop and implement hazard controls, perform the work, and provide feedback for improvement. The guiding principles include line management responsibility, clear roles and responsibilities, competence per responsibilities, identification of safety standards/requirements, tailored hazard control, balanced priorities, and operations authorization. There exists an unspecified eighth principle, that is, worker involvement. A program requiring the direct involvement of the employees who are actually performing the work has been shown to be quite an effective method of communicating safety requirements, controlling work in a safe manner, and reducing safety violations and injuries. The Tritium Extraction Facility (TEF) projects, a component of the DOE's Commercial Light Water Reactor Tritium Production program, has taken the ISM principles and core functions and applied them to the project's design. The task of the design team is to design a facility and systems that will meet the production requirements of the DOE tritium mission as well as a design that minimizes the workers' exposure to adverse safety situations and hazards/hazardous materials. During the development of the preliminary design for the TEF, design teams consisted of not only designers but also personnel who had operational experience in the existing tritium and personnel who had operational experience in the existing tritium and personnel who had specialized experience from across the DOE complex. This design team reviewed multiple documents associated with the TEF operation in order to identify and document the hazards associated with the tritium process. These documents include hazards

Radiation Safety in Industrial Radiography. Specific Safety Guide (Spanish Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This Safety Guide provides recommendations for ensuring radiation safety in industrial radiography used in non-destructive testing. This includes industrial radiography work that utilizes X ray and gamma sources, both in shielded facilities that have effective engineering controls and in outside shielded facilities using mobile sources. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Duties and responsibilities; 3. Safety assessment; 4. Radiation protection programme; 5. Training and qualification; 6. Individual monitoring of workers; 7. Workplace monitoring; 8. Control of radioactive sources; 9. Safety of industrial radiography sources and exposure devices; 10. Radiography in shielded enclosures; 11. Site radiography; 12. Transport of radioactive sources; 13. Emergency preparedness and response; Appendix: IAEA categorization of radioactive sources; Annex I: Example safety assessment; Annex II: Overview of industrial radiography sources and equipment; Annex III: Examples of accidents in industrial radiography

Radiation Safety in Industrial Radiography. Specific Safety Guide (French Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This Safety Guide provides recommendations for ensuring radiation safety in industrial radiography used in non-destructive testing. This includes industrial radiography work that utilizes X ray and gamma sources, both in … shielded facilities that have effective engineering controls and in outside shielded facilities using mobile sources. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Duties and responsibilities; 3. Safety assessment; 4. Radiation protection programme; 5. Training and qualification; 6. Individual monitoring of workers; 7. Workplace monitoring; 8. Control of radioactive sources; 9. Safety of industrial radiography sources and exposure devices; 10. Radiography in shielded enclosures; 11. Site radiography; 12. Transport of radioactive sources; 13. Emergency preparedness and response; Appendix: IAEA categorization of radioactive sources; Annex I: Example safety assessment; Annex II: Overview of industrial radiography sources and equipment; Annex III: Examples of accidents in industrial radiography

Radiation Safety in Industrial Radiography. Specific Safety Guide (Arabic Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

This Safety Guide provides recommendations for ensuring radiation safety in industrial radiography used in non-destructive testing. This includes industrial radiography work that utilizes X ray and gamma sources, both in shielded facilities that have effective engineering controls and outside shielded facilities using mobile sources. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Duties and responsibilities; 3. Safety assessment; 4. Radiation protection programme; 5. Training and qualification; 6. Individual monitoring of workers; 7. Workplace monitoring; 8. Control of radioactive sources; 9. Safety of industrial radiography sources and exposure devices; 10. Radiography in shielded enclosures; 11. Site radiography; 12. Transport of radioactive sources; 13. Emergency preparedness and response; Appendix: IAEA categorization of radioactive sources; Annex I: Example safety assessment; Annex II: Overview of industrial radiography sources and equipment; Annex III: Examples of accidents in industrial radiography.

Attributions of Responsibility in a Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Vignette among Respondents with CSA Histories: The Role of Abuse Similarity to a Hypothetical Victim

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, Hilary G.; Zinzow, Heidi M.; Burns, Erin E.; Jackson, Joan L.

2010-01-01

Previous research suggests that similarity to a victim may influence attributions of responsibility in hypothetical child sexual abuse scenarios. One aspect of similarity receiving mixed support in the literature is respondent child sexual abuse history. Using a sample of 1,345 college women, the present study examined child sexual abuse history,…

Indicators to monitor NPP operational safety performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez-Cobo, Ana

2002-01-01

Since December 1995 the IAEA activities on safety performance indicators focused on the elaboration of a framework for the establishment of an operational safety performance indicator programme. The development of this framework began with the consideration of the concept of NPP operational safety performance and the identification of operational safety attributes. For each operational safety attribute, overall indicators, envisioned as providing an overall evaluation of relevant aspects of safety performance, were established. Associated with each overall indicator is a level of strategic indicators intended to provide a bridge from overall to specific indicators. Finally each strategic indicator was supported by a set of specific indicators, which represent quantifiable measures of performance. The programme development was enhanced by pilot plant studies, conducted over a 15 month period from January 1998 to March 1999. The result of all this work is compiled in the IAEA-TECDOC-1141, to be published shortly. This paper presents a summary of this IAEA TECDOC. It describes the operational safety performance indicator framework proposed and discusses the results of and lessons learned from the pilot studies. Despite the efforts described, it is clear that additional research is still necessary in areas such as plant-specific adaptation of proposed frameworks in order to suit individual data collection systems and plant characteristics, indicator selection, indicator definition, goal setting, action thresholds, analysis of trends, indicator display systems, analysis of overall safety performance (i.e., aggregation or combination of indicators), safety culture indicators, qualitative indicators, and use of additional indicators to address issues such as industrial safety attitude and performance, staff welfare, and environmental compliance. This is the rationale for a new IAEA Coordinated Research Project on 'Development and application of indicators to monitor NPP

Safety goals and safety culture opening plenary. 2. Safety Regulation Implemented by Gosatomnadzor of Russia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutsalov, A.T.; Bukrinsky, A.M.

2001-01-01

This paper describes principles and approaches used by Gosatomnadzor of Russia in establishing safety goals. The link between safety goals and safety culture is demonstrated. The paper also contains information on nuclear regulatory activities in Russia. Regulatory documents of Gosatomnadzor of Russia do not provide precise definitions of safety goals as IAEA documents INSAG-3 or INSAG-12 do. However, overall activities of Gosatomnadzor of Russia are directed to the achievement of these safety goals, as Gosatomnadzor of Russia is a federal executive authority responsible for the regulation of nuclear and radiation safety in accordance with the Russian Federal Law 'On the Use of Nuclear Energy'. Thus, in the Statement of the Policy of the Russian Regulatory Authority, enacted in 1992, it was established that the overall activities of Gosatomnadzor of Russia are directed to the achievement of the main goal. This goal is to establish conditions that ensure that personnel, the public, and the environment are protected from unacceptable radiation and nonproliferation of nuclear materials. The practical application of such a method as given by the publication of Statements of Policy of Gosatomnadzor of Russia may be considered as a safety culture element. 'General Provisions of NPP Safety Ensuring' (OPB-88/ 97) is a regulatory document of the highest level in the hierarchy of regulatory documents of Gosatomnadzor of Russia. It establishes quantitative values of safety goals as do the foregoing IAEA documents. Thus, this regulatory document sets up the following: 1. The estimated total probability of severe accidents should not exceed 10 5 /reactor.yr. 2. The estimated probability of the worst possible radioactive release to the environment specified in the standards should not exceed 10 -7 /reactor.yr in the case of severe beyond-design-basis accidents. 3. The probability of a reactor vessel failure should not exceed 10 -7 /reactor.yr. The foregoing values are somehow

Attributional processes in the learned helplessness paradigm: behavioral effects of global attributions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikulincer, M

1986-12-01

Following the learned helplessness paradigm, I assessed in this study the effects of global and specific attributions for failure on the generalization of performance deficits in a dissimilar situation. Helplessness training consisted of experience with noncontingent failures on four cognitive discrimination problems attributed to either global or specific causes. Experiment 1 found that performance in a dissimilar situation was impaired following exposure to globally attributed failure. Experiment 2 examined the behavioral effects of the interaction between stable and global attributions of failure. Exposure to unsolvable problems resulted in reduced performance in a dissimilar situation only when failure was attributed to global and stable causes. Finally, Experiment 3 found that learned helplessness deficits were a product of the interaction of global and internal attribution. Performance deficits following unsolvable problems were recorded when failure was attributed to global and internal causes. Results were discussed in terms of the reformulated learned helplessness model.

Extending Attribution Theory: Considering Students' Perceived Control of the Attribution Process

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, Evan J.; Husman, Jenefer

2017-01-01

Research in attribution theory has shown that students' causal thinking profoundly affects their learning and motivational outcomes. Very few studies, however, have explored how students' attribution-related beliefs influence the causal thought process. The present study used the perceived control of the attribution process (PCAP) model to examine…

Changing US Attributes After CS-US Pairings Changes CS-Attribute-Assessments: Evidence for CS-US Associations in Attribute Conditioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Förderer, Sabine; Unkelbach, Christian

2016-03-01

Attribute Conditioning (AC) refers to people's changed assessments of stimuli's (CSs) attributes due to repeated pairing with stimuli (USs) possessing these attributes; for example, when an athletic person (US) is paired with a neutral person (CS), the neutral person is judged to be more athletic after the pairing. We hypothesize that this AC effect is due to CSs' associations with USs rather than direct associations with attributes. Three experiments test this hypothesis by changing US attributes after CS-US pairings. Experiments 1 and 2 conditioned athleticism by pairing neutral men (CSs) with athletic and non-athletic USs. Post-conditioning, USs' athleticism was reversed, which systematically influenced participants' assessment of CS athleticism. Experiment 3 conditioned athleticism and changed USs' musicality after CS-US pairings. This post-conditioning change affected musicality assessments of CSs but did not influence athleticism-assessments. The results indicate that AC effects are based on an associative CS-US-attribute structure. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

NSSS supplier's response to differing safety criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cremades, J; Filkin, R; Franke, T [Westinghouse Electric Nuclear Energy Systems Europe (WENESE), Brussels (Belgium)

1980-11-01

The limited progress achieved to date in harmonizing national criteria has led to the development of designs which include the most common national requirements. Progress towards harmonization of safety criteria can be accelerated by expanding the IAEA leadership and co-ordination activities, and implementing an integrated approach to criteria development. National and International safety criteria are examined.

Secure Data Access Control for Fog Computing Based on Multi-Authority Attribute-Based Signcryption with Computation Outsourcing and Attribute Revocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qian; Tan, Chengxiang; Fan, Zhijie; Zhu, Wenye; Xiao, Ya; Cheng, Fujia

2018-05-17

Nowadays, fog computing provides computation, storage, and application services to end users in the Internet of Things. One of the major concerns in fog computing systems is how fine-grained access control can be imposed. As a logical combination of attribute-based encryption and attribute-based signature, Attribute-based Signcryption (ABSC) can provide confidentiality and anonymous authentication for sensitive data and is more efficient than traditional "encrypt-then-sign" or "sign-then-encrypt" strategy. Thus, ABSC is suitable for fine-grained access control in a semi-trusted cloud environment and is gaining more and more attention recently. However, in many existing ABSC systems, the computation cost required for the end users in signcryption and designcryption is linear with the complexity of signing and encryption access policy. Moreover, only a single authority that is responsible for attribute management and key generation exists in the previous proposed ABSC schemes, whereas in reality, mostly, different authorities monitor different attributes of the user. In this paper, we propose OMDAC-ABSC, a novel data access control scheme based on Ciphertext-Policy ABSC, to provide data confidentiality, fine-grained control, and anonymous authentication in a multi-authority fog computing system. The signcryption and designcryption overhead for the user is significantly reduced by outsourcing the undesirable computation operations to fog nodes. The proposed scheme is proven to be secure in the standard model and can provide attribute revocation and public verifiability. The security analysis, asymptotic complexity comparison, and implementation results indicate that our construction can balance the security goals with practical efficiency in computation.

Maintenance of safety behaviors via response-produced stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Angelakis, Ioannis; Austin, Jennifer L

2015-11-01

Animal studies suggest that safety behaviors may be maintained by internally or externally produced safety signals, which function as positive reinforcers. We designed two experiments to test this phenomenon with humans. Participants played a computerized game in which they could earn or lose treasures by clicking on a map. In baseline, losses could be postponed by pressing a pedal that also produced a blue bar at the bottom of the screen. During test conditions, no losses were programmed, and pedal presses turned the bar from yellow to blue (Test 1) or blue to yellow (Test 2). In Experiment 2, new participants were exposed to the same conditions but were given information about the safety of the test environment. In both experiments, participants engaged in high rates of pedal pressing when presses were followed by blue bars, suggesting the bar functioned as a safety signal. We discuss how these findings may relate to safety behaviors commonly observed in certain mental health disorders. © The Author(s) 2015.

Sun safety in construction: a U.K. intervention study.

Science.gov (United States)

Houdmont, J; Madgwick, P; Randall, R

2016-01-01

Interventions to promote sun safety in the U.K. construction sector are warranted given the high incidence of skin cancer attributable to sun exposure relative to other occupational groups. To evaluate change in sun safety knowledge and practices among construction workers in response to an educational intervention. A baseline questionnaire was administered, followed by a bespoke sector-specific DVD-based intervention. At 12-month follow-up, participants completed a further questionnaire. Analyses were conducted on a sample of 120 workers (intervention group, n = 70; comparison group, n = 50). At follow-up, the proportion of intervention group participants that reported correct sun safety knowledge was not significantly greater than at baseline. However, the intervention group demonstrated significant positive change on 9 out of 10 behavioural measures, the greatest change being use of a shade/cover when working in the sun followed by regularly checking skin for moles or unusual changes. Exposure to this intervention was linked to some specific positive changes in construction workers' self-reported sun safety practices. These findings highlight the potential for educational interventions to contribute to tackling skin cancer in the UK construction sector. The findings support the development of bespoke educational interventions for other high-risk outdoor worker groups. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Aviation Safety: FAA and DOD Response to Similar Safety Concerns

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2002-01-01

.... The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the military services often face common safety issues as they oversee the operation of similar aircraft or even dissimilar aircraft that use common parts and materials...

Attributing human salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis to food, animal and environmental sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pires, Sara Monteiro

to the responsible sources, compare methods and results, and make recommendations on which approach to choose to answer specific risk management questions. The work is based on six manuscripts. In the first manuscript, concepts and terminology on source attribution are presented, and the remaining manuscripts...... recommendations on how to choose one or more source attribution methods to address different risk management problems. For this purpose, a “source attribution tool-box” based on the experiences from this PhD was developed....... sources of the pathogen and estimate the relative contribution of each source to the burden of human disease. A variety of methods to attribute human illness to specific sources is available, including microbial subtyping, comparative exposure assessment, analysis of studies of sporadic infections...

Microbial Contamination Level Profiles Attributed to Contamination of Beef Carcasses, Personnel, and Equipment: Case of Small and Medium Enterprise Slaughterhouses.

Science.gov (United States)

Wambui, Joseph; Lamuka, Peter; Karuri, Edward; Matofari, Joseph; Njage, Patrick Murigu Kamau

2018-04-01

The microbial contamination level profiles (MCLPs) attributed to contamination of beef carcasses, personnel, and equipment in five Kenyan small and medium enterprise slaughterhouses were determined. Aerobic plate counts, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus, and Salmonella were used to determine contamination at four different slaughter stages, namely, dehiding, evisceration, splitting, and dispatch. Microbiological criteria of the four microorganisms were used to score contamination levels (CLs) as poor (0), poor to average (1), average (2), or good (3). MCLPs were further assigned to carcasses, personnel, and equipment at each stage by summing up the CL scores. The CL score attributed to aerobic plate count contamination was 2 or 3 for carcasses but 0 for personnel and equipment in almost all slaughterhouses. A score of 0 on carcasses was mostly attributed to Enterobacteriaceae at evisceration and to Salmonella at dehiding and evisceration. In addition, a score of 0 was mostly attributed to Staphylococcus contamination of personnel at dehiding. A score of 3 was attributed mostly to Enterobacteriaceae on hands at splitting, whereas a score of 2 was mostly attributed to the clothes at dehiding and evisceration. A CL score of 3 was mostly attributed to Enterobacteriaceae and Salmonella contamination of equipment at dehiding and splitting, respectively. Although CLs attributed to contamination of carcasses, personnel, and equipment ranged from 0 to 3, the maximum MCLP score of 9 was only attained in carcasses from two slaughterhouses at dehiding and from one slaughterhouse at dispatch. There is, therefore, a lot of room for small and medium enterprise slaughterhouses to improve their food safety objectives by improving food safety management systems at the points characterized by low CL scores.

[Patient safety culture based on a non-punitive response to error and freedom of expression of healthcare professionals].

Science.gov (United States)

Mahjoub, Mohamed; Bouafia, Nabiha; Cheikh, Asma Ben; Ezzi, Olfa; Njah, Mansour

2016-11-25

This study provided an overview of healthcare professionals’ perception of patient safety based on analysis of the concept of freedom of expression and non-punitive response in order to identify and correct errors in our health system. This concept is a cornerstone of the patient safety culture among healthcare professionals and plays a central role in the quality improvement strategy..

Attributions of Stability, Control and Responsibility: How Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities View their Child's Problematic Behaviour and Its Causes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Myrthe; Woolfson, Lisa Marks; Hunter, Simon C

2016-01-01

Children with intellectual disabilities have high rates of behaviour problems. This study explored parents' causal beliefs and attributions for general problematic child behaviour in children with different aetiologies of intellectual disabilities. Ten parents of children with intellectual disabilities participated in interviews about their child's problematic behaviour. Thematic analysis using NVivo revealed that parents viewed their child's problematic behaviour not only as caused by the child's intellectual disabilities but also by other causes unrelated to the intellectual disabilities, as well as by aspects of the social environmental context. Some causes were viewed as stable and uncontrollable and others as unstable and controllable. In addition, parents showed a strong sense of responsibility for child behaviour. Parents of children with intellectual disabilities do not solely interpret their child's problematic behaviour through the intellectual disabilities but incorporate the environment and causes and attributions that are not related to the intellectual disabilities, which may help to promote more effective parenting. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Consumers Valuations and choice Processes of Food Safety Enhancement Attributes: An International Study of Beef Consumers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tonsor, G.T.; Schroeder, T.C.; Pennings, J.M.E.; Mintert, J.

2007-01-01

Abstract Food safety concerns have had dramatic impacts on food and livestock markets in recent years. Here we examine consumer preferences for various beef food safety assurances. In particular, we evaluate the extent to which such preferences are heterogeneous within and across

Use of a multi-attribute utility theory for evaluating the best coolant material in transmutation reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Dong Han; Han, Suk Joong; Kim, Do Hyung; Park, Won Suk

1998-12-01

In order to develop and design a good transmutation system, it is necessary first to select the best available coolant material for a reactor coolant system. Choosing the best coolant material may not be easy since there are several criteria associated with thermal performance, safety problem, cost problem, neutronic aspects. etc. The best option should be chosen based on the maximization of our needs in this situation. It is a challenging task. Decision theory can be employed to solve this type of problem. This report presents the feasibility study for evaluating the best coolant material in transmutation reactors based on the multi=attribute utility theory. The main problem presented here is how to logically evaluate candidate coolant materials under multiple criteria such as thermal performance, safety problem, cost problem, cost problem, neutronic aspects, etc. Since the current problem involves multiple criteria or attributes, first of all, the multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) such as SMART and AHP has been extensively reviewed. Then, many candidate coolant material for transmutation reactors have been identified. The next step is to construct a value tree that express to reflect the relative importance of the attributes for overall evaluation. Finally, given these assignments, the final goal were obtained by manipulating these ranks through the value tree. The proposed approach is intended to help people be rational and logical in making decisions such complex tasks. (author). 8 refs., 7 tabs., 22 figs

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY INTEGRATION IN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY POLICIES WITHIN B.R.D. - G.S.G. ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CODRUŢA DURA

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Corporate Social Responsibility can be an opportunity for integration and approach of issues related to Occupational Health and Safety, seen from a broader perspective than that of mere correlation with legislation. The present paper aims at analysing the way the growing interest, in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility, can contribute to improving the implementation of appropriate systems to prevent accidents at work within Romanian organisations. The case study that illustrates the good practices of BRD-Groupe Société Générale revealed the role of the instruments analysed as catalysts for improving the activity of occupational safety and health.

DISPELLING MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS TO IMPLEMENT A SAFETY CULTURE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Potts, T. Todd; Smith, Ken; Hylko, James M.

2003-02-27

Industrial accidents are typically reported in terms of technological malfunctions, ignoring the human element in accident causation. However, over two-thirds of all accidents are attributable to human and organizational factors (e.g., planning, written procedures, job factors, training, communication, and teamwork), thereby affecting risk perception, behavior and attitudes. This paper reviews the development of WESKEM, LLC's Environmental, Safety, and Health (ES&H) Program that addresses human and organizational factors from a top-down, bottom-up approach. This approach is derived from the Department of Energy's Integrated Safety Management System. As a result, dispelling common myths and misconceptions about safety, while empowering employees to ''STOP work'' if necessary, have contributed to reducing an unusually high number of vehicle, ergonomic and slip/trip/fall incidents successfully. Furthermore, the safety culture that has developed within WESKEM, LLC's workforce consists of three common characteristics: (1) all employees hold safety as a value; (2) each individual feels responsible for the safety of their co-workers as well as themselves; and (3) each individual is willing and able to ''go beyond the call of duty'' on behalf of the safety of others. WESKEM, LLC as a company, upholds the safety culture and continues to enhance its existing ES&H program by incorporating employee feedback and lessons learned collected from other high-stress industries, thereby protecting its most vital resource - the employees. The success of this program is evident by reduced accident and injury rates, as well as the number of safe work hours accrued while performing hands-on field activities. WESKEM, LLC (Paducah + Oak Ridge) achieved over 800,000 safe work hours through August 2002. WESKEM-Paducah has achieved over 665,000 safe work hours without a recordable injury or lost workday case since it started operations on

Potential improvement of CANDU NPP safety margins by shortening the response time of shutdown systems using FPGA based implementation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jingke She, E-mail: jshe2@uwo.ca [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B9 (Canada); Jin Jiang, E-mail: jjiang@eng.uwo.ca [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B9 (Canada)

2012-03-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quantitative analysis of the safety margin improvement through thermalhydraulic simulation and analysis. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Hardware-in-the-loop simulation of realizing the improvement by an FPGA-based SDS1. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Verification of potential operating power upgrade without endangering the plant safety. - Abstract: The relationship between the peak values of critical reactor variables, such as neutronic power, inside a CANDU reactor and the speed of the response of its shutdown system has been analyzed in the event of a large loss of coolant accident (LOCA). The advantage of shortening the response time of the shutdown action has been demonstrated in term of the improved safety margin. A field programmable gate array (FPGA) platform has been chosen to implement such a shutdown system. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations have been performed to demonstrate the feasibility of this concept. Furthermore, connections between the speed of response of the shutdown system and the nominal operating power level of the reactor have been drawn to support for potential power upgrade for existing power plants.

Aviation safety : FAA and DOD response to similar safety concerns

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

Report to the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of Transportation, and the Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense. : Safety of aircraft is a paramount concern in both civilian and military aviation. The Federal Aviation Administration...

Wheeled mobility device transportation safety in fixed route and demand-responsive public transit vehicles within the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Frost, Karen L; van Roosmalen, Linda; Bertocci, Gina; Cross, Douglas J

2012-01-01

An overview of the current status of wheelchair transportation safety in fixed route and demand-responsive, non-rail, public transportation vehicles within the US is presented. A description of each mode of transportation is provided, followed by a discussion of the primary issues affecting safety, accessibility, and usability. Technologies such as lifts, ramps, securement systems, and occupant restraint systems, along with regulations and voluntary industry standards have been implemented with the intent of improving safety and accessibility for individuals who travel while seated in their wheeled mobility device (e.g., wheelchair or scooter). However, across both fixed route and demand-responsive transit systems a myriad of factors such as nonuse and misuse of safety systems, oversized wheeled mobility devices, vehicle space constraints, and inadequate vehicle operator training may place wheeled mobility device (WhMD) users at risk of injury even under non-impact driving conditions. Since WhMD-related incidents also often occur during the boarding and alighting process, the frequency of these events, along with factors associated with these events are described for each transit mode. Recommendations for improving WhMD transportation are discussed given the current state of

Attribute And-Or Grammar for Joint Parsing of Human Pose, Parts and Attributes.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Seyoung; Nie, Xiaohan; Zhu, Song-Chun

2017-07-25

This paper presents an attribute and-or grammar (A-AOG) model for jointly inferring human body pose and human attributes in a parse graph with attributes augmented to nodes in the hierarchical representation. In contrast to other popular methods in the current literature that train separate classifiers for poses and individual attributes, our method explicitly represents the decomposition and articulation of body parts, and account for the correlations between poses and attributes. The A-AOG model is an amalgamation of three traditional grammar formulations: (i)Phrase structure grammar representing the hierarchical decomposition of the human body from whole to parts; (ii)Dependency grammar modeling the geometric articulation by a kinematic graph of the body pose; and (iii)Attribute grammar accounting for the compatibility relations between different parts in the hierarchy so that their appearances follow a consistent style. The parse graph outputs human detection, pose estimation, and attribute prediction simultaneously, which are intuitive and interpretable. We conduct experiments on two tasks on two datasets, and experimental results demonstrate the advantage of joint modeling in comparison with computing poses and attributes independently. Furthermore, our model obtains better performance over existing methods for both pose estimation and attribute prediction tasks.

Nuclear Safety: Our Overriding Priority. EDF Group Report 2015 in response to FTSE4Good Nuclear Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maillart, H.

2015-01-01

EDF is the world's leading nuclear operator with 74.8 GW of installed capacity in France, the United Kingdom and the United States, an EPR under construction in France, and 2 EPRs under construction in China through TNPJVC (EDF 30%), a joint venture with CGNPC. As such, EDF acts at all stages in the life of its power plants (design, construction, operation, decommissioning) to: - ensure rigorous operation of facilities; - prevent all incidents and accidents; - reduce the impact of any incidents or accidents that might nevertheless occur. The main safety measures were published in a single document in 2015 setting out the Group's nuclear safety policy. Each nuclear operating company inside the Group acts in compliance with the legal obligations and regulations specific to its host country. Each company works to ensure and continuously improve its safety performance with its own methods, skills and values. The EDF Group respects national differences. At the same time it frames common principles to deliver the highest level of incident prevention and protection of the public, workers and the environment. This policy applies to new projects (overall architecture, design and construction) and all existing plants (operation, maintenance, waste management, decommissioning and engineering). The Group works closely with its industrial partners to deliver these objectives. Each company is responsible for the proper operation of its nuclear activities, and delegates responsibilities appropriately to each level of management or operation. The Group guarantees the allocation of resources needed to ensure nuclear safety. An in-house independent nuclear safety function is in place at power plant level, company level and Group level. Each has a duty to alert senior management of inappropriate or inadequate line management response. Nuclear safety is the absolute priority for the EDF Group at every stage of the plant life-cycle. Each company is responsible for ensuring that its

Prevent recurrence of nuclear disaster (3). Agenda on nuclear safety from earthquake engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kameda, Hiroyuki; Takada, Tsuyoshi; Ebisawa, Katsumi; Nakamura, Susumu

2012-01-01

Based on results of activities of committee on seismic safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs) of Japan Association for Earthquake Engineering, which started activities after Chuetsu-oki earthquake and then experienced Great East Japan Earthquake, (under close collaboration with the committee of Atomic Energy Society of Japan started activities simultaneously), and taking account of further development of concept, agenda on nuclear safety were proposed from earthquake engineering. In order to prevent recurrence of nuclear disaster, individual technical issues of earthquake engineering and comprehensive issues of integration technology, multidisciplinary collaboration and establishment of technology governance based on them were of prime importance. This article described important problems to be solved; (1) technical issues and mission of seismic safety of NPPs, (2) decision making based on risk assessment - basis of technical governance, (3) framework of risk, design and regulation - framework of required technology governance, (4) technical issues of earthquake engineering for nuclear safety, (5) role of earthquake engineering in nuclear power risk communication and (6) importance of multidisciplinary collaboration. Responsibility of engineering would be attributed to establishment of technology governance, cultivation of individual technology and integration technology, and social communications. (T. Tanaka)

Social workers' attributions towards individuals with dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Araten-Bergman, T; Werner, S

2017-02-01

The present study aimed to explore the applicability of the attribution model to social workers' attributions towards clients with dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and psychiatric illness. Specifically, the study examined the relations between social workers' attribution of responsibility, causality, stereotypes of dangerousness, their emotional reactions and behavioural reactions towards clients with dual diagnosis. Social workers (N = 279) completed questionnaires measuring attributions of responsibility, causation and dangerousness, and reported on their emotional and behavioural reactions to clients diagnosed with DD. Most social workers reported high levels of helping behaviours. The strongest predictor of discriminatory behaviours was the stereotype of dangerousness. Social workers who reported feeling less anger and more pity towards clients with DD tended to report higher levels of helping behaviour. But contrary to attribution theory, fear and anger did not predict discriminatory behaviours. The results are discussed in relation to the core values of social work and to professional identity. © 2016 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Consumer Preferences for Hearing Aid Attributes

Science.gov (United States)

Lataille, Angela T.; Buttorff, Christine; White, Sharon; Niparko, John K.

2012-01-01

Low utilization of hearing aids has drawn increased attention to the study of consumer preferences using both simple ratings (e.g., Likert scale) and conjoint analyses, but these two approaches often produce inconsistent results. The study aims to directly compare Likert scales and conjoint analysis in identifying important attributes associated with hearing aids among those with hearing loss. Seven attributes of hearing aids were identified through qualitative research: performance in quiet settings, comfort, feedback, frequency of battery replacement, purchase price, water and sweat resistance, and performance in noisy settings. The preferences of 75 outpatients with hearing loss were measured with both a 5-point Likert scale and with 8 paired-comparison conjoint tasks (the latter being analyzed using OLS [ordinary least squares] and logistic regression). Results were compared by examining implied willingness-to-pay and Pearson’s Rho. A total of 56 respondents (75%) provided complete responses. Two thirds of respondents were male, most had sensorineural hearing loss, and most were older than 50; 44% of respondents had never used a hearing aid. Both methods identified improved performance in noisy settings as the most valued attribute. Respondents were twice as likely to buy a hearing aid with better functionality in noisy environments (p < .001), and willingness to pay for this attribute ranged from US$2674 on the Likert to US$9000 in the conjoint analysis. The authors find a high level of concordance between the methods—a result that is in stark contrast with previous research. The authors conclude that their result stems from constraining the levels on the Likert scale. PMID:22514094

Safety Culture Enhancement Project. Final Report. A Field Study on Approaches to Enhancement of Safety Culture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lowe, Andrew; Hayward, Brent (Dedale Asia Pacific, Albert Park VIC 3206 (Australia))

2006-08-15

This report documents a study with the objective of enhancing safety culture in the Swedish nuclear power industry. A primary objective of this study was to ensure that the latest thinking on human factors principles was being recognised and applied by nuclear power operators as a means of ensuring optimal safety performance. The initial phase of the project was conducted as a pilot study, involving the senior management group at one Swedish nuclear power-producing site. The pilot study enabled the project methodology to be validated after which it was repeated at other Swedish nuclear power industry sites, providing a broad-ranging analysis of opportunities across the industry to enhance safety culture. The introduction to this report contains an overview of safety culture, explains the background to the project and sets out the project rationale and objectives. The methodology used for understanding and analysing the important safety culture issues at each nuclear power site is then described. This section begins with a summary of the processes used in the information gathering and data analysis stage. The six components of the Management Workshops conducted at each site are then described. These workshops used a series of presentations, interactive events and group exercises to: (a) provide feedback to site managers on the safety culture and safety leadership issues identified at their site, and (b) stimulate further safety thinking and provide 'take-away' information and leadership strategies that could be applied to promote safety culture improvements. Section 3, project Findings, contains the main observations and output from the project. These include: - a brief overview of aspects of the local industry operating context that impinge on safety culture; - a summary of strengths or positive attributes observed within the safety culture of the Swedish nuclear industry; - a set of identified opportunities for further improvement; - the aggregated

Velocity, safety, or both? How do balance and strength of goal conflicts affect drivers' behaviour, feelings and physiological responses?

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt-Daffy, Martin; Brandenburg, Stefan; Beliavski, Alina

2013-06-01

Motivational models of driving behaviour agree that choice of speed is modulated by drivers' goals. Whilst it is accepted that some goals favour fast driving and others favour safe driving, little is known about the interplay of these conflicting goals. In the present study, two aspects of this interplay are investigated: the balance of conflict and the strength of conflict. Thirty-two participants completed several simulated driving runs in which fast driving was rewarded with a monetary gain if the end of the track was reached. However, unpredictably, some runs ended with the appearance of a deer. In these runs, fast driving was punished with a monetary loss. The ratio between the magnitudes of gains and losses varied in order to manipulate the balance of conflict. The absolute magnitudes of both gains and losses altered the strength of conflict. Participants drove slower, reported an increase in anxiety-related feelings, and showed indications of physiological arousal if there was more money at stake. In contrast, only marginal effects of varying the ratio between gains and losses were observed. Results confirm that the strength of a safety-velocity conflict is an important determinant of drivers' behaviour, feelings, and physiological responses. The lack of evidence for the balance of conflict playing a role suggests that in each condition, participants subjectively weighted the loss higher than the gain (loss aversion). It is concluded that the interplay of the subjective values that drivers attribute to objective incentives for fast and safe driving is a promising field for future research. Incorporating this knowledge into motivational theories of driving behaviour might improve their contribution to the design of adequate road safety measures. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Management System for Nuclear Installations Safety Guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

This Safety Guide is applicable throughout the lifetime of a nuclear installation, including any subsequent period of institutional control, until there is no significant residual radiation hazard. For a nuclear installation, the lifetime includes site evaluation, design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning. These stages in the lifetime of a nuclear installation may overlap. This Safety Guide may be applied to nuclear installations in the following ways: (a)To support the development, implementation, assessment and improvement of the management system of those organizations responsible for research, site evaluation, design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning of a nuclear installation; (b)As an aid in the assessment by the regulatory body of the adequacy of the management system of a nuclear installation; (c)To assist an organization in specifying to a supplier, via contractual documentation, any specific element that should be included within the supplier's management system for the supply of products. This Safety Guide follows the structure of the Safety Requirements publication on The Management System for Facilities and Activities, whereby: (a)Section 2 provides recommendations on implementing the management system, including recommendations relating to safety culture, grading and documentation. (b)Section 3 provides recommendations on the responsibilities of senior management for the development and implementation of an effective management system. (c)Section 4 provides recommendations on resource management, including guidance on human resources, infrastructure and the working environment. (d)Section 5 provides recommendations on how the processes of the installation can be specified and developed, including recommendations on some generic processes of the management system. (e)Section 6 provides recommendations on the measurement, assessment and improvement of the management system of a nuclear installation. (f

Children’s moral emotion attribution in the happy victimizer task: the role of response format

OpenAIRE

Gummerum, Michaela; López Pérez, Belén; Ambrona, Tamara; Rodríguez-Cano, Sonia; Dellaria, Giulia; Smith, Gary; Wilson, Ellie

2016-01-01

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in The Journal of Genetic Psychology on 2016 available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/00221325.2015.1103694 Previous research in the happy victimizer tradition indicated that preschool and early elementary school children attribute positive emotions to the violator of a moral norm, whereas older children attribute negative (moral) emotions. Cognitive and motivational processes have been suggested t...

Continent-scale global change attribution in European birds - combining annual and decadal time scales

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Peter Søgaard; Böhning-Gaese, Katrin; Thorup, Kasper

2016-01-01

foundation for attributing species responses to global change may be achieved by complementing an attributes-based approach by one estimating the relationship between repeated measures of organismal and environmental changes over short time scales. To assess the benefit of this multiscale perspective, we...... on or in the peak of the breeding season with the largest effect sizes observed in cooler parts of species' climatic ranges. Our results document the potential of combining time scales and integrating both species attributes and environmental variables for global change attribution. We suggest such an approach......Species attributes are commonly used to infer impacts of environmental change on multiyear species trends, e.g. decadal changes in population size. However, by themselves attributes are of limited value in global change attribution since they do not measure the changing environment. A broader...

Attribution and reciprocity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sebald, Alexander Christopher

2010-01-01

, in turn, influence behavior. Dufwenberg and Kirchsteiger [Dufwenberg, M., Kirchsteiger, G., 2004. A theory of sequential reciprocity. Games Econ. Behav. 47 (2), 268-298] formalize this empirical finding in their ‘theory of sequential reciprocity'. This paper extends their analysis by moves of chance. More...... precisely, an extended framework is presented which allows for the analysis of strategic interactions of reciprocal agents in situations in which material outcomes also depend on chance. Moves of chance influence the attribution of responsibilities, people's perceptions about the (un)kindness of others and......, hence, their reciprocal behavior. Furthermore, with the help of two applications it is demonstrated how this framework can be used to explain experimental findings showing that people react very differently in outcomewise-identical situations depending on the moves of chance involved....

Responsibility and climate change

OpenAIRE

Jamieson, Dale

2015-01-01

Ibegin by providing some background to conceptions of responsibility. I note the extent of disagreement in this area, the diverse and cross-cutting distinctions that are deployed, and the relative neglect of some important problems. These facts make it difficult to attribute responsibility for climate change, but so do some features of climate change itself which I go on to illuminate. Attributions of responsibility are often contested sites because such attributions are fundamentally pragmat...

Scientific Uncertainties in Climate Change Detection and Attribution Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Santer, B. D.

2017-12-01

It has been claimed that the treatment and discussion of key uncertainties in climate science is "confined to hushed sidebar conversations at scientific conferences". This claim is demonstrably incorrect. Climate change detection and attribution studies routinely consider key uncertainties in observational climate data, as well as uncertainties in model-based estimates of natural variability and the "fingerprints" in response to different external forcings. The goal is to determine whether such uncertainties preclude robust identification of a human-caused climate change fingerprint. It is also routine to investigate the impact of applying different fingerprint identification strategies, and to assess how detection and attribution results are impacted by differences in the ability of current models to capture important aspects of present-day climate. The exploration of the uncertainties mentioned above will be illustrated using examples from detection and attribution studies with atmospheric temperature and moisture.

Safety, security, hygiene and privacy in migrant farmworker housing.

Science.gov (United States)

Arcury, Thomas A; Weir, Maria M; Summers, Phillip; Chen, Haiying; Bailey, Melissa; Wiggins, Melinda F; Bischoff, Werner E; Quandt, Sara A

2012-01-01

Safety, security, hygiene, and privacy in migrant farmworker housing have not previously been documented, yet these attributes are important for farmworker quality of life and dignity. This analysis describes the safety, security, hygiene, and privacy of migrant farmworker housing and delineates camp characteristics that are associated with these attributes, using data collected in 183 eastern North Carolina migrant farmworker camps in 2010. Migrant farmworker housing is deficient. For example, 73.8 percent of housing had structural damage and 52.7 percent had indoor temperatures that were not safe. Farmworkers in 83.5 percent of the housing reported that they did not feel they or their possessions were secure. Bathing or toileting privacy was absent in 46.2 percent of the housing. Camps with residents having H-2A visas or North Carolina Department of Labor certificates of inspection posted had better safety, security, and hygiene. Regulations addressing the quality of migrant farmworker housing are needed.

Rights, responsibilities and (re)presentation: Using drawings to convey health and safety messages among immigrant workers.

Science.gov (United States)

McKillop, Chris; Parsons, Janet A; Brown, Janet; Scott, Susan; Holness, D Linn

2016-09-27

Immigrant workers who are new to Canada are considered a vulnerable population under the Ontario Ministry of Labour Prevention Strategy for workplace safety. Posters outlining workplace safety rights and responsibilities may not be understandable to new immigrants. To explore visual approaches to making health and safety messages more understandable to new immigrants. This pilot study used arts-based qualitative research methods. Key messages from the Ministry of Labour Health & Safety at Work poster were (re)represented as images by an artist. Recent immigrants engaged in individual interviews and then took part in a focus group, in order to elicit their experiences of health and safety practices, their understanding and feedback concerning the Ministry poster, and the images created. An image-rich version of the poster was developed. The combination of drawings and minimal text was preferred and considered helpful by participants. Barriers to health and safety and work challenges for new immigrants were highlighted. Visual analysis yielded new versions of the poster, as well as a pictorial representation of the research process and study findings. The study demonstrates the value of using image-rich posters with immigrant workers, and the effectiveness of using arts-based methods within the research process.

Management response plan for the Chemical Safety Vulnerability Working Group report. Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

The Chemical Safety Vulnerability (CSV) Working Group was established to identify adverse conditions involving hazardous chemicals at DOE facilities that might result in fires or explosions, release of hazardous chemicals to the environment, or exposure of workers or the public to chemicals. A CSV Review was conducted in 146 facilities at 29 sites. Eight generic vulnerabilities were documented related to: abandoned chemicals and chemical residuals; past chemical spills and ground releases; characterization of legacy chemicals and wastes; disposition of legacy chemicals; storage facilities and conditions; condition of facilities and support systems; unanalyzed and unaddressed hazards; and inventory control and tracking. Weaknesses in five programmatic areas were also identified related to: management commitment and planning; chemical safety management programs; aging facilities that continue to operate; nonoperating facilities awaiting deactivation; and resource allocations. Volume 1 contains a discussion of the chemical safety improvements planned or already underway at DOE sites to correct facility or site-specific vulnerabilities. The main part of the report is a discussion of each of the programmatic deficiencies; a description of the tasks to be accomplished; the specific actions to be taken; and the organizational responsibilities for implementation

MICROBIOLOGICAL SAFETY BIBLIOGRAPHY

Science.gov (United States)

More than a thousand articles on biological safety in infectious disease laboratories are listed for the use of supervisors responsible for the safety of laboratory personnel. An author index is included.

Cryogenic safety organisation at CERN

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2016-01-01

With Safety being a top priority of CERN’s general policy, the Organisation defines and implements a Policy that sets out the general principles governing Safety at CERN. To the end of the attainment of said Safety objectives, the organic units (owners/users of the equipment) are assigned the responsibility for the implementation of the CERN Safety Policy at all levels of the organization, whereas the Health and Safety and Environmental Protection Unit (HSE) has the role of providing assistance for the implementation of the Safety Policy, and a monitoring role related to the implementation of continuous improvement of Safety, compliance with the Safety Rules and the handling of emergency situations. This talk will elaborate on the roles, responsibilities and organisational structure of the different stakeholders within the Organization with regards to Safety, and in particular to cryogenic safety. The roles of actors of particular importance such as the Cryogenic Safety Officers (CSOs) and the Cryogenic Sa...

Nurses Opinion on the Attributes of Polypharmacy in Patient Safety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fathi Mohamed Mohamed

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Nurses play a functional role in preventing drug related problems. They need to be aware of the dangers of polypharmacy while reviewing patient medications. We studied the nurses' opinion on the diverse effects of polypharmacy in the hospital setting. Nurses working in a tertiary care teaching hospital participated in this cross-sectional study, conducted over 3 months, by responding to a self-administered questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to analyze association between socio-demographic characteristics and items in the study. A value of P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Increased drug interactions scored the highest (98.1%, followed by increased adverse drug effects (81.9%, and increase in financial burden (69.5% among the negative effects of polypharmacy. 61% of the respondents felt that polypharmacy increased therapeutic effect in polypathology. No difference was observed in the opinion between male and female nurses or among varying nursing experience. Nurses with 5-10 years of experience opined increase in non-compliance to prescribed medication regimen and increase in financial burden also as negative attributes. Nurses pointed out both positive and negative implications of polypharmacy. Training programs such as continuing nursing education and workshops can be planned to translate this knowledge into practice in their routine nursing practice.

14 CFR 1274.934 - Safety.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Safety. 1274.934 Section 1274.934... FIRMS Other Provisions and Special Conditions § 1274.934 Safety. Safety July 2002 NASA's safety priority... shall act responsibly in matters of safety and shall take all reasonable safety measures in performing...

Reviewing industrial safety in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-02-01

This document contains guidance and reference materials for Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) experts, in addition to the OSART Guidelines (TECDOC-449), for use in the review of industrial safety activities at nuclear power plants. It sets out objectives for an excellent industrial safety programme, and suggests investigations which should be made in evaluating industrial safety programmes. The attributes of an excellent industrial safety programme are listed as examples for comparison. Practical hints for reviewing industrial safety are discussed, so that the necessary information can be obtained effectively through a review of documents and records, discussions with counterparts, and field observations. There are several annexes. These deal with major features of industrial safety programmes such as safety committees, reporting and investigation systems and first aid and medical facilities. They include some examples which are considered commendable. The document should be taken into account not only when reviewing management, organization and administration but also in the review of related areas, such as maintenance and operations, so that all aspects of industrial safety in an operating nuclear power plant are covered

Better Science Through Safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerlovich, Jack A.; Downs, Gary E.

Following a brief description of the major components found effective in school safety programs (safety management, education, and services) and data on school accidents in Iowa, this book addresses various aspects of safety related to science instruction, emphasizing that responsibility for safety must be shared by both teacher and students.…

Safety Culture as a Pillar of Defense-in-Depth Implementation at the Experimental Fuel Element Installation, Batan Indonesia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hardiyanti, H.; Herutomo, B.; Suryaman, G.K., E-mail: hrdyanti@batan.go.id [Center for Nuclear Fuel Technology – National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) Tangerang (Indonesia)

2014-10-15

Defence-in-depth (DID) needs to be implemented not only in a nuclear power plant, but also in a non-reactor nuclear facility. The application of safety culture in a nuclear facility is one way of DID implementation. Safety culture aims at the performance of safe works, the prevention of deviation, and the accomplishment of quality operation. It is in accordance with the first level of DID concept which is the prevention of abnormal operation and failures that is done through conservative design and high quality in construction and operation. Experimental Fuel Element Installation (EFEI) is a nonreactor nuclear facility that belongs to BATAN (the National Nuclear Energy Agency of the Republic of Indonesia) that functions as its research and development facility on power reactor fuel production. The objective of safety culture implementation in the EFEI is to encourage workers to have a stronger sense of responsibility on safety and to contribute actively for its development. The enhancement of safety culture in the EFEI refers to the attributes of a strong safety culture listed in the IAEA Safety Standard Series No.GS-G-3.5 (The Management System for Nuclear Installations Safety Guide). The strategies performed were: a) Internalization of safety values through activities such as briefings, “coffee morning”, visual management, workshops, and training; b) Enhancement of leadership effectiveness through activities such as senior management visits, safety leadership training, and personnel qualification training; c) Integration of safety into all work processes through activities such as setting up HIRADC (hazard identification, risk assessment, and determining controls) documents, setting up WHA (workplace hazard assessment), and routine housekeeping; d) Learning about safety through activities such as occupational health and safety inspections, safety self-assessments, open reporting on safety incidents, and participation in the FINAS (fuel incident notification

Worldwide incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma cases attributable to major risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Baecker, Aileen; Liu, Xing; La Vecchia, Carlo; Zhang, Zuo-Feng

2018-05-01

To facilitate regionally specific liver cancer prevention and control, this study estimates the fraction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases attributable to five major liver cancer risk factors by geographic region. Prevalence estimates of major HCC risk factors, including chronic infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C, alcohol drinking, tobacco smoking, obesity, and diabetes, were extracted for each country from the literature, along with recent incidence and risk estimate data, to calculate regionally specific population attributable fractions. Overall, 44% of HCC cases worldwide were attributable to chronic hepatitis B infection, with the majority of cases occurring in Asia. Hepatitis C was responsible for 21% of cases. Lifestyle risk factors such as alcohol drinking and obesity were responsible for a larger percentage of cases in North America and Western, Central, and Eastern Europe. In addition, strong sex disparities were observed when looking at lifestyle risk factors, particularly tobacco smoking, in Asia and Africa. Prominent risk factors for HCC vary depending on the region. Our findings provide useful data for developing regionally specific guidelines for liver cancer prevention and control worldwide.

Process value of care safety: women's willingness to pay for perinatal services.

Science.gov (United States)

Anezaki, Hisataka; Hashimoto, Hideki

2017-08-01

To evaluate the process value of care safety from the patient's view in perinatal services. Cross-sectional survey. Fifty two sites of mandated public neonatal health checkup in 6 urban cities in West Japan. Mothers who attended neonatal health checkups for their babies in 2011 (n = 1316, response rate = 27.4%). Willingness to pay (WTP) for physician-attended care compared with midwife care as the process-related value of care safety. WTP was estimated using conjoint analysis based on the participants' choice over possible alternatives that were randomly assigned from among eight scenarios considering attributes such as professional attendance, amenities, painless delivery, caesarean section rate, travel time and price. The WTP for physician-attended care over midwife care was estimated 1283 USD. Women who had experienced complications in prior deliveries had a 1.5 times larger WTP. We empirically evaluated the process value for safety practice in perinatal care that was larger than a previously reported accounting-based value. Our results indicate that measurement of process value from the patient's view is informative for the evaluation of safety care, and that it is sensitive to individual risk perception for the care process. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care.

Trends in food safety standards and regulation implications for developing countries

OpenAIRE

Caswell, Julie A.

2003-01-01

"Food safety is affected by the decisions of producers, processors, distributors, food service operators, and consumers, as well as by government regulations. In developed countries, the demand for higher levels of food safety has led to the implementation of regulatory programs that address more types of safety-related attributes (such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), microbial pathogens, environmental contaminants, and animal drug and pesticide residues) and impose stricter standa...

Safety handbook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The purpose of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization's Safety Handbook is to outline simply the fundamental procedures and safety precautions which provide an appropriate framework for safe working with any potential hazards, such as fire and explosion, welding, cutting, brazing and soldering, compressed gases, cryogenic liquids, chemicals, ionizing radiations, non-ionising radiations, sound and vibration, as well as safety in the office. It also specifies the organisation for safety at the Lucas Heights Research Laboratories and the responsibilities of individuals and committees. It also defines the procedures for the scrutiny and review of all operations and the resultant setting of safety rules for them. ills

Criteria for Use in Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. General Safety Guide (Spanish Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This Safety Guide presents a coherent set of generic criteria (expressed numerically in terms of radiation dose) that form a basis for developing the operational levels needed for decision making concerning protective and response actions. The set of generic criteria addresses the requirements established in IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GS-R-2 for emergency preparedness and response, including lessons learned from responses to past emergencies, and provides an internally consistent foundation for the application of radiation protection. The publication also proposes a basis for a plain language explanation of the criteria for the public and for public officials. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Basic considerations; 3. Framework for emergency response criteria; 4. Guidance values for emergency workers; 5. Operational criteria; Appendix I: Dose concepts and dosimetric quantities; Appendix II: Examples of default oils for deposition, individual monitoring and contamination of food, milk and water; Appendix III: Development of EALs and example EALs for light water reactors; Appendix IV: Observables at the scene of a nuclear or radiological emergency

Criteria for Use in Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. General Safety Guide (Russian Ed.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

This Safety Guide presents a coherent set of generic criteria (expressed numerically in terms of radiation dose) that form a basis for developing the operational levels needed for decision making concerning protective and response actions. The set of generic criteria addresses the requirements established in IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GS-R-2 for emergency preparedness and response, including lessons learned from responses to past emergencies, and provides an internally consistent foundation for the application of radiation protection. The publication also proposes a basis for a plain language explanation of the criteria for the public and for public officials. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Basic considerations; 3. Framework for emergency response criteria; 4. Guidance values for emergency workers; 5. Operational criteria; Appendix I: Dose concepts and dosimetric quantities; Appendix II: Examples of default oils for deposition, individual monitoring and contamination of food, milk and water; Appendix III: Development of EALs and example EALs for light water reactors; Appendix IV: Observables at the scene of a nuclear or radiological emergency.

Criteria for Use in Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. General Safety Guide (Arabic Edition)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-11-01

This Safety Guide presents a coherent set of generic criteria (expressed numerically in terms of radiation dose) that form a basis for developing the operational levels needed for decision making concerning protective and response actions. The set of generic criteria addresses the requirements established in IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GS-R-2 for emergency preparedness and response, including lessons learned from responses to past emergencies, and provides an internally consistent foundation for the application of principles of radiation protection. The publication also provides a basis for a plain language explanation of the criteria for the public and for public officials. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Basic considerations; 3. Framework for emergency response criteria; 4. Guidance values for emergency workers; 5. Operational criteria; Appendix I: Dose concepts and dosimetric quantities; Appendix II: Examples of default OILs for deposition, individual contamination and contamination of food, milk and water; Appendix III: Development of EALs and example EALs for light water reactors; Appendix IV: Observables on the scene of a radiological emergency.

A keyword searchable attribute-based encryption scheme with attribute update for cloud storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shangping; Ye, Jian; Zhang, Yaling

2018-01-01

Ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) scheme is a new type of data encryption primitive, which is very suitable for data cloud storage for its fine-grained access control. Keyword-based searchable encryption scheme enables users to quickly find interesting data stored in the cloud server without revealing any information of the searched keywords. In this work, we provide a keyword searchable attribute-based encryption scheme with attribute update for cloud storage, which is a combination of attribute-based encryption scheme and keyword searchable encryption scheme. The new scheme supports the user's attribute update, especially in our new scheme when a user's attribute need to be updated, only the user's secret key related with the attribute need to be updated, while other user's secret key and the ciphertexts related with this attribute need not to be updated with the help of the cloud server. In addition, we outsource the operation with high computation cost to cloud server to reduce the user's computational burden. Moreover, our scheme is proven to be semantic security against chosen ciphertext-policy and chosen plaintext attack in the general bilinear group model. And our scheme is also proven to be semantic security against chosen keyword attack under bilinear Diffie-Hellman (BDH) assumption.

OECD-NEA’s New Approach to Human Aspects of Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hah, Y.

2016-01-01

Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2011 in Japan has brought us new challenge to deal with “human” aspects of nuclear safety which have always been crucial elements of safety, but which often receive less attention than technical and equipment issues. The key factors that led to the accident were not only a huge tsunami following a massive earthquake, but also a variety of human failures: organizational decision-making, safety culture of the plant staff and the regulator, training to assure that operators are well prepared for a wide range of possible challenges. In order to fully understand and respond to the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident, the OECD-NEA created a new Division of Human Aspects of Nuclear Safety (HANS) which is focusing on the human issues related to nuclear safety. The Division of HANS is responsible for supporting the relevant work programmes of the NEA; fostering greater focus and building expertise in areas vital to effective nuclear safety such as safety culture, personnel training policies and practices; and safety-related public communication and stakeholder engagement. In 2014, NEA produced the Green Booklet on the Characteristics of an Effective Nuclear Regulator noting that the characteristic of “safety focus and safety culture” was one of the four fundamental principles from which all regulatory body actions should be derived. Based on this understanding, in 2015, NEA published the follow up Green Booklet, Safety Culture of an Effective Nuclear Regulatory Body, providing main principles and attributes to be benchmarked for the regulatory bodies to encourage them to enhance their effectiveness as they fulfil their mission to protect public health and safety. Many challenges exist to regulatory bodies’ safety culture which must be recognised, understood and overcome. Continuing collective efforts could help turn these challenges into opportunities to further strengthen the overall health of the safety culture of regulatory

Governmental, Legal and Regulatory Framework for Safety. General Safety Requirements. Part 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-09-15

The objective of this publication is to establish requirements in respect of the governmental, legal and regulatory framework for safety. It covers the essential aspects of the framework for establishing a regulatory body and taking other actions necessary to ensure the effective regulatory control of facilities and activities utilized for peaceful purposes. Other responsibilities and functions, such as liaison within the global safety regime and on support services for safety (including radiation protection), emergency preparedness and response, nuclear security, and the State system of accounting for and control of nuclear material, are also covered.

The responsible for the radiological safety in the industry. Between the environment work and the technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Truppa, Walter Adrian

2005-01-01

Within the industrial applications of sealed radioactive sources, there are two clearly defined branches for which these materials are used: radioactive sources used in fixed and mobile equipment. These devices are used in a myriad of applications and each time with more technological advanced systems. This requires a permanent improvement on the training of the responsible, and introduces a mandatory exchange to other groups of intervention during the useful life of the device. Accident risks during the use of the equipment, although its rate of occurrence is low, are related to mistakes during operation, improper use, maintenance performed by staff without knowledge, human failures or oversights and incidents occurring during transport. All these risks are surrounded by different groups of factors that influence during the safe use of radioactive material within the installation. So, it is evidenced the importance of implementing aspects of the 'Safety Culture' and evaluations of suitability of the person responsible for radiation safety. In this paper we will refer to all the concepts that surround the election of the head of radioactive material, the factors involved during the operation, their training, the obligations of the installation, and responsible for environment and the technology

76 FR 42686 - DOE Response to Recommendation 2011-1 of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Safety...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-19

... examples of a failed safety culture.'' The Department disagrees with this categorization and believes the... Safety Board, Safety Culture at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant AGENCY: Department of Energy... Recommendation 2011-1, concerning Safety Culture at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, to the...

Nuclear safety in Slovak Republic. Regulatory aspects of NPP nuclear safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipar, M.

1999-01-01

Regulatory Authority (UJD) is appointed by the Slovak Republic National Council as an Executive Authority for nuclear safety supervision. Nuclear safety legislation, organisation and resources of UJD, its role and responsibilities are described together with its inspection and licensing functions and International cooperation concerning improvements of safety effectiveness. Achievements of UJD are listed in detail

Promotion of good safety culture at a Canadian HWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curle, B.

1996-01-01

People work at a nuclear plant within a structured environment. It is the programs, procedures and other ''tools'' that are used in the workplace that actually guide behaviours, and behaviours then guide performance. The safety culture in the workplace is ''the way we do things around here''. This culture is created by structures, behaviours and performance, and is characterized by three attributes: A questioning attitude; a rigorous and prudent approach; open 2-way communication. This paper discusses a model of safety culture which puts the operating experience or learning cycle program at the heart of the endeavor. This cycle also consists of three elements: Observation; reporting; learning. It is more of a theoretical paper than a report of success at this stage. However, the ideas presented are being used to design and implement a strong safety culture at Ontario Hydro's Darlington Nuclear Station (4 x 932 Mwe CANDU units), and are beginning to show results. Programs designed for excellence in human performance have to provide clear simple structure, and draw people into alignment with the required behaviours. By making the structural elements and the alignment activities explicit an attempt can be made to ''design'' programs that will create and reinforce the required safety culture. The paper places the learning cycle at the heart of safety culture because the cycle aligns with the three attributes of safety culture. If an organization cannot learn from experience (i.e. change behaviours based on experience) it is doubtful whether it can build a strong safety culture. 2 refs

Promotion of good safety culture at a Canadian HWR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Curle, B [Darlington NPP (Canada)

1997-12-31

People work at a nuclear plant within a structured environment. It is the programs, procedures and other ``tools`` that are used in the workplace that actually guide behaviours, and behaviours then guide performance. The safety culture in the workplace is ``the way we do things around here``. This culture is created by structures, behaviours and performance, and is characterized by three attributes: A questioning attitude; a rigorous and prudent approach; open 2-way communication. This paper discusses a model of safety culture which puts the operating experience or learning cycle program at the heart of the endeavor. This cycle also consists of three elements: Observation; reporting; learning. It is more of a theoretical paper than a report of success at this stage. However, the ideas presented are being used to design and implement a strong safety culture at Ontario Hydro`s Darlington Nuclear Station (4 x 932 Mwe CANDU units), and are beginning to show results. Programs designed for excellence in human performance have to provide clear simple structure, and draw people into alignment with the required behaviours. By making the structural elements and the alignment activities explicit an attempt can be made to ``design`` programs that will create and reinforce the required safety culture. The paper places the learning cycle at the heart of safety culture because the cycle aligns with the three attributes of safety culture. If an organization cannot learn from experience (i.e. change behaviours based on experience) it is doubtful whether it can build a strong safety culture. 2 refs.

Responsible management for Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) in uranium mining and processing, starting from public support

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saint-Pierre, S.

2014-01-01

Seeking, gaining and maintaining public support is inherent to mining and to responsible management in this sector. In particular, it holds special relevance for remote mining sites for which the buy in from the regional and local workforce and populations is a necessity all along the life span of a mining project from exploration to development, commissioning, operation, closure and restoration. This paper briefly highlights some key features to be accounted for nowadays for the successful development, shaping and implementation of mining projects with a view to improve public support. It is essential to address responsible management for health, safety and environment (HSE) in uranium mining and processing through key program elements such as policy; baseline; operational preparation for implementation; monitoring, reporting, review and continued improvements; as well as some insights on site closure and restoration. In particular, examples illustrate how these program elements are implemented in practice in uranium mining and processing. Some emphasis is put on radiation safety as responsible management for the other HSE dimensions tends to be analogous for all mines and mineral processing sites. (author)

Strictness Analysis for Attribute Grammars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosendahl, Mads

1992-01-01

interpretation of attribute grammars. The framework is used to construct a strictness analysis for attribute grammars. Results of the analysis enable us to transform an attribute grammar such that attributes are evaluated during parsing, if possible. The analysis is proved correct by relating it to a fixpoint...... semantics for attribute grammars. An implementation of the analysis is discussed and some extensions to the analysis are mentioned....

'Present nuclear emergency responses in India: tracing requirements and guidelines suggested after Fukushima accident in regards to public and plant safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jawale, Priyanka M.

2014-01-01

In this poster the primary initiative is to educate the public at large and instill confidence about the present Emergency Response Systems of DAE and the imminent agencies in India. Poster attempts to analyse present regulatory and safety systems, mechanisms like plant and site emergency response plans are in place to handle radiation emergencies and how public will not be affected in any manner. In India also we needed some supplementary provisions to cope up with major disasters in Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) apart from the existing one. Some of the NPPs are not under the UN safeguards, which can not import Uranium also need extra care and protection. Regulatory and safety functions of Atomic Energy in India are carried out by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board), the poster attempts to explain the present regulatory and safety mechanism under Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. We have the plant and site emergency response plans in place. The well planned functioning of these is demonstrated here. India is equipped with detail plans of emergency response system, to handle the radiation emergencies in public domain even at the locations where DAE facility is not available

Attributional style and depressive symptoms in a male prison sample

Science.gov (United States)

O’Sullivan, Danny J.; O’Sullivan, Maura E.; O’Connell, Brendan D.; O’Reilly, Ken; Sarma, Kiran M.

2018-01-01

The reformulated learned helplessness model proposes that people who tend to make internal, stable, and global attributions in response to uncontrollable aversive events are more likely to develop depression. The present study sought to investigate the nature of the relationship between attributional style and depression in a male prison sample. One hundred and one adult male prisoners from four medium security prisons in Ireland completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire and measures of depression (BDI-II) and anxiety (BAI). Severity of self-reported depressive symptoms in the present sample was comparable to other prison and clinical samples, but higher than community samples. Participants were more severely affected by depressive symptoms than anxiety. The original attributional dimensions (i.e. internal, stable, and global) predicted a significant amount of variance in depression, but the model was not significant after controlling for anxiety. A subsequent regression model, comprising attributional dimensions for both negative events and positive events including a measure of ‘uncontrollability’, accounted for 35% of the variance in depression and the model retained significance while controlling for anxiety. An attributional model of depression may be relevant to the prison population and could provide a valid insight into the development and treatment of depressive symptoms in prisoners. The findings are interpreted in relation to previous research and implications for theory, clinical practice, and rehabilitation are discussed. PMID:29444084

Attributional style and depressive symptoms in a male prison sample.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danny J O'Sullivan

Full Text Available The reformulated learned helplessness model proposes that people who tend to make internal, stable, and global attributions in response to uncontrollable aversive events are more likely to develop depression. The present study sought to investigate the nature of the relationship between attributional style and depression in a male prison sample. One hundred and one adult male prisoners from four medium security prisons in Ireland completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire and measures of depression (BDI-II and anxiety (BAI. Severity of self-reported depressive symptoms in the present sample was comparable to other prison and clinical samples, but higher than community samples. Participants were more severely affected by depressive symptoms than anxiety. The original attributional dimensions (i.e. internal, stable, and global predicted a significant amount of variance in depression, but the model was not significant after controlling for anxiety. A subsequent regression model, comprising attributional dimensions for both negative events and positive events including a measure of 'uncontrollability', accounted for 35% of the variance in depression and the model retained significance while controlling for anxiety. An attributional model of depression may be relevant to the prison population and could provide a valid insight into the development and treatment of depressive symptoms in prisoners. The findings are interpreted in relation to previous research and implications for theory, clinical practice, and rehabilitation are discussed.

Attributional style and depressive symptoms in a male prison sample.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Sullivan, Danny J; O'Sullivan, Maura E; O'Connell, Brendan D; O'Reilly, Ken; Sarma, Kiran M

2018-01-01

The reformulated learned helplessness model proposes that people who tend to make internal, stable, and global attributions in response to uncontrollable aversive events are more likely to develop depression. The present study sought to investigate the nature of the relationship between attributional style and depression in a male prison sample. One hundred and one adult male prisoners from four medium security prisons in Ireland completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire and measures of depression (BDI-II) and anxiety (BAI). Severity of self-reported depressive symptoms in the present sample was comparable to other prison and clinical samples, but higher than community samples. Participants were more severely affected by depressive symptoms than anxiety. The original attributional dimensions (i.e. internal, stable, and global) predicted a significant amount of variance in depression, but the model was not significant after controlling for anxiety. A subsequent regression model, comprising attributional dimensions for both negative events and positive events including a measure of 'uncontrollability', accounted for 35% of the variance in depression and the model retained significance while controlling for anxiety. An attributional model of depression may be relevant to the prison population and could provide a valid insight into the development and treatment of depressive symptoms in prisoners. The findings are interpreted in relation to previous research and implications for theory, clinical practice, and rehabilitation are discussed.

Planning and preparing for emergency response to transport accidents involving radioactive material. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The objective of this Safety Guide is to provide guidance to the public authorities and others (including consignors, carriers and emergency response authorities) who are responsible for developing and establishing emergency arrangements for dealing effectively and safely with transport accidents involving radioactive material. It may assist those concerned with establishing the capability to respond to such transport emergencies. It provides guidance for those Member States whose involvement with radioactive material is just beginning. It also provides guidance for those Member States that have already developed their radioactive material industries and the attendant emergency plans but that may need to review and improve these plans

Safety Culture Enhancement Project. Final Report. A Field Study on Approaches to Enhancement of Safety Culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, Andrew; Hayward, Brent

2006-08-01

This report documents a study with the objective of enhancing safety culture in the Swedish nuclear power industry. A primary objective of this study was to ensure that the latest thinking on human factors principles was being recognised and applied by nuclear power operators as a means of ensuring optimal safety performance. The initial phase of the project was conducted as a pilot study, involving the senior management group at one Swedish nuclear power-producing site. The pilot study enabled the project methodology to be validated after which it was repeated at other Swedish nuclear power industry sites, providing a broad-ranging analysis of opportunities across the industry to enhance safety culture. The introduction to this report contains an overview of safety culture, explains the background to the project and sets out the project rationale and objectives. The methodology used for understanding and analysing the important safety culture issues at each nuclear power site is then described. This section begins with a summary of the processes used in the information gathering and data analysis stage. The six components of the Management Workshops conducted at each site are then described. These workshops used a series of presentations, interactive events and group exercises to: (a) provide feedback to site managers on the safety culture and safety leadership issues identified at their site, and (b) stimulate further safety thinking and provide 'take-away' information and leadership strategies that could be applied to promote safety culture improvements. Section 3, project Findings, contains the main observations and output from the project. These include: - a brief overview of aspects of the local industry operating context that impinge on safety culture; - a summary of strengths or positive attributes observed within the safety culture of the Swedish nuclear industry; - a set of identified opportunities for further improvement; - the aggregated results of the

Dynamic responses of connections in road safety barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayton, D.A.F.; Long, R.; Fourlaris, G.

2009-01-01

Bolted road safety barrier connections utilise slotted holes that are perpendicular to the direction of the safety barrier beam. Due to the clearance between the slotted holes and the bolts, a varying amount of slippage is seen before contact with the edge of the slot is made. The stiffness characteristics of bolted road safety barrier connections have been examined with a representative test coupon that incorporates a full size safety barrier connection slot to industry standard dimensions. Previous research work has successfully determined the stiffness characteristics of the bolted connections at quasi-static strain rates. Representative non-linear finite element models of the bolted test coupons have been constructed. When compared to the laboratory results the initial stiffness, maximum force and displacement of the bolted connections are similar to the finite element model predictions. Current investigations have moved onto strain rates comparable to those observed in actual vehicle crash tests. Explicit dynamic finite element (FE) models have been constructed and validated, using experimental data produced using a series of high strain rate laboratory tests for a number of bolt configurations

The attribute measurement technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacArthur, Duncan W.; Langner, Diana; Smith, Morag; Thron, Jonathan; Razinkov, Sergey; Livke, Alexander

2010-01-01

Any verification measurement performed on potentially classified nuclear material must satisfy two seemingly contradictory constraints. First and foremost, no classified information can be released. At the same time, the monitoring party must have confidence in the veracity of the measurement. An information barrier (IB) is included in the measurement system to protect the potentially classified information while allowing sufficient information transfer to occur for the monitoring party to gain confidence that the material being measured is consistent with the host's declarations, concerning that material. The attribute measurement technique incorporates an IB and addresses both concerns by measuring several attributes of the nuclear material and displaying unclassified results through green (indicating that the material does possess the specified attribute) and red (indicating that the material does not possess the specified attribute) lights. The attribute measurement technique has been implemented in the AVNG, an attribute measuring system described in other presentations at this conference. In this presentation, we will discuss four techniques used in the AVNG: (1) the 1B, (2) the attribute measurement technique, (3) the use of open and secure modes to increase confidence in the displayed results, and (4) the joint design as a method for addressing both host and monitor needs.

14 CFR 1260.37 - Safety.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Safety. 1260.37 Section 1260.37 Aeronautics... Provisions § 1260.37 Safety. Safety October 2000 (a) The Recipient shall act responsibly in matters of safety and shall take all reasonable safety measures in performing under this grant or cooperative agreement...

Nanotech safety: who is responsible?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belfield, Sarah

2006-01-01

Like other countries hosting nanotechnology research sectors and manufacturers, Australia has some regulatory and ethical spring cleaning ahead, plus a research shopping list to prepare. When asked to identify the single most important thing Australia's legislators needed to do in the next 12 months in the nanotechnology realm, Dr Thomas Faunce of the Australian National University said they needed to assist research into the safety and cost-effectiveness of nanomedicine

Safety of Research Reactors. Specific Safety Requirements (French Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

This Safety Requirements publication establishes requirements for all main areas of safety for research reactors, with particular emphasis on requirements for design and operation. It explains the safety objectives and concepts that form the basis for safety and safety assessment for all stages in the lifetime of a research reactor. Technical and administrative requirements for the safety of new research reactors are established in accordance with these objectives and concepts, and they are to be applied to the extent practicable for existing research reactors. The safety requirements established in this publication for the management of safety and regulatory supervision apply to site evaluation, design, manufacturing, construction, commissioning, operation (including utilization and modification), and planning for decommissioning of research reactors (including critical assemblies and subcritical assemblies). The publication is intended for use by regulatory bodies and other organizations with responsibilities in these areas and in safety analysis, verification and review, and the provision of technical support.

Exploring Attribution Theory and Bias

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Jessica A.

2017-01-01

Courses: This activity can be used in a wide range of classes, including interpersonal communication, introduction to communication, and small group communication. Objectives: After completing this activity, students should be able to: (1) define attribution theory, personality attribution, situational attribution, and attribution bias; (2)…

A NSSS supplier's response to differing safety criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cremades, J.; Filkin, R.; Franke, Th.

1980-01-01

The limited progress achieved to date in harmonizing national criteria has led to the development of designs which include the most common national requirements. Progress towards harmonization of safety criteria can be accelerated by expanding the IAEA leadership and co-ordination activities, and implementing an integrated approach to criteria development. National and International safety criteria are examined. (author)

Safety Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Halligan, Tom

2009-01-01

Colleges across the country are rising to the task by implementing safety programs, response strategies, and technologies intended to create a secure environment for teachers and students. Whether it is preparing and responding to a natural disaster, health emergency, or act of violence, more schools are making campus safety a top priority. At…

Assessing food safety concepts on the dairy farm: the case of chemical hazards

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Valeeva, N.I.; Meuwissen, M.P.M.; Oude Lansink, A.G.J.M.; Bergevoet, R.H.M.; Huirne, R.B.M.

2004-01-01

Adaptive conjoint analysis was used to elicit farmers' and experts' preferences for attributes of improving food safety with respect to chemical hazards on the dairy farm. Groups of respondents were determined by cluster analysis based on similar farmers' and experts' perceptions of food safety

Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) - Smoking-Attributable Expenditures (SAE)

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — 2005-2009. SAMMEC - Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs. Smoking-attributable expenditures (SAEs) are excess health care expenditures...

Intelligent monitoring-based safety system of massage robot

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

胡宁; 李长胜; 王利峰; 胡磊; 徐晓军; 邹雲鹏; 胡玥; 沈晨

2016-01-01

As an important attribute of robots, safety is involved in each link of the full life cycle of robots, including the design, manufacturing, operation and maintenance. The present study on robot safety is a systematic project. Traditionally, robot safety is defined as follows: robots should not collide with humans, or robots should not harm humans when they collide. Based on this definition of robot safety, researchers have proposed ex ante and ex post safety standards and safety strategies and used the risk index and risk level as the evaluation indexes for safety methods. A massage robot realizes its massage therapy function through applying a rhythmic force on the massage object. Therefore, the traditional definition of safety, safety strategies, and safety realization methods cannot satisfy the function and safety requirements of massage robots. Based on the descriptions of the environment of massage robots and the tasks of massage robots, the present study analyzes the safety requirements of massage robots; analyzes the potential safety dangers of massage robots using the fault tree tool; proposes an error monitoring-based intelligent safety system for massage robots through monitoring and evaluating potential safety danger states, as well as decision making based on potential safety danger states; and verifies the feasibility of the intelligent safety system through an experiment.

Safety assessment and verification for nuclear power plants. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

culture and achieve good performance in terms of safety. This publication identifies the main safety objectives and responsibilities of management with respect to the safe operation of nuclear power plants and associated corporate roles of the operating organization. This Safety Guide discusses the factors to be considered in (a) structuring the operating organization to meet these main safety objectives, (b) setting up management programmes that ensure that the safety tasks are performed, (c) establishing services and facilities that are intended to meet the above requirements and (d) maintaining a strong safety culture within the organization. This Safety Guide primarily addresses safety matters directly related to the operation of nuclear power plants. It assumes that the safety aspects of siting, design, manufacturing and construction have been resolved. It also covers the internal interrelationships between operations and design, construction and commissioning and other organizational units, and deals with the involvement of the operating organization in reviews of safety issues, bearing in mind future operation. Finally, this publication discusses the relationship between the operating organization, the regulatory body and the general public. Section 2 focuses on the operating organization and its structure. Section 3 discusses the functions, responsibilities, goals and objectives of the operating organization that ensure the safe operation of nuclear power plants. Section 4 gives guidance on the interface between the operating organization and external organizations. Section 5 covers safety management aspects. Section 6 provides guidance on the major management programmes that should be established to ensure the safe operation of a nuclear power plant. Section 7 discusses additional services that are needed to support the functioning of plant operation management programmes. Section 8 provides general guidance on the communication and liaison matters that are

Safety assessment and verification for nuclear power plants. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

culture and achieve good performance in terms of safety. This publication identifies the main safety objectives and responsibilities of management with respect to the safe operation of nuclear power plants and associated corporate roles of the operating organization. This Safety Guide discusses the factors to be considered in (a) structuring the operating organization to meet these main safety objectives, (b) setting up management programmes that ensure that the safety tasks are performed, (c) establishing services and facilities that are intended to meet the above requirements and (d) maintaining a strong safety culture within the organization. This Safety Guide primarily addresses safety matters directly related to the operation of nuclear power plants. It assumes that the safety aspects of siting, design, manufacturing and construction have been resolved. It also covers the internal interrelationships between operations and design, construction and commissioning and other organizational units, and deals with the involvement of the operating organization in reviews of safety issues, bearing in mind future operation. Finally, this publication discusses the relationship between the operating organization, the regulatory body and the general public. Section 2 focuses on the operating organization and its structure. Section 3 discusses the functions, responsibilities, goals and objectives of the operating organization that ensure the safe operation of nuclear power plants. Section 4 gives guidance on the interface between the operating organization and external organizations. Section 5 covers safety management aspects. Section 6 provides guidance on the major management programmes that should be established to ensure the safe operation of a nuclear power plant. Section 7 discusses additional services that are needed to support the functioning of plant operation management programmes. Section 8 provides general guidance on the communication and liaison matters that are

Sizing Up a Superstorm: Exploring the Role of Recalled Experience and Attribution of Responsibility in Judgments of Future Hurricane Risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Rickard, Laura N; Yang, Z Janet; Schuldt, Jonathon P; Eosco, Gina M; Scherer, Clifford W; Daziano, Ricardo A

2017-12-01

Research suggests that hurricane-related risk perception is a critical predictor of behavioral response, such as evacuation. Less is known, however, about the precursors of these subjective risk judgments, especially when time has elapsed from a focal event. Drawing broadly from the risk communication, social psychology, and natural hazards literature, and specifically from concepts adapted from the risk information seeking and processing model and the protective action decision model, we examine how individuals' distant recollections, including attribution of responsibility for the effects of a storm, attitude toward relevant information, and past hurricane experience, relate to risk judgment for a future, similar event. The present study reports on a survey involving U.S. residents in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York (n = 619) impacted by Hurricane Sandy. While some results confirm past findings, such as that hurricane experience increases risk judgment, others suggest additional complexity, such as how various types of experience (e.g., having evacuated vs. having experienced losses) may heighten or attenuate individual-level judgments of responsibility. We suggest avenues for future research, as well as implications for federal agencies involved in severe weather/natural hazard forecasting and communication with public audiences. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Multiplicative mixing of object identity and image attributes in single inferior temporal neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Ratan Murty, N Apurva; Arun, S P

2018-04-03

Object recognition is challenging because the same object can produce vastly different images, mixing signals related to its identity with signals due to its image attributes, such as size, position, rotation, etc. Previous studies have shown that both signals are present in high-level visual areas, but precisely how they are combined has remained unclear. One possibility is that neurons might encode identity and attribute signals multiplicatively so that each can be efficiently decoded without interference from the other. Here, we show that, in high-level visual cortex, responses of single neurons can be explained better as a product rather than a sum of tuning for object identity and tuning for image attributes. This subtle effect in single neurons produced substantially better population decoding of object identity and image attributes in the neural population as a whole. This property was absent both in low-level vision models and in deep neural networks. It was also unique to invariances: when tested with two-part objects, neural responses were explained better as a sum than as a product of part tuning. Taken together, our results indicate that signals requiring separate decoding, such as object identity and image attributes, are combined multiplicatively in IT neurons, whereas signals that require integration (such as parts in an object) are combined additively. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

78 FR 33754 - Railroad Workplace Safety; Adjacent-Track On-Track Safety for Roadway Workers

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-05

...-0059, Notice No. 7] RIN 2130-AC37 Railroad Workplace Safety; Adjacent-Track On-Track Safety for Roadway... and comments raised a number of substantive issues requiring a detailed response. As FRA's response to... INFORMATION: On November 30, 2011, FRA published a final rule amending its regulations on railroad workplace...

Radiological protection. Responsibility of the Safety Engineering Company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Netto, A.L.

1987-01-01

This subject takes care of the Safety Engineering at the Radiologic Protection area on the X and Gama Rays Services. It mainly emphasis the case of that companies that, due do not have proper X and Gama Rays Services utilize partime task force on this area, but answer themselves for the safety of their employees in case of any accident occurence. (author) [pt

Circuit board accident--organizational dimension hidden by prescribed safety.

Science.gov (United States)

de Almeida, Ildeberto Muniz; Buoso, Eduardo; do Amaral Dias, Maria Dionísia; Vilela, Rodolfo Andrade Gouveia

2012-01-01

This study analyzes an accident in which two maintenance workers suffered severe burns while replacing a circuit breaker panel in a steel mill, following model of analysis and prevention of accidents (MAPA) developed with the objective of enlarging the perimeter of interventions and contributing to deconstruction of blame attribution practices. The study was based on materials produced by a health service team in an in-depth analysis of the accident. The analysis shows that decisions related to system modernization were taken without considering their implications in maintenance scheduling and creating conflicts of priorities and of interests between production and safety; and also reveals that the lack of a systemic perspective in safety management was its principal failure. To explain the accident as merely non-fulfillment of idealized formal safety rules feeds practices of blame attribution supported by alibi norms and inhibits possible prevention. In contrast, accident analyses undertaken in worker health surveillance services show potential to reveal origins of these events incubated in the history of the system ignored in practices guided by the traditional paradigm.

Safety standards for wind turbines; Sicherheitsnormen fuer Windenergieanlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyce, K. [Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Northbrook, IL (United States)

2012-08-15

As the global wind infrastructure sustains rapid growth, compliance with relevant standards provide validation of design principles and establish due diligence in addressing critical attributes such as safety. The IEC 61400 series of standards provides important information for addressing safety and performance of wind turbine systems. Efforts to address unique issues within the United States market has led to development of two safety standards, UL 6141 for large wind turbines and UL 6142 for small wind turbines. These standards, which are being published as American National Standards, contain key safety requirements for the electrical system, electrical safety and controls system, grid connection, and related safety issues. In the future, collaborative efforts will lead to continued exchange of best practices and opportunities for broader harmonization. Development of these standards, and their use by the manufacturing community in design and development of wind turbine products, supports maximal safety and performance of the burgeoning wind infrastructure. (orig.)

Exploring relationships between hospital patient safety culture and Consumer Reports safety scores.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Scott Alan; Yount, Naomi; Sorra, Joann

2017-02-16

A number of private and public companies calculate and publish proprietary hospital patient safety scores based on publicly available quality measures initially reported by the U.S. federal government. This study examines whether patient safety culture perceptions of U.S. hospital staff in a large national survey are related to publicly reported patient safety ratings of hospitals. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (Hospital SOPS) assesses provider and staff perceptions of hospital patient safety culture. Consumer Reports (CR), a U.S. based non-profit organization, calculates and shares with its subscribers a Hospital Safety Score calculated annually from patient experience survey data and outcomes data gathered from federal databases. Linking data collected during similar time periods, we analyzed relationships between staff perceptions of patient safety culture composites and the CR Hospital Safety Score and its five components using multiple multivariate linear regressions. We analyzed data from 164 hospitals, with patient safety culture survey responses from 140,316 providers and staff, with an average of 856 completed surveys per hospital and an average response rate per hospital of 56%. Higher overall Hospital SOPS composite average scores were significantly associated with higher overall CR Hospital Safety Scores (β = 0.24, p Consumer Reports Hospital Safety Score, which is a composite of patient experience and outcomes data from federal databases. As hospital managers allocate resources to improve patient safety culture within their organizations, their efforts may also indirectly improve consumer-focused, publicly reported hospital rating scores like the Consumer Reports Hospital Safety Score.

An Agent-Based Intervention to Assist Drivers Under Stereotype Threat: Effects of In-Vehicle Agents' Attributional Error Feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Joo, Yeon Kyoung; Lee-Won, Roselyn J

2016-10-01

For members of a group negatively stereotyped in a domain, making mistakes can aggravate the influence of stereotype threat because negative stereotypes often blame target individuals and attribute the outcome to their lack of ability. Virtual agents offering real-time error feedback may influence performance under stereotype threat by shaping the performers' attributional perception of errors they commit. We explored this possibility with female drivers, considering the prevalence of the "women-are-bad-drivers" stereotype. Specifically, we investigated how in-vehicle voice agents offering error feedback based on responsibility attribution (internal vs. external) and outcome attribution (ability vs. effort) influence female drivers' performance under stereotype threat. In addressing this question, we conducted an experiment in a virtual driving simulation environment that provided moment-to-moment error feedback messages. Participants performed a challenging driving task and made mistakes preprogrammed to occur. Results showed that the agent's error feedback with outcome attribution moderated the stereotype threat effect on driving performance. Participants under stereotype threat had a smaller number of collisions when the errors were attributed to effort than to ability. In addition, outcome attribution feedback moderated the effect of responsibility attribution on driving performance. Implications of these findings are discussed.

14 CFR 417.109 - Ground safety.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ground safety. 417.109 Section 417.109... TRANSPORTATION LICENSING LAUNCH SAFETY Launch Safety Responsibilities § 417.109 Ground safety. (a) Ground safety... 417.115(c), and subpart E of this part provide launch operator ground safety requirements. ...

Attributional and consequential LCA of milk production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomassen, Marlies A; Dalgaard, Randi; Heijungs, Reinout

2008-01-01

Background, aim and scope  Different ways of performing a life cycle assessment (LCA) are used to assess the environmental burden of milk production. A strong connection exists between the choice between attributional LCA (ALCA) and consequential LCA (CLCA) and the choice of how to handle co......-products. Insight is needed in the effect of choice on results of environmental analyses of agricultural products, such as milk. The main goal of this study was to demonstrate and compare ALCA and CLCA of an average conventional milk production system in The Netherlands. Materials and methods  ALCA describes...... the pollution and resource flows within a chosen system attributed to the delivery of a specified amount of the functional unit. CLCA estimates how pollution and resource flows within a system change in response to a change in output of the functional unit. For an average Dutch conventional milk production...

Safety campaigns. TIS Launches New Safety Information Campaign

CERN Multimedia

2001-01-01

Need to start a new installation and worried about safety aspects? Or are you newly responsible for safety matters in a CERN building? Perhaps you're simply interested in how to make the working environment safer for yourself and your colleagues. Whatever the case, a new information campaign launched by TIS this week can help. The most visible aspects of the new campaign will be posters distributed around the Laboratory treating a different subject each month. The Web site - http://safety.cern.ch/ - which provides all safety related information. But these are not the only aspects of the new campaign. Members of the TIS/GS group, whose contact details can be found on the safety web site, are available to give information and advice on a one-to-one basis at any time. The campaign's launch has been timed to coincide with European Safety Week, organized by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and the subject treated in the first posters is safety inspection. This particular topic only concerns thos...

Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) - Smoking-Attributable Mortality (SAM)

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — 2005-2009. SAMMEC - Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs. Smoking-attributable mortality (SAM) is the number of deaths caused by cigarette...

Safety and skin delayed-type hypersensitivity response in vervet monkeys immunized with Leishmania donovani sonicate antigen delivered with adjuvants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua M. Mutiso

2012-02-01

Full Text Available In this study, we report on the safety and skin delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH, responses of the Leishmania donovani whole cell sonicate antigen delivered in conjunction with alum-BCG (AlBCG, Montanide ISA 720 (MISA or Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA in groups of vervet monkeys. Following three intradermal injections of the inoculums on days 0, 28 and 42, safety and DTH responses were assessed. Preliminary tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α and interferon gamma (IFN-γ levels were also measured and these were compared with DTH. Only those animals immunized with alum-BCG reacted adversely to the inoculum by producing ulcerative erythematous skin indurations. Non-parametric analysis of variance followed by a post-test showed significantly higher DTH responses in the MISA+Ag group compared with other immunized groups (p < 0.001. The MPLA+Ag group indicated significantly lower DTH responses to the sonicate antigen compared with the AlBCG+Ag group. There was a significant correlation between the DTH and cytokine responses (p < 0.0001. Based on this study we conclude that Leishmania donovani sonicate antigen containing MISA 720 is safe and is associated with a strong DTH reaction following immunization.

Changes in the taste and textural attributes of apples in response to climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiura, Toshihiko; Ogawa, Hidekazu; Fukuda, Noriaki; Moriguchi, Takaya

2013-01-01

The effects of climate change on the taste and textural attributes of foods remain largely unknown, despite much public interest. On the basis of 30–40 years of records, we provide evidence that the taste and textural attributes of apples have changed as a result of recent global warming. Decreases in both acid concentration, fruit firmness and watercore development were observed regardless of the maturity index used for harvest date (e.g., calendar date, number of days after full bloom, peel colour and starch concentration), whereas in some cases the soluble-solids concentration increased; all such changes may have resulted from earlier blooming and higher temperatures during the maturation period. These results suggest that the qualities of apples in the market are undergoing long-term changes. PMID:23948740

The Attitude of Construction Workers toward the Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

Science.gov (United States)

Widaningsih, L.; Susanti, I.; Chandra, T.

2018-02-01

Construction industry refers to one of the industries dealing with high accident rate. Besides its outdoor workplace involving many workers who usually work manually, the workers’ work culture and less awareness of occupational health and safety (OHS) are attributed to the high accident rate. This study explores some construction workers who are involved in some construction projects in big cities such as Bandung and Jakarta. The questionnaire-given to the construction workers focusing on stone construction, wood construction, and finishing session-reveals that the construction workers knowledge and understanding of nine Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) aspects reach above 50%. However, does not appear to reflect their knowledge and understanding of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). The results of Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and an in-depth interview show that the fallacious implementation of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is attributed to their traditional “work culture”.

Valuing Attributes of Fluid Milk in Laos

OpenAIRE

Jae Won Lee; Taeyoon Kim; Viengsakoun Napasirth

2017-01-01

This study estimates the random utility function of fluid milk using 1,165 survey responses in Laos. It finds that both products’ attributes and individual characteristics affect consumers’ preference for the milk and the hypothetical brand of Laos-Korea has a potential compared to four real dairy products. Results also show that calories have a positive relationship with consumer’s preference while the price and fat content have a negative one. The decision for choosing each brand is signifi...

14 CFR 417.107 - Flight safety.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Flight safety. 417.107 Section 417.107... TRANSPORTATION LICENSING LAUNCH SAFETY Launch Safety Responsibilities § 417.107 Flight safety. (a) Flight safety... safety system that satisfies subpart D of this part as follows, unless § 417.125 applies. (1) In the...

Management of safety and safety culture at the NPPs of Ukraine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koltakov, Vladimir

2002-01-01

The report contains general aspects of safety and safety culture. The brief description of operational characteristics and basic indexes of atomic power plants at the Ukraine are represented. The information referring to structure of NPPs of Operation organization license-holder, safety responsibility of both Regulatory and Utility Bodies also is given. The main part of the report include seven sections: 1. Practical application of safety management models; 2. erspective on the relationship between safety management and safety culture; 3. The role of leadership in achieving high standards of safety; 4. Current and future challengers that impact on safety culture and safety management (e.g. the impact of competition, changing, economic and political circumstances, workforce demographics, etc.); 5. Key lessons learned from major events; 6. Practical applications of safety culture concepts (e.g. learning organizations, training staff communications, etc.); 7. dvance in human performance. Some of the main pending safety and safety culture problems that are necessary to achieve in the near future are mentioned

An integrated framework for cost- benefit analysis in road safety projects using AHP method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahsa Mohamadian

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Cost benefit analysis (CBA is a useful tool for investment decision-making from economic point of view. When the decision involves conflicting goals, the multi-attribute analysis approach is more capable; because there are some social and environmental criteria that cannot be valued or monetized by cost benefit analysis. The complex nature of decision-making in road safety normally makes it difficult to reach a single alternative solution that can satisfy all decision-making problems. Generally, the application of multi-attribute analysis in road sector is promising; however, the applications are in preliminary stage. Some multi-attribute analysis techniques, such as analytic hierarchy process (AHP have been widely used in practice. This paper presents an integrated framework with CBA and AHP methods to select proper alternative in road safety projects. The proposed model of this paper is implemented for a case study of improving a road to reduce the accidents in Iran. The framework is used as an aid to cost benefit tool in road safety projects.

Improvement of worker safety through the investigation of the site response to rockbursts.

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Durrheim, RJ

1997-12-01

Full Text Available Committee DRAFT FINAL REPORT Improvement of worker safety through the investigation of the site response to rockbursts R J Durrheim, A M Milev, S M Spottiswoode, and B Vakalisa Research agency CSIR: Division of Mining Technology Project number GAP2OI... in the application of current technology, such as numerical modelling for mine design, were also identified. It was also found that published guidelines, e.g. for pillar design, have limitations which are not explicitly stated. The performance of new technologies...

Nuclear Safety through International Cooperation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flory, Denis

2013-01-01

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident was the worst at a nuclear facility since the Chernobyl accident in 1986. It caused deep public anxiety and damaged confidence in nuclear power. Following this accident, strengthening nuclear safety standards and emergency response has become an imperative at the global level. The IAEA is leading in developing a global approach, and the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety is providing a comprehensive framework and acting as a significant driving force to identify lessons learned and to implement safety improvements. Strengthening nuclear safety is addressed through a number of measures proposed in the Action Plan including 12 main actions focusing on safety assessments in the light of the accident. Significant progress has been made in assessing safety vulnerabilities of nuclear power plants, strengthening the IAEA's peer review services, improvements in emergency preparedness and response capabilities, strengthening and maintaining capacity building, as well as widening the scope and enhancing communication and information sharing with Member States, international organizations and the public. Progress has also been made in reviewing the IAEA's safety standards, which continue to be widely applied by regulators, operators and the nuclear industry in general, with increased attention and focus on accident prevention, in particular severe accidents, and emergency preparedness and response.

Limiting Conditions of the "Physical Attractiveness Stereotype": Attributions about Divorce.

Science.gov (United States)

Brigham, John C.

1980-01-01

Subjects, reading a profile of a couple filing for divorce, made attributions about responsibility, financial settlement, future behavior, and personality traits. Reasons for divorce, physical attractiveness of husband and wife, and sex of subject were varied. Attractiveness strongly influenced personality ratings. Reason for divorce was related…

The Management System for Nuclear Installations. Safety Guide (Spanish Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

This Safety Guide is applicable throughout the lifetime of a nuclear installation, including any subsequent period of institutional control, until there is no significant residual radiation hazard. For a nuclear installation, the lifetime includes site evaluation, design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning. These stages in the lifetime of a nuclear installation may overlap. This Safety Guide may be applied to nuclear installations in the following ways: (a) To support the development, implementation, assessment and improvement of the management system of those organizations responsible for research, site evaluation, design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning of a nuclear installation; (b) As an aid in the assessment by the regulatory body of the adequacy of the management system of a nuclear installation; (c) To assist an organization in specifying to a supplier, via contractual documentation, any specific element that should be included within the supplier's management system for the supply of products. This Safety Guide follows the structure of the Safety Requirements publication on The Management System for Facilities and Activities, whereby: (a) Section 2 provides recommendations on implementing the management system, including recommendations relating to safety culture, grading and documentation. (b) Section 3 provides recommendations on the responsibilities of senior management for the development and implementation of an effective management system. (c) Section 4 provides recommendations on resource management, including guidance on human resources, infrastructure and the working environment. (d) Section 5 provides recommendations on how the processes of the installation can be specified and developed, including recommendations on some generic processes of the management system. (e) Section 6 provides recommendations on the measurement, assessment and improvement of the management system of a nuclear

A pilot test of a new stated preference valuation method. Continuous attribute-based stated choice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ready, Richard; Fisher, Ann; Guignet, Dennis; Stedman, Richard; Wang, Junchao

2006-01-01

A new stated preference nonmarket valuation technique is developed. In an interactive computerized survey, respondents move continuous sliders to vary levels of environmental attributes. The total cost of the combination of attributes is calculated according to a preprogrammed cost function, continuously updated and displayed as respondents move the sliders. Each registered choice reveals the respondent's marginal willingness to pay for each of the attributes. The method is tested in a museum exhibit on global climate change. Two construct validity tests were conducted. Responses are sensitive to the shape of the cost function in ways that are consistent with expectations based on economic theory. Implied marginal willingness to pay values were similar to those estimated using a more traditional paired comparisons stated choice format. However, responses showed range effects that indicate potential cognitive biases. (author)

Work Practice, Safety and Heedfulness. Studies of Organizational Reliability in Hospitals and Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauthereau, Vincent

2003-01-01

The study of safety in complex systems has focused on different issues over the past decades. This focus was often linked to the conclusions of previous accidents'/incidents' analyses. When accidents were attributed to technical causes, safety research focused on technical developments. When they were later attributed to 'human errors', safety research focused on this 'component'. And when, since the mid-eighties accidents have been attributed to 'organizational factors', safety research has focused on these very same 'organizational factors'. The present thesis argues for a 'practice view' over safety to be taken. This view is mainly drawn from the field of research on High Reliability Organizations (HRO). HRO theorists' point of view on safety is that we can operate complex systems safely despite the fact that we have made them so complex that they are prone to 'normal accidents'. Humans involved in the operation of our systems actually create safety. Safety is formed through the adaptation of work practice to local conditions, and this adaptation is part of safe operation. Safety is not only a substantial quality of our socio-technical systems: the discursive dimension of safety actually seems to be a central component of safety creation. However, the adaptive ability of HRO can sometimes become their downfall. Adaptation, which is the backbone of safety, can sometimes be a drawback as well. Consequently, the practice view of safety, proposed in the present work, argues that we need to further comprehend how work practice evolves over time, and more specifically what are the inherent characteristics of work practice that create this evolution. Empirical studies from health-care and nuclear power generation highlight different details about organizational reliability. For instance, one study of planning at a nuclear power plant draws our attention to the different roles of planning in the organization. Another study, within heath-care, underlines the evolution of

[Concept analysis of a participatory approach to occupational safety and health].

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshikawa, Etsuko

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze a participatory approach to occupational safety and health, and to examine the possibility of applying the concept to the practice and research of occupational safety and health. According to Rodger's method, descriptive data concerning antecedents, attributes and consequences were qualitatively analyzed. A total of 39 articles were selected for analysis. Attributes with a participatory approach were: "active involvement of both workers and employers", "focusing on action-oriented low-cost and multiple area improvements based on good practices", "the process of emphasis on consensus building", and "utilization of a local network". Antecedents of the participatory approach were classified as: "existing risks at the workplace", "difficulty of occupational safety and health activities", "characteristics of the workplace and workers", and "needs for the workplace". The derived consequences were: "promoting occupational safety and health activities", "emphasis of self-management", "creation of safety and healthy workplace", and "contributing to promotion of quality of life and productivity". A participatory approach in occupational safety and health is defined as, the process of emphasis on consensus building to promote occupational safety and health activities with emphasis on self-management, which focuses on action-oriented low-cost and multiple area improvements based on good practices with active involvement of both workers and employers through utilization of local networks. We recommend that the role of the occupational health professional be clarified and an evaluation framework be established for the participatory approach to promote occupational safety and health activities by involving both workers and employers.

Squale: evaluation criteria of functioning safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deswarte, Y.; Kaaniche, M.; Benoit, P.

1998-05-01

The SQUALE (security, safety and quality evaluation for dependable systems) project is part of the ACTS (advanced communications, technologies and services) European program. Its aim is to develop confidence evaluation criteria to test the functioning safety of systems. All industrial sectors that use critical applications (nuclear, railway, aerospace..) are concerned. SQUALE evaluation criteria differ from the classical evaluation methods: they are independent of the application domains and industrial sectors, they take into account the overall functioning safety attributes, and they can progressively change according to the level of severity required. In order to validate the approach and to refine the criteria, a first experiment is in progress with the METEOR automatic underground railway and another will be carried out on a telecommunication system developed by Bouygues company. (J.S.)

Nuclear Safety Charter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

The AREVA 'Values Charter' reaffirmed the priority that must be given to the requirement for a very high level of safety, which applies in particular to the nuclear field. The purpose of this Nuclear Safety Charter is to set forth the group's commitments in the field of nuclear safety and radiation protection so as to ensure that this requirement is met throughout the life cycle of the facilities. It should enable each of us, in carrying out our duties, to commit to this requirement personally, for the company, and for all stakeholders. These commitments are anchored in organizational and action principles and in complete transparency. They build on a safety culture shared by all personnel and maintained by periodic refresher training. They are implemented through Safety, Health, and Environmental management systems. The purpose of these commitments, beyond strict compliance with the laws and regulations in force in countries in which we operate as a group, is to foster a continuous improvement initiative aimed at continually enhancing our overall performance as a group. Content: 1 - Organization: responsibility of the group's executive management and subsidiaries, prime responsibility of the operator, a system of clearly defined responsibilities that draws on skilled support and on independent control of operating personnel, the general inspectorate: a shared expertise and an independent control of the operating organization, an organization that can be adapted for emergency management. 2 - Action principles: nuclear safety applies to every stage in the plant life cycle, lessons learned are analyzed and capitalized through the continuous improvement initiative, analyzing risks in advance is the basis of Areva's safety culture, employees are empowered to improve nuclear Safety, the group is committed to a voluntary radiation protection initiative And a sustained effort in reducing waste and effluent from facility Operations, employees and subcontractors are treated

Attribution style, theory and empirical findings

OpenAIRE

Krohn, Charlotte

2017-01-01

Master i læring i komplekse systemer Attribution theory is a long-standing and widely discussed theory that addresses individuals’ explanation of causes of events. People attribute events of success and failure individually. Previous studies indicate that performance in sporting events may be improved by changing individuals’ attribution style. Article one describes attribution and attribution theory as state of the art. The article addresses the most important findings within attribution ...

Governmental, Legal and Regulatory Framework for Safety. General Safety Requirements. Part 1 (Spanish Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The objective of this publication is to establish requirements in respect of the governmental, legal and regulatory framework for safety. It covers the essential aspects of the framework for establishing a regulatory body and taking other actions necessary to ensure the effective regulatory control of facilities and activities utilized for peaceful purposes. Other responsibilities and functions, such as liaison within the global safety regime and on support services for safety (including radiation protection), emergency preparedness and response, nuclear security, and the State system of accounting for and control of nuclear material, are also covered

Governmental, Legal and Regulatory Framework for Safety. General Safety Requirements. Part 1 (French Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The objective of this publication is to establish requirements in respect of the governmental, legal and regulatory framework for safety. It covers the essential aspects of the framework for establishing a regulatory body and taking other actions necessary to ensure the effective regulatory control of facilities and activities utilized for peaceful purposes. Other responsibilities and functions, such as liaison within the global safety regime and on support services for safety (including radiation protection), emergency preparedness and response, nuclear security, and the State system of accounting for and control of nuclear material, are also covered

Governmental, Legal and Regulatory Framework for Safety. General Safety Requirements. Part 1 (Chinese Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The objective of this publication is to establish requirements in respect of the governmental, legal and regulatory framework for safety. It covers the essential aspects of the framework for establishing a regulatory body and taking other actions necessary to ensure the effective regulatory control of facilities and activities utilized for peaceful purposes. Other responsibilities and functions, such as liaison within the global safety regime and on support services for safety (including radiation protection), emergency preparedness and response, nuclear security, and the State system of accounting for and control of nuclear material, are also covered

Governmental, Legal and Regulatory Framework for Safety. General Safety Requirements. Part 1 (Arabic Edition)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-09-15

The objective of this publication is to establish requirements in respect of the governmental, legal and regulatory framework for safety. It covers the essential aspects of the framework for establishing a regulatory body and taking other actions necessary to ensure the effective regulatory control of facilities and activities utilized for peaceful purposes. Other responsibilities and functions, such as liaison within the global safety regime and on support services for safety (including radiation protection), emergency preparedness and response, nuclear security, and the State system of accounting for and control of nuclear material, are also covered.

Can attribution theory explain carers' propensity to help men with intellectual disabilities who display inappropriate sexual behaviour?

Science.gov (United States)

Willner, P; Smith, M

2008-01-01

This study examined the responses of care managers and direct care staff to vignettes of inappropriate sexual behaviour by a man with an intellectual disability. The aim was to test the theory that helping behaviour is determined by emotional responses (positive and negative emotional reactions, and optimism), which in turn are determined by causal attributions (respectively: controllability and stability of the incident depicted in the vignette). The vignettes varied in response topography and the age of the victim. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between causal attributions, emotional responses, and willingness to invest extra time and effort in the service user's care. No support was found for the pathway: low controllability --> increased sympathy and/or decreased negative emotions --> increased helping. However, strong support was found for the pathway: low stability --> high optimism --> increased helping, particularly in direct care staff. High levels of sympathy were also associated with increased helping, the effect again being mediated by feelings of optimism. The data provide support for one (but not the other) strand of attribution theory as applied to inappropriate sexual behaviour. The discussion considers the discrepancy between the present data and the far less encouraging literature on attribution theory as applied to challenging behaviour.

Evaluation of an attributive measurement system in the automotive industry

Science.gov (United States)

Simion, C.

2016-08-01

Measurement System Analysis (MSA) is a critical component for any quality improvement process. MSA is defined as an experimental and mathematical method of determining how much the variation within the measurement process contributes to overall process variability and it falls into two categories: attribute and variable. Most problematic measurement system issues come from measuring attribute data, which are usually the result of human judgment (visual inspection). Because attributive measurement systems are often used in some manufacturing processes, their assessment is important to obtain the confidence in the inspection process, to see where are the problems in order to eliminate them and to guide the process improvement. It was the aim of this paper to address such a issue presenting a case study made in a local company from the Sibiu region supplying products for the automotive industry, specifically the bag (a technical textile component, i.e. the fabric) for the airbag module. Because defects are inherent in every manufacturing process and in the field of airbag systems a minor defect can influence their performance and lives depend on the safety feature, there is a stringent visual inspection required on the defects of the bag material. The purpose of this attribute MSA was: to determine if all inspectors use the same criteria to determine “pass” from “fail” product (i.e. the fabric); to assess company inspection standards against customer's requirements; to determine how well inspectors are conforming to themselves; to identify how inspectors are conforming to a “known master,” which includes: how often operators ship defective product, how often operators dispose of acceptable product; to discover areas where training is required, procedures must be developed and standards are not available. The results were analyzed using MINITAB software with its module called Attribute Agreement Analysis. The conclusion was that the inspection process must

Radiation Safety Aspects of Nanotechnology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoover, Mark [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Myers, David; Cash, Leigh Jackson [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Guilmette, Raymond [Ray Guilmette & Associates, LLC, Perry, ME (United States); Kreyling, Wolfgang [Helmholtz-Zentrum Munchen, (Germany); Oberdorster, Gunter [Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States); Smith, Rachel [Public Health England, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom). Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards

2017-03-27

This Report is intended primarily for operational health physicists, radiation safety officers, and internal dosimetrists who are responsible for establishing and implementing radiation safety programs involving radioactive nanomaterials. It should also provide useful information for workers, managers and regulators who are either working directly with or have other responsibilities related to work with radioactive nanomaterials.

Patient safety culture assessment in oman.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Mandhari, Ahmed; Al-Zakwani, Ibrahim; Al-Kindi, Moosa; Tawilah, Jihane; Dorvlo, Atsu S S; Al-Adawi, Samir

2014-07-01

To illustrate the patient safety culture in Oman as gleaned via 12 indices of patient safety culture derived from the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSPSC) and to compare the average positive response rates in patient safety culture between Oman and the USA, Taiwan, and Lebanon. This was a cross-sectional research study employed to gauge the performance of HSPSC safety indices among health workers representing five secondary and tertiary care hospitals in the northern region of Oman. The participants (n=398) represented different professional designations of hospital staff. Analyses were performed using univariate statistics. The overall average positive response rate for the 12 patient safety culture dimensions of the HSPSC survey in Oman was 58%. The indices from HSPSC that were endorsed the highest included 'organizational learning and continuous improvement' while conversely, 'non-punitive response to errors' was ranked the least. There were no significant differences in average positive response rates between Oman and the United States (58% vs. 61%; p=0.666), Taiwan (58% vs. 64%; p=0.386), and Lebanon (58% vs. 61%; p=0.666). This study provides the first empirical study on patient safety culture in Oman which is similar to those rates reported elsewhere. It highlights the specific strengths and weaknesses which may stem from the specific milieu prevailing in Oman.

Patient Safety Culture Assessment in Oman

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Mandhari, Ahmed; Al-Zakwani, Ibrahim; Al-Kindi, Moosa; Tawilah, Jihane; Dorvlo, Atsu S.S.; Al-Adawi, Samir

2014-01-01

Objective To illustrate the patient safety culture in Oman as gleaned via 12 indices of patient safety culture derived from the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSPSC) and to compare the average positive response rates in patient safety culture between Oman and the USA, Taiwan, and Lebanon. Methods This was a cross-sectional research study employed to gauge the performance of HSPSC safety indices among health workers representing five secondary and tertiary care hospitals in the northern region of Oman. The participants (n=398) represented different professional designations of hospital staff. Analyses were performed using univariate statistics. Results The overall average positive response rate for the 12 patient safety culture dimensions of the HSPSC survey in Oman was 58%. The indices from HSPSC that were endorsed the highest included ‘organizational learning and continuous improvement’ while conversely, ‘non-punitive response to errors’ was ranked the least. There were no significant differences in average positive response rates between Oman and the United States (58% vs. 61%; p=0.666), Taiwan (58% vs. 64%; p=0.386), and Lebanon (58% vs. 61%; p=0.666). Conclusion This study provides the first empirical study on patient safety culture in Oman which is similar to those rates reported elsewhere. It highlights the specific strengths and weaknesses which may stem from the specific milieu prevailing in Oman. PMID:25170407

Defining safety culture and the nexus between safety goals and safety culture. 1. An Investigation Study on Practical Points of Safety Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Naoko; Takano, Kenichi; Hirose, Ayako

2001-01-01

In a report after the Chernobyl accident, the International Atomic Energy Agency indicated the definition and the importance of safety culture and the ideal organizational state where safety culture pervades. However, the report did not mention practical approaches to enhance safety culture. In Japan, although there had been investigations that clarified the consciousness of employees and the organizational climate in the nuclear power and railway industries, organizational factors that clarified the level of organization safety and practical methods that spread safety culture in an organization had not been studied. The Central Research Institute of the Electric Power Industry conducted surveys of organizational culture for the construction, chemical, and manufacturing industries. The aim of our study was to clarify the organizational factors that influence safety in an organization expressed in employee safety consciousness, commitment to safety activities, rate of accidents, etc. If these areas were clarified, the level of organization safety might be evaluated, and practical ways could be suggested to enhance the safety culture. Consequently, a series of investigations was conducted to clarify relationships among organizational climate, employee consciousness, safety management and activities, and rate of accidents. The questionnaire surveys were conducted in 1998-1999. The subjects were (a) managers of the safety management sections in the head offices of the construction, chemical, and manufacturing industries; (b) responsible persons in factories of the chemical and manufacturing industries; and (c) general workers in factories of the chemical and manufacturing industries. The number of collected data was (a) managers in the head office: 48 from the construction industry and 58 from the chemical and manufacturing industries, (b) responsible persons in factories: 567, and (c) general workers: from 29 factories. Items in the questionnaires were selected from

Internet safety education for youth: stakeholder perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Megan A; Egan, Katie G; Bare, Kaitlyn; Young, Henry N; Cox, Elizabeth D

2013-06-05

Internet use is nearly ubiquitous among US youth; risks to internet use include cyberbullying, privacy violations and unwanted solicitation. Internet safety education may prevent these negative consequences; however, it is unclear at what age this education should begin and what group is responsible for teaching this topic. Surveys were distributed to key stakeholders in youth safety education including public school teachers, clinicians, parents and adolescents. Surveys assessed age at which internet safety education should begin, as well as experiences teaching and learning internet safety. Surveys of adults assessed willingness to teach internet safety. Finally, participants were asked to identify a group whose primary responsibility it should be to teach internet safety. A total of 356 participants completed the survey (93.4% response rate), including 77 teachers, 111 clinicians, 72 parents and 96 adolescents. Stakeholders felt the optimal mean age to begin teaching internet safety was 7.2 years (SD = 2.5), range 2-15. Internet safety was regularly taught by some teachers (20.8%), few clinicians (2.6%) and many parents (40.3%). The majority of teachers, clinicians and parents were willing to teach internet safety, but all groups surveyed identified parents as having primary responsibility for teaching this topic. Findings suggest agreement among key stakeholders for teaching internet safety at a young age, and for identifying parents as primary teachers of this topic. Clinicians have a unique opportunity to support parents by providing resources, guidance and support.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest risk attributable to temperature in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Onozuka, Daisuke; Hagihara, Akihito

2017-01-01

Several studies have estimated the associations between extreme temperatures and mortality and morbidity; however, few have investigated the attributable fraction for a wide range of temperatures on the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We obtained daily records of OHCA cases in the 47 Japanese prefectures between 2005 and 2014. We examined the relationship between OHCA and temperature for each prefecture using a Poisson regression model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model. The estimated prefecture-specific associations were pooled at the nationwide level using a multivariate random-effect meta-analysis. A total of 659,752 cases of OHCA of presumed-cardiac origin met the inclusion criteria. Overall, 23.93% (95% empirical confidence interval [eCI]: 20.15-26.19) of OHCA was attributable to temperature. The attributable fraction to low temperatures was 23.64% (95% eCI: 19.76-25.87), whereas that of high temperatures was 0.29% (95% eCI: 0.21-0.35). The attributable fraction for OHCA was related to moderate low temperature with an overall estimate of 21.86% (95% eCI: 18.10-24.21). Extreme temperatures were responsible for a small fraction. The majority of temperature-related OHCAs were attributable to lower temperatures. The attributable risk of extremely low and high temperatures was markedly lower than that of moderate temperatures.

Exposure-safety and efficacy response relationships and population pharmacokinetics of eslicarbazepine acetate.

Science.gov (United States)

Gidal, B E; Jacobson, M P; Ben-Menachem, E; Carreño, M; Blum, D; Soares-da-Silva, P; Falcão, A; Rocha, F; Moreira, J; Grinnell, T; Ludwig, E; Fiedler-Kelly, J; Passarell, J; Sunkaraneni, S

2018-05-06

Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a once-daily (QD) oral antiepileptic drug (AED) for focal-onset seizures (FOS). Pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) models were developed to assess dose selection, identify significant AED drug interactions, and quantitate relationships between exposure and safety and efficacy outcomes from Phase 3 trials of adjunctive ESL. Eslicarbazepine (the primary active metabolite of ESL) population PK was evaluated using data from 1351 subjects enrolled in 14 studies (11 Phase 1 and three Phase 3 studies) after multiple oral doses ranging from 400 to 1200 mg. Population PK and PD models related individual eslicarbazepine exposures to safety outcomes and efficacy responses. Eslicarbazepine PK was described by a one-compartment model with linear absorption and elimination. The probability of a treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE; dizziness, headache, or somnolence) was higher with an initial dose of ESL 800 mg than with an initial dose of ESL 400 mg QD. Body weight, sex, region, and baseline use of carbamazepine (CBZ) or lamotrigine were also found to influence the probability of TEAEs. Eslicarbazepine exposure influenced serum sodium concentration, standardized seizure frequency, and probability of response; better efficacy outcomes were predicted in patients not from Western Europe (WE; vs WE patients) and those not taking CBZ (vs taking CBZ) at baseline. Pharmacokinetic and PK/PD modeling were implemented during the development of ESL for adjunctive treatment of FOS in adults. This quantitative approach supported decision-making during the development of ESL, and contributed to dosing recommendations and labeling information related to drug interactions. © 2018 The Authors. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Safety Case and Safety Assessment for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-09-15

This Safety Guide provides guidance and recommendations on meeting the safety requirements in respect of the safety case and supporting safety assessment for the disposal of radioactive waste. The safety case and supporting safety assessment provide the basis for demonstration of safety and for licensing of radioactive waste disposal facilities and assist and guide decisions on siting, design and operations. The safety case is also the main basis on which dialogue with interested parties is conducted and on which confidence in the safety of the disposal facility is developed. This Safety Guide is relevant for operating organizations preparing the safety case as well as for the regulatory body responsible for developing the regulations and regulatory guidance that determine the basis and scope of the safety case. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Demonstrating the safety of radioactive waste disposal; 3. Safety principles and safety requirements; 4. The safety case for disposal of radioactive waste; 5. Radiological impact assessment for the period after closure; 6. Specific issues; 7. Documentation and use of the safety case; 8. Regulatory review process.

Monitoring the Long-Term Effectiveness of Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS) Implementation Through Use of a Performance Dashboard Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinney, Michael D.; Barrick, William D.

2008-01-01

This session will examine a method developed by Federal and Contractor personnel at the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) to examine long-term maintenance of DOE Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS) criteria, including safety culture attributes, as well as identification of process improvement opportunities. This process was initially developed in the summer of 2000 and has since been expanded to recognize the importance of safety culture attributes, and associated safety culture elements, as defined in DOE M 450.4-1, 'Integrated Safety Management System Manual'. This process has proven to significantly enhance collective awareness of the importance of long-term ISMS implementation as well as support commitments by NNSA/NSO personnel to examine the continued effectiveness of ISMS processes

Safety barriers on oil and gas platforms. Means to prevent hydrocarbon releases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sklet, Snorre

2005-12-15

The main objective of the PhD project has been to develop concepts and methods that can be used to define, illustrate, analyse, and improve safety barriers in the operational phase of offshore oil and gas production platforms. The main contributions of this thesis are; Clarification of the term safety barrier with respect to definitions, classification, and relevant attributes for analysis of barrier performance Development and discussion of a representative set of hydrocarbon release scenarios Development and testing of a new method, BORA-Release, for qualitative and quantitative risk analysis of hydrocarbon releases Safety barriers are defined as physical and/or non-physical means planned to prevent, control, or mitigate undesired events or accidents. The means may range from a single technical unit or human actions, to a complex socio-technical system. It is useful to distinguish between barrier functions and barrier systems. Barrier functions describe the purpose of safety barriers or what the safety barriers shall do in order to prevent, control, or mitigate undesired events or accidents. Barrier systems describe how a barrier function is realized or executed. If the barrier system is functioning, the barrier function is performed. If a barrier function is performed successfully, it should have a direct and significant effect on the occurrence and/or consequences of an undesired event or accident. It is recommended to address the following attributes to characterize the performance of safety barriers; a) functionality/effectiveness, b) reliability/ availability, c) response time, d) robustness, and e) triggering event or condition. For some types of barriers, not all the attributes are relevant or necessary in order to describe the barrier performance. The presented hydrocarbon release scenarios include initiating events, barrier functions introduced to prevent hydrocarbon releases, and barrier systems realizing the barrier functions. Both technical and human

Multilevel model of safety climate for furniture industries.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Matilde A; Arezes, Pedro M; Leão, Celina P

2015-01-01

Furniture companies can analyze their safety status using quantitative measures. However, the data needed are not always available and the number of accidents is under-reported. Safety climate scales may be an alternative. However, there are no validated Portuguese scales that account for the specific attributes of the furniture sector. The current study aims to develop and validate an instrument that uses a multilevel structure to measure the safety climate of the Portuguese furniture industry. The Safety Climate in Wood Industries (SCWI) model was developed and applied to the safety climate analysis using three different scales: organizational, group and individual. A multilevel exploratory factor analysis was performed to analyze the factorial structure. The studied companies' safety conditions were also analyzed. Different factorial structures were found between and within levels. In general, the results show the presence of a group-level safety climate. The scores of safety climates are directly and positively related to companies' safety conditions; the organizational scale is the one that best reflects the actual safety conditions. The SCWI instrument allows for the identification of different safety climates in groups that comprise the same furniture company and it seems to reflect those groups' safety conditions. The study also demonstrates the need for a multilevel analysis of the studied instrument.

Regional aviation safety organisations : enhancing air transport safety through regional cooperation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ratajczyk, Mikołaj Andrzej

2014-01-01

Aviation safety is of global concern. Yet 43% of countries worldwide lack the expertise and administrative capacity to ensure effective safety oversight of the aviation activities for which they are responsible under international law. With air traffic predicted to double in the next 15 years and

Nuclear safety organisation in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-12-01

This report outlines the public authorities responsible for the safety of nuclear installations in France. The composition and responsibilities of the Central Safety Service of Nuclear Installations within the Ministry of Industry, the Institute of Nuclear Protection and Safety within the CEA, the Central Service of Protection Against Ionising Radiation and the Interministerial Committee of Nuclear Safety are given. Other areas covered include the technical safety examination of large nuclear installations, the occurrence of accidents, treatment and control of release of radioactive wastes and decommissioning. The section on regulations covers the authorisation procedure, plant commissioning, release of radioactive effluents, surveillance and protection of workers exposed to ionising radiation. The situation is compared with the USA and the Federal Republic of Germany. A list of commercial nuclear installations in France is given

Sustainable safety volunteerism in the Strand, Western Cape ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

opperwjj

contributed to national campaigns, such as the 16 Days of Activism Against Women and Child ... volunteers in the provision of community safety services. ... multiplicity of attributes, experiences, emotions, motivations and behaviours that one may ... Carpenter and Knowles Myers (2010) suggest that pro-social behaviour is ...

Measuring safety climate in elderly homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeung, Koon-Chuen; Chan, Charles C

2012-02-01

Provision of a valid and reliable safety climate dimension brings enormous benefits to the elderly home sector. The aim of the present study was to make use of the safety climate instrument developed by OSHC to measure the safety perceptions of employees in elderly homes such that the factor structure of the safety climate dimensions of elderly homes could be explored. In 2010, surveys by mustering on site method were administered in 27 elderly homes that had participated in the "Hong Kong Safe and Healthy Residential Care Home Accreditation Scheme" organized by the Occupational Safety and Health Council. Six hundred and fifty-one surveys were returned with a response rate of 54.3%. To examine the factor structure of safety climate dimensions in our study, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal components analysis method was conducted to identify the underlying factors. The results of the modified seven-factor's safety climate structure extracted from 35 items better reflected the safety climate dimensions of elderly homes. The Cronbach alpha range for this study (0.655 to 0.851) indicated good internal consistency among the seven-factor structure. Responses from managerial level, supervisory and professional level, and front-line staff were analyzed to come up with the suggestion on effective ways of improving the safety culture of elderly homes. The overall results showed that managers generally gave positive responses in the factors evaluated, such as "management commitment and concern to safety," "perception of work risks and some contributory influences," "safety communication and awareness," and "safe working attitude and participation." Supervisors / professionals, and frontline level staff on the other hand, have less positive responses. The result of the lowest score in the factors - "perception of safety rules and procedures" underlined the importance of the relevance and practicability of safety rules and procedures. The modified OSHC

Worldwide burden of cancer attributable to HPV by site, country and HPV type

OpenAIRE

de Martel, Catherine; Plummer, Martyn; Vignat, Jerome; Franceschi, Silvia

2017-01-01

HPV is the cause of almost all cervical cancer and is responsible for a substantial fraction of other anogenital cancers and oropharyngeal cancers. Understanding the HPV?attributable cancer burden can boost programs of HPV vaccination and HPV?based cervical screening. Attributable fractions (AFs) and the relative contributions of different HPV types were derived from published studies reporting on the prevalence of transforming HPV infection in cancer tissue. Maps of age?standardized incidenc...

Measuring patient safety culture in Taiwan using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC).

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, I-Chi; Li, Hung-Hui

2010-06-07

Patient safety is a critical component to the quality of health care. As health care organizations endeavour to improve their quality of care, there is a growing recognition of the importance of establishing a culture of patient safety. In this research, the authors use the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) questionnaire to assess the culture of patient safety in Taiwan and attempt to provide an explanation for some of the phenomena that are unique in Taiwan. The authors used HSOPSC to measure the 12 dimensions of the patient safety culture from 42 hospitals in Taiwan. The survey received 788 respondents including physicians, nurses, and non-clinical staff. This study used SPSS 15.0 for Windows and Amos 7 software tools to perform the statistical analysis on the survey data, including descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis of the structural equation model. The overall average positive response rate for the 12 patient safety culture dimensions of the HSOPSC survey was 64%, slightly higher than the average positive response rate for the AHRQ data (61%). The results showed that hospital staff in Taiwan feel positively toward patient safety culture in their organization. The dimension that received the highest positive response rate was "Teamwork within units", similar to the results reported in the US. The dimension with the lowest percentage of positive responses was "Staffing". Statistical analysis showed discrepancies between Taiwan and the US in three dimensions, including "Feedback and communication about error", "Communication openness", and "Frequency of event reporting". The HSOPSC measurement provides evidence for assessing patient safety culture in Taiwan. The results show that in general, hospital staffs in Taiwan feel positively toward patient safety culture within their organization. The existence of discrepancies between the US data and the Taiwanese data suggest that cultural uniqueness should be taken into

NS [Nuclear Safety] update. Current safety and security activities and developments taking place in the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. Issue no. 4, June 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-04-01

allow a broad discussion and to form a consolidated opinion. This should apply to requests for assistance from recipient states as well from donor states/organizations. Participation in the RSTCG is based on competencies and responsibilities. Currently the following divisions/sections within the IAEA's Department of Nuclear Safety and Security with responsibilities related to the control and management of radioactive sources are represented: Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety with responsibilities in radiation safety related to sealed radioactive sources, Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology, with responsibilities in recovery, conditioning, storage and/or repatriation and Office of Nuclear Security with responsibilities in the protection against malicious acts (through the whole life cycle of sources)

Calibration of Seismic Attributes for Reservoir Characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pennington, Wayne D.; Acevedo, Horacio; Green, Aaron; Len, Shawn; Minavea, Anastasia; Wood, James; Xie, Deyi

2002-01-29

This project has completed the initially scheduled third year of the contract, and is beginning a fourth year, designed to expand upon the tech transfer aspects of the project. From the Stratton data set, demonstrated that an apparent correlation between attributes derived along `phantom' horizons are artifacts of isopach changes; only if the interpreter understands that the interpretation is based on this correlation with bed thickening or thinning, can reliable interpretations of channel horizons and facies be made. From the Boonsville data set , developed techniques to use conventional seismic attributes, including seismic facies generated under various neural network procedures, to subdivide regional facies determined from logs into productive and non-productive subfacies, and developed a method involving cross-correlation of seismic waveforms to provide a reliable map of the various facies present in the area. The Teal South data set provided a surprising set of data, leading us to develop a pressure-dependent velocity relationship and to conclude that nearby reservoirs are undergoing a pressure drop in response to the production of the main reservoir, implying that oil is being lost through their spill points, never to be produced. The Wamsutter data set led to the use of unconventional attributes including lateral incoherence and horizon-dependent impedance variations to indicate regions of former sand bars and current high pressure, respectively, and to evaluation of various upscaling routines.

[Disability attributable to excess weight in Spain].

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Ramiro, José Javier; Alvarez-Martín, Elena; Gil-Prieto, Ruth

2014-08-19

To estimate the disability attributable to higher than optimal body mass index in the Spanish population in 2006. Excess body weight prevalence data were obtained from the 2006 National Health Survey (NHS), while the prevalence of associated morbidities was extracted from the 2006 NHS and from a national hospital data base. Population attributable fractions were applied and disability attributable was expressed as years life with disability (YLD). In 2006, in the Spanish population aged 35-79 years, 791.650 YLD were lost due to higher than optimal body mass index (46.7% in males and 53.3% in females). Overweight (body mass index 25-29.9) accounted for 45.7% of total YLD. Males YLD were higher than females under 60. The 35-39 quinquennial group showed a difference for males of 16.6% while in the 74-79 group the difference was 23.8% for women. Osteoarthritis and chronic back pain accounted for 60% of YLD while hypertensive disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus were responsible of 37%. Excess body weight is a health risk related to the development of various diseases with an important associated disability burden and social and economical cost. YLD analysis is a useful monitor tool for disease control interventions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Responsibility among bachelor degree nursing students: A concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemi, Saeed; Ahmadi, Fazlollah; Kazemnejad, Anoshirvan

2018-01-01

Responsibility is an important component of the professional values and core competencies for bachelor degree nursing students and has relationships with nursing education and professionalization. It is important for providing safe and high-quality care to the clients for the present and future performance of student. But there is no clear and operational definition of this concept for bachelor degree nursing students; however, there are extensive contents and debates about the definitions, attributes, domains and boundaries of responsibility in nursing and non-nursing literature. To examine the concept of responsibility among bachelor degree nursing students using the evolutionary approach to concept analysis. A total of 75 articles published between 1990 and 2016 and related to the concept of responsibility were selected from seven databases and considered for concept analysis based on Rogers' evolutionary approach. Ethical considerations: Throughout all stages of data collection, analysis and reporting, accuracy and bailment were respected. Responsibility is a procedural, spectral, dynamic and complex concept. The attributes of the concept are smart thinking, appropriate managerial behaviours, appropriate communicational behaviours, situational self-mandatory and task-orientation behaviours. Personal, educational and professional factors lead to the emergence of the responsible behaviours among bachelor degree nursing students. The emergence of such behaviours facilitates the learning and education process, ensures nursing profession life and promotes clients and community health level. Responsibility has some effects on nursing students. This concept had been changed over time since 1990-2016. There are similarities and differences in the elements of this concept in disciplines of nursing and other educational disciplines. Conclusion The analysis of this concept can help to develop educational or managerial theories, design instruments for better identification

African-American Undergraduates' Perceptions and Attributions of Child Sexual Abuse

Science.gov (United States)

Hestick, Henrietta; Perrino, Carrol S.

2009-01-01

This study examined perceptions of child sexual abuse and attributions of responsibility in a cross-sectional convenience sample of 384 African-American undergraduates using a scenario manipulating the age of the victim, gender of the victim, and gender of the perpetrator. Multiple interactions of respondent, victim, and perpetrator gender on…

Attributions of cancer 'alarm' symptoms in a community sample.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katriina L Whitaker

Full Text Available Attribution of early cancer symptoms to a non-serious cause may lead to longer diagnostic intervals. We investigated attributions of potential cancer 'alarm' and non-alarm symptoms experienced in everyday life in a community sample of adults, without mention of a cancer context.A questionnaire was mailed to 4858 adults (≥50 years old, no cancer diagnosis through primary care, asking about symptom experiences in the past 3 months. The word cancer was not mentioned. Target 'alarm' symptoms, publicised by Cancer Research UK, were embedded in a longer symptom list. For each symptom experienced, respondents were asked for their attribution ('what do you think caused it', concern about seriousness ('not at all' to 'extremely', and help-seeking ('did you contact a doctor about it': Yes/No.The response rate was 35% (n = 1724. Over half the respondents (915/1724; 53% had experienced an 'alarm' symptom, and 20 (2% cited cancer as a possible cause. Cancer attributions were highest for 'unexplained lump'; 7% (6/87. Cancer attributions were lowest for 'unexplained weight loss' (0/47. A higher proportion (375/1638; 23% were concerned their symptom might be 'serious', ranging from 12% (13/112 for change in a mole to 41% (100/247 for unexplained pain. Just over half had contacted their doctor about their symptom (59%, although this varied by symptom. Alarm symptoms were appraised as more serious than non-alarm symptoms, and were more likely to trigger help-seeking.Consistent with retrospective reports from cancer patients, 'alarm' symptoms experienced in daily life were rarely attributed to cancer. These results have implications for understanding how people appraise and act on symptoms that could be early warning signs of cancer.

Radiation Safety in Industrial Radiography. Specific Safety Guide (French Edition); Surete radiologique en radiographie industrielle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-05-15

This Safety Guide provides recommendations for ensuring radiation safety in industrial radiography used in non-destructive testing. This includes industrial radiography work that utilizes X ray and gamma sources, both in Horizontal-Ellipsis shielded facilities that have effective engineering controls and in outside shielded facilities using mobile sources. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Duties and responsibilities; 3. Safety assessment; 4. Radiation protection programme; 5. Training and qualification; 6. Individual monitoring of workers; 7. Workplace monitoring; 8. Control of radioactive sources; 9. Safety of industrial radiography sources and exposure devices; 10. Radiography in shielded enclosures; 11. Site radiography; 12. Transport of radioactive sources; 13. Emergency preparedness and response; Appendix: IAEA categorization of radioactive sources; Annex I: Example safety assessment; Annex II: Overview of industrial radiography sources and equipment; Annex III: Examples of accidents in industrial radiography.

10 CFR 830.202 - Safety basis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Safety basis. 830.202 Section 830.202 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NUCLEAR SAFETY MANAGEMENT Safety Basis Requirements § 830.202 Safety basis. (a) The contractor responsible for a hazard category 1, 2, or 3 DOE nuclear facility must establish and maintain the safety basis...

Exploring Work-Related Causal Attributions of Common Mental Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Ingrid Blø; Øverland, Simon; Reme, Silje Endresen; Løvvik, Camilla

2015-09-01

Common mental disorders (CMDs) are major causes of sickness absence and disability. Prevention requires knowledge of how individuals perceive causal mechanisms, and in this study we sought to examine work-related factors as causal attribution of CMDs. A trial sample of n = 1,193, recruited because they struggled with work participation due to CMDs, answered an open-ended questionnaire item about what they believed were the most important causes of their CMDs. The population included participants at risk of sickness absence, and participants with reduced work participation due to sickness absence, disability or unemployment. We used thematic content analysis and categorized responses from 487 participants who reported work-related factors as causal attributions of their CMDs. Gender differences in work-related causal attributions were also examined. The participants attributed their CMDs to the following work-related factors; work stress, leadership, reduced work participation, job dissatisfaction, work conflict, social work environment, job insecurity and change, workplace bullying, and physical strain. Women tended to attribute CMDs to social factors at work. Findings from this study suggest several work-related risk factors for CMDs. Both factors at the workplace, and reduced work participation, were perceived by study participants as contributing causes of CMDs. Thus, there is a need to promote work participation whilst at the same time targeting aversive workplace factors. Further, our findings indicate that work-related factors may affect women and men differently. This illustrates that the association between work participation and CMDs is complex, and needs to be explored further.

Environmental attributable fractions in remote Australia: the potential of a new approach for local public health action.

Science.gov (United States)

McMullen, Cheryl; Eastwood, Ashley; Ward, Jeanette

2016-04-01

To determine local values for environmental attributable fractions and explore their applicability and potential for public health advocacy. Using World Health Organization (WHO) values for environmental attributable fractions, responses from a practitioner survey (73% response rate) were considered by a smaller skills-based panel to determine consensus values for Kimberley environmental attributable fractions (KEAFs). Applied to de-identified data from 17 remote primary healthcare facilities over two years, numbers and proportions of reasons for attendance directly attributable to the environment were calculated for all ages and children aged 0-4 years, including those for Aboriginal patients. Of 150,357 reasons for attendance for patients of all ages, 31,775 (21.1%) were directly attributable to the environment. The proportion of these directly due to the environment was significantly higher for Aboriginal patients than others (23.1% v 14.6%; penvironmental factors, 20% of total primary healthcare demand could be prevented and, importantly, some 25% of presentations by Aboriginal children. KEAFs have potential to monitor impact of local environmental investments. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

Particulate matter effect on biometric and biochemical attributes of fruiting plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

U. Younis

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Dust accumulation capacity of Ficus carica L. and Psidium guajava L. was investigated from eight different sites of Multan, Pakistan.  Leaves of both plants were used for analyzing biometric (leaf area, fresh and dry weights and biochemical attributes (chlorophyll contents, carotenoids and ascorbic acid.  Maximum dust accumulation was occurred in the plants growing near road sites, while, minimum dust accumulation occurred in the plants of Bahauddin Zakariya University.  Most of the biometric and biochemical attributes of F. carica showed significant response towards dust but it had not significant influence on some attributes of P. guajava.  Biochemical traits of P. guajava appeared to be more prone than foliage ones. A positive correlation was foundbetween dust accumulation and foliage attributes in F. carica. On the other hand,in P. guajava opposite was observed, however, the reverse was true for leaf biomass.Biochemical contents had shown an inconsistency as chlorophylls (a, b & total, carotenoid contents declined but ascorbic acid increased with an increase in dust accumulation in both species.

Cluster Based Vector Attribute Filtering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kiwanuka, Fred N.; Wilkinson, Michael H.F.

2016-01-01

Morphological attribute filters operate on images based on properties or attributes of connected components. Until recently, attribute filtering was based on a single global threshold on a scalar property to remove or retain objects. A single threshold struggles in case no single property or

The future trends for research on quality and safety of animal products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nigel D. Scollan

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Quality must now be considered as a convergence between consumers' wishes and needs and the intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes of food products. The increasing number of quality attributes which must be considered, increasing globalisation and the heterogeneity in consumption habits between countries are making this convergence progressively more difficult. In parallel, science is rapidly evolving (with the advent of genomics for instance, and a growing number of applications is thus expected for the improvement of food safety and quality. Among the meat and fish quality attributes, colour is very important because it determines, at least in part, consumer choice. The key targets to ensure a satisfactory colour are animal nutrition and management for fish, processing and product conditioning for meat. Tenderness and flavour continue to be important issues for the consumer because eating remains a pleasure. They both determine quality experience which itself influences repetitive purchase. Meat tenderness is a very complex problem which can be solved only by a holistic approach involving all the factors from conception, animal breeding and production, muscle biology and slaughter practice to carcass processing and meat preparation at the consumer end. Today, safety and healthiness are among the most important issues. Unfortunately, animal products can potentially be a source of biological and chemical contamination for consumers. The introduction of both control strategies along the food chain and the development of a food safety management system, from primary production to the domestic environment, are key issues that must be achieved. Despite a high dietary supply of saturated fats by dairy and meat products, it is imperative that professionals involved in animal research and in the associated industry convey the positive nutritional contributions of animal products to both consumers and health professionals. The latter include protein

Intensive care unit nurses' perceptions of safety after a highly specific safety intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Elder, N C; Brungs, S M; Nagy, M; Kudel, I; Render, M L

2008-02-01

It is unknown if successful changes in specific safety practices in the intensive care unit (ICU) generalize to broader concepts of patient safety by staff nurses. To explore perceptions of patient safety among nursing staff in ICUs following participation in a safety project that decreased hospital acquired infections. After implementation of practices that reduced catheter-related bloodstream infections in ICUs at four community hospitals, ICU nurses participated in focus groups to discuss patient safety. Audiotapes from the focus groups were transcribed, and two independent reviewers categorised the data which were triangulated with responses from selected questions of safety climate surveys and with the safety checklists used by management leadership on walk rounds. Thirty-three nurses attended eight focus groups; 92 nurses and managers completed safety climate surveys, and three separate leadership checklists were reviewed. In focus groups, nurses predominantly related patient safety to dangers in the physical environment (eg, bed rails, alarms, restraints, equipment, etc.) and to medication administration. These areas also represented 47% of checklist items from leadership walk rounds. Nurses most frequently mentioned self-initiated "double checking" as their main safety task. Focus-group participants and survey responses both noted inconsistency between management's verbal and written commitment compared with their day-to-day support of patient safety issues. ICU nurses who participated in a project to decrease hospital acquired infections did not generalize their experience to other aspects of patient safety or relate it to management's interest in patient safety. These findings are consistent with many adult learning theories, where self-initiated tasks, combined with immediate, but temporary problem-solving, are stronger learning forces than management-led activities with delayed feedback.

Belief attribution despite verbal interference.

Science.gov (United States)

Forgeot d'Arc, Baudouin; Ramus, Franck

2011-05-01

False-belief (FB) tasks have been widely used to study the ability of individuals to represent the content of their conspecifics' mental states (theory of mind). However, the cognitive processes involved are still poorly understood, and it remains particularly debated whether language and inner speech are necessary for the attribution of beliefs to other agents. We present a completely nonverbal paradigm consisting of silent animated cartoons in five closely related conditions, systematically teasing apart different aspects of scene analysis and allowing the assessment of the attribution of beliefs, goals, and physical causation. In order to test the role of language in belief attribution, we used verbal shadowing as a dual task to inhibit inner speech. Data on 58 healthy adults indicate that verbal interference decreases overall performance, but has no specific effect on belief attribution. Participants remained able to attribute beliefs despite heavy concurrent demands on their verbal abilities. Our results are most consistent with the hypothesis that belief attribution is independent from inner speech.

Culture safety in the nuclear installation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benar Bukit

2008-01-01

Culture safety is aimed to empower all the personnel to contribute and responsible to the installation safety where they work in. Culture safety is important as there were so many accidents happened due to the little attention given to the safety, take as examples of what happened in Three Mille Island installation (1979) and Chernobyl (1986). These remind us that human factor gives a significant contribution to the failure of operational system which influences the safety. Therefore, as one of institutions which has nuclear installation. National Nuclear Energy Agency must apply the culture safety to guarantee the safety operation of nuclear installation to protect the personnel, community and environment from the hazard of radioactive radiation. Culture safety has two main components. The first component under the management responsibility is a framework needed in an organisation. The second component is the personnel attitude in al/ levels to respond and optimize those framework. (author)

Predicting Infant Maltreatment in Low-Income Families: The Interactive Effects of Maternal Attributions and Child Status at Birth

Science.gov (United States)

Bugental, Daphne Blunt; Happaney, Keith

2004-01-01

Maternal attributions and child neonatal status at birth were assessed as predictors of infant maltreatment (harsh parenting and safety neglect). The population included low-income, low-education families who were primarily Hispanic. Child maltreatment during the 1st year of life (N = 73) was predicted by neonatal status (low Apgar scores, preterm…

FedEx Express Safety and Compliance

OpenAIRE

Molin, Mark

2015-01-01

Aviation Safety: Just Culture | Just Culture is a safety framework that balances responsibility for people’s mistakes and a systematic process for accountability. The presenter is experienced with safety in both air operations and maintenance.

Modeling the hospital safety partnership preferences of patients and their families: a discrete choice conjoint experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cunningham CE

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Charles E Cunningham,1 Tracy Hutchings,2 Jennifer Henderson,2 Heather Rimas,1 Yvonne Chen1 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Michael G DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, 2Department of Quality and Performance, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, ON, Canada Background: Patients and their families play an important role in efforts to improve health service safety. Objective: The objective of this study is to understand the safety partnership preferences of patients and their families. Method: We used a discrete choice conjoint experiment to model the safety partnership preferences of 1,084 patients or those such as parents acting on their behalf. Participants made choices between hypothetical safety partnerships composed by experimentally varying 15 four-level partnership design attributes. Results: Participants preferred an approach to safety based on partnerships between patients and staff rather than a model delegating responsibility for safety to hospital staff. They valued the opportunity to participate in point of service safety partnerships, such as identity and medication double checks, that might afford an immediate risk reduction. Latent class analysis yielded two segments. Actively engaged participants (73.3% comprised outpatients with higher education, who anticipated more benefits to safety partnerships, were more confident in their ability to contribute, and were more intent on participating. They were more likely to prefer a personal engagement strategy, valued scientific evidence, preferred a more active approach to safety education, and advocated disclosure of errors. The passively engaged segment (26.7% anticipated fewer benefits, were less confident in their ability to contribute, and were less intent on participating. They were more likely to prefer an engagement strategy based on signage. They preferred that staff explain why they thought patients should help

Health, Safety, and Environment Division

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wade, C [comp.

1992-01-01

The primary responsibility of the Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is to provide comprehensive occupational health and safety programs, waste processing, and environmental protection. These activities are designed to protect the worker, the public, and the environment. Meeting these responsibilities requires expertise in many disciplines, including radiation protection, industrial hygiene, safety, occupational medicine, environmental science and engineering, analytical chemistry, epidemiology, and waste management. New and challenging health, safety, and environmental problems occasionally arise from the diverse research and development work of the Laboratory, and research programs in HSE Division often stem from these applied needs. These programs continue but are also extended, as needed, to study specific problems for the Department of Energy. The results of these programs help develop better practices in occupational health and safety, radiation protection, and environmental science.

Idaho Safety Manual.

Science.gov (United States)

Idaho State Dept. of Education, Boise. Div. of Vocational Education.

This manual is intended to help teachers, administrators, and local school boards develop and institute effective safety education as a part of all vocational instruction in the public schools of Idaho. This guide is organized in 13 sections that cover the following topics: introduction to safety education, legislation, levels of responsibility,…

CERN's new safety policy

CERN Multimedia

2014-01-01

The documents below, published on 29 September 2014 on the HSE website, together replace the document SAPOCO 42 as well as Safety Codes A1, A5, A9, A10, which are no longer in force. As from the publication date of these documents any reference made to the document SAPOCO 42 or to Safety Codes A1, A5, A9 and A10 in contractual documents or CERN rules and regulations shall be deemed to constitute a reference to the corresponding provisions of the documents listed below.   "The CERN Safety Policy" "Safety Regulation SR-SO - Responsibilities and organisational structure in matters of Safety at CERN" "General Safety Instruction GSI-SO-1 - Departmental Safety Officer (DSO)" "General Safety Instruction GSI-SO-2 - Territorial Safety Officer (TSO)" "General Safety Instruction GSI-SO-3 - Safety Linkperson (SLP)" "General Safety Instruction GSI-SO-4 - Large Experiment Group Leader In Matters of Safety (LEXGLI...

Safety culture in the nuclear versus non-nuclear organization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haber, S.B.; Shurberg, D.A.

1996-01-01

The importance of safety culture in the safe and reliable operation of nuclear organizations is not a new concept. The greatest barriers to this area of research are twofold: (1) the definition and criteria of safety culture for a nuclear organization and (2) the measurement of those attributes in an objective and systematic fashion. This paper will discuss a proposed resolution of those barriers as demonstrated by the collection of data across nuclear and non-nuclear facilities over a two year period

42 CFR 137.368 - Is the Secretary responsible for oversight and compliance of health and safety codes during...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... compliance of health and safety codes during construction projects being performed by a Self-Governance Tribe... SERVICES TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNANCE Construction Roles of the Secretary in Establishing and Implementing Construction Project Agreements § 137.368 Is the Secretary responsible for oversight and compliance of health...

What Food is to be Kept Safe and for Whom? Food-Safety Governance in an Unsafe Food System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martha McMahon

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that discussion of new food-safety governance should be framed by the realization that the dominant food system within which food-safety governance is designed to makes food safe is itself a structural and systemic sources of food un-safety, poor health and a future of food insecurity for many. For some, an appropriate policy response lies in addressing the connections between the food system and diseases such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes. For others it means subsuming food-safety governance within food security governance. For yet others, safe food implies food sovereignty governance and the primacy of a climate change resilient food system. Conventional approaches to food-safety governance are typically framed within a liability model of responsibility that has limited usefulness for addressing institutional, structural or systemic sources of harm such as those critics increasingly attribute to the dominant food system and which are not amenable to remedy by food-safety governance as it is widely understood. One cannot identify critical hazard points where risk is to be managed. These are food-system safety challenges. Because food-safety governance is so deeply political there needs to be greater attention to issues of governance rather than the more usual focus on the technologies of food-safety. Feminist political theorists have much to contribute to re-thinking food-safety governance in the context of diversity and the complexities of power. One could usefully start with the simple questions, “what food is to be kept-safe, for whom and who is the subject of food-safety governance in a post-Westphalian political economic order?” These questions can help unpack both the narrow parochialism and the misleading universalism of food-safety talk. This paper answers that neither the citizens of a particular state (or network of states nor the falsely universalizing identity of ‘the consumer’ are adequate answers

75 FR 36773 - Pipeline Safety: Updating Facility Response Plans in Light of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-28

... have been, or are subsequently relocated to the Gulf to respond to the Deepwater Horizon event should.... PHMSA-2010-0175] Pipeline Safety: Updating Facility Response Plans in Light of the Deepwater Horizon Oil... 194. In light of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which has resulted in the...

Comparison of Vehicle Efficiency Technology Attributes and Synergy Estimates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duleep, G. [ICF Incorporated, LLC., Fairfax, VA (United States)

2011-02-01

Analyzing the future fuel economy of light-duty vehicles (LDVs) requires detailed knowledge of the vehicle technologies available to improve LDV fuel economy. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been relying on technology data from a 2001 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study (NAS 2001) on corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards, but the technology parameters were updated in the new proposed rulemaking (EPA and NHTSA 2009) to set CAFE and greenhouse gas standards for the 2011 to 2016 period. The update is based largely on an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysis of technology attributes augmented by NHTSA data and contractor staff assessments. These technology cost and performance data were documented in the Draft Joint Technical Support Document (TSD) issued by EPA and NHTSA in September 2009 (EPA/NHTSA 2009). For these tasks, the Energy and Environmental Analysis (EEA) division of ICF International (ICF) examined each technology and technology package in the Draft TSD and assessed their costs and performance potential based on U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program assessments. ICF also assessed the technologies, other relevant attributes based on data from actual production vehicles, and recently published technical articles in engineering journals. ICF examined technology synergy issues through an ICF in-house model that uses a discrete parameter approach.

Comparison of Vehicle Efficiency Technology Attributes and Synergy Estimates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duleep, G.

2011-02-01

Analyzing the future fuel economy of light-duty vehicles (LDVs) requires detailed knowledge of the vehicle technologies available to improve LDV fuel economy. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been relying on technology data from a 2001 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study (NAS 2001) on corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards, but the technology parameters were updated in the new proposed rulemaking (EPA and NHTSA 2009) to set CAFE and greenhouse gas standards for the 2011 to 2016 period. The update is based largely on an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysis of technology attributes augmented by NHTSA data and contractor staff assessments. These technology cost and performance data were documented in the Draft Joint Technical Support Document (TSD) issued by EPA and NHTSA in September 2009 (EPA/NHTSA 2009). For these tasks, the Energy and Environmental Analysis (EEA) division of ICF International (ICF) examined each technology and technology package in the Draft TSD and assessed their costs and performance potential based on U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program assessments. ICF also assessed the technologies? other relevant attributes based on data from actual production vehicles and from recently published technical articles in engineering journals. ICF examined technology synergy issues through an ICF in-house model that uses a discrete parameter approach.

Operating procedures and safety culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carnino, A.

1993-01-01

The development of new technologies in recent years has led to a tremendous increase in the information to be mastered by operators in industrial processes. The information at operators disposal both in routine situations and accidental ones needs to be well prepared and organized to ensure reliability and safety. The man-machine interface should give operators all the necessary and clear indications on the process status and evolution so that the operators can operate the installation through adequate procedures. Procedures represent the real interface and mode of action of the operators on the machine, and they are of prime importance. Although they are by essence quite different, the routine, accident, and emergency procedures have in common one attribute: They all require a good safety culture both in their development and their implementation. From the definition given by the members of the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG), open-quotes Safety culture is that assembly of characteristics and attitudes in organizations and individuals which establishes that, as an overriding priority, nuclear plant safety issues receive the attention warranted by their significance,close quotes one can see that two aspects are embedded, a collective attitude that in fact is reflected in the managerial framework and an individual one that is linked to personnel behavior and work practices

Integrated Safety in ''SARAF'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickstein, P.; Grof, Y.; Machlev, M.; Pernick, A.

2004-01-01

As of the very early stages of the accelerator project at the Soreq Nuclear Research Center ''SARAF'' a safety group was established which has been an inseparable participant in the planning and design of the new facility. The safety group comprises of teams responsible for the shielding, radiation protection and general industrial safety aspects of ''SARAF''. The safety group prepared and documented the safety envelope for the accelerator, dealing with the safety requirements and guidelines for the first, pre-operational, stages of the project. The safety envelope, though based upon generic principles, took into account the accelerator features and the expected modes of operation. The safety envelope was prepared in a hierarchical structure, containing Basic Principles, Basic Guidelines, General Principles for Safety Implementation, Safety Requirements and Safety Underlining Issues. The above safety envelope applies to the entire facility, which entails the accelerator itself and the experimental areas and associated plant and equipment utilizing and supporting the production of the accelerated particle beams

Safety management systems and their role in achieving high standards of operational safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coulston, D.J.; Baylis, C.C.

2000-01-01

Achieving high standards of operational safety requires a robust management framework that is visible to all personnel with responsibility for its implementation. The structure of the management framework must ensure that all processes used to manage safety interlink in a logical and coherent manner, that is, they form a management system that leads to continuous improvement in safety performance. This Paper describes BNFL's safety management system (SMS). The SMS has management processes grouped within 5 main elements: 1. Policy, 2. Organisation, 3. Planning and Implementation, 4. Measuring and Reviewing Performance, 5. Audit. These elements reflect the overall process of setting safety objective (from Policy), measuring success and reviewing the performance. Effective implementation of the SMS requires senior managers to demonstrate leadership through their commitment and accountability. However, the SMS as a whole reflects that every employee at every level within BNFL is responsible for safety of operations under their control. The SMS therefore promotes a proactive safety culture and safe operations. The system is formally documented in the Company's Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Manual. Within in BNFL Group, the Company structures enables the Manual to provide overall SMS guidance and co-ordination to its range of nuclear businesses. Each business develops the SMS to be appropriate at all levels of its organisation, but ensuring that each level is consistent with the higher level. The Paper concludes with a summary of BNFL's safety performance. (author)

PETRO-SAFE '94 conference papers: Book 2. Volume 5: Emergency response ampersand spill control; Volume 6: Remediation; Volume 7: Health ampersand safety issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1994-01-01

The Fifth Annual Environmental, Safety and Health Conference and Exhibition for the oil, gas and petrochemical industries was held January 25--27, 1994 in Houston, Texas. The objective of this conference was to provide a multidisciplinary forum dealing with state-of-the-art environmental and safety issues. This volume focuses on the following: emergency response and spill control; remediation; and health and safety issues. Individual papers have been processed separately for inclusion in the appropriate data bases

Radiation Safety in Industrial Radiography. Specific Safety Guide (Spanish Edition); Seguridad radiologica en la radiografia industrial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-12-15

This Safety Guide provides recommendations for ensuring radiation safety in industrial radiography used in non-destructive testing. This includes industrial radiography work that utilizes X ray and gamma sources, both in shielded facilities that have effective engineering controls and in outside shielded facilities using mobile sources. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Duties and responsibilities; 3. Safety assessment; 4. Radiation protection programme; 5. Training and qualification; 6. Individual monitoring of workers; 7. Workplace monitoring; 8. Control of radioactive sources; 9. Safety of industrial radiography sources and exposure devices; 10. Radiography in shielded enclosures; 11. Site radiography; 12. Transport of radioactive sources; 13. Emergency preparedness and response; Appendix: IAEA categorization of radioactive sources; Annex I: Example safety assessment; Annex II: Overview of industrial radiography sources and equipment; Annex III: Examples of accidents in industrial radiography.