WorldWideScience

Sample records for safety concern worldwide

  1. Food colors: Existing and emerging food safety concerns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oplatowska-Stachowiak, Michalina; Elliott, Christopher T

    2017-02-11

    Food colors are added to different types of commodities to increase their visual attractiveness or to compensate for natural color variations. The use of these additives is strictly regulated in the European Union, the United States, and many other countries worldwide. There is a growing concern about the safety of some commonly used legal food colorants and there is a trend to replace the synthetic forms with natural products. Additionally, a number of dyes with known or suspected genotoxic or carcinogenic properties have been shown to be added illegally to foods. Robust monitoring programs based on reliable detection methods are required to assure the food is free from harmful colors. The aim of this review is to present an up to date status of the various concerns arising from use of color additives in food. The most important food safety concerns in the field of food colors are lack of uniform regulation concerning legal food colors worldwide, possible link of artificial colors to hyperactive behavior, replacement of synthetic colors with natural ones, and the presence of harmful illegal dyes-both known but also new, emerging ones in food. The legal status of food color additives in the EU, United States, and worldwide is summarized. The reported negative health effects of both legal and illegal colors are presented. The European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed notifications and US import alerts concerning food colors are analyzed and trends in fraudulent use of color additives identified. The detection methods for synthetic colors are also reviewed.

  2. Clear progress in nuclear safety worldwide: Convention on nuclear safety concludes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    It has been concluded that a significant progress has been observed in a number of key areas, such as strengthened legislation, regulatory independence, the availability of financial resources, enhanced emergency preparedness and safety improvements at nuclear power plants built to earlier standards. The objective of the Convention is to achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety worldwide. During the two week Review Meeting, parties engaged in a 'peer review' process in which the National Reports from individual States were collectively examined and discussed, with written replies provided to all the questions raised. Clear improvement was noted in the quality of the National Reports, the number of questions and the openness and quality of discussion and answers. The Contracting Parties praised the IAEA's various safety review missions and services, which they use widely to help enhance the effectiveness of their national safety arrangements. Forty-six contracting parties participated at the Review Meeting with over 400 delegates attending, including many heads and senior officers from regulatory bodies and experts from industry. To date, the Convention has been signed by sixty-five States and ratified by fifty-four, representing 428 of the 448 nuclear power reactors worldwide

  3. Radiation safety and vascular access: attitudes among cardiologists worldwide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vidovich, Mladen I., E-mail: miv@uic.edu [Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (United States); Khan, Asrar A. [Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (United States); Xie, Hui [Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (United States); Shroff, Adhir R. [Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (United States)

    2015-03-15

    Objectives: To determine opinions and perceptions of interventional cardiologists on the topic of radiation and vascular access choice. Background: Transradial approach for cardiac catheterization has been increasing in popularity worldwide. There is evidence that transradial access (TRA) may be associated with increasing radiation doses compared to transfemoral access (TFA). Methods: We distributed a questionnaire to collect opinions of interventional cardiologists around the world. Results: Interventional cardiologists (n = 5332) were contacted by email to complete an on-line survey from September to October 2013. The response rate was 20% (n = 1084). TRA was used in 54% of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). Most TRAs (80%) were performed with right radial access (RRA). Interventionalists perceived that TRA was associated with higher radiation exposure compared to TFA and that RRA was associated with higher radiation exposure that left radial access (LRA). Older interventionalists were more likely to use radiation protection equipment and those who underwent radiation safety training gave more importance to ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable). Nearly half the respondents stated they would perform more TRA if the radiation exposure was similar to TFA. While interventionalists in the United States placed less importance to certain radiation protective equipment, European operators were more concerned with physician and patient radiation. Conclusions: Interventionalists worldwide reported higher perceived radiation doses with TRA compared to TFA and RRA compared to LRA. Efforts should be directed toward encouraging consistent radiation safety training. Major investment and application of novel radiation protection tools and radiation dose reduction strategies should be pursued. - Highlights: • We examined radiation safety and arterial access practices among 1000 cardiologists. • Radial access is perceived as having higher radiation dose compared to

  4. Food Safety Concerns

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    HUYONG

    2004-01-01

    In China, there is an old saying:food is the first necessity of humans. The main concern of the Chinese used to be the security of the food supply rather than the safety of the food itself. However,after a long time fighting food shortages,China became self-sufficient in food in 1995. At this time, the country began for the first time to regulate food safety. Yet China has still not established a legal systern efficient in ensuring this safety. Many problems are rooted in the administration regime and China's priority of economic development.

  5. Stress Tests Worldwide - IAEA Nuclear Safety Action Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyons, J.E.

    2012-01-01

    The IAEA nuclear safety action plan relies on 11 important issues. 1) Safety assessments in light of the Fukushima accident: the IAEA secretariat will develop a methodology for stress tests against specific extreme natural hazards and will provide assistance for their implementation; 2) Strengthen existing IAEA peer reviews; 3) Emergency preparedness and response; 4) National Regulatory bodies in terms of independence and adequacy of human and financial resources; 5) The development of safety culture and scientific and technical capacity in Operating Organizations; 6) The upgrading of IAEA safety standards in a more efficient way; 7) A better implementation of relevant conventions concerning nuclear safety and nuclear accidents; 8) To provide a broad assistance on safety standard for countries embarking on a nuclear power program; 9) To facilitate the use of available information, expertise and techniques concerning radiation protection; 10) To enhance the transparency of nuclear industry; and 11) To promote the cooperation between member states in nuclear safety. (A.C.)

  6. Measuring safety culture: Application of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture to radiation therapy departments worldwide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonard, Sarah; O'Donovan, Anita

    Minimizing errors and improving patient safety has gained prominence worldwide in high-risk disciplines such as radiation therapy. Patient safety culture has been identified as an important factor in reducing the incidence of adverse events and improving patient safety in the health care setting. The aim of distributing the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSPSC) to radiation therapy departments worldwide was to assess the current status of safety culture, identify areas for improvement and areas that excel, examine factors that influence safety culture, and raise staff awareness. The safety culture in radiation therapy departments worldwide was evaluated by distributing the HSPSC. A total of 266 participants were recruited from radiation therapy departments and included radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, physicists, and dosimetrists. The positive percent scores for the 12 dimensions of the HSPSC varied from 50% to 79%. The highest composite score among the 12 dimensions was teamwork within units; the lowest composite score was handoffs and transitions. The results indicated that health care professionals in radiation therapy departments felt positively toward patient safety. The HSPSC was successfully applied to radiation therapy departments and provided valuable insight into areas of potential improvement such as teamwork across units, staffing, and handoffs and transitions. Managers and policy makers in radiation therapy may use this assessment tool for focused improvement efforts toward patient safety culture. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Impact of the Global Food Safety Initiative on Food Safety Worldwide: Statistical Analysis of a Survey of International Food Processors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crandall, Philip G; Mauromoustakos, Andy; O'Bryan, Corliss A; Thompson, Kevin C; Yiannas, Frank; Bridges, Kerry; Francois, Catherine

    2017-10-01

    In 2000, the Consumer Goods Forum established the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) to increase the safety of the world's food supply and to harmonize food safety regulations worldwide. In 2013, a university research team in conjunction with Diversey Consulting (Sealed Air), the Consumer Goods Forum, and officers of GFSI solicited input from more than 15,000 GFSI-certified food producers worldwide to determine whether GFSI certification had lived up to these expectations. A total of 828 usable questionnaires were analyzed, representing about 2,300 food manufacturing facilities and food suppliers in 21 countries, mainly across Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. Nearly 90% of these certified suppliers perceived GFSI as being beneficial for addressing their food safety concerns, and respondents were eight times more likely to repeat the certification process knowing what it entailed. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of these food manufacturers would choose to go through the certification process again even if certification were not required by one of their current retail customers. Important drivers for becoming GFSI certified included continuing to do business with an existing customer, starting to do business with new customer, reducing the number of third-party food safety audits, and continuing improvement of their food safety program. Although 50% or fewer respondents stated that they saw actual increases in sales, customers, suppliers, or employees, significantly more companies agreed than disagreed that there was an increase in these key performance indicators in the year following GFSI certification. A majority of respondents (81%) agreed that there was a substantial investment in staff time since certification, and 50% agreed there was a significant capital investment. This survey is the largest and most representative of global food manufacturers conducted to date.

  8. Is Balamuthia mandrillaris a public health concern worldwide?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenzo-Morales, Jacob; Cabello-Vílchez, Alfonso Martín; Martín-Navarro, Carmen M; Martínez-Carretero, Enrique; Piñero, José E; Valladares, Basilio

    2013-10-01

    Balamuthia mandrillaris is an opportunistic, free-living amoeba that can cause skin lesions and the typically fatal Balamuthia amoebic encephalitis (BAE) both in immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. Available data for BAE cases indicate that this disease is difficult to detect because knowledge of predisposing factors is lacking, causing a challenge for diagnosing BAE. The number of reported BAE cases is increasing worldwide, and this is a major concern because little is known about the pathogen, no standardized detection tools are available, and most of the treatments are almost empirical. The recently reported cases, novel diagnostics tools, and successful therapeutic approaches against BAE infections are reviewed here. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. WNA's worldwide overview on front-end nuclear fuel cycle growth and health, safety and environmental issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saint-Pierre, Sylvain; Kidd, Steve

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the WNA's worldwide nuclear industry overview on the anticipated growth of the front-end nuclear fuel cycle from uranium mining to conversion and enrichment, and on the related key health, safety, and environmental (HSE) issues and challenges. It also puts an emphasis on uranium mining in new producing countries with insufficiently developed regulatory regimes that pose greater HSE concerns. It introduces the new WNA policy on uranium mining: Sustaining Global Best Practices in Uranium Mining and Processing-Principles for Managing Radiation, Health and Safety and the Environment, which is an outgrowth of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cooperation project that closely involved industry and governmental experts in uranium mining from around the world. Copyright © 2010 Health Physics Society

  10. Elecnuc. Nuclear power plants worldwide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    This small folder presents a digest of some useful information concerning the nuclear power plants worldwide and the situation of nuclear industry at the end of 1997: power production of nuclear origin, distribution of reactor types, number of installed units, evolution and prediction of reactor orders, connections to the grid and decommissioning, worldwide development of nuclear power, evolution of power production of nuclear origin, the installed power per reactor type, market shares and exports of the main nuclear engineering companies, power plants constructions and orders situation, evolution of reactors performances during the last 10 years, know-how and development of nuclear safety, the remarkable facts of 1997, the future of nuclear power and the energy policy trends. (J.S.)

  11. An analysis of electronic health record-related patient safety concerns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meeks, Derek W; Smith, Michael W; Taylor, Lesley; Sittig, Dean F; Scott, Jean M; Singh, Hardeep

    2014-01-01

    Objective A recent Institute of Medicine report called for attention to safety issues related to electronic health records (EHRs). We analyzed EHR-related safety concerns reported within a large, integrated healthcare system. Methods The Informatics Patient Safety Office of the Veterans Health Administration (VA) maintains a non-punitive, voluntary reporting system to collect and investigate EHR-related safety concerns (ie, adverse events, potential events, and near misses). We analyzed completed investigations using an eight-dimension sociotechnical conceptual model that accounted for both technical and non-technical dimensions of safety. Using the framework analysis approach to qualitative data, we identified emergent and recurring safety concerns common to multiple reports. Results We extracted 100 consecutive, unique, closed investigations between August 2009 and May 2013 from 344 reported incidents. Seventy-four involved unsafe technology and 25 involved unsafe use of technology. A majority (70%) involved two or more model dimensions. Most often, non-technical dimensions such as workflow, policies, and personnel interacted in a complex fashion with technical dimensions such as software/hardware, content, and user interface to produce safety concerns. Most (94%) safety concerns related to either unmet data-display needs in the EHR (ie, displayed information available to the end user failed to reduce uncertainty or led to increased potential for patient harm), software upgrades or modifications, data transmission between components of the EHR, or ‘hidden dependencies’ within the EHR. Discussion EHR-related safety concerns involving both unsafe technology and unsafe use of technology persist long after ‘go-live’ and despite the sophisticated EHR infrastructure represented in our data source. Currently, few healthcare institutions have reporting and analysis capabilities similar to the VA. Conclusions Because EHR-related safety concerns have complex

  12. The root cause of patient safety concerns in an Internet pharmacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoya, Isaac D

    2008-07-01

    The Internet has become a revolutionary technology that affords worldwide opportunities never seen before. One such opportunity is the purchase of drugs over the Internet and the business of Internet pharmacies which has become prolific. Associated with this proliferation is the concern for patient safety. Numerous studies have shown that drugs purchased over the Internet come from pharmacies in a country other than the one where the patient resides and these pharmacies are not licensed, sometimes provide drugs without a prescription and that are not of the same composition as they should be, and do not provide adequate directions to the patient. In addition, the packaging of the drugs may be compromised resulting in altered medication. This paper examines the root cause of patient safety issues in Internet pharmacies. A review of the literature including the marketing literature was conducted. Healthcare marketing concepts guide business owners to identify patients' wants and distinguish them from their needs. Marketing principles detail aggressive marketing strategies within an organization's mission and in an ethical manner. Some Internet pharmacies misinterpret proven marketing principles and become overly aggressive in the market place focusing only on sales and profit rather than focusing on patient safety and long-term success of the Internet pharmacy.

  13. Chinese consumers concerns about food safety: Case of Tianjin

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang XiaoYong, Xiaoyong

    2005-01-01

    The objective of this study is to gain an insight to Chinese consumers' knowledge and concerns over food safety from a case study in Tianjin city. The results indicate that Chinese consumers are very much concerned about food safety, particularly with regard to vegetables and dairy products. Chinese

  14. Safety studies concerning nuclear power reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bailly, Jean; Pelce, Jacques

    1980-01-01

    The safety of nuclear installations poses different technical problems, whether concerning pressurized water reactors or fast reactors. But investigating methods are closely related and concern, on the one hand, the behavior of shields placed between fuel and outside and, on the other, analysis of accidents. The article is therefore in two parts based on the same plan. Concerning light water reactors, the programme of studies undertaken in France accounts for the research carried out in countries where collaboration agreements exist. Concerning fast reactors, France has the initiative of their studies owing to her technical advance, which explains the great importance of the programmes under way [fr

  15. School Safety Concerns All Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, Megan

    1999-01-01

    Suggests that school safety is an issue that concerns all students. Discusses how the staff of the Rockwood South (Missouri) "RAMpage" covered the shootings at Columbine High School in a 14-page issue and in follow-up issues. Suggests that the student newspaper covered the controversial topic in an appropriate, tasteful manner. (RS)

  16. Safety considerations concerning light water reactors in Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nilsson, T.

    1977-01-01

    In 1975 the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate was commissioned by the Government to perform a Reactor Safety Study concerning commercial light water reactors. The study will contain an account of: - rules and regulations for reactor designs; - operation experience of the Swedish nuclear power plants with international comparisons; - the development of reactor designs during the last 10 years; - demands and conditions for inspection and inspection methods; - nuclear power plant operation organization; - training of operators; and - the results of research into nuclear safety. The study is scheduled for completion by July 1st, 1977, however, this paper gives a summary of the results of the Reactor Safety Study already available. The paper contains detailed statistics concerning safety related occurrences and reactor scrams in Sweden from July 1st, 1974 until the beginning of 1977

  17. Radioactive materials transport: worldwide excellence in safety, past, present and future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heywood, J.D.; Blenkin, J.J.; Wilkinson, H.L.; Murray, M.

    1997-01-01

    The safety record of the transport of radioactive material (RAM) is excellent. This level of safety has been achieved on a global scale principally through the adoption into national legislation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Transport Regulations by all countries which participate in the movement of RAM. The engineered and operational controls address containment of the RAM, radiation emitted from the package, dissipation of heat and prevention of criticality. The nuclear industry and its regulators have constantly sought to improve the safety of RAM transport operations, and also to measure the degree of safety compared with other industries and with generic safety criteria. Because of the extremely low incident rate and the consequent absence of direct historical data, probabilistic methods have been applied to provide a conservative assessment of the risks associated with specific transport operations. This paper illustrates the effectiveness of the IAEA Regulations in ensuring safety by reference to UK and worldwide experience, the results of quantified risk assessments and the mechanisms in place for continued review and improvement of the Regulations. The following topics are explored: (1) The controls controls embodied in the IAEA Regulations and how they minimise the consequences of accidents. (2) A review of quantified risk assessments carried out in this country and abroad. (3) A summary of the RAM transport incident record and a brief review of the results of surveys of RAM transport operations in the UK and worldwide. (4) Discussion of the risks associated with RAM transport compared with other industries. The paper concludes that the IAEA Regulations provide a robust and effective framework for the safe transport of RAM, ensuring that risks are kept at very low levels compared to relevant accepted criteria and other dangerous goods transport operations. The provisions for review and revision of the IAEA Regulations ensure that they

  18. Do Online Bicycle Routing Portals Adequately Address Prevalent Safety Concerns?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Loidl

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Safety concerns are among the most prevalent deterrents for bicycling. The provision of adequate bicycling infrastructure is considered as one of the most efficient means to increase cycling safety. However, limited public funding does not always allow agencies to implement cycling infrastructure improvements at the desirable level. Thus, bicycle trip planners can at least partly alleviate the lack of adequate infrastructure by recommending optimal routes in terms of safety. The presented study provides a systematic review of 35 bicycle routing applications and analyses to which degree they promote safe bicycling. The results show that most trip planners lack corresponding routing options and therefore do not sufficiently address safety concerns of bicyclists. Based on these findings, we developed recommendations on how to better address bicycling safety in routing portals. We suggest employing current communication technology and analysis to consider safety concerns more explicitly.

  19. 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...

  20. IRSN research programs concerning reactor safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bardelay, J.

    2005-01-01

    This paper is made up of 3 parts. The first part briefly presents the missions of IRSN (French research institute on nuclear safety), the second part reviews the research works currently led by IRSN in the following fields : -) the assessment of safety computer codes, -) thermohydraulics, -) reactor ageing, -) reactivity accidents, -) loss of coolant, -) reactor pool dewatering, -) core meltdown, -) vapor explosion, and -) fission product release. In the third part, IRSN is shown to give a major importance to experimental programs led on research or test reactors for collecting valid data because of the complexity of the physical processes that are involved. IRSN plans to develop a research program concerning the safety of high or very high temperature reactors. (A.C.)

  1. A decade of e-cigarettes: Limited research & unresolved safety concerns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaisar, Mohammad Abul; Prasad, Shikha; Liles, Tylor; Cucullo, Luca

    2016-07-15

    It is well known that tobacco consumption is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide and has been linked to major diseases ranging from cancer to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atherosclerosis, stroke and a host of neurological/neurodegenerative disorders. In the past decade a number of alternative vaping products have hit the market, rapidly gaining consumers especially among the younger population. Electronic nicotine delivery systems or e-cigarettes have become the sought-after product due to the belief that they are much safer than traditional cigarettes. However, inadequate research and lack of regulatory guidelines for both the manufacturing process and the content of the vaping solution of the e-cigarette has become a major concern. Highly debated and unresolved questions such as whether e-cigarettes may help smokers quit and whether e-cigarettes will promote the use of nicotine among non-smokers add to the confusion of the safety of e-cigarettes. In this review article, we summarize the current understanding (and lack thereof) of the potential health impacts of e-cigarettes. We will also highlight the most recent studies (in vivo/in vitro) which seem to conflict with the broad safety claims put forward by the manufacturers. Finally, we provide potential solutions to overcome the research gap of the short and long-term health impact of e-cigarettes. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  2. A decade of e-cigarettes: Limited research & unresolved safety concerns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaisar, Mohammad Abul; Prasad, Shikha; Liles, Tylor; Cucullo, Luca

    2016-01-01

    It is well known that tobacco consumption is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide and has been linked to major diseases ranging from cancer to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atherosclerosis, stroke and a host of neurological/neurodegenerative disorders. In the past decade a number of alternative vaping products have hit the market, rapidly gaining consumers especially among the younger population. Electronic nicotine delivery systems or e-cigarettes have become the sought-after product due to the belief that they are much safer than traditional cigarettes. However, inadequate research and lack of regulatory guidelines for both the manufacturing process and the content of the vaping solution of the e-cigarette has become a major concern. Highly debated and unresolved questions such as whether e-cigarettes may help smokers quit and whether e-cigarettes will promote the use of nicotine among non-smokers add to the confusion of the safety of e-cigarettes. In this review article, we summarize the current understanding (and lack thereof) of the potential health impacts of e-cigarettes. We will also highlight the most recent studies (in vivo/in vitro) which seem to conflict with the broad safety claims put forward by the manufacturers. Finally, we provide potential solutions to overcome the research gap of the short and long-term health impact of e-cigarettes.

  3. A Decade of e-Cigarettes: Limited Research & Unresolved Safety Concerns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaisar, Mohammad Abul; Prasad, Shikha; Liles, Tylor; Cucullo, Luca

    2016-01-01

    It is well known that tobacco consumption is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide and has been linked to major diseases ranging from cancer to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atherosclerosis, stroke and a host of neurological/neurodegenerative disorders. In the past decade a number of alternative vaping products have hit the market, rapidly gaining consumers especially among the younger population. Electronic nicotine delivery systems or e-cigarettes have become the sought-after product due to the belief that they are much safer than traditional cigarettes. However, inadequate research and lack of regulatory guidelines for both the manufacturing process and the content of the vaping solution of the e-cigarette has become a major concern. Highly debated and unresolved questions such as whether e-cigarettes may help smokers quit and whether e-cigarettes will promote the use of nicotine among non-smokers add to the confusion of the safety of e-cigarettes. In this review article, we summarize the current understanding (and lack thereof) of the potential health impacts of e-cigarettes. We will also highlight the most recent studies (in vivo/in vitro) which seem to conflict with the broad safety claims put forward by the manufacturers. Finally, we provide potential solutions to overcome the research gap of the short and long-term health impact of e-cigarettes. PMID:27477296

  4. WANO Actions to Reinforce the Operators’ Safety Culture Worldwide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Regaldo, J., E-mail: jacques.regaldo@edf.fr [WANO, London (United Kingdom)

    2014-10-15

    Full text: WANO’s mission is to maximize the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants worldwide by working together to assess, to benchmark and improve performance through mutual support, exchange of information and emulation of best practices. Fukushima accident strongly impacted the nuclear community and it also brought WANO to question its positioning and scope of activities. Five strategic actions have hence been decided to strengthen WANO’s role, aiming to bring a more consistent, transparent and integrated response to the nuclear operators. WANO peer review process, which constitutes its core-business, has been intensified including corporate and pre start up peer reviews and, for Japanese plants, restart reviews. WANO also decided to expand its scope of activity to include elements of design, based on the principle that the role of a nuclear operator is not only to operate safely, but also to be sure that the plant he is operating is safe. WANO aims to cooperate strongly at both regional and international levels with all international safety organizations, being convinced that trust can be recovered with a strong safety commitment and credibility of both regulators and operators. All operators, without exception, are WANO members; if membership is voluntary, members have to fulfil strict obligations. Safety supposes that no operator feels isolated, or refuses openness and permanent self-questioning; it requests as well for WANO to ensure that cultural and sometimes political barriers do not hinder safety culture – the accident of Fukushima is from this perspective rich in teachings. In WANO, we believe that management system and practices are at the centre of safety culture, and a full involvement of top management (CEOs) of our members is absolutely requested. Through its commitments and rules, WANO pressures its members and help them reaching the highest possible standard of safety. We consider that we rely on each other to improve safety

  5. Development of safety analysis technology for integral reactor; evaluation on safety concerns of integral reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hee Chul; Kim, Woong Sik; Lee, J. H. [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Taejeon (Korea)

    2002-03-01

    The Nuclear Desalination Plant (NDP) is being developed to produce electricity and fresh water, and is expected to locate near population zone. In the aspect of safety, it is required to protect the public and environment from the possible releases of fission products and to prevent the fresh water from the contamination of radioactivity. Thus, in this study, the safety characteristics of the integral reactor adopting passive and inherent safety features significantly different from existing nuclear power plants were investigated. Also, safety requirements applicable to the NDP were analyzed based on the regulatory requirements for current light water reactor and advanced reactor designs, and user requirements for small-medium size reactors. Based on these analyses, some safety concerns to be considered in the design stage have been identified and discussed. They include the use of proven technology for new safety features, systematic event classification and selection, strengthening containment function, and the safety impacts on desalination-related systems. The study presents the general safety requirements applicable to licensing of an integral reactor and suggests additional regulatory requirements, which need to be developed, based on the direction to resolution of the safety concerns. The efforts to identify and technically resolve the safety concerns in the design stage will provide the early confidence of SMART safety and the technical basis to evaluate the safety to designers and reviewers in the future. Suggestion on the development of additional regulatory requirements will contribute for the regulator to taking actions for licensing of an integral reactor. 66 refs., 5 figs., 24 tabs. (Author)

  6. 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

  7. Mothers' Concerns for Personal Safety and Privacy While Breastfeeding: An Unexplored Phenomenon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosen-Carole, Casey; Allen, Katherine; Fagnano, Maria; Dozier, Ann; Halterman, Jill

    2018-04-01

    Preliminary qualitative research in upstate NY shows new mothers are worried about safety while breastfeeding. Little is known regarding prevalence of these concerns and their effect on breastfeeding outcomes. (1) Determine frequency of breastfeeding safety and privacy concerns; (2) Explore their association with breastfeeding outcomes. Mothers were surveyed immediately and 1-month postpartum about breastfeeding goals; both surveys addressed privacy and safety concerns at home, work, and in public. Outcome data included breastfeeding intent, exclusivity, and duration. Breastfeeding/non-breastfeeding mothers were compared using Chi-square and multivariate analyses. A total of 279 women enrolled. Of these 82.8% initiated breastfeeding; at 1-month 72% provided any breast milk, and 44% were exclusively breastfeeding. About 99% felt safe breastfeeding at home; 25% reported privacy concerns; and 5% felt "vulnerable or unsafe" while breastfeeding. At 1-month, 49% agreed there was a safe place to breastfeed/express milk at work (20% unsure). Non-breastfeeding mothers expressed more safety concerns outside home/at work: 18% breastfeeding versus 28% non-breastfeeding outside home; 27% breastfeeding versus 40% non-breastfeeding at work. Nearly 54% who reported feeling vulnerable/unsafe with breastfeeding initiated breastfeeding, compared with 86% not reporting this concern (p = 0.008). Fewer women initiating breastfeeding reported vulnerability/safety (3% breastfeeding versus 14% non-breastfeeding, p = 0.008) or privacy (22% breastfeeding versus 40% non-breastfeeding, p = 0.19) concerns. Associations held after controlling for age, race, parity, insurance, geography, and marital-status. Significant associations between initiation, privacy, and safety concerns did not extend to duration or exclusivity. Many breastfeeding women reported safety and privacy concerns, especially outside the home and at work, which may influence breastfeeding initiation. Further study

  8. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention: Safety Concerns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tetteh, Raymond A; Yankey, Barbara A; Nartey, Edmund T; Lartey, Margaret; Leufkens, Hubert G M; Dodoo, Alexander N O

    2017-04-01

    Available evidence supports the efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in decreasing the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among high-risk individuals, especially when used in combination with other behavioural preventive methods. Safety concerns about PrEP present challenges in the implementation and use of PrEP. The aim of this review is to discuss safety concerns observed in completed clinical trials on the use of PrEP. We performed a literature search on PrEP in PubMed, global advocacy for HIV prevention (Aids Vaccine Advocacy Coalition) database, clinical trials registry " http://www.clinicaltrials.gov " and scholar.google, using combination search terms 'pre-exposure prophylaxis', 'safety concerns in the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis', 'truvada use as PrEP', 'guidelines for PrEP use', 'HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis' and 'tenofovir' to identify clinical trials and literature on PrEP. We present findings associated with safety issues on the use of PrEP based on a review of 11 clinical trials on PrEP with results on safety and efficacy as at April 2016. We also reviewed findings from routine real-life practice reports. The pharmacological intervention for PrEP was tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine in a combined form as Truvada ® or tenofovir as a single entity. Both products are efficacious for PrEP and seem to have a good safety profile. Regular monitoring is recommended to prevent long-term toxic effects. The main adverse effects observed with PrEP are gastrointestinal related; basically mild to moderate nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Other adverse drug effects worth monitoring are liver enzymes, renal function and bone mineral density. PrEP as an intervention to reduce HIV transmission appears to have a safe benefit-risk profile in clinical trials. It is recommended for widespread use but adherence monitoring and real-world safety surveillance are critical in the post-marketing phase to ensure that the benefits

  9. International antiterrorist conventions concerning the safety of air transport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacek BARCIK

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article the international law regulations are presented concerning the civilian safety of the air transport. The history concerning air terrorism and international antiterrorist conventions was described in detail, involving The Chicago Convention, The Tokyo Convention, The Hague Convention and Montreal Convention.

  10. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention : Safety Concerns

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tetteh, Raymond A; Yankey, Barbara A; Nartey, Edmund T; Lartey, Margaret; Leufkens, Hubert G M; Dodoo, Alexander N O

    Available evidence supports the efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in decreasing the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among high-risk individuals, especially when used in combination with other behavioural preventive methods. Safety concerns about PrEP present

  11. Food safety concerns of fast food consumers in urban Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omari, Rose; Frempong, Godfred

    2016-03-01

    In Ghana, out-of-home ready-to-eat foods including fast food generally have been associated with food safety problems. Notwithstanding, fast food production and consumption are increasing in Ghana and therefore this study sought to determine the food safety issues of importance to consumers and the extent to which they worry about them. First, through three focus group discussions on consumers' personal opinions about food safety issues, some emergent themes were obtained, which were used to construct an open-ended questionnaire administered face-to-face to 425 respondents systematically sampled from 20 fast food restaurants in Accra. Findings showed that most fast food consumers were concerned about food hazards such as pesticide residue in vegetables, excessive use of artificial flavour enhancers and colouring substances, bacterial contamination, migrated harmful substances from plastic packages, and general unhygienic conditions under which food is prepared and sold. Consumers also raised concerns about foodborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, food poisoning, diarrhoea, bird flu and swine flu. The logistic regression model showed that being male increased the likelihood of worrying about general food safety issues and excessive use of flavour enhancers than in females while being youthful increased the likelihood of being worried about typhoid fever than in older consumers. These findings imply that consumers in urban Ghana are aware and concerned about current trends of food safety and foodborne disease challenges in the country. Therefore, efforts targeted at improving food safety and reducing incidences of foodborne diseases should not only focus on public awareness creation but should also design more comprehensive programmes to ensure the making of food safety rules and guidelines and enforcing compliance to facilitate availability and consumers' choice of safe foods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. International Approaches for Nuclear Waste Disposal in Geological Formations: Report on Fifth Worldwide Review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Faybishenko, Boris [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Birkholzer, Jens [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Persoff, Peter [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sassani, David [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Swift, Peter [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2016-09-01

    The goal of the Fifth Worldwide Review is to document evolution in the state-of-the-art of approaches for nuclear waste disposal in geological formations since the Fourth Worldwide Review that was released in 2006. The last ten years since the previous Worldwide Review has seen major developments in a number of nations throughout the world pursuing geological disposal programs, both in preparing and reviewing safety cases for the operational and long-term safety of proposed and operating repositories. The countries that are approaching implementation of geological disposal will increasingly focus on the feasibility of safely constructing and operating their repositories in short- and long terms on the basis existing regulations. The WWR-5 will also address a number of specific technical issues in safety case development along with the interplay among stakeholder concerns, technical feasibility, engineering design issues, and operational and post-closure safety. Preparation and publication of the Fifth Worldwide Review on nuclear waste disposal facilitates assessing the lessons learned and developing future cooperation between the countries. The Report provides scientific and technical experiences on preparing for and developing scientific and technical bases for nuclear waste disposal in deep geologic repositories in terms of requirements, societal expectations and the adequacy of cases for long-term repository safety. The Chapters include potential issues that may arise as repository programs mature, and identify techniques that demonstrate the safety cases and aid in promoting and gaining societal confidence. The report will also be used to exchange experience with other fields of industry and technology, in which concepts similar to the design and safety cases are applied, as well to facilitate the public perception and understanding of the safety of the disposal approaches relative to risks that may increase over long times frames in the absence of a successful

  13. 'Speaking up' about patient safety concerns and unprofessional behaviour among residents: validation of two scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, William; Etchegaray, Jason M; Thomas, Eric J; Hickson, Gerald B; Lehmann, Lisa Soleymani; Schleyer, Anneliese M; Best, Jennifer A; Shelburne, Julia T; May, Natalie B; Bell, Sigall K

    2015-11-01

    To develop and test the psychometric properties of two new survey scales aiming to measure the extent to which the clinical environment supports speaking up about (a) patient safety concerns and (b) unprofessional behaviour. Residents from six large US academic medical centres completed an anonymous, electronic survey containing questions regarding safety culture and speaking up about safety and professionalism concerns. Confirmatory factor analysis supported two separate, one-factor speaking up climates (SUCs) among residents; one focused on patient safety concerns (SUC-Safe scale) and the other focused on unprofessional behaviour (SUC-Prof scale). Both scales had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α>0.70) and were unique from validated safety and teamwork climate measures (rspeaking up behaviour about safety and professionalism concerns (r=0.21, pspeaking up behaviour among residents. These two scales may fill an existing gap in residency and safety culture assessments by measuring the openness of communication about safety and professionalism concerns, two important aspects of safety culture that are under-represented in existing metrics. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  14. Aviation Safety Concerns for the Future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Brian E.; Roelen, Alfred L. C.; den Hertog, Rudi

    2016-01-01

    The Future Aviation Safety Team (FAST) is a multidisciplinary international group of aviation professionals that was established to identify possible future aviation safety hazards. The principle was adopted that future hazards are undesirable consequences of changes, and a primary activity of FAST became identification and prioritization of possible future changes affecting aviation. Since 2004, FAST has been maintaining a catalogue of "Areas of Change" (AoC) that could potentially influence aviation safety. The horizon for such changes is between 5 to 20 years. In this context, changes must be understood as broadly as possible. An AoC is a description of the change, not an identification of the hazards that result from the change. An ex-post analysis of the AoCs identified in 2004 demonstrates that changes catalogued many years previous were directly implicated in the majority of fatal aviation accidents over the past ten years. This paper presents an overview of the current content of the AoC catalogue and a subsequent discussion of aviation safety concerns related to these possible changes. Interactions among these future changes may weaken critical functions that must be maintained to ensure safe operations. Safety assessments that do not appreciate or reflect the consequences of significant interaction complexity will not be fully informative and can lead to inappropriate trade-offs and increases in other risks. The FAST strongly encourages a system-wide approach to safety risk assessment across the global aviation system, not just within the domain for which future technologies or operational concepts are being considered. The FAST advocates the use of the "Areas of Change" concept, considering that several possible future phenomena may interact with a technology or operational concept under study producing unanticipated hazards.

  15. Driving and dementia: Efficient approach to driving safety concerns in family practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Linda; Molnar, Frank

    2017-01-01

    To provide primary care physicians with an approach to driving safety concerns when older persons present with memory difficulties. The approach is based on an accredited memory clinic training program developed by the Centre for Family Medicine Primary Care Collaborative Memory Clinic. One of the most challenging aspects of dementia care is the assessment of driving safety. Drivers with dementia are at higher risk of motor vehicle collisions, yet many drivers with mild dementia might be safely able to continue driving for several years. Because safe driving is dependent on multiple cognitive and functional skills, clinicians should carefully consider many factors when determining if cognitive concerns affect driving safety. Specific findings on corroborated history and office-based cognitive testing might aid in the physician's decisions to refer for comprehensive on-road driving evaluation and whether to notify transportation authorities in accordance with provincial reporting requirements. Sensitive communication and a person-centred approach are essential. Primary care physicians must consider many factors when determining if cognitive concerns might affect driving safety in older drivers. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

  16. Elecnuc. Nuclear power plants worldwide; Elecnuc. Les centrales nucleaires dans le monde

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-07-01

    This small folder presents a digest of some useful information concerning the nuclear power plants worldwide and the situation of nuclear industry at the end of 1997: power production of nuclear origin, distribution of reactor types, number of installed units, evolution and prediction of reactor orders, connections to the grid and decommissioning, worldwide development of nuclear power, evolution of power production of nuclear origin, the installed power per reactor type, market shares and exports of the main nuclear engineering companies, power plants constructions and orders situation, evolution of reactors performances during the last 10 years, know-how and development of nuclear safety, the remarkable facts of 1997, the future of nuclear power and the energy policy trends. (J.S.)

  17. Psychometrics of the AAN Caregiver Driving Safety Questionnaire and contributors to caregiver concern about driving safety in older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Janessa O; Springate, Beth; Bernier, Rachel A; Davis, Jennifer

    2018-03-01

    ABSTRACTBackground:The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) updated their practice parameters in the evaluation of driving risk in dementia and developed a Caregiver Driving Safety Questionnaire, detailed in their original manuscript (Iverson Gronseth, Reger, Classen, Dubinsky, & Rizzo, 2010). They described four factors associated with decreased driving ability in dementia patients: history of crashes or citations, informant-reported concerns, reduced mileage, and aggressive driving. An informant-reported AAN Caregiver Driving Safety Questionnaire was designed with these elements, and the current study was the first to explore the factor structure of this questionnaire. Additionally, we examined associations between these factors and cognitive and behavioral measures in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's disease and their informants. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-component structure, consistent with the theory behind the AAN scale composition. These four factor scores also were significantly associated with performance on cognitive screening instruments and informant reported behavioral dysfunction. Regressions revealed that behavioral dysfunction predicted caregiver concerns about driving safety beyond objective patient cognitive dysfunction. In this first known quantitative exploration of the scale, our results support continued use of this scale in office driving safety assessments. Additionally, patient behavioral changes predicted caregiver concerns about driving safety over and above cognitive status, which suggests that caregivers may benefit from psychoeducation about cognitive factors that may negatively impact driving safety.

  18. The SCALE Web site: Resources for the worldwide nuclear criticality safety community

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowman, S.M.

    2000-01-01

    The Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluations (SCALE) computer software system developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is widely used and accepted around the world for criticality safety analyses. SCALE includes the well-known KENO V.a and KENO VI three-dimensional Monte Carlo criticality computer codes. For several years, the SCALE staff at ORNL has maintained a Web site to provide information and support to sponsors and users in the worldwide criticality safety community. The SCALE WEB site is located at www.cped.ornl.gov/scale and provides information in the following areas: 1. important notices to users; 2. SCALE Users Electronic Notebook; 3. current and past issues of the SCALE Newsletter; 4. verification and validation (V and V) and benchmark reports; 5. download updates, utilities, and V and V input files; 6. SCALE training course information; 7. SCALE Manual on-line; 8. overview of SCALE system; 9. how to install and run SCALE; 10. SCALE quality assurance documents; and 11. nuclear resources on the Internet

  19. Design concepts and safety concerns of the small and medium size reactors (SMR)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seul, Kwang Won; Lee, Jae Hun; Kim, Hho Jung

    1998-01-01

    The small and medium size reactors (SMR) and interface facilities such as desalination plant are expected to be located near the population area because of restrictions in transporting the plant products such as fresh water to long distance area. To protect the public around the plant facility from the possible release of radioactive materials, the design development of the SMR is focusing on an enhancement of the safety and reliability as well as the economics. In this study, the major safety concepts of the SMR designs significantly different from the current PWR designs are investigated and the safety concerns applicable to the integrated SMR design of Korea (called SMART), were identified. Those safety issues include the use of proven technology, application of strengthening defense in depth, event categorization and selection, simplification of emergency planning, determination of accident source terms and so on. The efforts to resolve the safety concerns in the design stage will provide an improvement of the safety of the SMART design

  20. Exposures Resulting in Safety and Health Concerns for Child Laborers in Less Developed Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derek G. Shendell

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. Worldwide, over 200 million children are involved in child labor, with another 20 million children subjected to forced labor, leading to acute and chronic exposures resulting in safety and health (S&H risks, plus removal from formal education and play. This review summarized S&H issues in child labor, including forced or indentured domestic labor as other sectors of child labor. Specifically, we focused on exposures leading to S&H risks. Methods. We used PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. References were in English, published in 1990–2015, and included data focused on exposures and S&H concerns of child labor. Results. Seventy-six journal articles were identified, 67 met criteria, 57 focused on individual countries, and 10 focused on data from multiple countries (comparing 3–83 countries. Major themes of concern were physical exposures including ergonomic hazards, chemical exposure hazards, and missed education. Childhood labor, especially forced, exploitative labor, created a significant burden on child development, welfare, and S&H. Conclusions. More field researche data emphasizing longitudinal quantitative effects of exposures and S&H risks are needed. Findings warranted developing policies and educational interventions with proper monitoring and evaluation data collection, plus multiple governmental, international organization and global economic reform efforts, particularly in lower-income, less developed countries.

  1. Long-term criticality safety concerns associated with surplus fissile material disposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, J.S.

    1995-01-01

    A substantial inventory of surplus fissile material would result from ongoing and planned dismantlement of US and Russian nuclear weapons. This surplus fissile material could be dispositioned by irradiation in nuclear reactors, and the resulting spent MOx fuel would be similar in radiation characteristics to regular LWR spent UO2 fuel. The surplus fissile material could also be immobilized into high-level waste forms, such as borosilicate glass, synroc, or metal-alloy matrix. The MOx spent fuel, or the immobilized waste forms, could then be directly disposed of in a geologic repository. Long-term criticality safety concerns arise because the fissile contents (i.e., Pu-239 and its decay daughter U-235) in these waste forms are higher than in LWR spent UO2 fuel. MOx spent fuel could contain 3 to 4 wt% of reactor-grade plutonium, compared to only 0.9 wt% of plutonium in LWR spent UO2 fuel. At some future time (tens of thousand of years), when the waste forms had deteriorated due to intruding groundwater, the water could mix with the long-lived fissile materials to form into a critical system. If the critical system is self-sustaining, somewhat like the natural-occurring reactor in OKLO, fission products produced could readily be available for dissolution and release out to the accessible environment, adversely affecting public health and safety. This paper will address ongoing activities to evaluate long-term criticality safety concerns associated with disposition of fissile material in a geologic setting. Issues to be addressed include the identification of a worst-case water-intrusion scenario and waste-form geometries which present the most concern for long-term criticality safety; and suggests of technical solutions for such concerns

  2. The Use of Medical Expulsive Therapy During Pregnancy: A Worldwide Perspective Among Experts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lloyd, Granville L; Lim, Amy; Hamoui, Nabeel; Nakada, Stephen Y; Kielb, Stephanie J

    2016-03-01

    Medical expulsive therapy (MET) is a pharmacologic approach thought to augment the spontaneous passage of ureteral calculi. The usage of MET pharmacologics for presumed ureteral calculi during pregnancy has not been studied and their safety and utility are unknown. We sought to characterize the worldwide usage of MET in the setting of pregnancy with presumed ureteral calculus (P-MET), as well as factors associated with physician use. Experts in stone management were specifically sought. A nine-question survey was delivered through society-administered e-mail. Questions gathered physician's worldwide region, degree of specialization in stone disease, practice type, interval since training, and willingness to use both MET and P-MET. We assessed drugs of choice in those using P-MET and reasons for avoidance in non-P-MET users. Finally, we assessed the impact of physician-perceived medicolegal risk on usage of P-MET. Five hundred sixty-five responses were recorded. Sixty-three percent were US-based practitioners and the remaining represented a worldwide distribution. Worldwide usage of MET was 97.6%, and tamsulosin was globally preferred by over 90% of urologists. P-MET was endorsed by only 44.3%. 23.6% of European practitioners used this strategy compared with 51.1% of US physicians. Time from training and practice type did not significantly interact with adoption of P-MET; experts were less likely to use P-MET. Physician nonuse of MET during pregnancy was adverse outcome related: 76.7% reported either the fear of legal risk (52.8%) or concerns about safety (23.9%). Respondents report impressive worldwide adoption of MET. P-MET is less trusted, and fears of legal risk and safety far outweigh questions about effectiveness. The effectiveness of drugs during pregnancy-induced ureteral dilation is unknown. Still, 44% of global respondents embrace usage of this drug strategy despite a paucity of evidence supporting either safety or effectiveness during pregnancy.

  3. The safety concept of the Federal Government concerning waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pfaffelhuber, J.K.

    1976-01-01

    The safety concept of the FRG concerning waste management is based on the ultimate aim of having in operation until 1985 nuclear power plants with a capacity of approx. 45,000 MWe, i.e. 50 nuclear power plants with an annual fuel consumption of 1,500 tons. A critical survey shows that there is still a great number of questions to be solved, concerning the fuel cycle in particular in terms of industrial standards, and that various problems ought to be the subject of R and D activities. Activities in the field of waste management so far are concerned only with project studies and details of project definition studies. On the one hand, the principles of the safety concept for waste management are to make possible and to guarantee the operation of nuclear facilities, and on the other hand, they are to subject those facilities which serve the purpose of waste disposal to similar safety regulations as the nuclear power plants are subjected to. The integrated waste disposal system of the Federal government for CWRs until the mid eighties is described. R+D activities are still necessary, in particular concerning reprocessing techniques, techniques in the reprocessing of Pu, the conditioning of highly active wastes, testing final storage techniques, and in the field of retention of gaseous radioactive nuclides (iodine, krypton, tritium) and of safeguarding waste disposal parks against terrorists and sabotage. The legal basis for the protection of the citizen is the Atomic Energy Act and its ordinances, EURATOM basic standards, and ICRP recommendations, some of which were tightened up for the FRG. Some recommendations of the Strahlenschutzkommision - radiation exposure, storage and separation of 85 Kr, 129 J, 131 J, and 133 Xe - are dealt with in detail. (HPH/LN) [de

  4. Shelf life and safety concerns of bakery products--a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, James P; Daifas, Daphne Phillips; El-Khoury, Wassim; Koukoutsis, John; El-Khoury, Anis

    2004-01-01

    Bakery products are an important part of a balanced diet and, today, a wide variety of such products can be found on supermarket shelves. This includes unsweetened goods (bread, rolls, buns, crumpets, muffins and bagels), sweet goods (pancakes, doughnuts, waffles and cookies) and filled goods (fruit and meat pies, sausage rolls, pastries, sandwiches, cream cakes, pizza and quiche). However, bakery products, like many processed foods, are subject to physical, chemical and microbiological spoilage. While physical and chemical spoilage limits the shelf life of low and intermediate moisture bakery products, microbiological spoilage by bacteria, yeast and molds is the concern in high moisture products i.e., products with a water activity (a(w)) > 0.85. Furthermore, several bakery products also have been implicated infoodborne illnesses involving Salmonella spp., Listeria monoctyogenes and Bacillus cereus, while Clostridium botulinum is a concern in high moisture bakery products packaged under modified atmospheres. This extensive review is divided into two parts. Part I focuses on the spoilage concerns of low, intermediate and high moisture bakery products while Part II focuses on the safety concerns of high moisture bakery products only. In both parts, traditional and novel methods of food preservation that can be used by the bakery industry to extend the shelf life and enhance the safety of products are discussed in detail.

  5. Summary of Tiger Team Assessment and Technical Safety Appraisal recurring concerns in the Operations Area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Fourteen Tiger Team Assessment and eight Technical Safety Appraisal (TSA) final reports have been received and reviewed by the DOE Training Coordination Program during Fiscal Year 1992. These assessments and appraisals included both reactor and non-reactor nuclear facilities in their reports. The Tiger Team Assessments and TSA reports both used TSA performance objectives, and list ''concerns'' as a result of their findings. However, the TSA reports categorized concerns into the following functional areas: (1) Organization and Administration, (2) Radiation Protection, (3) Nuclear Criticality Safety, (4) Occupational Safety, (5) Engineering/Technical Support, (6) Emergency Preparedness, (7) Safety Assessments, (8) Quality Verification, (9) Fire Protection, (10) Environmental Protection, and (11) Energetic Materials Safety. Although these functional areas match most of the TSA performance objectives, not all of the TSA performance objectives are addressed. For example, the TSA reports did not include Training, Maintenance, and Operations as functional areas. Rather, they included concerns that related to these topics throughout the 11 functional areas identified above. For consistency, the Operations concerns that were identified in each of the TSA report functional areas have been included in this summary with the corresponding TSA performance objective

  6. Safety concerns and suggested design approaches to the HTGR Reformer process concept

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Green, R.C.

    1981-09-01

    This report is a safety review of the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Reformer Application Study prepared by Gas-Cooled Reactor Associates (GCRA) of La Jolla, California. The objective of this review was to identify safety concerns and suggests design approaches to minimize risk in the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Reformer (HTGR-R) process concept.

  7. Safety concerns and suggested design approaches to the HTGR Reformer process concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, R.C.

    1981-09-01

    This report is a safety review of the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Reformer Application Study prepared by Gas-Cooled Reactor Associates (GCRA) of La Jolla, California. The objective of this review was to identify safety concerns and suggests design approaches to minimize risk in the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Reformer (HTGR-R) process concept

  8. List of reports from BMFT, CEA, EPRI, JSTA and USNRC concerning reactor safety research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-02-01

    This list reviews reports from the Federal Republic of Germany, from France from Japan and from the United States of America concerning special problems in the field of reactor safety research. According to the cooperation in the Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit (GRS). The list pursues the following order: Country of origin, problem area concerned, according to the Reactor Safety Research Programm of the BMFT, reporting organization. The list of reports appears quarterly. (orig.) [de

  9. 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)

  10. Social media in health--what are the safety concerns for health consumers?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Annie Y S; Gabarron, Elia; Fernandez-Luque, Luis; Armayones, Manuel

    Recent literature has discussed the unintended consequences of clinical information technologies (IT) on patient safety, yet there has been little discussion about the safety concerns in the area of consumer health IT. This paper presents a range of safety concerns for consumers in social media, with a case study on YouTube. We conducted a scan of abstracts on 'quality criteria' related to YouTube. Five areas regarding the safety of YouTube for consumers were identified: (a) harmful health material targeted at consumers (such as inappropriate marketing of tobacco or direct-to-consumer drug advertising); (b) public display of unhealthy behaviour (such as people displaying self-injury behaviours or hurting others); (c) tainted public health messages (i.e. the rise of negative voices against public health messages); (d) psychological impact from accessing inappropriate, offensive or biased social media content; and (e) using social media to distort policy and research funding agendas. The examples presented should contribute to a better understanding about how to promote a safe consumption and production of social media for consumers, and an evidence-based approach to designing social media interventions for health. The potential harm associated with the use of unsafe social media content on the Internet is a major concern. More empirical and theoretical studies are needed to examine how social media influences consumer health decisions, behaviours and outcomes, and devise ways to deter the dissemination of harmful influences in social media.

  11. LMFBR conceptual design study: an overview of environmental and safety concerns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brenchley, D.L.

    1981-06-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) initiated the Liquid Metal Fast Breeder (LMFBR) Conceptual Design Study (CDS) with the objective of maintaining a viable breeder option. The project is scheduled to be completed in FY-1981 but decisions regarding plant construction will be delayed until at least 1985. This report provides a review of the potential environmental and safety engineering concerns for the CDS and recommends specific action for the Environmental and Safety Engineering Division of DOE

  12. LMFBR conceptual design study: an overview of environmental and safety concerns

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brenchley, D.L.

    1981-06-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) initiated the Liquid Metal Fast Breeder (LMFBR) Conceptual Design Study (CDS) with the objective of maintaining a viable breeder option. The project is scheduled to be completed in FY-1981 but decisions regarding plant construction will be delayed until at least 1985. This report provides a review of the potential environmental and safety engineering concerns for the CDS and recommends specific action for the Environmental and Safety Engineering Division of DOE.

  13. Nuclear power safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    The International Atomic Energy Agency, the organization concerned with worldwide nuclear safety has produced two international conventions to provide (1) prompt notification of nuclear accidents and (2) procedures to facilitate mutual assistance during an emergency. IAEA has also expanded operational safety review team missions, enhanced information exchange on operational safety events at nuclear power plants, and planned a review of its nuclear safety standards to ensure that they include the lessons learned from the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident. However, there appears to be a nearly unanimous belief among IAEA members that may attempt to impose international safety standards verified by an international inspection program would infringe on national sovereignty. Although several Western European countries have proposed establishing binding safety standards and inspections, no specific plant have been made; IAEA's member states are unlikely to adopt such standards and an inspection program

  14. Safety concerns in composite manufacturing and machining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asmatulu, Eylem; Alonayni, Abdullah; Alamir, Mohammed

    2018-03-01

    Because of the superior properties, composites have been used in many industrial applications, including aerospace, wind turbines, ships, cars, fishing rods, storage tanks, swimming pool panels, and baseball bats. Each application may require different combinations of reinforcements and matrices, which make the manufacturing safety even more challenging while working on these substances. In this study, safety issues in composite manufacturing and machining were investigated in detail, and latest developments were provided for workers. The materials most frequently used in composite manufacturing, such as matrix (polyester, vinylester, phenolic, epoxies, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, benzoil peroxide, hardeners, and solvents), and reinforcement materials (carbon, glass and Kevlar fibers, honeycomb and foams) can be highly toxic to human body. These materials can also be very toxic to the environment when dumped out uncontrollably, creating major future health and environmental concerns. Throughout the manufacturing process, workers inhale vapors of the liquid matrix, hardeners and solvents / thinners, as well as reinforcement materials (chopped fibers and particles) in airborne. Milling, cutting and machining of the composites can further increase the toxic inhalations of airborne composite particles, resulting in major rashes, irritation, skin disorders, coughing, severe eye and lung injury and other serious illnesses. The major portions of these hazardous materials can be controlled using appropriate personal protective equipment for the chemicals and materials used in composite manufacturing and machining. This study provides best possible safety practices utilized in composite manufacturing facilities for workers, engineers and other participants.

  15. Nuclear energy worldwide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fertel, M.

    2000-01-01

    In this short paper the author provides a list of tables and charts concerning the nuclear energy worldwide, the clean air benefits of nuclear energy, the nuclear competitiveness and the public opinion. He shows that the nuclear energy has a vital role to play in satisfying global energy and environmental goals. (A.L.B)

  16. Statement on safety requirements concerning the long-term operation of the Muehleberg nuclear power station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-12-01

    This report published by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI investigates the safety requirements with respect to the long-term operation of the Muehleberg nuclear power station in Switzerland. Relevant international requirements and Swiss legal stipulations concerning the long-term operation of the power station are stated. The management of aging processes is looked at. The regular verification of the integrity of various plant components such as containments, piping, steam generation system, etc. is looked at in detail. The state-of-the-art concerning deterministic accident analyses and refitting technology are discussed, as are automated safety systems. The applicable laws, decrees and guidelines are listed in appendices

  17. Shoe concerns and foot problems of wearers of safety footwear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marr, S J; Quine, S

    1993-05-01

    In Australia workers in many industries are required to wear safety footwear (footwear incorporating a steel toe cap). An investigation of the problems reported by 321 workers (70 per cent male) employed in a broad range of work activities and required to wear safety footwear was conducted in 1990 and 1991. Respondents were interviewed by a professionally trained podiatrist using a structured questionnaire followed by a foot examination. An extremely high percentage (91 per cent) of subjects reported one or more foot problems (which were verified by the podiatrist), and most considered that the safety footwear either caused the problem or adversely affected an existing foot condition. The main shoe concerns reported were excessive heat (65 per cent of all respondents), inflexible soles (52 per cent), weight (48 per cent) and pressure from steel toe cap (47 per cent). Certain gender differences were identified. General recommendations are made.

  18. Safety concerns us all

    CERN Multimedia

    SC/GS/S

    2004-01-01

    In spite of periodic safety inspections, risks can never be entirely excluded. The Safety Commission invites you to inform your supervisor or Territorial Safety Officer (TSO) of any hazardous situations you may be aware of. Actions to be taken following the fall of two windowpanes A few weeks ago, a windowpane fell from the third floor of an office building, causing minor damage to a car parked outside. No one was hurt in the incident. The putty holding the window in place had gradually deteriorated over time, and strong winds undoubtedly triggered the incident. A few weeks later, a sudden draft caused a window on the fifth floor of the same building to shatter and fall to the ground below. No one was hurt and there was no material damage. The incident was caused by a fan set into the opening window: as the window slammed shut, the weight of the fan caused the glass to break. What can we do to improve safety? examine the windows of our offices and workshops and report any problems or faults, such as dam...

  19. Automated discovery of safety and efficacy concerns for joint & muscle pain relief treatments from online reviews.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, David Z; Gruss, Richard; Abrahams, Alan S

    2017-04-01

    Product issues can cost companies millions in lawsuits and have devastating effects on a firm's sales, image and goodwill, especially in the era of social media. The ability for a system to detect the presence of safety and efficacy (S&E) concerns early on could not only protect consumers from injuries due to safety hazards, but could also mitigate financial damage to the manufacturer. Prior studies in the field of automated defect discovery have found industry-specific techniques appropriate to the automotive, consumer electronics, home appliance, and toy industries, but have not investigated pain relief medicines and medical devices. In this study, we focus specifically on automated discovery of S&E concerns in over-the-counter (OTC) joint and muscle pain relief remedies and devices. We select a dataset of over 32,000 records for three categories of Joint & Muscle Pain Relief treatments from Amazon's online product reviews, and train "smoke word" dictionaries which we use to score holdout reviews, for the presence of safety and efficacy issues. We also score using conventional sentiment analysis techniques. Compared to traditional sentiment analysis techniques, we found that smoke term dictionaries were better suited to detect product concerns from online consumer reviews, and significantly outperformed the sentiment analysis techniques in uncovering both efficacy and safety concerns, across all product subcategories. Our research can be applied to the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry in order to detect safety and efficacy concerns, reducing risks that consumers face using these products. These findings can be highly beneficial to improving quality assurance and management in joint and muscle pain relief. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Engineering Hematopoietic Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy: Strategies to Address Safety and Toxicity Concerns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resetca, Diana; Neschadim, Anton; Medin, Jeffrey A

    2016-09-01

    Advances in cancer immunotherapies utilizing engineered hematopoietic cells have recently generated significant clinical successes. Of great promise are immunotherapies based on chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T (CAR-T) cells that are targeted toward malignant cells expressing defined tumor-associated antigens. CAR-T cells harness the effector function of the adaptive arm of the immune system and redirect it against cancer cells, overcoming the major challenges of immunotherapy, such as breaking tolerance to self-antigens and beating cancer immune system-evasion mechanisms. In early clinical trials, CAR-T cell-based therapies achieved complete and durable responses in a significant proportion of patients. Despite clinical successes and given the side effect profiles of immunotherapies based on engineered cells, potential concerns with the safety and toxicity of various therapeutic modalities remain. We discuss the concerns associated with the safety and stability of the gene delivery vehicles for cell engineering and with toxicities due to off-target and on-target, off-tumor effector functions of the engineered cells. We then overview the various strategies aimed at improving the safety of and resolving toxicities associated with cell-based immunotherapies. Integrating failsafe switches based on different suicide gene therapy systems into engineered cells engenders promising strategies toward ensuring the safety of cancer immunotherapies in the clinic.

  1. Safety concerns for superconducting magnets of upcoming fusion experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turner, L.R.

    1983-01-01

    -Several fusion experiments being constructed (Tore Supra) or contemplated (DCT 8, Alcator DCT) feature superconducting coils. These coils introduce the following safety concerns: 1. Internally Cooled Conductor (ICC). ICC's are found to be highly stable against short heat pulses, even when the coolant is stagnant or moving at low steady-state velocity. However, a large heat pulse is certain to quench the conductor. Thus, determining the stability limits is vital. 2. Helium II Cooling. Helium II has both unique advantages as a coolant and unique safety problems. 3. Shorted Turns. In magnets with shorts from operational accidents, the current can switch back and forth between the short and the shorted turns, as those alternatively go normal and superconducting. 4. Hybrid Superconducting-Normal Conducting Coil System. The possibility of unequal currents in the different magnets and thus of unexpected forces on the superconducting magnets is much greater than for an all-superconducting system. Analysis of these problems are presented

  2. The IAEA programme on research reactor safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abou Yehia, H.

    2007-01-01

    According to the research reactor database of IAEA (RRDB), 250 reactors are operating worldwide, 248 have been shut down and 170 have been decommissioned. Among the 248 reactors that do not run, some will resume their activities, others will be dismantled and the rest do not face a clear future. The analysis of reported incidents shows that the ageing process is a major cause of failures, more than two thirds of operating reactors are over 30 years old. It also appears that the lack of adequate regulations or safety standards for research reactors is an important issue concerning reactor safety particularly when reactors are facing re-starting or upgrading or modifications. The IAEA has launched a 4-axis program: 1) to set basic safety regulations and standards for research reactors, 2) to provide IAEA members with an efficient help for the application of these safety regulations to their reactors, 3) to foster international exchange of information on research reactor safety, and 4) to provide IAEA members with a help concerning safety issues linked to malicious acts or sabotage on research reactors

  3. The health and safety concerns of immigrant women workers in the Toronto sportswear industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gannagé, C M

    1999-01-01

    Immigrant women's conditions of work have worsened with new government and managerial strategies to restructure the Canadian apparel industry. Changes in occupational health and safety legislation have both given and taken away tools that immigrant women workers could use to improve the quality of their working lives. The author outlines a methodology for eliciting the health and safety concerns of immigrant women workers.

  4. Reporter Concerns in 300 Mode-Related Incident Reports from NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGreevy, Michael W.

    1996-01-01

    A model has been developed which represents prominent reporter concerns expressed in the narratives of 300 mode-related incident reports from NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). The model objectively quantifies the structure of concerns which persist across situations and reporters. These concerns are described and illustrated using verbatim sentences from the original narratives. Report accession numbers are included with each sentence so that concerns can be traced back to the original reports. The results also include an inventory of mode names mentioned in the narratives, and a comparison of individual and joint concerns. The method is based on a proximity-weighted co-occurrence metric and object-oriented complexity reduction.

  5. List of reports concerning reactor safety research from BMFT, CEA, EPRI, JSTA, and USNRC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-12-01

    This list reviews reports from the Federal Republic of Germany, from France, from Japan and from the United States of America concerning special problems in the field of Reactor Safety Research. According to the cooperation of the Bundesminister fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT) with the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA), the Japan Science and Technologie Agency (JSTA), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, these Reports are available in the Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit (GRS). The list pursues the following order: Country of origin, problem area concerned, according to the Reactor Safety Research Programm of the BMFT, reporting organization. The list of reports appears quarterly. (orig./HP) [de

  6. Guideline for examination concerning the evaluation of safety in light water power reactor installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-01-01

    This guideline was drawn up as the guide for examination when the safety evaluation of nuclear reactors is carried out at the time of approving the installation of light water power reactors. Accordingly in case of the examination of safety, it must be confirmed that the contents of application are in conformity with this guideline. If they are in conformity, it is judged that the safety evaluation of the policy in the basic design of a reactor facility is adequate, and also that the evaluation concerning the separation from the public in surroundings is adequate as the condition of location of the reactor facility. This guideline is concerned with light water power reactors now in use, but the basic concept may be the reference for the examination of the other types of reactors. If such a case occurs that the safety evaluation does not conform to this guideline, it is not excluded when the appropriate reason is clarified. The purpose of safety evaluation, the scope to be evaluated, the selection of the events to be evaluated, the criteria for judgement, the matters taken into consideration at the time of analysis, the concrete events of abnormal transient change and accident in operation, and the concrete events of serious accident and hypothetic accident are stipulated. The explanation and two appendices are attached. (Kako, I.)

  7. ED accreditation update. Physicians, medical staff may report safety concerns without fear of disciplinary action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-11-01

    Educating your staff about The Joint Commission's requirements for concerns about hospital safety and quality of care requires the ED manager to set a tone of openness and cooperation, while at the same time emphasizing your department's role in addressing such concerns: * The ED should be the first place that staff members communicate quality and safety concerns. It is only when a problem is not addressed that they should take the issue to hospital administration and, if necessary, The Joint Commission. * A single event should not trigger a report to The Joint Commission, unless it is unusually serious. Otherwise, only a series of events should trigger a report. * Reassure your staff that you care about what is reported and will act quickly on it. Educate your staff about the reporting forms, and follow up with random audits to ensure compliance.

  8. Summary of Tiger Team Assessment and Technical Safety Appraisal recurring concerns in the Maintenance Area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Tiger Team Assessments and Technical Safety Appraisals (TSA) were reviewed and evaluated for concerns in the Maintenance Area (MA). Two hundred and thirty one (231) maintenance concerns were identified by the Tiger Team Assessments and TSA reports. These recurring concerns appear below. A summary of the Noteworthy Practices that were identified and a compilation of the maintenance concerns for each performance objective that were not considered as recurring are also included. Where the Tiger Team Assessment and TSA identified the operating contractor or facility by name, the concern has been modified to remove the name while retaining the intent of the comment

  9. Genetically modified foods: safety, risks and public concerns-a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bawa, A S; Anilakumar, K R

    2013-12-01

    Genetic modification is a special set of gene technology that alters the genetic machinery of such living organisms as animals, plants or microorganisms. Combining genes from different organisms is known as recombinant DNA technology and the resulting organism is said to be 'Genetically modified (GM)', 'Genetically engineered' or 'Transgenic'. The principal transgenic crops grown commercially in field are herbicide and insecticide resistant soybeans, corn, cotton and canola. Other crops grown commercially and/or field-tested are sweet potato resistant to a virus that could destroy most of the African harvest, rice with increased iron and vitamins that may alleviate chronic malnutrition in Asian countries and a variety of plants that are able to survive weather extremes. There are bananas that produce human vaccines against infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, fish that mature more quickly, fruit and nut trees that yield years earlier and plants that produce new plastics with unique properties. Technologies for genetically modifying foods offer dramatic promise for meeting some areas of greatest challenge for the 21st century. Like all new technologies, they also pose some risks, both known and unknown. Controversies and public concern surrounding GM foods and crops commonly focus on human and environmental safety, labelling and consumer choice, intellectual property rights, ethics, food security, poverty reduction and environmental conservation. With this new technology on gene manipulation what are the risks of "tampering with Mother Nature"?, what effects will this have on the environment?, what are the health concerns that consumers should be aware of? and is recombinant technology really beneficial? This review will also address some major concerns about the safety, environmental and ecological risks and health hazards involved with GM foods and recombinant technology.

  10. Physician attitudes towards pharmacological cognitive enhancement: safety concerns are paramount.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Opeyemi C Banjo

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The ethical dimensions of pharmacological cognitive enhancement have been widely discussed in academic circles and the popular media, but missing from the conversation have been the perspectives of physicians - key decision makers in the adoption of new technologies into medical practice. We queried primary care physicians in major urban centers in Canada and the United States with the aim of understanding their attitudes towards cognitive enhancement. Our primary hypothesis was that physicians would be more comfortable prescribing cognitive enhancers to older patients than to young adults. Physicians were presented with a hypothetical pharmaceutical cognitive enhancer that had been approved by the regulatory authorities for use in healthy adults, and was characterized as being safe, effective, and without significant adverse side effects. Respondents overwhelmingly reported increasing comfort with prescribing cognitive enhancers as the patient age increased from 25 to 65. When asked about their comfort with prescribing extant drugs that might be considered enhancements (sildenafil, modafinil, and methylphenidate or our hypothetical cognitive enhancer to a normal, healthy 40 year old, physicians were more comfortable prescribing sildenafil than any of the other three agents. When queried as to the reasons they answered as they did, the most prominent concerns physicians expressed were issues of safety that were not offset by the benefit afforded the individual, even in the face of explicit safety claims. Moreover, many physicians indicated that they viewed safety claims with considerable skepticism. It has become routine for safety to be raised and summarily dismissed as an issue in the debate over pharmacological cognitive enhancement; the observation that physicians were so skeptical in the face of explicit safety claims suggests that such a conclusion may be premature. Thus, physician attitudes suggest that greater weight be placed upon the

  11. Rickets: concerns over the worldwide increase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowdon, Jacqui

    2011-01-01

    Rickets is a childhood disease that causes a softening of the bones, potentially leading to fractures and deformity. Eighty years ago it was thought to have largely been eradicated from the U.K. However a recent increase in cases of rickets, not just in Britain but around the world, has proven this isn't the case. Today the disease affects children from all types of socio-economic backgrounds, not just the poorer ones, and it is primarily caused by low levels of vitamin D and certain foods. In January 2011 the government's chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies recommended all children aged six months to five should be given vitamin D supplements, particularly during winter months when natural sunshine is limited. The irony is that the advice in recent years for children to wear a high factor sunscreen and remain covered up while playing outdoors are partly felt to be behind the reason for its re-emergence. Parents and health professionals alike were shocked when it was revealed that a school girl living on the Isle of Wight developed rickets precisely because of her mother's vigilance at following sun safety rules. NICE, in their latest report (Jan 2011) stated that: "Exposure to the sun has a number of benefits. For example, it increases people's sense of wellbeing, allows them to synthesise vitamin D and provides opportunities for physical activity". A tendency for children to stay indoors and watch TV or play on computer games, rather than play outside when the sun is shining, is arguably also another contributing factor.

  12. The future of road safety: A worldwide perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fred Wegman

    2017-03-01

    The future of road safety is uncertain and definitely not the same for all regions of the world. Countries with a mature road safety approach and an ambition to make further progress are expected to move in the direction of a pro-active approach: a Safe System approach. It is reported that many LMIC, meanwhile, are on the brink of designing road safety strategies and implementing action plans. The international community is willing to support LMIC, but LMIC cannot simply copy successful HIC strategies because local circumstances differ. The principles of successful HIC strategies are applicable, but the priorities and action plans should take root in and align with local conditions.

  13. Ordinance of 14 March 1983 concerning the Federal Commission for the Safety of Nuclear Installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-01-01

    The Frederal Council issued a new Ordinance concerning the Federal Commission for the Safety of Nuclear Installations. This Ordinance replaces an Ordinance of 13 June 1960 and takes into account the distribution of tasks decided several years ago between the Commission, which operates on a part-time basis, and the principal Division for the Safety of Nuclear Installations attached to the Federal Office of Energy. (NEA) [fr

  14. Report on the handling of safety information concerning flammable gases and ferrocyanide at the Hanford waste tanks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-07-01

    This report discusses concerns safety issues, and management at Hanford Tank Farm. Concerns center on the issue of flammable gas generation which could ignite, and on possible exothermic reactions of ferrocyanide compounds which were added to single shell tanks in the 1950's. It is believed that information concerning these issues has been mis-handled and the problems poorly managed

  15. Report on the handling of safety information concerning flammable gases and ferrocyanide at the Hanford waste tanks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1990-07-01

    This report discusses concerns safety issues, and management at Hanford Tank Farm. Concerns center on the issue of flammable gas generation which could ignite, and on possible exothermic reactions of ferrocyanide compounds which were added to single shell tanks in the 1950's. It is believed that information concerning these issues has been mis-handled and the problems poorly managed. (CBS)

  16. Can the future, world-wide energy supply be achieved without nuclear energy?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kugeler, K.

    1995-01-01

    In the future the world-wide energy demand is going to increase considerably. The use of nuclear energy will continuously grow if the demand of climate researchers for a reduction of the world-wide CO 2 emission is fulfilled and if the possible contribution of regenerative energy sources is assessed realistically. In the future a world-wide use of nuclear energy will be realised according to even higher safety standards. The modification of the German Atom Law, which determines the limitation of damage caused to the reactor plant for future reactors fulfils this demand. The efforts in the field of nuclear technical development will concentrate on the proof of the required safety properties. (orig.) [de

  17. Worldwide advanced nuclear power reactors with passive and inherent safety: What, why, how, and who

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forsberg, C.W.; Reich, W.J.

    1991-09-01

    The political controversy over nuclear power, the accidents at Three Mile Island (TMI) and Chernobyl, international competition, concerns about the carbon dioxide greenhouse effect and technical breakthroughs have resulted in a segment of the nuclear industry examining power reactor concepts with PRIME safety characteristics. PRIME is an acronym for Passive safety, Resilience, Inherent safety, Malevolence resistance, and Extended time after initiation of an accident for external help. The basic ideal of PRIME is to develop power reactors in which operator error, internal sabotage, or external assault do not cause a significant release of radioactivity to the environment. Several PRIME reactor concepts are being considered. In each case, an existing, proven power reactor technology is combined with radical innovations in selected plant components and in the safety philosophy. The Process Inherent Ultimate Safety (PIUS) reactor is a modified pressurized-water reactor, the Modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR) is a modified gas-cooled reactor, and the Advanced CANDU Project is a modified heavy-water reactor. In addition to the reactor concepts, there is parallel work on super containments. The objective is the development of a passive ''box'' that can contain radioactivity in the event of any type of accident. This report briefly examines: why a segment of the nuclear power community is taking this new direction, how it differs from earlier directions, and what technical options are being considered. A more detailed description of which countries and reactor vendors have undertaken activities follows. 41 refs

  18. Occupational Safety and Health Concerns in Logging: A Cross-Sectional Assessment in Virginia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunwook Kim

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Increased logging mechanization has helped improve logging safety and health, yet related safety risks and concerns are not well understood. A cross-sectional study was completed among Virginia loggers. Participants (n = 122 completed a self-administered questionnaire focusing on aspects of safety and health related to logging equipment. Respondents were at a high risk of workplace injuries, with reported career and 12-month injury prevalences of 51% and 14%, respectively. Further, nearly all (98% respondents reported experiencing musculoskeletal symptoms. Over half (57.4% of respondents reported symptoms related to diesel exhaust exposure in their career. Few (15.6%, however, perceived their jobs to be dangerous. Based on the opinions and suggestions of respondents, three priority areas were identified for interventions: struck-by/against hazards, situational awareness (SA during logging operations, and visibility hazards. To address these hazards, and to have a broader and more substantial positive impact on safety and health, we discuss the need for proactive approaches such as incorporating proximity technologies in a logging machine or personal equipment, and enhancing logging machine design to enhance safety, ergonomics, and SA.

  19. Enacting laws concerning radiation safety management for students using X-rays and electron beams under 1 MeV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishizawa, Kunihide; Shibata, Michihiro; Saze, Takuya

    2004-01-01

    Laws concerning radiation safety management were analyzed from the point of view of defining precisely what is meant by radiation and what is meant by the subject. There are no laws to protect students from radiation hazards when using X-rays and electron beams under 1 MeV for research and/or education. The Law concerning Technical Standards for Preventing Radiation Hazards gives the authorities the power to enact new rules and regulations that will protect the students. The Radiation Council must take charge for enactment of all laws regarding radiation safety management. (author)

  20. ENSI’s synopsis concerning the enhancement of safety margins; Zusammenfassung des ENSI zur Erhöhung der Sicherheitsmargen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2015-06-15

    This press release issued by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI discusses the results of its probabilistic safety analysis on the safety margins for Swiss nuclear power stations that was made after the Fukushima nuclear accident. External incidents such as earthquakes and flooding and their impact on the power stations are analysed by the ERSIM project concerning the enhancement of safety margins. Three shut-down scenarios are discussed. The safety margins with respect to earthquakes and flooding for all four nuclear power station sites are discussed in detail.

  1. Factors to Consider When Balancing Campus Safety Concerns with Students' Civil Rights

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingersoll, Julia S.

    2017-01-01

    On April 16, 2007, a student at Virginia Tech University, known to be mentally ill, went on a rampage shooting 49 people on campus before taking his own life. When it was over, 32 people were dead, and the concept of a safe campus was forever changed. The incident revealed the inherent conflicts between campus safety concerns and students' civil…

  2. Ptaquiloside, the major carcinogen of bracken fern, in the pooled raw milk of healthy sheep and goats: an underestimated, global concern of food safety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Virgilio, Antonella; Sinisi, Annamaria; Russo, Valeria; Gerardo, Salvatore; Santoro, Adriano; Galeone, Aldo; Taglialatela-Scafati, Orazio; Roperto, Franco

    2015-05-20

    Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) is a worldwide plant containing toxic substances, which represent an important chemical hazard for animals, including humans. Ptaquiloside, 1, a norsesquiterpenoid glucoside, is the major carcinogen of bracken detected in the food chain, particularly in the milk from farm animals. To date, ptaquiloside has been shown in the milk of cows feeding on a diet containing bracken fern. This is the first study that shows the systematic detection of ptaquiloside, 1, and reports its direct quantitation in pooled raw milk of healthy sheep and goats grazing on bracken. Ptaquiloside, 1, was detected by a sensitive method based on the chemical conversion of ptaquiloside, 1, into bromopterosine, 4, following gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The presence of ptaquiloside, 1, possibly carcinogenic to humans, in the milk of healthy animals is an unknown potential health risk, thus representing a harmful and potential global concern of food safety.

  3. The experience of WNTI with Safety and Security Worldwide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neau, Henry-Jacques

    2016-01-01

    This paper gives an industrial perspective on safety and security issues based on the experience of WNTI members. It describes how safety is invested primarily in the package; not how the package is transported. Transport safety is therefore an engineering challenge, and all necessary technical information is available to enable this to be met. Security in transport involves various measures to guard against intentional malicious acts. The paper describes the international instruments relevant to security in the transport of nuclear fuel cycle materials and how both safety and security regulations must be coordinated and simplified to avoid conflicts. It considers potential risks, which must not be underestimated. However, the assessment of risks must be realistic and quantified, and the requirements placed on the industry appropriate. It is important to dispel exaggerated perceptions of danger in the minds of the public, politicians and regulators. (author)

  4. The performance trends of nuclear power plants worldwide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glorian, D. [Electricite de France (EDF), 93 - Saint-Denis (France)

    2001-07-01

    Looking back to the worldwide operating experience feedback, which performance trends and conclusions could be drawn up? What is the specific situation of the French nuclear units, in comparison with the average worldwide performance? The performance of a unit or group of facilities is measured not only in technical terms (safety, availability, load control capability), but also from an economic and financial standpoint (operating and maintenance costs, fuel costs, etc). Performance in terms of radiological protection and on-the-job safety, as well as environmental protection, is also monitored in order to give the broadest possible overview of nuclear power plant performance. The main technical results are presented on the basis of selected performance indicators. The results obtained by French units are benchmarked against those of other PWR facilities in operation around the world, in accordance with comparisons made by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). (author)

  5. The performance trends of nuclear power plants worldwide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glorian, D.

    2001-01-01

    Looking back to the worldwide operating experience feedback, which performance trends and conclusions could be drawn up? What is the specific situation of the French nuclear units, in comparison with the average worldwide performance? The performance of a unit or group of facilities is measured not only in technical terms (safety, availability, load control capability), but also from an economic and financial standpoint (operating and maintenance costs, fuel costs, etc). Performance in terms of radiological protection and on-the-job safety, as well as environmental protection, is also monitored in order to give the broadest possible overview of nuclear power plant performance. The main technical results are presented on the basis of selected performance indicators. The results obtained by French units are benchmarked against those of other PWR facilities in operation around the world, in accordance with comparisons made by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). (author)

  6. Parental safety concerns--a barrier to sport and physical activity in children?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boufous, Soufiane; Finch, Caroline; Bauman, Adrian

    2004-10-01

    To examine the extent to which parents and carers perceive injury and safety risks as serious enough to prevent or discourage their children, aged 5-12 years, from participating in sports/physical activity and to identify factors that influence these perceptions. An analysis of the 2001 New South Wales Child Health Survey. More than one-quarter of parents/ carers of active children aged 5-12 years reported discouraging or preventing children from playing a particular sport (34.7% for boys and 16.6% for girls) because of injury and safety concerns. In boys, the most frequently discouraged sport was rugby league (23.2%), followed by rugby union (7.5%) and Australian rules football (2.8%). Among girls, the most frequently discouraged activities were rollerblading (2.7%), rugby league (2.3%) and soccer (2.1%). Multivariate analysis shows that factors independently associated with parents' decision to prevent/discourage their child from engaging in sport/physical activity include their child's age and gender, language spoken at home, presence of disability, and the respondent's relation to the child. Efforts need to be made to modify some sports/ activities, such as football codes, in order to minimise injury and to ensure that children continue enjoying their favourite activity well into adulthood. Guidelines designed to promote physical activity among children and young adolescents need to take into account parental concerns regarding the associated risk of injury.

  7. Application of the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) to the safety evaluation of cosmetic ingredients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kroes, R.; Renwick, A.G.; Feron, V.; Galli, C.L.; Gibney, M.; Greim, H.; Guy, R.H.; Lhuguenot, J.C.; Sandt, J.J.M. van de

    2007-01-01

    The threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) has been used for the safety assessment of packaging migrants and flavouring agents that occur in food. The approach compares the estimated oral intake with a TTC value derived from chronic oral toxicity data for structurally-related compounds.

  8. Who was concerned about radiation, food safety, and natural disasters after the great East Japan earthquake and Fukushima catastrophe? A nationwide cross-sectional survey in 2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugimoto, Takashi; Shinozaki, Tomohiro; Naruse, Takashi; Miyamoto, Yuki

    2014-01-01

    Disaster-related concerns by sub-populations have not been clarified after the great East Japan earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear power plant incidents. This paper assesses who was concerned about radiation, food safety, and natural disasters among the general population in order to buffer such concerns effectively. The hypothesis that women, parents, and family caregivers were most concerned about radiation, food safety, and natural disaster was tested using a varying-intercept multivariable logistic regression with 5809 responses from a nationwide cross-sectional survey random-sampled in March 2012. Many people were at least occasionally concerned about radiation (53.5%), food safety (47.3%), and about natural disaster (69.5%). Women were more concerned than men about radiation (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.35-2.06), food safety (1.70; 1.38-2.10), and natural disasters (1.74; 1.39-2.19). Parents and family care needs were not significant. Married couples were more concerned about radiation (1.53; 1.33-1.77), food safety (1.38; 1.20-1.59), and natural disasters (1.30; 1.12-1.52). Age, child-cohabitation, college-completion, retirement status, homemaker status, and the house-damage certificate of the last disaster were also associated with at least one concern. Participants from the Kanto region were more concerned about radiation (2.08; 1.58-2.74) and food safety (1.30; 1.07-1.59), which demonstrate similar positive associations to participants from Tohoku where a disaster relief act was invoked (3.36; 2.25-5.01 about radiation, 1.49; 1.08-2.06 about food safety). Sectioning the populations by gender and other demographics will clarify prospective targets for interventions, allow for a better understanding of post-disaster concerns, and help communicate relevant information effectively.

  9. Who was concerned about radiation, food safety, and natural disasters after the great East Japan earthquake and Fukushima catastrophe? A nationwide cross-sectional survey in 2012.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takashi Sugimoto

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Disaster-related concerns by sub-populations have not been clarified after the great East Japan earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear power plant incidents. This paper assesses who was concerned about radiation, food safety, and natural disasters among the general population in order to buffer such concerns effectively. METHODS: The hypothesis that women, parents, and family caregivers were most concerned about radiation, food safety, and natural disaster was tested using a varying-intercept multivariable logistic regression with 5809 responses from a nationwide cross-sectional survey random-sampled in March 2012. RESULTS: Many people were at least occasionally concerned about radiation (53.5%, food safety (47.3%, and about natural disaster (69.5%. Women were more concerned than men about radiation (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.35-2.06, food safety (1.70; 1.38-2.10, and natural disasters (1.74; 1.39-2.19. Parents and family care needs were not significant. Married couples were more concerned about radiation (1.53; 1.33-1.77, food safety (1.38; 1.20-1.59, and natural disasters (1.30; 1.12-1.52. Age, child-cohabitation, college-completion, retirement status, homemaker status, and the house-damage certificate of the last disaster were also associated with at least one concern. Participants from the Kanto region were more concerned about radiation (2.08; 1.58-2.74 and food safety (1.30; 1.07-1.59, which demonstrate similar positive associations to participants from Tohoku where a disaster relief act was invoked (3.36; 2.25-5.01 about radiation, 1.49; 1.08-2.06 about food safety. CONCLUSIONS: Sectioning the populations by gender and other demographics will clarify prospective targets for interventions, allow for a better understanding of post-disaster concerns, and help communicate relevant information effectively.

  10. Overview of physical safety of radiation sources in Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lima, A.R.; Silva, F.C.A. da

    2017-01-01

    The threat of 'radiological terrorism' has been recognized worldwide after the event of September 11, 2001. Radioactive sources can be used for the development of DDR ('dirty bomb') devices. Studies show that the use of a DDR could cause health damage, psychosocial and economic and environmental damage. Brazil follows this worldwide concern, since it has a large medical-industrial park that uses radioactive sources. This paper presents an overview of the physical safety of radioactive sources in Brazil, based on the inventory of radiative facilities, regulatory aspects and international recommendations. For the preparation of the study, the database of radioactive sources of the regulatory body, the current normative status and the international recommendations were used. In Brazil there are approximately 2,500 radiative installations, with about 400 radioactive sources Category 1 and 2, which are the biggest concern in terms of physical safety. The Brazilian licensing standard addresses only some aspects of physical protection, not providing a clear orientation for the elaboration and implementation of physical protection systems, in accordance with international recommendations. For Brazil to be included in the world scenario of physical safety of radioactive sources, it is urgent to elaborate specific legislation with well-defined regulatory criteria. The lack of more detailed requirements makes it difficult to make a more careful regulatory assessment of the physical protection conditions of the facilities, either through the evaluation of plans and other physical protection documents or through regulatory inspections

  11. Posiva's application for a decision in principle concerning a disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel. STUK's statement and preliminary safety appraisal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruokola, E.

    2000-03-01

    In May 1999, Posiva Ltd submitted to the Government an application, pursuant to the Nuclear Energy Act, for a Decision in Principle on a disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel from the Finnish nuclear power plants. The Ministry of Trade and Industry requested the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) to draw up a preliminary safety appraisal concerning the proposed disposal facility. In the beginning of this report, STUK's statement to the Ministry and Industry concerning the proposed disposal facility is given. In that statement, STUK concludes that the Decision in Principle is currently justified from the standpoint of safety. The statement is followed by a safety appraisal, where STUK deems, how the proposed disposal concept, site and facility comply with the safety requirements included in the Government's Decision (478/1999). STUK's preliminary safety appraisal was supported by contributions from a number of outside experts. A collective opinion by an international group of ten distinguished experts is appended to this report. (orig.)

  12. Worldwide installed geothermal power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laplaige, P.

    1995-01-01

    Worldwide electric energy production data are easy to compile, according to the informations given by individual countries. On the contrary, thermal applications of geothermics are difficult to quantify due to the variety of applications and the number of countries concerned. Exhaustive informations sometimes cannot be obtained from huge countries (China, Russia..) because of data centralization problems or not exploitable data transmission. Therefore, installed power data for geothermal heat production are given for 26 countries over the 57 that have answered the International Geothermal Association questionnaire. (J.S.). 1 fig., 2 tabs., 1 photo

  13. Investigation of the impact of the I-94 ATM system on the safety of the I-94 commons high crash area : final report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-05-01

    Active Traffic Management (ATM) strategies are being deployed in major cities worldwide to deal with pervasive system : congestion and safety concerns. While such strategies include a diverse array of components, in the Twin Cities metropolitan : are...

  14. Nuclear safety. Concerns about the nuclear power reactors in Cuba

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wells, Jim; Aloise, Gene; Flaherty, Thomas J.; Fitzgerald, Duane; Zavala, Mario; Hayward, Mary Alice

    1992-09-01

    the atmosphere, contains defective welds. Another said that reactor operator trainees have received training on inadequate reactor simulators. In contrast, a representative of the Cuban government told us that Cuba wants to build its reactor in accordance with safety standards. Also, according to information provided to us by a representative of the Russian government, Cuba's reactor has been constructed according to safety rules that take into account, among other things, the possible impacts of an earthquake. State Department, NRC, and DOE officials have expressed a number of concerns about the construction and operation of Cuba's nuclear power reactors. According to State Department officials, the United States maintains a comprehensive embargo on any U.S. transactions with Cuba and discourages other countries from providing assistance, except for safety purposes, to Cuba's nuclear power program. The United States would prefer that the construction of the reactors never be completed and wants Cuba to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty or the Treaty of Tlatelolco, both of which bind signatories to blanket nonproliferation commitments for their entire nuclear program, before the United States considers reversing its policy of discouraging other countries from assisting Cuba with the construction of the reactors. The United States has asked Russia to cease providing any nuclear assistance until Cuba has signed either treaty. NRC officials are aware of, but could not verify, the Cuban emigres' allegations of safety deficiencies because available information was limited. They said, however, that if the allegations were true, the cited deficiencies could affect the safety of the reactors operation. In addition, they expressed concern about the ability of Cuba's industrial infrastructure to support the nuclear power reactors, the lack of a regulatory structure, the adequacy of training for reactor operators, the quality of the civil construction, and the design of the

  15. Globalization of flora: inviting worldwide ecosystem disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrew B. Carey

    2002-01-01

    Meeting the needs of expanding human populations has changed land use worldwide and presented a biodiversity crisis. Emerging related concerns are threats to native species from homogenization of world flora and the spread of exotic species by human activities (Soule 1990, United States Congress, Office of Technology Assessment 1993, Wilcove and others 1998, Soule and...

  16. Health and safety concerns of textiles with nanomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almeida, L.; Ramos, D.

    2017-10-01

    There is a growing concern related to the effects of nanomaterials in health and safety.Nanotechnologies are already present in many consumer products, including textiles. “Nanotextiles” can be considered as traditional textiles with the incorporation of nanoparticles. They present often functionalities such as antibacterial, ultraviolet radiation protection, water and dirt repellency, self-cleaning or flame retardancy. Nanoparticles can be released from the textile materials due to different effects (abrasion and other mechanical stresses, sweat, irradiation, washing, temperature changes, etc.). It is then expectable that “nanotextiles” may release individual nanoparticles, agglomerates of nanoparticles or small particles of textile with or without nanoparticles, depending on the type of integration of the nanoparticles in textiles. The most important exposure route of the human body to nanoparticles in case of textiles is skin contact. Several standards are being developed under the auspices of the European Committee for Standardization. In this paper, it is presented the development and application of a test method to evaluate the skin exposure to nanoparticles, to evaluate the transfer of the nanoparticles from the textile to the skin by the effect of abrasion and sweat.

  17. Parental concern about vaccine safety in Canadian children partially immunized at age 2: a multivariable model including system level factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDonald, Shannon E; Schopflocher, Donald P; Vaudry, Wendy

    2014-01-01

    Children who begin but do not fully complete the recommended series of childhood vaccines by 2 y of age are a much larger group than those who receive no vaccines. While parents who refuse all vaccines typically express concern about vaccine safety, it is critical to determine what influences parents of 'partially' immunized children. This case-control study examined whether parental concern about vaccine safety was responsible for partial immunization, and whether other personal or system-level factors played an important role. A random sample of parents of partially and completely immunized 2 y old children were selected from a Canadian regional immunization registry and completed a postal survey assessing various personal and system-level factors. Unadjusted odds ratios (OR) and adjusted ORs (aOR) were calculated with logistic regression. While vaccine safety concern was associated with partial immunization (OR 7.338, 95% CI 4.138-13.012), other variables were more strongly associated and reduced the strength of the relationship between concern and partial immunization in multivariable analysis (aOR 2.829, 95% CI 1.151-6.957). Other important factors included perceived disease susceptibility and severity (aOR 4.629, 95% CI 2.017-10.625), residential mobility (aOR 3.908, 95% CI 2.075-7.358), daycare use (aOR 0.310, 95% CI 0.144-0.671), number of needles administered at each visit (aOR 7.734, 95% CI 2.598-23.025) and access to a regular physician (aOR 0.219, 95% CI 0.057-0.846). While concern about vaccine safety may be addressed through educational strategies, this study suggests that additional program and policy-level strategies may positively impact immunization uptake.

  18. Sports injuries, drowning and exposure to radiation concern Canada Safety Council meeting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliver, Caroline.

    1979-01-01

    Hazards associated with surface sports, aquatic sports and exposure to radiation were considered at a meeting of the Canada Safety Council in late 1979. The session on radiation noted that 6 of 20000 radiation workers wearing dosimeters were exposed to a dose in excess of 5 rem, the annual limit set by the Atomic Energy Control Board. Radiographers were in the job classification receiving the highest doses of ionizing radiation. Concern was expressed for the emission of damaging radiation from broken mercury vapour lamps. Increased regulation rather than training was seen as the most effective solution. (T.I.)

  19. Study concerning the power plant control and safety equipment by integrated distributed systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Optea, I.; Oprea, M.; Stanescu, P.

    1995-01-01

    The paper deals with the trends existing in the field of nuclear control and safety equipment and systems, proposing a high-efficiency integrated system. In order to enhance the safety of the plant and reliability of the structure system and components, we present a concept based on the latest computer technology with an open, distributed system, connected by a local area network with high redundancy. A modern conception for the control and safety system is to integrate all the information related to the reactor protection, active engineered safeguard and auxiliary systems parameters, offering a fast flow of information between all the agencies concerned so that situations can be quickly assessed. The integrated distributed control is based on a high performance operating system for realtime applications, flexible enough for transparent networking and modular for demanding configurations. The general design considerations for nuclear reactors instrumentation reliability and testing methods for real-time functions under dynamic regime are presented. Taking into account the fast progress in information technology, we consider the replacement of the old instrumentation of Cernavoda-1 NPP by a modern integrated system as an economical and efficient solution for the next units. (Author) 20 Refs

  20. Gender differences and demographic influences in perceived concern for driver safety and support for impaired driving countermeasures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butters, Jennifer; Mann, Robert E; Wickens, Christine M; Boase, Paul

    2012-12-01

    Driving safety, impaired driving, and legislation to address these concerns remain important issues. It is imperative countermeasures be targeted toward the most appropriate groups. This paper explores the potential relationship between gender and driving attitudes toward safety issues and impaired-driving countermeasures. The data are from the 2007 Impaired Driving Survey commissioned by Transport Canada and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada. The survey is a, stratified by region, telephone survey of 1,514 Canadian drivers 18years of age and older with a valid driver's license who had driven within the past 30days. The findings illustrate a consistent impact of gender on these issues. Other variables were also identified as relevant factors although less consistently. Current findings suggest that strategies for building support for interventions, or for changing risk perception/concern for risky driving behaviors should be tailored by gender to maximize the potential for behavior change. This information may assist program and policy developers through the identification of more or less receptive target groups. Future research directions are also presented. Copyright © 2012 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Nordic projects concerning nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soerensen, H.C.

    1988-11-01

    The report describes the nature of the work done in the first half of 1988 within the field of nuclear safety (1985-89) under the Nordic program for 1985-89. Five programmes and their documentation, are described and complete lists of addresses and of persons involved is given. (AB)

  2. Socializing Young People to Ethics via Play Experience: Browser Games and Parental Concerns for Safety Online

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Divina Meigs

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper considers an online game and its relation to safety and privacy, in order to examine social and ethical issues raised by parental concern over harmful content. To gain real insights on the responsibility of adults, it develops a hands-on approach that takes into account the major stakeholders, especially young people and the related circle of people around them. Therefore the research question that is raised is: how do browser games provide reassurance to parents about their children’s safety and privacy? The issue of safety online is explored in three parts, using an ethnographic research framework: it explores a specific online game, it provides a profile of participants, it analyses their types of actions in relation to safety and privacy, and discusses the results in terms of incidence of risk, peer-monitoring and community control. The findings show that there is a rather strong tendency to self-regulation, but that tendency is partly due to a strong presence of mediating adults and peers. The results are discussed in terms of incidence of risk, peer-monitoring and networked means of control on the one hand, and in terms of scientific contribution to socialization theory on the other hand. They lead to final considerations on the repertoire of ethical strategies set up online and its meaning for the concerns of adults towards online risk as well as the need for policies on regulation and self-regulation. They also lead to extensions on the socialization to norms and the appropriation of ethics by young people.

  3. The U.S. commercial air tour industry: a review of aviation safety concerns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballard, Sarah-Blythe

    2014-02-01

    The U.S. Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations defines commercial air tours as "flight[s] conducted for compensation or hire in an airplane or helicopter where a purpose of the flight is sightseeing." The incidence of air tour crashes in the United States is disproportionately high relative to similar commercial aviation operations, and air tours operating under Part 91 governance crash significantly more than those governed by Part 135. This paper reviews the government and industry response to four specific areas of air tour safety concern: surveillance of flight operations, pilot factors, regulatory standardization, and maintenance quality assurance. It concludes that the government and industry have successfully addressed many of these tenet issues, most notably by: advancing the operations surveillance infrastructure through implementation of en route, ground-based, and technological surveillance methods; developing Aeronautical Decision Making and cue-based training programs for air tour pilots; consolidating federal air tour regulations under Part 136; and developing public-private partnerships for raising maintenance operating standards and improving quality assurance programs. However, opportunities remain to improve air tour safety by: increasing the number and efficiency of flight surveillance programs; addressing pilot fatigue with more restrictive flight hour limitations for air tour pilots; ensuring widespread uptake of maintenance quality assurance programs, especially among high-risk operators not currently affiliated with private air tour safety programs; and eliminating the 25-mile exception allowing Part 91 operators to conduct commercial air tours without the safety oversight required of Part 135 operators.

  4. List of reports from the BMFT, CEA, EPRI, JSTA and USNRC concerning reactor safety research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1981-09-01

    This list reviews reports from the Federal Republic of Germany, from France, from Japan and from the United States of America concerning special Problems in the field of Reactor Safety Research. According to the cooperation of the Bundesminister fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT) with the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA) the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JSTA) the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission these reports are available in the Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit (GRS). The list pursues the following order: Country of origin, problem area concerned, according to the Reactor Saftety Research Program of the BMFT, reporting organization. The list of reports appears quarterly. (orig./HP) [de

  5. Items to be reflected to the nuclear power safety measures in Japan (concerning the examination, design and operation management) (excluding the items to be reflected to the standards)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-10-01

    In connection with the Three Mile Island nuclear power accident in March, 1979, in the United States, in order to introduce the lessons from it in the nuclear power safety regulations in Japan, 52 items to be reflected to the nuclear power safety measures were chosen by the Nuclear Safety Commission. Of these, 16 items were examined by the Committee on Examination of Reactor Safety. It was decided that these results would be introduced in the nuclear safety regulations, by the Nuclear Safety Commission. The following 16 items are described. For the examination, four items concerning the automatic operation of safety systems and others; for the design, five items concerning a small rupture accident, the monitoring of the state of primary coolant, control room layout and others; for the operation management, seven items concerning the inspection at the time of repair, the prevention of faulty handlings by operators and others.

  6. Advanced use of World-Wide Web in the online system of DELPHI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doenszelmann, M.; Carvalho, D.; Du, S.; Tennebo, F.

    1996-01-01

    The World-Wide Web technologies used by the DELPHI experiment at CERN to provide easy access to information of the On-line System. WWW technology on both client and server side is used in five different projects. The World-Wide Web has its advantages concerning the network technology, the practical user interface and its scalability. It however also demands a stateless protocol and format negotiation. (author)

  7. Safety of Traditional Arab Herbal Medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bashar Saad

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Herbal remedies are widely used for the treatment and prevention of various diseases and often contain highly active pharmacological compounds. Many medicinal herbs and pharmaceutical drugs are therapeutic at one dose and toxic at another. Toxicity related to traditional medicines is becoming more widely recognized as these remedies become popular in the Mediterranean region as well as worldwide. Most reports concerning the toxic effects of herbal medicines are associated with hepatotoxicity although reports of other toxic effects including kidney, nervous system, blood, cardiovascular and dermatologic effects, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity have also been published in the medical literature. This article presents a systematic review on safety of traditional Arab medicine and the contribution of Arab scholars to toxicology. Use of modern cell biological, biochemical, in vitro and in vivo techniques for the evaluation of medicinal plants safety is also discussed.

  8. Caffeine-based food supplements and beverages: Trends of consumption for performance purposes and safety concerns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bessada, Sílvia M F; Alves, Rita C; Oliveira, M Beatriz P P

    2018-07-01

    Nowadays, daily food supplementation regarding the improvement of physical and mental performance is a growing trend in sport practitioners, young students and active people. Food supplements are foodstuffs, labeled under food law and not obliged to safety assessments before their commercialization. Several products are commercialized claiming ergogenic effects as marketing strategies. Caffeine is often one of their main ingredients, as it increases both physical performance and concentration. This manuscript presents a general overview of the current caffeine-based food supplements and energy drinks available in the Portuguese market, as well as the consuming trends regarding their ergogenic effects, performance purposes, and active ingredients. Product claims, recommended daily intakes, caffeine pharmacology, and safety concerns aspects are also discussed aspects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. An international nuclear safety regime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosen, M.

    1995-01-01

    For all the parties involved with safe use of nuclear energy, the opening for signature of the 'Convention on Nuclear Safety' (signed by 60 countries) and the ongoing work to prepare a 'Convention on Radioactive Waste Safety' are particularly important milestones. 'Convention on Nuclear Safety' is the first legal instrument that directly addresses the safety of nuclear power plants worldwide. The two conventions are only one facet of international cooperation to enhance safety. A review of some cooperative efforts of the past decades, and some key provisions of the new safety conventions, presented in this paper, show how international cooperation is increasing nuclear safety worldwide. The safety philosophy and practices involved with legal framework for the safe use of nuclear power will foster a collective international involvement and commitment. It will be a positive step towards increasing public confidence in nuclear power

  10. Items to be reflected to the nuclear power safety measures in Japan (concerning the examination, design and operation management) (excluding the items to be reflected to the standards)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-01-01

    In connection with the Three Mile Island nuclear power accident in March, 1979, in the United States, in order to introduce the lessons from it in the nuclear power safety regulations in Japan, 52 items to be reflected to the nuclear power safety measures were chosen by the Nuclear Safety Commission. Of these, 16 items were examined by the Committee on Examination of Reactor Safety. It was decided that these results would be introduced in the nuclear safety regulations, by the Nuclear Safety Commission. The following 16 items are described. For the examination, four items concerning the automatic operation of safety systems and others; for the design, five items concerning a small rupture accident, the monitoring of the state of primary coolant, control room layout and others; for the operation management, seven items concerning the inspection at the time of repair, the prevention of faulty handlings by operators and others. (J.P.N.)

  11. THE INFLUENCE OF MEDIA EXPOSURE, SAFETY AND HEALTH CONCERNS, AND SELF-EFFICACY ON ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS ELECTRONIC GREEN PRODUCTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iman Khalid A. Qader

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available As the high-tech industry evolves at a rapid pace, vast amounts of hazardous materials are used in fuelling its global expansion. These rapid changes in production processes are significantly depleting natural resources. With the surge of popular interest and awareness pertaining to environmental issues, organisations may be in peril if consumers' attitudes towards their products are ignored. This study intends to understand consumers' environmental attitudes towards electronic green products and to identify the effect of three factors, namely, media exposure, safety and health concerns, and self- efficacy, on this attitude. Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire among 170 respondents in a public university. The results of the study indicated that safety and health concerns as well as self-efficacy had significant positive impacts on consumers' environmental attitudes. Surprisingly, however, media exposure did not exhibit any significant influence on consumers' environmental attitude. It is recommended that campaign and awareness projects focus on safety and health issues. Additionally, media should play a more active role in increasing environmental awareness among consumers.

  12. HTGR safety research concerns at NRC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minogue, R.B.

    1982-01-01

    A general discussion of HTGR technical and safety-related problems is given. The broad areas of current research programs specific to the Fort St. Vrain reactor and applicable to HTGR technology are summarized

  13. Worldwide, 3-Year, Post-Marketing Surveillance Experience with Tofacitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Stanley; Curtis, Jeffrey R; DeMasi, Ryan; Chen, Yan; Fan, Haiyun; Soonasra, Arif; Fleischmann, Roy

    2018-06-01

    Post-marketing surveillance (PMS) is an integral part of monitoring adverse events (AEs) following approval of new drugs. Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). An analysis of PMS reports was conducted to evaluate the safety of tofacitinib in a post-marketing setting. Worldwide tofacitinib PMS data received in the Pfizer safety database from November 6, 2012 (first marketing authorization of tofacitinib) to November 5, 2015 were analyzed. Serious AEs (SAEs) of interest were reviewed and reporting rates (RRs) were calculated by dividing the number of SAEs by the estimated 100 patient-years of exposure. Patient exposure was calculated based on estimated worldwide sales and an estimated daily regimen of tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily. During the 3-year reporting period, worldwide post-marketing exposure to tofacitinib since approval was estimated to be 34,223 patient-years. In total, 9291 case reports (82.9% non-serious) were received and 25,417 AEs, 102 fatal cases, and 4352 SAEs were reported. The RRs (per 100 patient-years) for SAEs of interest by Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities System Organ Class were 2.57 for infections, 0.91 for gastrointestinal disorders, 0.60 for respiratory disorders, 0.45 for neoplasms, 0.43 for cardiac disorders, and 0.12 for hepatobiliary disorders. Although there are limitations to these data, no new safety risks were revealed in this real-world setting compared with the safety profile identified in the tofacitinib RA clinical development program. Any risks identified through the tofacitinib development program and PMS will continue to be monitored through pharmacovigilance surveillance. Pfizer Inc.

  14. Surveys of research projects concerning nuclear facility safety financed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety, 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-09-01

    Each progress report is a collection of individual reports, categorized by subject matter. They are a documentation of the contractor's progress, rendered by themselves on standardized forms, published, for the sake of general information on progress made in investigations concerning reactor safety, by the project attendance department of the GRS. The individual reports have serial numbers. Each report includes particulars of the objective, work carried out, results obtained and plans for project continuation. (orig.) [de

  15. Surveys of research projects concerning nuclear facility safety, financed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety, 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-11-01

    Each progress report is a collection of individual reports, categorized by subject matter. They are a documentation of the contractor's progress, rendered by themselves on standardized forms, published, for the sake of general information on progress made in investigations concerning reactor safety, by the project attendance department of the GRS. The individual reports have serial numbers. Each report includes particulars of the objective, work carried out, results obtained and plans for project continuation. (orig.) [de

  16. Surveys of research projects concerning nuclear facility safety, financed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety, 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-06-01

    Each progress report is a collection of individual reports, categorized by subject matter. They are a documentation of the contractor's progress, rendered by themselves on standardized forms, published, for the sake of general information on progress made in investigations concerning reactor safety, by the project attendance department of the GRS. The individual reports have serial numbers. Each report includes particulars of the objective, work carried out, results obtained and plans for project continuation. (orig.) [de

  17. The safety of available treatment options for iron-deficiency anemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz, Manuel; Gómez-Ramírez, Susana; Bhandari, Sunil

    2018-02-01

    Iron deficiency (ID), with or without anemia, is highly prevalent worldwide and has clinical consequences. The prevention and treatment of ID is a major public health goal. Accurate diagnosis, selection of the appropriate iron replacement therapy and addressing the underlying cause, remain as the main challenges in ID management. Areas covered: This review aims to provide a narrative review of current available evidence on iron supplementation options regularly used to treat ID, including oral and intravenous (IV) iron formulations, with emphasis on safety issues. Analyzed safety concerns include gastrointestinal side effects (oral iron) and risks of hypotension, anaphylaxis, infection, hypophosphatemia, oxidative stress and mortality (IV iron). Expert opinion: Low-to-moderate doses of oral iron supplementation remains as first line therapy for uncomplicated ID, but it has been scarcely discussed in the setting of inflammation. Confirmatory studies on the efficacy of newer oral iron formulations in this setting are needed. Compared with oral iron, short-term IV iron administration is more efficacious in ID correction, without significant safety concerns. However, long-term safety of IV iron maintenance therapy, head to head comparisons of IV iron preparations, pharmacological modulation of hepcidin and HIF, and extra-erythropoietic effects of iron are among the important areas of research.

  18. The Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate's Regulations concerning Safety in connection with the Disposal of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Waste. General Recommendations concerning the Application of the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate's Regulations above

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-06-01

    An english translation of the original Swedish regulations concerning the safety in disposal of nuclear wastes is published in this booklet, together with recommendations on how these regulations can be applied

  19. New safety valve addresses environmental concerns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, J.; Austin, R.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that Conoco Pipeline is using a unique relief valve to reduce costs while improving environmental protection at its facilities. Conoco Pipeline Co. Inc. began testing new relief valves in 1987 to present over-pressuring its pipelines while enhancing the safety, environmental integrity and profitability of its pipelines. Conoco worked jointly with Rupture Pin Technology Inc., Oklahoma City, to seek a solution to a series of safety, environmental, and operational risks in the transportation of crude oil and refined products through pipelines. Several of the identified problems were traced to a single equipment source: the reliability of rupture discs used at pipeline stations to relieve pressure by diverting flow to tanks during over-pressure conditions. Conoco's corporate safety and environmental policies requires solving problems that deal with exposure to hydrocarbon vapors, chemical spills or the atmospheric release of fugitive emissions, such as during rupture disc maintenance. The company had used rupture pin valves as vent relief devices in conjunction with development by Rick Austin of inert gas methods to protect the inner casing wall and outer carrier pipeline wall in pipeline road crossings. The design relies on rupture pin valves set at 5 psi to isolate vent openings from the atmosphere prior to purging the annular space between the pipeline and casing with inert gas to prevent corrosion. Speciality Pipeline Inspection and Engineering Inc., Houston, is licensed to distribute the equipment for the new cased-crossing procedure

  20. Health and safety concerns os migrant workers: the experience of tunisian workers in modena, Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faïçal Daly

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the relatively under-researched field of healthand safety of migrant workers, with special reference to Tunisian construction workers in the city of Modena in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The empirical material comes from questionnaires and interviews with Tunisian migrants, plus smaller numbers of interviews with employers and trade union representatives in Modena. The paper starts by critically reviewing the scattered literature onthe health and safety of minority workers, most of which refers to the United States and the United Kingdom. The discussion then moves to a consideration of migrant health and safety questions in the contexts of racism, discrimination, social class, working conditions, labour market segmentation and (non- regulation. Specialattention is given to the failed role of trade unions in defending the rights of minority workers, in advanced countries generally and in Italy in particular. A case study is then made of the construction sector in Italy, enriched by personal accounts of the experiences of Tunisian migrant workers in Modena. Employer and tradeunion interviews reveal a lack of concern and ability to tackle the relevant issues. Barriers to health and safety awareness training are outlined. In the conclusion, recommendations are made for policy initiatives in this area.

  1. Response to ONS/EH-OA concerns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rice, P.D.

    1991-01-01

    The DOE's independent Office of Nuclear Safety (ONS) conducted an independent assessment of WSRC's readiness for K-Reactor restart. DOE-ONS identified six areas of concern, with specific findings in each area. The six concerns deal with: (1) Technical Specification surveillance, (2) human factors issues, (3) emergency lighting, (4) fire protection issues, (5) the Unreviewed Safety Question process, and (6) the critique process. This report addresses each of these six concerns and Westinghouse's actions to resolve them

  2. Expanding Worldwide Awareness of Gifted and Talented Children and Youth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sisk, Dorothy A.

    1990-01-01

    This article documents the growing worldwide concern for identifying and serving gifted students, primarily via curriculum and instructional differentiation through special classes, enrichment, and acceleration. Programs in Brazil, Canada, Australia, the Middle East, Israel, the Philippines, the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Poland, Indonesia, Taiwan,…

  3. Safety of 8-weeks oral administration of Arctium lappa L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bok, So-Hyeon; Cho, Seung Sik; Bae, Chun-Sik; Park, Dae-Hun; Park, Kyung-Mok

    2017-09-01

    Recently, worldwide dietary reference intakes have been considered an important guideline for public health. Some governments and the World Health Organization (WHO) provide guidelines concerning dietary intake. Although an ingredient may have a history of use as a culinary material, changes in the environment over time suggest that the acceptable maximum intake each of food/culinary material should be regularly evaluated. Arctium lappa L. has been used as a culinary material for many centuries in Korea and Japan and some recent studies have reported related therapeutic effects. However, there are no reports on the safety of repeated oral administration. In this study, we evaluated the safety of a 8-weeks repeated oral intake of A. lappa . We concluded that treatment with lappa , which was within the safety range, resulted in body weight decrease and blood glucose suppression.

  4. 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...

  5. Fast breeder reactor safety : a perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kale, R.D.

    1992-01-01

    Taking into consideration India's limited reserves of natural and vast reserves of thorium, the fast reactor route holds a great promise for India's energy supply in future. The fast reactor fueled with 239 Pu/ 238 U (unused or depleted) produces (breeds) more fissionable fuel material 239 Pu than it consumes. Calculations show that a fast breeder reactor (FBR) increases energy potential of natural uranium by about 60 times. As the fast reactor can also convert 232 Th into 233 U which is a fissionable material, it can make India's thorium reserves a source of almost inexhaustible energy supply for a long time to come. Significant advantage of FBR plants cooled by sodium and their world-wide operating experience are reviewed. There are two main safety issues of FBR, one nuclear and the other non-nuclear. The nuclear issue concerns core disruptive accident and the non-nuclear one concerns the high chemical energy potential of sodium. These two issues are analysed and it is pointed that they are manageable by current design, construction and operational practices. Main findings of safety research during the last six to eight years in West European Countries and United States of America (US) are summarised. Three stage engineered safety provision incorporated into the design of the sodium cooled Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) commissioned at Kalpakkam are explained. The important design safety features of FBTR such as primary system containment, emergency core cooling, plant protection system, inherent safety features achieved through reactivity coefficients, and natural convection cooling are discussed. Theoretical analysis and experimental research in fast reactor safety carried out at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research during the past some years are reviewed. (M.G.B.)

  6. Surveys of research projects concerning nuclear facility safety, financed by the Bundesminister des Innern. 9th annual report on SR-projects 1984

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-06-01

    The FRG's Ministry of the Interior finances studies, expertises and investigations in the field of nuclear safety. The results of such work are meant to clarify questions left open concerning the execution of licensing procedures for nuclear facilities. The GRS (Reactor Safety Company) regularly provides information on the state of such studies, on the authority of the Ministry of the Interior. Each progress report is a collection of individual reports, categorized by subject matter. They are a documentation of the contractor's progress, rendered by themselves on standardized forms, published, for the sake of general information on progress made in investigations concerning reactor safety, by the project attendance department of the GRS. The individual reports have serial numbers. Each report includes particulars of the objective, work carried out, results obtained and plans for project continuation. (orig./HP) [de

  7. Safety concerns related to modular/prefabricated building construction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fard, Maryam Mirhadi; Terouhid, Seyyed Amin; Kibert, Charles J; Hakim, Hamed

    2017-03-01

    The US construction industry annually experiences a relatively high rate of fatalities and injuries; therefore, improving safety practices should be considered a top priority for this industry. Modular/prefabricated building construction is a construction strategy that involves manufacturing of the whole building or some of its components off-site. This research focuses on the safety performance of the modular/prefabricated building construction sector during both manufacturing and on-site processes. This safety evaluation can serve as the starting point for improving the safety performance of this sector. Research was conducted based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated accidents. The study found 125 accidents related to modular/prefabricated building construction. The details of each accident were closely examined to identify the types of injury and underlying causes. Out of 125 accidents, there were 48 fatalities (38.4%), 63 hospitalized injuries (50.4%), and 14 non-hospitalized injuries (11.2%). It was found that, the most common type of injury in modular/prefabricated construction was 'fracture', and the most common cause of accidents was 'fall'. The most frequent cause of cause (underlying and root cause) was 'unstable structure'. In this research, the accidents were also examined in terms of corresponding location, occupation, equipment as well as activities during which the accidents occurred. For improving safety records of the modular/prefabricated construction sector, this study recommends that future research be conducted on stabilizing structures during their lifting, storing, and permanent installation, securing fall protection systems during on-site assembly of components while working from heights, and developing training programmes and standards focused on modular/prefabricated construction.

  8. Cause for Concern: A Mixed-Methods Study of Campus Safety and Security Practices in United States-Mexico Border Institutions of Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Ryan Clevis

    2014-01-01

    Campus safety has been a source of concern since the 1990s. However, in 2007, the tragedy at the Virginia Polytechnic and State University sent a sense of alarm through many institutions of higher education. Immediately following this tragedy, institutions across the country began to evaluate and question their safety and security practices. While…

  9. Education and Training of Safety Regulation for Nuclear Safety Infrastructure: Its Necessity and Unique Features

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Young Sung; Choi, Young Joon; Lee, Jae Cheon

    2009-01-01

    Faced with global warming and electricity demands, countries over the world recognize the comparative advantages of nuclear energy. It is estimated that about 300 nuclear power plants (NPPs) expect to be constructed until 2030 worldwide. In addition, according to the IAEA, approximately 20 new countries might have their first NPP in operation by 2030 in the high projection compared with bout 5 new countries in the low projection. When introducing nuclear power, the implementation of an appropriate infrastructure to address all of the relevant issues is a central concern of international community. In particular, nuclear power program requires, at an earlier stage than when construction starts, the development of a legal and regulatory framework and training of regulators and safety experts whose combined knowledge adequately covers all areas of nuclear safety and regulation applied at a NPP construction and operation. As an essential component of such human resource development, special attention was paid to the provision of education and training to regulators of which countries plan to introduce NPPs. In term of education theory, safety regulation has some unique features in learning and teaching, which are different from those of nuclear engineering or development. This paper overviews nuclear safety infrastructure, explores the roles of exporting countries, and presents features and components in education of nuclear safety regulation

  10. Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2003

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-08-01

    The Nuclear Safety Review reports on worldwide efforts to strengthen nuclear, radiation and transport safety and the safety of radioactive waste management. In line with the suggestions made by the Board of Governors in March 2002, the first part is more analytical and less descriptive. This short analytical overview is supported by a second part, which describes significant safety related events and issues worldwide during 2003. A Draft Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2003 was submitted to the March 2004 session of the Board of Governors in document GOV/2004/3. The final version of the Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2003 was prepared in the light of the discussion by the Board.

  11. The home electronic media environment and parental safety concerns: relationships with outdoor time after school and over the weekend among 9-11 year old children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkie, Hannah J; Standage, Martyn; Gillison, Fiona B; Cumming, Sean P; Katzmarzyk, Peter T

    2018-04-05

    Time spent outdoors is associated with higher physical activity levels among children, yet it may be threatened by parental safety concerns and the attraction of indoor sedentary pursuits. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between these factors and outdoor time during children's discretionary periods (i.e., after school and over the weekend). Data from 462 children aged 9-11 years old were analysed using generalised linear mixed models. The odds of spending > 1 h outdoors after school, and > 2 h outdoors on a weekend were computed, according to demographic variables, screen-based behaviours, media access, and parental safety concerns. Interactions with sex and socioeconomic status (SES) were explored. Boys, low SES participants, and children who played on their computer for  1 h outside after school than girls, high SES children and those playing on a computer for ≥2 h, respectively. Counterintuitive results were found for access to media devices and crime-related safety concerns as both of these were positively associated with time spent outdoors after school. A significant interaction for traffic-related concerns*sex was found; higher road safety concerns were associated with lower odds of outdoor time after school in boys only. Age was associated with weekend outdoor time, which interacted with sex and SES; older children were more likely to spend > 2 h outside on weekends but this was only significant among girls and high SES participants. Our results suggest that specific groups of children are less likely to spend their free time outside, and it would seem that only prolonged recreational computer use has a negative association with children's outdoor time after school. Further research is needed to explore potential underlying mechanisms, and parental safety concerns in more detail.

  12. Using of BEPU methodology in a final safety analysis report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menzel, Francine; Sabundjian, Gaiane; D'auria, Francesco; Madeira, Alzira A.

    2015-01-01

    The Nuclear Reactor Safety (NRS) has been established since the discovery of nuclear fission, and the occurrence of accidents in Nuclear Power Plants worldwide has contributed for its improvement. The Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) must contain complete information concerning safety of the plant and plant site, and must be seen as a compendium of NRS. The FSAR integrates both the licensing requirements and the analytical techniques. The analytical techniques can be applied by using a realistic approach, addressing the uncertainties of the results. This work aims to show an overview of the main analytical techniques that can be applied with a Best Estimated Plus Uncertainty (BEPU) methodology, which is 'the best one can do', as well as the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle. Moreover, the paper intends to demonstrate the background of the licensing process through the main licensing requirements. (author)

  13. Using of BEPU methodology in a final safety analysis report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Menzel, Francine; Sabundjian, Gaiane, E-mail: fmenzel@ipen.br, E-mail: gdjian@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); D' auria, Francesco, E-mail: f.dauria@ing.unipi.it [Universita degli Studi di Pisa, Gruppo di Ricerca Nucleare San Piero a Grado (GRNSPG), Pisa (Italy); Madeira, Alzira A., E-mail: alzira@cnen.gov.br [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2015-07-01

    The Nuclear Reactor Safety (NRS) has been established since the discovery of nuclear fission, and the occurrence of accidents in Nuclear Power Plants worldwide has contributed for its improvement. The Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) must contain complete information concerning safety of the plant and plant site, and must be seen as a compendium of NRS. The FSAR integrates both the licensing requirements and the analytical techniques. The analytical techniques can be applied by using a realistic approach, addressing the uncertainties of the results. This work aims to show an overview of the main analytical techniques that can be applied with a Best Estimated Plus Uncertainty (BEPU) methodology, which is 'the best one can do', as well as the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle. Moreover, the paper intends to demonstrate the background of the licensing process through the main licensing requirements. (author)

  14. College Rampage Renews School Safety Concerns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maxwell, Lesli A.

    2007-01-01

    Coming just four days before the anniversary of the Columbine school shootings, the mass slayings by a student gunman at Virginia Polytechnic Institute last week revived vexing questions and raised familiar fears for educators across the country who grapple daily with ensuring the safety of their students and staffs. The April 16 killings provoked…

  15. Enhancing operational nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sengoku, Katsuhisa

    2008-01-01

    Since Chernobyl, the dictum A n accident anywhere is an accident everywhere i s a globally shared perception. The paper presents challenges to the international nuclear community: globalization, sustainable and dynamic development, secure, safe and clean energy supply, nuclear r enaissance , public concern for nuclear safety, nuclear security, and technology and management. Strong national safety infrastructures and international cooperation are required to maintain a high level of nuclear safety and security worldwide. There is an increasing number of countries thinking of going nuclear: Morocco, Indonesia, Iran, Poland, Turkey, Bangladesh, Egypt, Vietnam, Chile, Nigeria, Malaysia, Thailand, Uruguay, Tunisia, Algeria. Another serious incident will jeopardize the prospect of nuclear renaissance. Safety and security are preconditions for countries newly introducing NPP as well as for those with mature nuclear programmes. The Global Nuclear Safety Regime (GNSR) is referred to as the institutional, legal and technical framework to achieve worldwide implementation of the safety of nuclear installations. At the top of the framework is the Convention on Nuclear Safety which covers the nuclear power plants. The convention has 56 contracting parties which meet triennially where national reports are presented and subject to the review of peers. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) undertakes a programme to foster the GNSR through the establishment of IAEA safety standards and related publications. The programme provides for the application of standards for the (1) safety of nuclear installations, (2) safety of radioactive sources, (3) safe transport of radioactive material and (4) management of radioactive waste. It also provides for the security of nuclear installations, nuclear material and radioactive material. The safety standards hierarchy is as follows: safety fundamental, safety requirements and safety guides. The safety fundamentals are the bases for IAEA

  16. Development of the international status of science and technology concerning methods and tools for operational and long-term safety cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seher, Holger; Beuth, Thomas; Bracke, Guido; Kock, Ingo; Mayer, Kim-Marisa; Moog, Helge C.; Uhlmann, Stephan; Weyand, Torben

    2016-09-01

    The project ''development of the international status of science and technology concerning methods and tools for operational and long-term safety cases'' covers the following key aspects: global aspects of the methodology for scenario assumption for the operational phase following closure, potential analysis of the derives safety cases for the project Gorleben, determination of the solid phase composition of high-level radioactive wastes using geochemical modeling calculations, search for an adequate approach for the calculation of density and viscosity of saline solutions for the future use in GRS computer codes, international approaches for an integral analysis for the host rocks clay and granite in relation to the safety requirements of BMUB.

  17. Posiva's application for a decision in principle concerning a disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel. STUK's statement and preliminary safety appraisal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruokola, E. [ed.

    2000-03-01

    In May 1999, Posiva Ltd submitted to the Government an application, pursuant to the Nuclear Energy Act, for a Decision in Principle on a disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel from the Finnish nuclear power plants. The Ministry of Trade and Industry requested the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) to draw up a preliminary safety appraisal concerning the proposed disposal facility. In the beginning of this report, STUK's statement to the Ministry and Industry concerning the proposed disposal facility is given. In that statement, STUK concludes that the Decision in Principle is currently justified from the standpoint of safety. The statement is followed by a safety appraisal, where STUK deems, how the proposed disposal concept, site and facility comply with the safety requirements included in the Government's Decision (478/1999). STUK's preliminary safety appraisal was supported by contributions from a number of outside experts. A collective opinion by an international group of ten distinguished experts is appended to this report. (orig.)

  18. India's power program and its concern over environmental safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prasad, G.E.; Mittra, J.

    2001-01-01

    India's need of electrical power is enormous and per capita consumption of power is to be increased at least by ten times to reach the level of world average. Thermal Power generation faces two fold problems. First, there is scarcity of good quality fuel and second, increasing environmental pollution. India's self reliant, three stage, 'closed-fuel-cycle' nuclear power program is promising better solution to the above problems. To ensure Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources, Indian Nuclear Power program emphasizes upon design and engineering safety by incorporating necessary safety features in the design, operational safety through structured training program and typically through software packages to handle rare unsafe events and regulation by complying safety directives. A health survey among the radiation workers indicates that there is no extra threat to the public from nuclear power program. Based on latest technology, as available in case of nuclear power option, it is quite possible to meet high energy requirement with least impact on the environment.. (authors)

  19. Nuclear technology and reactor safety engineering. The situation ten years after the Chernobyl reactor accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Birkhofer, A.

    1996-01-01

    Ten years ago, on April 26, 1986 the most serious accident ever in the history of nuclear tgechnology worldwide happened in unit 4 of the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl in the Ukraine, this accident unveiling to the world at large that the Soviet reactor design lines are bearing unthought of safety engineering deficits. The dimensions of this reactor accident on site, and the radioactive fallout spreading far and wide to many countries in Europe, vividly nourished the concern of great parts of the population in the Western world about the safety of nuclear technology, and re-instigated debates about the risks involved and their justification. Now that ten years have elapsed since the accident, it is appropriate to strike a balance and analyse the situation today. The number of nuclear power plants operating worldwide has been growing in the last few years and this trend will continue, primarily due to developments in Asia. The Chernobyl reactor accident has pushed the international dimension of reactor safety to the foreground. Thus the Western world had reason enough to commit itself to enhancing the engineered safety of reactors in East Europe. The article analyses some of the major developments and activities to date and shows future perspectives. (orig.) [de

  20. Surveys of research projects concerning nuclear facility safety, financed by the Federal Ministry of the Interior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-05-01

    Each progress report is a collection of individual reports, categorized by subject matter. They are a documentation of the contractor's progress, rendered by themselves on standardized forms, published, for the sake of general information on progress made in investigations concerning reactor safety, by the project attendance department of the GRS. The individual reports have serial numbers. Each report includes particulars of the objective, work carried out, results obtained and plans for project continuation. (orig./HP) [de

  1. A safety concern related to CANDU moderator subcooling and status of KAERI moderator circulation test (MCT) experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rhee, Bo W.; Kim, Hyoung T.; Kim, Tongbeum; Im, Sunghyuk

    2015-01-01

    The flow inside the moderator tank of a CANDU-6 reactor during full power steady state operation has been suspected to be operating in the buoyancy/inertial driven mixed convection regime as illustrated in the middle figure. At some regions of the moderator tank where the buoyancy driven upward flow and the inertial momentum driven downward flows interface counter-currently, there exist some interface regions between these two flows like the middle one, and the local temperatures at these interface regions are known to oscillate with different amplitude at various fluctuation frequencies as shown. According to a numerical simulation of the moderator flow and temperature distribution at full power steady state carried out by previous researches showed that any small disturbances in the flow or temperature may initiate the system unstable and aggravate the asymmetric flow and temperature patterns. The tests at the 3-D Moderator Test Facility (MTF) that is a representative scaled-down of CANDU reactors, reproduced the expected and observed moderator behavior in the reactor as well as the local temperature fluctuations arising from the delicate balance of forced and buoyancy induced flow. This observation raised a safety concern as the local moderator temperature at some regions showed fluctuations with an amplitude that may jeopardize the safety margin, i.e. the difference between the available subcooling and the subcooling requirement. The scope of this paper is to review the basis of the safety concern related to this moderator subcooling and local temperature fluctuation and describe the current status of MCT erection and some of the experiments carried so far

  2. India's power programs and its concern over environmental safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prasad, G.E.; Mittra, J.; Sarma, M.S.R.

    2000-01-01

    India's need for electrical power is enormous and per capita consumption of power is to be increased at least by 10 times to reach the level of the world average. Thermal power generation faces two-fold problems. First, there is scarcity of good quality fuel and second, increasing environmental pollution. India 's self reliant, . three stage, 'closed-fuel-cycle' nuclear power program is promising a better solution to the above problems. To ensure Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources, the Indian Nuclear Power program emphasizes upon design and engineering safety by incorporating' necessary safety features in the design, operational safety through a structured training program and typically through software packages to handle rare unsafe events and regulation by complying safety directives. A health survey among the radiation workers indicates that there is no extra threat to the public from the nuclear power program. Based on the latest technology, as available in case of the nuclear power option, it is quite possible to meet high energy requirements with least impact on the environment. (authors)

  3. Nuclear safety review for the year 2002

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2003-08-01

    The Nuclear Safety Review reports on worldwide efforts to strengthen nuclear, radiation and transport safety and the safety of radioactive waste management. The final version of the Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2002 was prepared in the light of the discussion by the Board of Governors in March 2002. This report presents an overview of the current issues and trends in nuclear, radiation, transport and radioactive waste safety at the end of 2002. This overview is supported by a more detailed factual account of safety-related events and issues worldwide during 2002. National authorities and the international community continued to reflect and act upon the implications of the events of II September 2001 for nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety. In the light of this, the Agency has decided to transfer the organizational unit on nuclear security from the Department of Safeguards to the Department of Nuclear Safety (which thereby becomes the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security). By better exploiting the synergies between safety and security and promoting further cross-fertilization of approaches, the Agency is trying to help build up mutually reinforcing global regimes of safety and security. However, the Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2002 addresses only those areas already in the safety programme. This short analytical overview is supported by a second part (corresponding to Part I of the Nuclear Safety Reviews of previous years), which describes significant safety-related events and issues worldwide during 2002. A Draft Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2002 was submitted to the March 2003 session of the Board of Governors in document GOV/2003/6.

  4. Nuclear safety review for the year 2002

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-08-01

    The Nuclear Safety Review reports on worldwide efforts to strengthen nuclear, radiation and transport safety and the safety of radioactive waste management. The final version of the Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2002 was prepared in the light of the discussion by the Board of Governors in March 2002. This report presents an overview of the current issues and trends in nuclear, radiation, transport and radioactive waste safety at the end of 2002. This overview is supported by a more detailed factual account of safety-related events and issues worldwide during 2002. National authorities and the international community continued to reflect and act upon the implications of the events of II September 2001 for nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety. In the light of this, the Agency has decided to transfer the organizational unit on nuclear security from the Department of Safeguards to the Department of Nuclear Safety (which thereby becomes the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security). By better exploiting the synergies between safety and security and promoting further cross-fertilization of approaches, the Agency is trying to help build up mutually reinforcing global regimes of safety and security. However, the Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2002 addresses only those areas already in the safety programme. This short analytical overview is supported by a second part (corresponding to Part I of the Nuclear Safety Reviews of previous years), which describes significant safety-related events and issues worldwide during 2002. A Draft Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2002 was submitted to the March 2003 session of the Board of Governors in document GOV/2003/6

  5. Ayurveda formulations: A roadmap to address the safety concerns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kishor Patwardhan

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available It is a matter of serious concern that the number of case reports pointing at a possible association between the clinical toxicity and the use of Ayurveda formulations is increasing significantly over the years in scientific medical literature. Though most of these cases are connected with the presence of heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic in these formulations, there are also reports suggesting toxicity due to the presence of toxic chemicals of herbal origin. In the year 2008, the Government of India took an initiative of establishing the National Pharmacovigilance Programme for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani drugs in a structured way. However, due to lack of sustained support, this program has now become defunct. This issue is of vital importance and needs to be addressed effectively on a priority basis. In this communication, we propose the following crucial policy interventions to be introduced at different levels: a. Amendments to Drug and Cosmetic Act, b. Issuing consumer guidelines, c. Issuing prescription guidelines, d. Issuing clinical monitoring guidelines, e. Implementation of good manufacturing guidelines, f. Promoting documentation of clinical safety, g. Identifying the sources of contamination, and, h. Provision for stringent punishment. If these policy interventions are taken up and implemented, a significant positive change in the scenario can be expected in the near future.

  6. Microbiological food safety issues in Brazil: bacterial pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Bruna Carrer; Franco, Bernadette Dora Gombossy de Melo; De Martinis, Elaine Cristina Pereira

    2013-03-01

    The globalization of food supply impacts patterns of foodborne disease outbreaks worldwide, and consumers are having increased concern about microbiological food safety. In this sense, the assessment of epidemiological data of foodborne diseases in different countries has not only local impact, but it can also be of general interest, especially in the case of major global producers and exporters of several agricultural food products, such as Brazil. In this review, the most common agents of foodborne illnesses registered in Brazil will be presented, compiled mainly from official databases made available to the public. In addition, some representative examples of studies on foodborne bacterial pathogens commonly found in Brazilian foods are provided.

  7. Food Safety Concerns and other Factors Affecting Iran’s Pistachio Exports to EU, Australia, and Japan

    OpenAIRE

    Ashktorab, Niloofar; Saghaian, Sayed Hossein; Shahnoushi, Naser

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, the impact of food safety concerns on Iran’s pistachio export demand was investigated. Panel data and panel cointegration analyses were used to estimate the export demand function of Iran’s pistachio nuts to the European Union (EU), Japan, and Australia for the period of 1997 to 2006 so that the relationship between factors affecting Iran’s pistachio exports can be examined. The results show the existence of long-run relationships among the variables that have a significant imp...

  8. Progress report concerning safety research for nuclear reactor facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-01-01

    Examination and evaluation of safety research results for nuclear reactor facilities have been performed, as more than a year has elapsed since the plan had been initiated in April, 1976, by the special sub-committee for the safety of nuclear reactor facilities. The research is carried out by being divided roughly into 7 items, and seems to be steadily proceeding, though it does not yet reach the target. The above 7 items include researches for (1) criticality accident, (2) loss of coolant accident, (3) safety for light water reactor fuel, (4) construction safety for reactor facilities, (5) reduction of release of radioactive material, (6) safety evaluation based on the probability theory for reactor facilities, and (7) aseismatic measures for reactor facilities. With discussions on the progress and the results of the research this time, research on the behaviour on fuel in abnormal transients including in-core and out-core experiments has been added to the third item, deleting the power-cooling mismatch experiment in Nuclear Safety Research Reactor of JAERI. Also it has been decided to add two research to the seventh item, namely measured data collection, classification and analysis, and probability assessment of failures due to an earthquake. For these 7 items, the report describes the concrete contents of research to be performed in fiscal years of 1977 and 1978, by discussing on most rational and suitable contents conceivable at present. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

  9. Food Safety and Chemical Contaminants: An Overview a

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Ali

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Food safety is a major consumer’s concern worldwide. Although several incidences of food poisoning have placed microbial contamination on the forefront during recent years, health risks due to chemical contamination still remain high. The most often cited chemical contaminants are derived from a variety of sources such as pesticides, environmental chemicals (PCBs. dioxin, heavy metals including lead, mercury, chemical contaminants as a result of food processing (acrylamide, nitrosamines etc., naturally occurring toxicants (glycoalkaloids, mycotoxins, antinutritives etc, chemicals migrating from packaging materials, veterinary drugs and other chemical residues. In addition to the presence of unintentional contaminants, the quality and safety of foods could also be compromised by the addition of certain food additives, phytonutrients, exposure to irradiation and other substances. Food processors and the regulatory and enforcement agencies are facing an ever-increasing challenge to meet the consumer’s demands for safe foods that do not pose health risks or alter their lifestyle. As the food trade expands throughout the world, food safety has become a shared concern among both the developed and developing countries. Although food control systems do exist in the countries of Gulf region, in most of the cases they are not in line with national and international needs and are not able to cope with the new challenges of the modern era. The most appropriate methods to ensure the safety of food supplies are the strengthening of regular surveillance systems, developing methods for the systematic application of risk analysis, risk assessment and risk management strategies, and timely communication of information to develop and enforce the appropriate food safety laws globally as well as the development of international and national cooperation. This paper reviews issues, challenges and solutions to achieve food safety with respect to chemical

  10. Predictors of Likelihood of Speaking Up about Safety Concerns in Labour and Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyndon, Audrey; Sexton, J. Bryan; Simpson, Kathleen Rice; Rosenstein, Alan; Lee, Kathryn A.; Wachter, Robert M.

    2011-01-01

    Background Despite widespread emphasis on promoting “assertive communication” by caregivers as essential to patient safety improvement efforts, fairly little is known about when and how clinicians speak up to address safety concerns. In this cross-sectional study we use a new measure of speaking up to begin exploring this issue in maternity care. Methods We developed a scenario-based measure of clinician’s assessment of potential harm and likelihood of speaking up in response to perceived harm. We embedded this scale in a survey with measures of safety climate, teamwork climate, disruptive behaviour, work stress, and personality traits of bravery and assertiveness. The survey was distributed to all registered nurses and obstetricians practicing in two US Labour & Delivery units. Results The response rate was 54% (125 of 230 potential respondents). Respondents were experienced clinicians (13.7 ± 11 years in specialty). Higher perception of harm, respondent role, specialty experience, and site predicted likelihood of speaking up when controlling for bravery and assertiveness. Physicians rated potential harm in common clinical scenarios lower than nurses did (7.5 vs. 8.4 on 2–10 scale; p<0.001). Some participants (12%) indicated they were unlikely to speak up despite perceiving high potential for harm in certain situations. Discussion This exploratory study found nurses and physicians differed in their harm ratings, and harm rating was a predictor of speaking up. This may partially explain persistent discrepancies between physicians and nurses in teamwork climate scores. Differing assessments of potential harms inherent in everyday practice may be a target for teamwork intervention in maternity care. PMID:22927492

  11. Worldwide Spacecraft Crew Hatch History

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Gary

    2009-01-01

    The JSC Flight Safety Office has developed this compilation of historical information on spacecraft crew hatches to assist the Safety Tech Authority in the evaluation and analysis of worldwide spacecraft crew hatch design and performance. The document is prepared by SAIC s Gary Johnson, former NASA JSC S&MA Associate Director for Technical. Mr. Johnson s previous experience brings expert knowledge to assess the relevancy of data presented. He has experience with six (6) of the NASA spacecraft programs that are covered in this document: Apollo; Skylab; Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP), Space Shuttle, ISS and the Shuttle/Mir Program. Mr. Johnson is also intimately familiar with the JSC Design and Procedures Standard, JPR 8080.5, having been one of its original developers. The observations and findings are presented first by country and organized within each country section by program in chronological order of emergence. A host of reference sources used to augment the personal observations and comments of the author are named within the text and/or listed in the reference section of this document. Careful attention to the selection and inclusion of photos, drawings and diagrams is used to give visual association and clarity to the topic areas examined.

  12. New Automated System Available for Reporting Safety Concerns | Poster

    Science.gov (United States)

    A new system has been developed for reporting safety issues in the workplace. The Environment, Health, and Safety’s (EHS’) Safety Inspection and Issue Management System (SIIMS) is an online resource where any employee can report a problem or issue, said Siobhan Tierney, program manager at EHS.

  13. On the Issue of Regional Policy in the Sphere of Ecological Safety (Based on the Documents Concerning the Republic of Kalmykia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elza I. Mantaeva

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The regional government should provide ecological safety in order to ensure stable social and economic development of the country. The article outlines theoretical approach and recommendations on practice concerning ecological issues, investigates state policy aiming to preserve nature and analyses sources of threat to ecological safety in the region. The modern paradigm of the country’s and region’s development is characterized by the combination of ecological and economic policy. The ecological policy providing measures for efficient use of natural resources, their protection and restoration is implemented in the economic strategy of highly developed countries and encourages stable social and economic development of the country and the region. Some researchers assert that Russia’s most regions do not possess sufficient resources necessary to implement structural shifts which can eliminate the main threats to ecological safety. The Republic of Kalmykia can be included into this list. It is rich in natural resources but they are not restored due to the lack of regulation for efficient consumption. The main concerns of the republic are water supply, desertification, and pollution of atmosphere, waste disposal, and protection of wildlife and environment, preservation of hunting ground, forest management. The republic generates no electricity so it is delivered by neighboring regions. The republic should use the renewable ways of producing energy which can contribute to the energy and ecological safety and can attract new investment funds. There is an urgent need for stricter state regulation to ensure socioeconomic development and ecological safety in Kalmykia.

  14. Safety aspects of unplanned shutdowns and trips

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-05-01

    The issue of unplanned shutdowns and trips is receiving increased attention worldwide in view of its importance to plant safety and availability. There exists significant variation in the number of forced shutdowns for nuclear power plants of the same type operating worldwide. The reduction of the frequency of these events will have safety benefits in terms of reducing the frequency of plant transients and the challenges to the safety systems, and the risks of possible incidents. This report provides an insight into the causes of unplanned shutdowns experienced in operating nuclear power plants worldwide, the good practices that have been found effective in minimizing their occurrence, and the measures that have been taken to reduce these events. Specific information on the experiences, approaches and practices of some countries in dealing with this issue is presented in Appendix A

  15. Road accident rates: strategies and programmes for improving road traffic safety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goniewicz, K; Goniewicz, M; Pawłowski, W; Fiedor, P

    2016-08-01

    Nowadays, the problem of road accident rates is one of the most important health and social policy issues concerning the countries in all continents. Each year, nearly 1.3 million people worldwide lose their life on roads, and 20-50 million sustain severe injuries, the majority of which require long-term treatment. The objective of the study was to identify the most frequent, constantly occurring causes of road accidents, as well as outline actions constituting a basis for the strategies and programmes aiming at improving traffic safety on local and global levels. Comparative analysis of literature concerning road safety was performed, confirming that although road accidents had a varied and frequently complex background, their causes have changed only to a small degree over the years. The causes include: lack of control and enforcement concerning implementation of traffic regulation (primarily driving at excessive speed, driving under the influence of alcohol, and not respecting the rights of other road users (mainly pedestrians and cyclists), lack of appropriate infrastructure and unroadworthy vehicles. The number of fatal accidents and severe injuries, resulting from road accidents, may be reduced through applying an integrated approach to safety on roads. The strategies and programmes for improving road traffic should include the following measures: reducing the risk of exposure to an accident, prevention of accidents, reduction in bodily injuries sustained in accidents, and reduction of the effects of injuries by improvement of post-accident medical care.

  16. Production of neutrons in particle accelerators: a PNRI safety concern

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia, Corazon M.; Cayabo, Lynette B.; Artificio, Thelma P.; Melendez, Johnylen V.; Piquero, Myrna E.; Parami, Vangeline K.

    2002-09-01

    In the safety assessment made for the first cyclotron facility in the Philippines, that is the cyclotron in the P.E.T. (Positron Emission Tomography) center of the St. Luke's Medical Center, the concern on the production of neutrons associated with the operation of particle accelerators has been identified. This takes into consideration the principles in the operation of particle accelerators and the associated production of neutrons resulting from their operation, the hazards and risks in their operation. The Bureau of Health Devices and Technology (BHDT) of the Department of Health in the Philippines regulates and controls the presently existing six (6) linear accelerators distributed in different hospitals in the country, being classified as x-ray producing devices. From the results of this study, it is evident that the production of neutrons from the operation of accelerators, produces neutrons and that activation due to neutrons can form radioactive materials. The PNRI (Philippine Nuclear Research Institute) being mandated by law to regulate and control any equipment or devices producing or utilizing radioactive materials should take the proper steps to subject all accelerator facilities and devices in the Philippines such as linear accelerators under its regulatory control in the same manner as it did with the first cyclotron in the country. (Author)

  17. Management of safety, safety culture and self assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carnino, A.

    2000-01-01

    Safety management is the term used for the measures required to ensure that an acceptable level of safety is maintained throughout the life of an installation, including decommissioning. The safety culture concept and its implementation are described in part one of the paper. The principles of safety are now quite well known and are implemented worldwide. It leads to a situation where harmonization is being achieved as indicated by the entry into force of the Convention on Nuclear Safety. To go beyond the present nuclear safety levels, management of safety and safety culture will be the means for achieving progress. Recent events which took place in major nuclear power countries have shown the importance of the management and the consequences on safety. At the same time, electricity deregulation is coming and will impact on safety through reductions in staffing and in operation and maintenance cost at nuclear installations. Management of safety as well as its control and monitoring by the safety authorities become a key to the future of nuclear energy.(author)

  18. Concern for older parts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Titus, E.; Spink, T.; Cookson, B.; Tenera, L.P.

    1992-01-01

    For the last half decade, regulatory expectations of the procurement process for nuclear commercial-grade safety-related materials have increase. The changes have been driven by concern for fraudulent or misrepresented parts and the loss of original equipment manufacturers. The industry responded to these concerns by developing improved procurement programs that changed how parts were specified and received and provided for verification of attributes that were critical to the successful performance of safety functions(s). Like its counterparts, Duquesne Light Company (DLCo), Beaver Valley power station began applying these enhanced requirements to procurements initiated after January 1, 1990, in response to the Nuclear Management and Resources Council initiative on dedication. Procurements prior to this data were not subject to the new requirements

  19. Regulatory overview report 2013 concerning nuclear safety in Swiss nuclear installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-06-01

    The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) acting as the regulatory body of the Swiss Federation assesses and monitors nuclear facilities in Switzerland: these include five nuclear power plants, the interim storage facilities based at each plant, the Central Interim Storage Facility (ZWILAG) at Wuerenlingen together with the nuclear facilities at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and the two universities of Basel and Lausanne. Using a combination of inspections, regulatory meetings, examinations and analyses together with reports from the licensees of individual facilities, ENSI obtains the overview required concerning nuclear safety. It ensures that the facilities comply with regulations. Its regulatory responsibilities include the transport of radioactive materials from and to nuclear facilities and the preparations for a deep geological repository for nuclear waste. ENSI maintains its own emergency organisation, an integral part of the national emergency structure. It provides the public with information on particular events in nuclear facilities. This Surveillance Report describes operational experience, systems technology, radiological protection and management in all the nuclear facilities. Generic issues relevant to all facilities such as probabilistic safety analyses are described. In 2013, the five nuclear power plants in Switzerland (Beznau Units 1 and 2, Muehleberg, Goesgen and Leibstadt) were all operated safely and had complied with their approved operating conditions. The nuclear safety at all plants was rated as being good. 34 events were reported. During operation, no reactor scrams were recorded. On the INES scale, ranging from 0-7, ENSI rated all reportable events as Level 0. The ENSI safety evaluation reflects both reportable events and the results of the approximately 460 inspections conducted during 2013. ZWILAG consists of several storage halls, a conditioning plant and a plasma plant. At the end of 2013, the cask storage hall

  20. Safer Systems: A NextGen Aviation Safety Strategic Goal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darr, Stephen T.; Ricks, Wendell R.; Lemos, Katherine A.

    2008-01-01

    The Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), is charged by Congress with developing the concepts and plans for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The National Aviation Safety Strategic Plan (NASSP), developed by the Safety Working Group of the JPDO, focuses on establishing the goals, objectives, and strategies needed to realize the safety objectives of the NextGen Integrated Plan. The three goal areas of the NASSP are Safer Practices, Safer Systems, and Safer Worldwide. Safer Practices emphasizes an integrated, systematic approach to safety risk management through implementation of formalized Safety Management Systems (SMS) that incorporate safety data analysis processes, and the enhancement of methods for ensuring safety is an inherent characteristic of NextGen. Safer Systems emphasizes implementation of safety-enhancing technologies, which will improve safety for human-centered interfaces and enhance the safety of airborne and ground-based systems. Safer Worldwide encourages coordinating the adoption of the safer practices and safer systems technologies, policies and procedures worldwide, such that the maximum level of safety is achieved across air transportation system boundaries. This paper introduces the NASSP and its development, and focuses on the Safer Systems elements of the NASSP, which incorporates three objectives for NextGen systems: 1) provide risk reducing system interfaces, 2) provide safety enhancements for airborne systems, and 3) provide safety enhancements for ground-based systems. The goal of this paper is to expose avionics and air traffic management system developers to NASSP objectives and Safer Systems strategies.

  1. Safety Issues Concerning the Medical Use of Cannabis and Cannabinoids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark A Ware

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Safety issues are a major barrier to the use of cannabis and cannabinoid medications for clinical purposes. Information on the safety of herbal cannabis may be derived from studies of recreational cannabis use, but cannabis exposure and effects may differ widely between medical and recreational cannabis users. Standardized, quality-controlled cannabinoid products are available in Canada, and safety profiles of approved medications are available through the Canadian formulary. In the present article, the evidence behind major safety issues related to cannabis use is summarized, with the aim of promoting informed dialogue between physicians and patients in whom cannabinoid therapy is being considered. Caution is advised in interpreting these data, because clinical experience with cannabinoid use is in the early stages. There is a need for long-term safety monitoring of patients using cannabinoids for a wide variety of conditions, to further guide therapeutic decisions and public policy.

  2. Safety regulations concerning instrumentation and control systems for research reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Shanshoury, A.I.

    2009-01-01

    A brief study on the safety and reliability issues related to instrumentation and control systems in nuclear reactor plants is performed. In response, technical and strategic issues are used to accomplish instrumentation and control systems safety. For technical issues there are ; systems aspects of digital I and C technology, software quality assurance, common-mode software, failure potential, safety and reliability assessment methods, and human factors and human machine interfaces. The strategic issues are the case-by-case licensing process and the adequacy of the technical infrastructure. The purpose of this work was to review the reliability of the safety systems related to these technical issues for research reactors

  3. The worldwide epidemiology of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seckeler, Michael D; Hoke, Tracey R

    2011-01-01

    Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are significant public health concerns around the world. Despite decreasing incidence, there is still a significant disease burden, especially in developing nations. This review provides background on the history of ARF, its pathology and treatment, and the current reported worldwide incidence of ARF and prevalence of RHD. PMID:21386976

  4. Geological disposal of nuclear waste: II. From laboratory data to the safety analysis – Addressing societal concerns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grambow, Bernd; Bretesché, Sophie

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Models for repository safety can only partly be validated. • Long term risks need to be translated in the context of societal temporalities. • Social sciences need to be more strongly involved into safety assessment. - Abstract: After more than 30 years of international research and development, there is a broad technical consensus that geologic disposal of highly-radioactive waste will provide for the safety of humankind and the environment, now, and far into the future. Safety analyses have demonstrated that the risk, as measured by exposure to radiation, will be of little consequence. Still, there is not yet an operating geologic repository for highly-radioactive waste, and there remains substantial public concern about the long-term safety of geologic disposal. In these two linked papers, we argue for a stronger connection between the scientific data (paper I, Grambow et al., 2014) and the safety analysis, particularly in the context of societal expectations (paper II). In this paper (II), we assess the meaning of the technical results and derived models (paper I) for the determination of the long-term safety of a repository. We consider issues of model validity and their credibility in the context of a much broader historical, epistemological and societal context. Safety analysis is treated in its social and temporal dimensions. This perspective provides new insights into the societal dimension of scenarios and risk analysis. Surprisingly, there is certainly no direct link between increased scientific understanding and a public position for or against different strategies of nuclear waste disposal. This is not due to the public being poorly informed, but rather due to cultural cognition of expertise and historical and cultural perception of hazards to regions selected to host a geologic repository. The societal and cultural dimension does not diminish the role of science, as scientific results become even more important in distinguishing

  5. The promises and prospects of worldwide wireless power transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Voorhies, K.L.; Smith, J.E.

    1991-01-01

    The promise of worldwide wireless power transfer began with the pioneering work of Nikola Tesla about 100 years ago. His principal approach is summarized. The viability of such a system must still be demonstrated and many questions remain. Potentially, a wireless system can transfer power more efficiently and flexibly, especially to and from remote regions. This paper includes principle elements of worldwide wireless power transfer: the source: an oscillator/transmitter, the path: the cavity bounded by the earth and the ionosphere, and the receiver: a means of extracting power from the path. The system transfers and stores energy via the resonance modes of the cavity. The key challenges facing demonstration of technical feasibility are in finding an efficient means of coupling power into and out of the earth-ionosphere cavity, and in devising a feasible receiver that is both small and efficient. Along with demonstrating technical feasibility, new research must consider safety, environmental impact, susceptibility to weather, and effects on weather

  6. International standardization of safety requirements for fast reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-06-01

    Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is conducting the FaCT (Fast Reactor Cycle Technology Development) project in cooperation with Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) and Mitsubishi FBR systems inc. (MFBR), where an advanced loop-type fast reactor named JSFR (Japan Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor) is being developed. It is important to develop software technologies (a safety guideline, safety design criteria, safety design standards etc.) of FBRs as well as hardware ones (a reactor plant itself) in order to address prospective worldwide utilization of FBR technology. Therefore, it is expected to establish a rational safety guideline applicable to the JSFR and harmonized with national nuclear-safety regulations as well, including Japan, the United States and the European Union. This report presents domestic and international status of safety guideline development for sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), results of comparative study for safety requirements provided in existing documents and a proposal for safety requirements of future SFRs with a roadmap for their refinement and worldwide utilization. (author)

  7. Effectively managing public concerns about immunization safety

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Los beneficios de la vacunación frente a las enfermedades prevenibles de este modo son muy superiores a sus mínimos riesgos. Con el fin de mantener o fortalecer los programas nacionales de vacunación, los trabajadores de todos los niveles de la salud pública deberían recibir formación sobre los temas relacionados con la vacunación y estar preparados para responder a las dudas planteadas por el público. Una respuesta rápida y franca a los temores del público acerca de las vacunas podría garantizar la integridad de los programas de vacunación en todo el continente americano, según el documento "Directrices para enfrentarse a los temores sobre la seguridad de las vacunaciones" (Guidelines for Managing Immunization Safety Concerns, elaborado por la División de Vacunas e Inmunización de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS y resumido aquí. Todo acontecimiento médico que se considere posiblemente relacionado con una vacuna debe ser investigado en el ámbito local. Si su distribución temporal y los síntomas respaldan la sospecha de que pueda estar relacionado con una vacuna, se debe iniciar una investigación más formal y, una vez finalizada, el acontecimiento debe ser clasificado en una de las cuatro categorías siguientes: 1 relacionado con el programa, 2 relacionado con la vacuna, 3 no relacionado, o 4 desconocido (investigación no concluyente. Dependiendo de la categoría a la que haya sido asignado el acontecimiento, las acciones posteriores pueden consistir en tranquilizar a los padres, a los cuidadores y a otros adultos; comunicarse con el público y con otros trabajadores de la salud; instaurar tratamiento; corregir los errores del programa, como pueden ser la manipulación de la vacuna, su almacenamiento, su administration o los problemas relacionados con la jeringuilla; comentar con los fabricantes problemas relacionados con la calidad y eficacia de la vacuna; retirar la vacuna del mercado, o iniciar nuevas

  8. Nuclear safety in Slovak Republic. Status of safety improvements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toth, A.

    1999-01-01

    Status of the safety improvements at Bohunice V-1 units concerning WWER-440/V-230 design upgrading were as follows: supplementing of steam generator super-emergency feed water system; higher capacity of emergency core cooling system; supplementing of automatic links between primary and secondary circuit systems; higher level of secondary system automation. The goal of the modernization program for Bohunice V-1 units WWER-440/V-230 was to increase nuclear safety to the level of the proposals and IAEA recommendations and to reach probability goals of the reactor concerning active zone damage, leak of radioactive materials, failures of safety systems and damage shields. Upgrading program for Mochovce NPP - WWER-440/V-213 is concerned with improving the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel, steam generators 'leak before break' methods applied for the NPP, instrumentation and control of safety systems, diagnostic systems, replacement of in-core monitoring system, emergency analyses, pressurizers safety relief valves, hydrogen removal system, seismic evaluations, non-destructive testing, fire protection. Implementation of quality assurance has a special role in improvement of operational safety activities as well as safety management and safety culture, radiation protection, decommissioning and waste management and training. The Year 2000 problem is mentioned as well

  9. Status of research reactor spent fuel world-wide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ritchie, I.G.

    2004-01-01

    Results compiled in the research reactor spent fuel database are used to assess the status of research reactor spent fuel world-wide. Fuel assemblies, their types, enrichment, origin of enrichment and geological distribution among the industrialised and developed countries of the world are discussed. Fuel management practices in wet and dry storage facilities and the concerns of reactor operators about long-term storage of their spent fuel are presented and some of the activities carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency to address the issues associated with research reactor spent fuel are outlined. (author)

  10. Definitive closure of nuclear power plants. Aspects concerning physical safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez, C.; Puntarulo, L.; Canibano, J.

    1988-01-01

    This paper analyzes the various safety requirements that must be fulfilled by nuclear power plants for their operation without restrictions, such as safeguards, nuclear safety and physical protection. Physical protection, the subject most extensively dealt by the authors, is defined as safety measures aimed at providing protection against deliberate hostile deeds, such as robberies or non-authorized transport of radioactive materials or sabotage in nuclear facilities, performed either by individuals or by groups of individuals. (Author)

  11. Ethical considerations and proposed guidelines for the use of radio frequency identification: especially concerning its use for promoting public safety and national security.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Amber McKee; Labay, Vladimir

    2006-04-01

    Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is quickly growing in its applications. A variety of uses for the technology are beginning to be developed, including chips which can be used in identification cards, in individual items, and for human applications, allowing a chip to be embedded under the skin. Such chips could provide numerous benefits ranging from day-to-day convenience to the increased ability of the federal government to adequately ensure the safety of its citizens. However, there are also valid concerns about the potential of this technology to infringe on privacy, creating fears of a surveillance society. These are concerns that must be addressed quickly, with sensitivity to individual interests and societal welfare, allowing humanity to reap the benefits of convenience and safety without paying an unacceptable price in the loss of privacy.

  12. Considerations concerning the reliability of reactor safety equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furet, J.; Guyot, Ch.

    1967-01-01

    A review is made of the circumstances which favor a good collection of maintenance data at the C.E.A. The large amount of data to be treated has made necessary the use of a computer for analyzing automatically the results collected. Here, only particular aspects of the reliability from the point of view of the electronics used for nuclear reactor control will be dealt with: sale and unsafe failures; probability of survival (in the case of reactor safety); availability. The general diagrams of the safety assemblies which have been drawn up for two types of reactor (power reactor and low power experimental reactor) are given. Results are presented of reliability analysis which could be applied to the use of functional modular elements, developed industrially in France. Improvement of this reliability appears to be fairly limited by an increase in the redundancy; on the other hand it is shown how it may be very markedly improved by the use of automatic tests with different frequencies for detecting unsafe failures rates of measurements for the sub-assemblies and for the logic sub-assemblies. Finally examples are given to show the incidence of the complexity and of the use of different technologies in reactor safety equipment on the reliability. (authors) [fr

  13. Patient safety: Safety culture and patient safety ethics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Marlene Dyrløv

    2006-01-01

    ,demonstrating significant, consistent and sometimes large differences in terms of safety culture factors across the units participating in the survey. Paper 5 is the results of a study of the relation between safety culture, occupational health andpatient safety using a safety culture questionnaire survey......Patient safety - the prevention of medical error and adverse events - and the initiative of developing safety cultures to assure patients from harm have become one of the central concerns in quality improvement in healthcare both nationally andinternationally. This subject raises numerous...... challenging issues of systemic, organisational, cultural and ethical relevance, which this dissertation seeks to address through the application of different disciplinary approaches. The main focus of researchis safety culture; through empirical and theoretical studies to comprehend the phenomenon, address...

  14. Safety of fuel cycle facilities. Topical issues paper no. 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ranguelova, V.; Niehaus, F.; Delattre, D.

    2001-01-01

    A wide range of nuclear fuel cycle facilities are in operation. These installations process, use, store and dispose of radioactive material and cover: mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication (including mixed oxide fuel), reactor, interim spent fuel storage, reprocessing, waste treatment and waste disposal facilities. For the purposes of this paper, reactors and waste disposal facilities are not considered. The term 'fuel cycle facilities' covers only the remainder of the installations listed above. The IAEA Secretariat maintains a database of fuel cycle facilities in its Member States. Known as the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System (NFCIS), it is available as an on-line service through the Internet. More than 500 such facilities have been reported under this system. The facilities are listed by facility type and operating status. Approximately one third of all of the facilities are located in developing States. About half of all facilities are reported to be operating, of which approximately 40% are operating in developing States. In addition, some 60 facilities are either in the design stage or under construction. Although the radioactive source term for most fuel cycle facilities is lower than the source term for reactors, which results in less severe consequences to the public from potential accidents at these fuel cycle installations, recent events at some fuel cycle facilities have given rise to public concern which has to be addressed adequately by national regulatory bodies and at the international level. Worldwide, operational experience feedback warrants improvements in the safety of these facilities. Some of the hazards are similar for reactor and non-reactor facilities. However, the differences between these installations give rise to specific safety concerns at fuel cycle facilities. In particular, these concerns include: criticality, radiation protection of workers, chemical hazards, fire and explosion hazards. It is recognized

  15. Plutonium ocean shipment safety between Europe and Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pierce, J.D.; Hohnstreiter, G.F.; McClure, J.D.; Smith, J.D.; Dukart, R.J.; Koski, J.A.; Braithwate, J.W.; Sorenson, N.R.; Yamamoto, K.; Kitamura, T.; Shibata, K.; Ouchi, Y.; Ito, T.

    2004-01-01

    Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) have conducted an extensive emergency response planning study of the safety of the sea transport of plutonium for JNC. This study was conducted in response to international concerns about the safety of the marine transport of PuO2 powder that began with the sea transport of plutonium powder from France to Japan in 1992 using a purposebuilt ship. This emergency response planning study addressed four topics to better define the accident environment for long-range sea transport of nuclear materials. The first topic is a probabilistic safety analysis that evaluates the technical issues of transporting plutonium between Europe and Japan. An engine-room fire aboard a purposebuilt ship is evaluated as the second topic to determine the vulnerability and safety margin of radioactive material packaging for plutonium designed to meet International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards. The third topic is a corrosion study performed for generic plutonium packaging to estimate the time required to breach the containment boundary in the event of submersion in seawater. The final study topic is a worldwide survey of information on high-value cargo salvage capabilities from sunken ships. The primary purpose of this overall emergency response planning study is to describe and analyze the safety of radioactive material transportation operations for the international transportation of radioactive materials by maritime cargo vessels

  16. Plutonium ocean shipment safety between Europe and Japan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pierce, J D; Hohnstreiter, G F; McClure, J D; Smith, J D; Dukart, R J; Koski, J A; Braithwate, J W; Sorenson, N R [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Yamamoto, K; Kitamura, T; Shibata, K; Ouchi, Y; Ito, T [Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Inst., Tokai-mura (Japan)

    2004-07-01

    Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) have conducted an extensive emergency response planning study of the safety of the sea transport of plutonium for JNC. This study was conducted in response to international concerns about the safety of the marine transport of PuO2 powder that began with the sea transport of plutonium powder from France to Japan in 1992 using a purposebuilt ship. This emergency response planning study addressed four topics to better define the accident environment for long-range sea transport of nuclear materials. The first topic is a probabilistic safety analysis that evaluates the technical issues of transporting plutonium between Europe and Japan. An engine-room fire aboard a purposebuilt ship is evaluated as the second topic to determine the vulnerability and safety margin of radioactive material packaging for plutonium designed to meet International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards. The third topic is a corrosion study performed for generic plutonium packaging to estimate the time required to breach the containment boundary in the event of submersion in seawater. The final study topic is a worldwide survey of information on high-value cargo salvage capabilities from sunken ships. The primary purpose of this overall emergency response planning study is to describe and analyze the safety of radioactive material transportation operations for the international transportation of radioactive materials by maritime cargo vessels.

  17. Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality

    OpenAIRE

    Aikaterini Toska; Panagiotis Kyloudis; Maria Rekleiti; Maria Saridi

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Due to a variety of circumstances and world-wide research findings, patient safety andquality care during hospitalization have emerged as major issues. Patient safety deficits may burdenhealth systems as well as allocated resources. The international community has examined severalproposals covering general and systemic aspects in order to improve patient safety; several long-termprograms and strategies have also been implemented promoting the participation of health-relatedagent...

  18. Relationship of Worldwide Rocket Launch Crashes with Geophysical Parameters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Romanova

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A statistical comparison of launch crashes at different worldwide space ports with geophysical factors has been performed. A comprehensive database has been compiled, which includes 50 years of information from the beginning of the space age in 1957 about launch crashes occurring world-wide. Special attention has been paid to statistics concerning launches at the largest space ports: Plesetsk, Baikonur, Cape Canaveral, and Vandenberg. In search of a possible influence of geophysical factors on launch failures, such parameters as the vehicle type, local time, season, sunspot number, high-energy electron fluxes, and solar proton events have been examined. Also, we have analyzed correlations with the geomagnetic indices as indirect indicators of the space weather condition. Regularities found in this study suggest that further detailed studies of space weather effects on launcher systems, especially in the high-latitude regions, should be performed.

  19. Measuring and improving patient safety through health information technology: The Health IT Safety Framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Hardeep; Sittig, Dean F

    2016-04-01

    Health information technology (health IT) has potential to improve patient safety but its implementation and use has led to unintended consequences and new safety concerns. A key challenge to improving safety in health IT-enabled healthcare systems is to develop valid, feasible strategies to measure safety concerns at the intersection of health IT and patient safety. In response to the fundamental conceptual and methodological gaps related to both defining and measuring health IT-related patient safety, we propose a new framework, the Health IT Safety (HITS) measurement framework, to provide a conceptual foundation for health IT-related patient safety measurement, monitoring, and improvement. The HITS framework follows both Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and sociotechnical approaches and calls for new measures and measurement activities to address safety concerns in three related domains: 1) concerns that are unique and specific to technology (e.g., to address unsafe health IT related to unavailable or malfunctioning hardware or software); 2) concerns created by the failure to use health IT appropriately or by misuse of health IT (e.g. to reduce nuisance alerts in the electronic health record (EHR)), and 3) the use of health IT to monitor risks, health care processes and outcomes and identify potential safety concerns before they can harm patients (e.g. use EHR-based algorithms to identify patients at risk for medication errors or care delays). The framework proposes to integrate both retrospective and prospective measurement of HIT safety with an organization's existing clinical risk management and safety programs. It aims to facilitate organizational learning, comprehensive 360 degree assessment of HIT safety that includes vendor involvement, refinement of measurement tools and strategies, and shared responsibility to identify problems and implement solutions. A long term framework goal is to enable rigorous measurement that helps achieve the safety

  20. Environment, safety and health

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luzianovich, L.Ch.; Fardeau, J.C.; Darras, M.

    2000-01-01

    Environment, safety and health were the three topics discussed by the WOC 8 working group of the worldwide gas congress. Environment protection has become a major preoccupation and constraint for natural gas industry at the dawn of the new millennium. It is closely linked with the safety of installation and with the health of workmen who exploit or use natural gas energy: methane emissions, health and safety in gas industry, environment management and evaluation. (J.S.)

  1. Towards a feminist global bioethics: addressing women's health concerns worldwide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, R

    2001-01-01

    In this paper I argue that a global bioethics is possible. Specifically, I present the view that there are within feminist approaches to bioethics some conceptual and methodological tools necessary to forge a bioethics that embraces the health-related concerns of both developing and developed nations equally. To support my argument I discuss some of the challenges that have historically confronted feminists. If feminists accept the idea that women are entirely the same, then feminists present as fact the fiction of the essential "Woman." Not only does "Woman" not exist, -she" obscures important racial, ethnic, cultural, and class differences among women. However, if feminists stress women's differences too much, feminists lose the power to speak coherently and cogently about gender justice, women's rights, and sexual equality in general. Analyzing the ways in which the idea of difference as well as the idea of sameness have led feminists astray, I ask whether it is possible to avoid the Scylla of absolutism (imperialism, colonialism, hegemony) on the one hand and the Charybdis of relativism (postmodernism, fragmentation, Balkanization) on the other. Finally, after reflecting upon the work of Uma Narayan, Susan Muller Okin, and Martha Nussbaum, I conclude that there is a way out of this ethical bind. By focusing on women's, children's, and men's common human needs, it is possible to lay the foundation for a just and caring global bioethics.

  2. Losing nuclear expertise - A safety concern

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ziakova, M.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Since the mid of eighties several important changes in human beings behaviour, which influence nuclear field, can be observed - the loss of interest in studying technical disciplines (namely nuclear), strong pressure of environmental movements, stagnation of electricity consumption and deregulation of electric markets. All these factors create conditions which are leading to the decrease of job positions related to the nuclear field connected particularly with research, design and engineering. Loss of interest in studying nuclear disciplines together with the decrease of number of job positions has led to the declining of university enrolments, closing of university departments and research reactors. In this manner just a very small number of appropriately educated new experts are brought In the same moment the additional internal factor - the relative ageing of the human workforce on both sites operators of nuclear facilities and research and engineering organisations can be observed. All these factors, if not addressed properly, could lead to the loss of nuclear expertise and the loss of nuclear expertise represents the direct thread to the nuclear safety. The latest studies have shown that at present NPPs cannot be replaced by other kinds of electric sources and in no case by renewable ones in an efficient manner. Therefore it is necessary to carefully manage knowledge gathered in the nuclear field during the years and to keep on the nuclear safety research, education and training to ensure and upgrade safe and reliable operation of existing and future nuclear facilities. This is responsibility of both the governments of the states using nuclear applications and owners of nuclear facilities. (author)

  3. Summary of worldwide pediatric malignancies reported after exposure to etanercept

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chernyukhin Nataliya

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Concerns have been raised about a potential link between the use of TNF inhibitors and development of malignancy in the pediatric population. We examined the worldwide experience of etanercept use in pediatric patients and the occurrence of malignancies as reported from clinical trials, registry studies, post-marketing surveillance, and published scientific literature. Methods All reports of "malignancy" in pediatric patients (including subjects who received etanercept before age 18 and developed a malignancy before age 22 were collected from the etanercept clinical trials database and global safety database using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA; v12.0 standardized MedDRA query "Malignancies" from 1998 to August 2009. Cases were collected irrespective of treatment indication. All cases were included regardless of exposure to other TNF blockers or other biologics and whether the other exposure was before or after etanercept. Results A total of 18 potential malignancies were identified: 4 leukemias, 7 lymphomas, and 7 solid tumors. Three of the 18 malignancies remain unconfirmed. No malignancies were reported from clinical trials or the open-label extension studies in any indication in children. Conclusion The data suggest that there does not appear to be an increased risk of malignancy overall with the use of etanercept. Among etanercept-exposed patients aged 4 to 17 years, the estimated worldwide and US reporting rates for lymphoma were approximately 0.01 per 100 patient-years (1 in 10,000 pt-yrs. While the reported rate of lymphoma is higher in pediatric patients treated with etanercept than in normal children, the expected rate of lymphoma in biologic naïve JIA patients is currently unknown. The risk of TNF inhibitors in the development of malignancies in children and adolescents is difficult to assess because of the rarity of malignant events, the absence of knowledge of underlying frequency of

  4. Seeking a safety culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, T.

    1993-01-01

    Human organisational failure has been shown to play a significant role in major accidents world-wide in both the nuclear and non-nuclear industries. A recent report called Organising for Safety, published by The Health and Safety Commission, suggests that the nuclear industry should give organisational factors the same emphasis as it does the reduction of equipment failures and individual error. (Author)

  5. On the road to new nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kovacs, Zoltan; Novakova, Helena; Spenlinger, Robert

    2013-01-01

    The article describes the issue of nuclear safety of nuclear power plants and major factors affecting nuclear safety, discusses the consequences of the Fukushima-Daiichi accident, and outlines the advanced concept of nuclear safety which extends the current regulatory requirements for plant safety. This new concept should be adopted globally to prevent occurrences having similar consequences worldwide. The tasks of this new nuclear safety concept are discussed. (orig.)

  6. Overview of physical safety of radiation sources in Brazil; Panorama da segurança física de fontes radioativoas no Brasil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lima, A.R.; Silva, F.C.A. da, E-mail: alexandre.lima@cnen.gov.br [Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear (DRS/CNEN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Escritorio de Segurança Física; Filho, J.S.M.; Tavares, R.L.A. [Instituto de Radioproteção e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN -RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2017-07-01

    The threat of 'radiological terrorism' has been recognized worldwide after the event of September 11, 2001. Radioactive sources can be used for the development of DDR ('dirty bomb') devices. Studies show that the use of a DDR could cause health damage, psychosocial and economic and environmental damage. Brazil follows this worldwide concern, since it has a large medical-industrial park that uses radioactive sources. This paper presents an overview of the physical safety of radioactive sources in Brazil, based on the inventory of radiative facilities, regulatory aspects and international recommendations. For the preparation of the study, the database of radioactive sources of the regulatory body, the current normative status and the international recommendations were used. In Brazil there are approximately 2,500 radiative installations, with about 400 radioactive sources Category 1 and 2, which are the biggest concern in terms of physical safety. The Brazilian licensing standard addresses only some aspects of physical protection, not providing a clear orientation for the elaboration and implementation of physical protection systems, in accordance with international recommendations. For Brazil to be included in the world scenario of physical safety of radioactive sources, it is urgent to elaborate specific legislation with well-defined regulatory criteria. The lack of more detailed requirements makes it difficult to make a more careful regulatory assessment of the physical protection conditions of the facilities, either through the evaluation of plans and other physical protection documents or through regulatory inspections.

  7. Do Good Without Causing Undue Harm. Experts Tackle Patient Radiation Safety During IAEA's Scientific Forum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henriques, Sasha

    2011-01-01

    Worldwide, about four billion X-ray exams, 35 million nuclear medicine exams and eight million radiation therapy treatment courses are undertaken each year. With millions exposed to ionizing radiation for medical purposes, and developing countries acquiring more machines to treat and diagnose cancer, the safety of patients is an ever-increasing concern. During the IAEA´s Scientific Forum, cancer experts and regulators put their heads together to explore the problems and possible solutions relating to the safe and appropriate use of new radiation medicine technology in developed and developing countries

  8. 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

  9. Radiation safety concerns during interventional radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Victor Raj, D.; Livingstone, Roshan Samuel

    2001-01-01

    Interventional radiological procedures are on the increase by virtue of the fact that these procedures replace highly invasive surgical and other procedures. Radiation dose to patients and hospital workers are of significance since these procedures tend to impart large dose to them. Moreover, long term risk from radiation absorbed by patients is of concern since the life expectancy of major fraction of patients is long after undergoing the procedure. This study intends to measure radiation dose imparted to patients as well as personnel- radiologists, technologists, nurses, etc. and estimate the risk factor involved

  10. Nuclear safety in France in 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2002-01-01

    This article presents the milestones of 2001 concerning nuclear safety in France: 1) the new organization of nuclear safety in France, IPSN (institute of protection and nuclear safety) and OPRI (office for protection against ionizing radiation) have merged into an independent organization: IRSN (institute of radiation protection and nuclear safety); 2) a draft bill has been proposed by the government to impose to nuclear operators new obligations concerning the transfer of information to the public; 3) nuclear safety authorities have drafted a new procedure in order to cope with the demand concerning modification of nuclear fuel management particularly the increase of the burn-up; 4) new evolutions concerning the management of a major nuclear crisis as a consequence of the terrorist attack on New-york and the accident at the AZF plant in Toulouse; 5) a point is made concerning the work of the WENRA association about the harmonization of the nuclear safety policies of its different members. (A.C.)

  11. Organizational factors in nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilpert, Bernhard

    2000-01-01

    The overall picture of factors which contributed to the event presents a panorama of a NPP where organizational and managerial characteristics were intricately intertwined and emerged as crucial for a general deterioration of the plant's capabilities to continually correct its deficiencies and optimize its operations. In the following author shall attempt to first cover various important efforts to modeling organizational factors relevant to safety. The second part of my presentation will offer an attempt towards an integrative model. The third part concludes with an agenda for research and practice. Most of the twelve different approaches above attempt to consider safety relevant organizational factors by way of pragmatic classifications. Together with their sub-categories we can count close to 160 different factors on various levels of abstraction. This is tantamount to say that most approaches lack systematic theoretical underpinnings. Thus then arises the question whether we need to develop a generic model, which promises to encompass these three major approaches altogether. Practical issues emerge particularly in the domain of organizational development, i.e. the goal oriented efforts to change the structures and the functioning of nuclear operations in such a way that the desired outputs in terms safety and reliability result in a sustained fashion. Again, these practical concerns are intimately related to developments and advances in theory and methodology. Only a close cooperation among scientists from various disciplines and of practitioners holds the promise of adequately understanding and use of organizational factors in future improving the safety record of nuclear industry worldwide. (S.Y.)

  12. Worldwide Market For Scientific Lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westra, Sicco

    1989-06-01

    I'm going to talk about the worldwide market for scientific lasers. I felt we should start with a quote from our soon-to-be President and learn from him how he feels about the commitment that the government should make to R&D. "R&D is the economic Fountain of Youth, and we really should take good care of it because that is where our business is for the future." If you read through that quote, it is very clear that at least before the election, he made a very strong commitment to this. It will be interesting to see over the next four years whether he keeps to that commitment or not, but I happen to totally agree with what he is saying here. The R&D market, as I see it, is certainly, as far as lasers are concerned, the growth place for new technology and applications.

  13. Raspberry ketone in food supplements – High intake, few toxicity data – A cause for safety concern?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bredsdorff, Lea; Wedebye, Eva Bay; Nikolov, Nikolai Georgiev

    2015-01-01

    Raspberry ketone (4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone) is marketed on the Internet as a food supplement. The recommended intake is between 100 and 1400 mg per day. The substance is naturally occurring in raspberries (up to 4.3 mg/kg) and is used as a flavouring substance. Toxicological studies...... on raspberry ketone are limited to acute and subchronic studies in rats. When the lowest recommended daily dose of raspberry ketone (100 mg) as a food supplement is consumed, it is 56 times the established threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) of 1800 μg/day for Class 1 substances. The margin of safety (MOS......) based on a NOAEL of 280 mg/kg bw/day for lower weight gain in rats is 165 at 100 mg and 12 at 1400 mg. The recommended doses are a concern taking into account the TTC and MOS. Investigations of raspberry ketone in quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models indicated potential cardiotoxic...

  14. Brief report: Associations between in-person and electronic bullying victimization and missing school because of safety concerns among U.S. high school students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steiner, Riley J; Rasberry, Catherine N

    2015-08-01

    Although associations between bullying and health risk behaviors are well-documented, research on bullying and education-related outcomes, including school attendance, is limited. This study examines associations between bullying victimization (in-person and electronic) and missing school because of safety concerns among a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students. We used logistic regression analyses to analyze data from the 2013 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey of students in grades 9-12. In-person and electronic victimization were each associated with increased odds of missing school due to safety concerns compared to no bullying victimization. Having been bullied both in-person and electronically was associated with greater odds of missing school compared to electronic bullying only for female students and in-person bullying only for male students. Collaborations between health professionals and educators to prevent bullying may improve school attendance. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  15. A conceptual approach to the estimation of societal willingness-to-pay for nuclear safety programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pandey, M.D.; Nathwani, J.S.

    2003-01-01

    The design, refurbishment and future decommissioning of nuclear reactors are crucially concerned with reducing the risk of radiation exposure that can result in adverse health effects and potential loss of life. To address this concern, large financial investments have been made to ensure safety of operating nuclear power plants worldwide. The efficacy of the expenditures incurred to provide safety must be judged against the safety benefit to be gained from such investments. We have developed an approach that provides a defendable basis for making that judgement. If the costs of risk reduction are disproportionate to the safety benefits derived, then the expenditures are not optimal; in essence the societal resources are being diverted away from other critical areas such as health care, education and social services that also enhance the quality of life. Thus, the allocation of society's resources devoted to nuclear safety must be continually appraised in light of competing needs, because there is a limit on the resources that any society can devote to extend life. The purpose of the paper is to present a simple and methodical approach to assessing the benefits of nuclear safety programs and regulations. The paper presents the Life-Quality Index (LQI) as a tool for the assessment of risk reduction initiatives that would support the public interest and enhance both safety and the quality of life. The LQI is formulated as a utility function consistent with the principles of rational decision analysis. The LQI is applied to quantify the societal willingness-to-pay (SWTP) for safety measures enacted to reduce of the risk of potential exposures to ionising radiation. The proposed approach provides essential support to help improve the cost-benefit analysis of engineering safety programs and safety regulations.

  16. Surveys of research projects concerning nuclear facility safety, financed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety, 1989. (14. annual report on SR-projects)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-11-01

    Each progress report is a collection of individual reports, categorized by subject matter. They are a documentation of the contractor's progress, rendered by themselves on standardized forms, published, for the sake of general information on progress made in investigations concerning reactor safety, by the project attendance department of the GRS. The individual reports have serial numbers. Each report includes particulars of the objective, work carried out, results obtained and plans for project continuation. (orig.) [de

  17. Safety and proliferation concerns as constraints on nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gordon, L.

    1981-01-01

    Issues of safety and proliferation with respect to the nuclear option are discussed in this chapter. The basic premises underlying the author's analysis are: energy supply and use is a means to promote desired forms of development and not an end in itself; avoidance of nuclear mysticiam; avoidance of permanent discrimination; recognition of incommensurables; technological sophistication; and nuclear proliferation motivations apart from nuclear power development. A rational energy planner in a developing country will have to weigh carefully the interwoven factors of comparative costs and safety. Apart from cost considerations, the principal motivation for developing nuclear power is energy security

  18. Determination of Eligibility in Related Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Donors: Ethical and Clinical Considerations. Recommendations from a Working Group of the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitan, Menachem; van Walraven, Suzanna M; Worel, Nina; Ball, Lynne M; Styczynski, Jan; Torrabadella, Marta; Witt, Volker; Shaw, Bronwen E; Seber, Adriana; Yabe, Hiromasa; Greinix, Hildegard T; Peters, Christina; Gluckman, Eliane; Rocha, Vanderson; Halter, Joerg; Pulsipher, Michael A

    2016-01-01

    Related donors for hematopoietic cell (HC) transplantation are a growing population in recent years because of expanding indications for allogeneic transplantation. The safety and welfare of the donor are major concerns for the transplantation community, especially for related sibling donors of young recipients who are children and, thus, not able to fully consent. Because donation of HC does not improve the donor's own physical health and carries a risk of side effects, careful assessment of medical risks specific to the individual donor, as well as consideration of ethical and legal aspects associated with donation from a child, must be considered. In addition, donor centers must balance the needs of both the donor and the recipient, understanding the inherent conflict parents may have as they can be overly focused on the very sick child receiving a transplant, rather than on the relatively less significant health or emotional problems that a sibling donor may have, which could impact risk with donation. Likewise, consideration must be made regarding the nature of the relationship of the sibling donor to the recipient and also aspects of performing research on pediatric HC donors. In this article, as members of the Donor Issues Committee of the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, we review key ethical concerns associated with pediatric donation and then give recommendations for screening potential child donors with underlying health conditions. These recommendations are aimed at protecting the physical and emotional well-being of childhood donors and arise out of the Third International Conference on Health and Safety of Donors sponsored by the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Machine and Woodworking Tool Safety. Module SH-24. Safety and Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

    This student module on machine and woodworking tool safety is one of 50 modules concerned with job safety and health. This module discusses specific practices and precautions concerned with the efficient operation and use of most machine and woodworking tools in use today. Following the introduction, 13 objectives (each keyed to a page in the…

  20. A study for structural safety of ISER reactor building under impact load

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeuchi, Yoichiro; Hasegawa, Toshiyasu; Mutoh, Atsushi; Wakabayashi, Hiroaki.

    1991-01-01

    ISER (Inherently Safe and Economical Reactor) proposed in Japan by an academic circle and industries is expected to be used world-wide particularly in developing countries where an energy crunch is feared in the 21-st century. A certain level of hardened structures for plant safety seems to be effective and may be required by the regulatory body, since the ISER is claimed to be inherently safe even against a kind of external load. This paper concerns impact resistant design of ISER. A brief state-of-the-art review on related works, impact resistant design flow and results of some preliminary analysis of a proposed ISER model is also presented. (author)

  1. Cooperation between the French and German safety authorities: a process of progress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lacoste, A.C.; Hennenhoefer, G.

    1996-01-01

    Considerable efforts are devoted in several countries worldwide for the designing of a new generation of electro-nuclear reactors with noticeable safety improvements with respect to the existing units. The EPR (European Pressurized water Reactor) project is the first example of a joint survey and collaboration effort between two countries, France and Germany, both characterized by a strong nuclear industry and competence. Franco-German relations have considerably expanded in recent years, enabling the French and German electricians, manufacturers (EDF, Siemens, Framatome..), and safety authorities (DSIN, IPSN, BMU, GRS..) to adopt common positions and decisions on fundamental topics about technical aspects of safety. This kind of collaboration and alignment was obviously only possible because two conditions were fulfilled: the discussion concerned future reactors and not those already built for which safety rules and provisions are not easily modified; and a common industrial project existed and had consequently to comply with jointly defined safety objectives. These two conditions are still fulfilled, so it should be possible for the work between French and German safety authorities to continue successfully, even in the next more delicate stage, involving definition of common positions on more detailed technical provisions. Finally, it is unthinkable that this important work undertaken by France and Germany could be carried out without frequent consultation of the safety authorities of other nuclear countries, notably in Europe. (J.S.). 1 fig

  2. A Decade of e-Cigarettes: Limited Research & Unresolved Safety Concerns

    OpenAIRE

    Kaisar, Mohammad Abul; Prasad, Shikha; Liles, Tylor; Cucullo, Luca

    2016-01-01

    It is well known that tobacco consumption is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide and has been linked to major diseases ranging from cancer to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atherosclerosis, stroke and a host of neurological/neurodegenerative disorders. In the past decade a number of alternative vaping products have hit the market, rapidly gaining consumers especially among the younger population. Electronic nicotine delivery systems or e-cigarettes have become the sought-a...

  3. Risk-based safety indicators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sedlak, J.

    2001-12-01

    The report is structured as follows: 1. Risk-based safety indicators: Typology of risk-based indicators (RBIs); Tools for defining RBIs; Requirements for the PSA model; Data sources for RBIs; Types of risks monitored; RBIs and operational safety indicators; Feedback from operating experience; PSO model modification for RBIs; RBI categorization; RBI assessment; RBI applications; Suitable RBI applications. 2. Proposal for risk-based indicators: Acquiring information from operational experience; Method of acquiring safety relevance coefficients for the systems from a PSA model; Indicator definitions; On-line indicators. 3. Annex: Application of RBIs worldwide. (P.A.)

  4. The Importance of Building and Enhancing Worldwide Industry Cooperation in the Areas of Radiological Protection, Waste Management and Decommissioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saint-Pierre, S.

    2006-01-01

    The slow or stagnant rate of nuclear power generation development in many developed countries over the last two decades has resulted in a significant shortage in the population of mid-career nuclear industry professionals. This shortage is even more pronounced in some specific areas of expertise such as radiological protection, waste management and decommissioning. This situation has occurred at a time when the renaissance of nuclear power and the globalization of the nuclear industry are steadily gaining momentum and when the industry's involvement in international and national debates in these three fields of expertise (and the industry's impact on these debates) is of vital importance. This paper presents the World Nuclear Association (WNA) approach to building and enhancing worldwide industry cooperation in radiological protection, waste management and decommissioning, which is manifested through the activities of the two WNA working groups on radiological protection (RPWG) and on waste management and decommissioning (WM and DWG). This paper also briefly describes the WNA's participatory role, as of summer 2005, in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standard development committees on radiation safety (RASSC), waste safety (WASSC) and nuclear safety (NUSSC). This participation provides the worldwide nuclear industry with an opportunity to be part of IAEA's discussions on shaping changes to the control regime of IAEA safety standards. The review (and the prospect of a revision) of IAEA safety standards, which began in October 2005, makes this WNA participation and the industry ' s involvement at the national level timely and important. All of this excellent industry cooperation and team effort is done through 'collegial' exchanges between key industry experts, which help tackle important issues more effectively. The WNA is continuously looking to enhance its worldwide industry representation in these fields of expertise through the RPWG and WM and DWG

  5. The importance of building and enhancing worldwide industry cooperation in the areas of radiological protection, waste management and decommissioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saint-Pierre, S.

    2006-01-01

    The slow or stagnant rate of nuclear power generation development in many developed countries over the last two decades has resulted in a significant shortage in the population of mid-career nuclear industry professionals. This shortage is even more pronounced in some specific areas of expertise such as radiological protection, waste management and decommissioning. This situation has occurred at a time when the renaissance of nuclear power and the globalization of the nuclear industry are steadily gaining momentum and when the industry's involvement in international and national debates in these three fields of expertise (and the industry's impact on these debates) is of vital importance. This paper presents the World Nuclear Association (WNA) approach to building and enhancing worldwide industry cooperation in radiological protection, waste management and decommissioning, which is manifested through the activities of the two WNA working groups on radiological protection (RPWG) and on waste management and decommissioning (WM and DWG). This paper also briefly describes the WNA's participatory role, as of Summer 2005, in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standard development committees on radiation safety (RASSC), waste safety (WASSC) and nuclear safety (NUSSC). This participation provides the worldwide nuclear industry with an opportunity to be part of IAEA's discussions on shaping changes to the control regime of IAEA safety standards. The review (and the prospect of a revision) of IAEA safety standards, which began in October 2005, makes this WNA participation and the industry's involvement at the national level timely and important. All of this excellent industry cooperation and team effort is done through 'collegial' exchanges between key industry experts, which help tackle important issues more effectively. The WNA is continuously looking to enhance its worldwide industry representation in these fields of expertise through the RPWG and WM and DWG

  6. AEA Technology safety report 1990

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-12-01

    AEA Technology is the trading name of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. Work in support of nuclear power at home and abroad continues to be an important part of our business but as nuclear power has matured AEA Technology has looked beyond its traditional role to other markets worldwide. We are a major commercial enterprise, with an annual turnover of Pound 450 million, selling a variety of technical services and products to customers worldwide. The scope of the business lies in the closely related fields of energy, environment and safety, targeted at both nuclear and non-nuclear markets. We also have a major role in providing innovative technology solutions to assist manufacturing industry. The 1990 report on safety within the Authority is presented here. (author)

  7. AEA Technology safety report 1990

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1991-12-01

    AEA Technology is the trading name of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. Work in support of nuclear power at home and abroad continues to be an important part of our business but as nuclear power has matured AEA Technology has looked beyond its traditional role to other markets worldwide. We are a major commercial enterprise, with an annual turnover of Pound 450 million, selling a variety of technical services and products to customers worldwide. The scope of the business lies in the closely related fields of energy, environment and safety, targeted at both nuclear and non-nuclear markets. We also have a major role in providing innovative technology solutions to assist manufacturing industry. The 1990 report on safety within the Authority is presented here. (author).

  8. Arsenic in drinking water: a worldwide water quality concern for water supply companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. C. van Dijk

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available For more than a decade it has been known that shallow tube wells in Bangladesh are frequently contaminated with arsenic concentrations at a level that is harmful to human health. By now it is clear that a disaster of an unheard magnitude is going on: the World Health Organization has estimated that long-term exposure to arsenic in groundwater, at concentrations over 500 μg L−1, causes death in 1 in 10 adults. Other studies show that problems with arsenic in groundwater/drinking water occur in many more countries worldwide, such as in the USA and China. In Europe the focus on arsenic problems is currently confined to countries with high arsenic levels in their groundwater, such as Serbia, Hungary and Italy. In most other European countries, the naturally occurring arsenic concentrations are mostly lower than the European drinking water standard of 10 μg L−1. However, from the literature review presented in this paper, it is concluded that at this level health risks cannot be excluded. As consumers in European countries expect the drinking water to be of impeccable quality, it is recommended that water supply companies optimize arsenic removal to a level of <1 μg L−1, which is technically feasible.

  9. Fire safety of wood construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert H. White; Mark A. Dietenberger

    2010-01-01

    Fire safety is an important concern in all types of construction. The high level of national concern for fire safety is reflected in limitations and design requirements in building codes. These code requirements and related fire performance data are discussed in the context of fire safety design and evaluation in the initial section of this chapter. Because basic data...

  10. Vaccine Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... During Pregnancy Frequently Asked Questions about Vaccine Recalls Historical Vaccine Safety Concerns FAQs about GBS and Menactra ... CISA Resources for Healthcare Professionals Evaluation Current Studies Historical Background 2001-12 Publications Technical Reports Vaccine Safety ...

  11. Implementing the Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program (CUSP) to Improve Patient Safety in an Academic Primary Care Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitts, Samantha I; Maruthur, Nisa M; Luu, Ngoc-Phuong; Curreri, Kimberly; Grimes, Renee; Nigrin, Candace; Sateia, Heather F; Sawyer, Melinda D; Pronovost, Peter J; Clark, Jeanne M; Peairs, Kimberly S

    2017-11-01

    While there is growing awareness of the risk of harm in ambulatory health care, most patient safety efforts have focused on the inpatient setting. The Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) has been an integral part of highly successful safety efforts in inpatient settings. In 2014 CUSP was implemented in an academic primary care practice. As part of CUSP implementation, staff and clinicians underwent training on the science of safety and completed a two-question safety assessment survey to identify safety concerns in the practice. The concerns identified by team members were used to select two initial safety priorities. The impact of CUSP on safety climate and teamwork was assessed through a pre-post comparison of results on the validated Safety Attitudes Questionnaire. Ninety-six percent of staff completed science of safety training as part of CUSP implementation, and 100% of staff completed the two-question safety assessment. The most frequently identified safety concerns were related to medications (n = 11, 28.2), diagnostic testing (n = 9, 25), and communication (n = 5, 14). The CUSP team initially prioritized communication and infection control, which led to standardization of work flows within the practice. Six months following CUSP implementation, large but nonstatistically significant increases were found for the percentage of survey respondents who reported knowledge of the proper channels for questions about patient safety, felt encouraged to report safety concerns, and believed that the work setting made it easy to learn from the errors of others. CUSP is a promising tool to improve safety climate and to identify and address safety concerns within ambulatory health care. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Identifying Food Safety Concerns when Communication Barriers Exist

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neal, Jack A.; Dawson, Mary; Madera, Juan M.

    2011-01-01

    Abstract: Students must be prepared to lead a diverse workforce. The objective of this study was to establish a teaching method that helps students identify barriers to food safety while working in a simulated environment with communication barriers. This study employed a perspective taking exercise based upon the principles of social learning…

  13. 41 CFR 102-80.30 - What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning lead?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... agencies' responsibilities concerning lead? 102-80.30 Section 102-80.30 Public Contracts and Property... PROPERTY 80-SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Safety and Environmental Management Lead § 102-80.30 What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning lead? Federal agencies have the following...

  14. On the necessity of making geoethics a central concern in eduethics world-wide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crookall, David; Promduangsri, Pimnutcha

    2017-04-01

    Our planet is in dire need of ethical behaviour by all its citizens. However, recent research has highlighted the increasingly dangerous impact of human activity on life systems of the planet. CO2 emissions continue to rise (400+ppm, end 2016), methane emissions are accelerating. The Arctic is about 28°C above the normal average. Average global temperature is reaching 1° above normal. Air, water and ground pollution levels are reaching devastating levels. Resource depletion is accelerating. Yet most governments still beat the drums of growth, while hypocritically humming the tune of sustainability. Humans are overshooting the carrying capacity of the planet; as attested by top scientists and organizations. Earth overshoot day in 2016 was 8 August; we need 5½ earths to live like Australians. Of course, efforts are being made globally and locally to combat impending disaster and to encourage more respectful behaviour towards the planet and its life. Individuals include scientists, writers, film makers, journalists. World-wide organizations include Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN), the Climate Change Education Partnership Alliance, the International Geoscience Education Organisation (IGEO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). A key organization is the International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) because it focuses firmly and explicitly on the key issue of ethics, which few others appear to do. One might argue that the general lack of major progress in environmental care is rooted to a large degree in the world-wide lack of strong adherence to geoethical principles. Learning to behave ethically needs far more than knowledge about energy imbalance, pollution, acidity, ice melt, etc. It needs people to learn, and grow up learning, about what is right and wrong in regard to each aspect of our personal earth citizen lives. That needs nothing short of a revolution in educational practice for all schools across the globe

  15. Efficacy and safety of herbal stimulants and sedatives in sleep disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gyllenhaal, Charlotte; Merritt, Sharon L.; Peterson, Sara Davia; Block, Keith I.; Gochenour, Tom

    2000-06-01

    World-wide use of herbal medicines is increasing, following regulatory and manufacturing developments. Herbs are attractive alternative medications to many patients with sleep disorders, who may be averse to using conventional drugs. We review here the most common herbal stimulants and sedatives. Caffeine, in herbal teas, black tea, coffee, soft drinks and pharmaceuticals, is used widely to control sleepiness, but more research is needed on its use in sleep disorders. Ephedra, and its constituent ephedrine, are used in both stimulant and weight loss preparations, sometimes with caffeine; safety concerns have arisen with this practice. Yohimbe is another herb used in stimulant and body-building preparations which has safety concerns. Asian and Siberian ginseng have been traditionally used for fatigue, and have some supportive experimental evidence for this use. Herbal sedatives also have some evidence for efficacy; the observations that certain plant flavonoid compounds bind to benzodiazepine receptors adds interest to their use. Valerian and kava have received the most research attention; both have decreased sleep onset time and promoted deeper sleep in small studies, and kava also shows anxiolytic effects. German chamomile, lavender, hops, lemon balm and passionflower are reputed to be mild sedatives but need much more experimental examination.

  16. Ordinance concerning the filing of transport of nuclear fuel materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    This Order provides provisions concerning nuclear fuel substances requiring notification (nuclear fuel substance, material contaminated with nuclear fuel substances, fissionable substances, etc.), procedure for notification (to prefectural public safety commission), certificate of transpot (issued via public safety commission), instructions (speed of vehicle for transporting nuclear fuel substances, parking of vehicle, place for loading and unloading of nuclear fuel substances, method for loading and unloading, report to police, measures for disaster prevention during transport, etc.), communication among members of public safety commission (for smooth transport), notification of alteration of data in transport certificate (application to be submitted to public safety commission), application of reissue of transport certificate, return of transport certificate, inspection concerning transport (to be performed by police), submission of report (to be submitted by refining facilities manager, processing facilities manager, nuclear reactor manager, master of foreign nuclear powered ship, reprocessing facilities manager, waste disposal facilities manager; concerning stolen or missing nuclear fuel substances, traffic accident, unusual leakage of nuclear fuel substances, etc.). (Nogami, K.)

  17. Driving safety: concerns and experiences of parents of adolescent drivers with type 1 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Daniel J; Gonder-Frederick, Linda A; Shepard, Jaclyn A; Campbell, Laura K; Vajda, Karen A

    2012-09-01

    Driving is a dangerous activity for adolescents, perhaps being even more precarious for adolescents with type 1 diabetes due to the possibility of extreme blood glucose (BG). There is no available data on adolescent driving safety concerns and type 1 diabetes. To begin addressing this issue, we surveyed parents regarding their observations and concerns. Seventy-two parents (87.5% mothers) of adolescent drivers aged 16-19 with type 1 diabetes provided analyzable data. Females comprised 36% of their adolescents, with 74% using pump therapy. In the past year, 13 and 84% of parents reported that their adolescent had experienced severe or moderate disruptive hypoglycemia, respectively. Over half (56%) of the parents reported moderate to extreme worry about how diabetes impacted their adolescent's driving, while only 21% of parents thought their adolescents had similar concerns (p = 0.037). Almost one third (31%) of parents thought their adolescent need not treat low BG until it fell below 70 mg/dL, 13% thought their adolescent could safely drive with BG below 65 mg/dL. And, 31 and 14% of parents, respectively, reported their adolescent had been in a collision or stopped by the police in the past year, which they attributed to both hypo- and hyperglycemia. Adolescents reportedly took steps to prevent hypo- and hyperglycemia while driving, but more aggressively avoided hypoglycemia (p < 0.001). While this data is limited, lacking a non-diabetic control group and randomized sample, it does suggest that driving and adolescent type 1 diabetes deserve further attention and investigation. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  18. IMPROVING PATIENT SAFETY:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bagger, Bettan; Taylor Kelly, Hélène; Hørdam, Britta

    Improving patient safety is both a national and international priority as millions of patients Worldwide suffer injury or death every year due to unsafe care. University College Zealand employs innovative pedagogical approaches in educational design. Regional challenges related to geographic......, social and cultural factors have resulted in a greater emphasis upon digital technology. Attempts to improve patient safety by optimizing students’ competencies in relation to the reporting of clinical errors, has resulted in the development of an interdisciplinary e-learning concept. The program makes...

  19. Multiple system responses program: Identification of concerns related to a number of specific regulatory issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murphy, G.A.; Casada, M.L.; Palko, L.E.; Roberts, M.W.

    1989-10-01

    This document describes the activities and results of the Multiple System Responses (MSR) program conducted by the Nuclear Operations Analysis Center (NOAC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The objective of the MSR program was to gather and review documentation for several unresolved safety issues and related programs of interest, and from that documentation, describe any additional potential safety concerns. The MSR program provides information that will aid the NRC staff in making an assessment of the relative safety significance of the concerns through the established prioritization process. Judgments were not made regarding the validity of the concerns expressed by others. Rather, the concerns were documented and potential safety issues were developed and defined as specifically as possible. Twenty-one potential safety issues were developed from the documented concerns. Additional information was gathered to support the NRC efforts in reviewing these issues for prioritization. 73 refs., 2 tabs

  20. The Importance of Enhancing Worldwide Industry Cooperation in Radiological Protection, Waste Management and Decommissioning - Views from the Global Nuclear Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saint-Pierre, S.

    2008-01-01

    The slow or stagnant rate of nuclear power generation development in many developed countries over the last two decades has resulted in a significant shortage in the population of mid-career nuclear industry professionals. This shortage is even more pronounced in some specific areas of expertise such as radiological protection, waste management and decommissioning. This situation has occurred at a time when the renaissance of nuclear power and the globalization of the nuclear industry are steadily gaining momentum and when the industry's involvement in international and national debates in these three fields of expertise (and the industry's impact on these debates) is of great relevance.This paper presents the World Nuclear Association (WNA) approach to building and enhancing worldwide industry cooperation in radiological protection, waste management and decommissioning, which is manifested through the activities of the two WNA working groups on radiological protection (RPWG) and on waste management and decommissioning (WM and DWG). This paper also briefly describes the WNA's participatory role, as of Summer 2005, in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standard development committees on radiation safety (RASSC), waste safety (WASSC) and nuclear safety (NUSSC). This participation provides the worldwide nuclear industry with an opportunity to be part of IAEA's discussions on shaping changes to the control regime of IAEA safety standards. The review (and the prospect of a revision) of IAEA safety standards, which began in October 2005, makes this WNA participation and the industry's involvement at the national level timely and important. All of this excellent industry cooperation and team effort is done through 'collegial' exchanges between key industry experts, which help tackle important issues more effectively. The WNA is continuously looking to enhance its worldwide industry representation in these fields of expertise through the RPWG and WM and DWG

  1. Microbiological Safety and Food Handling Practices of Seed Sprout Products in the Australian State of Victoria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Symes, Sally; Goldsmith, Paul; Haines, Heather

    2015-07-01

    Seed sprouts have been implicated as vehicles for numerous foodborne outbreaks worldwide. Seed sprouts pose a unique food safety concern because of the ease of microbiological seed contamination, the inherent ability of the sprouting process to support microbial growth, and their consumption either raw or lightly cooked. To examine seed sprout safety in the Australian state of Victoria, a survey was conducted to detect specific microbes in seed sprout samples and to investigate food handling practices relating to seed sprouts. A total of 298 seed sprout samples were collected from across 33 local council areas. Escherichia coli was detected in 14.8%, Listeria spp. in 12.3%, and Listeria monocytogenes in 1.3% of samples analyzed. Salmonella spp. were not detected in any of the samples. A range of seed sprout handling practices were identified as potential food safety issues in some food businesses, including temperature control, washing practices, length of storage, and storage in proximity to unpackaged ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods.

  2. Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    This annual report of the Senior Inspector for the Nuclear Safety, analyses the nuclear safety at EDF for the year 1999 and proposes twelve subjects of consideration to progress. Five technical documents are also provided and discussed concerning the nuclear power plants maintenance and safety (thermal fatigue, vibration fatigue, assisted control and instrumentation of the N4 bearing, 1300 MW reactors containment and time of life of power plants). (A.L.B.)

  3. Medical Students Raising Concerns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Druce, Maralyn R; Hickey, Andrea; Warrens, Anthony N; Westwood, Olwyn M R

    2016-09-16

    After a number of high-profile incidents and national reports, it has become clear that all health professionals and all medical students must be able to raise concerns about a colleague's behavior if this behavior puts patients, colleagues, or themselves at risk.Detailed evidence from medical students about their confidence to raise concerns is limited, together with examples of barriers, which impair their ability to do so. We describe a questionnaire survey of medical students in a single-center, examining self-reported confidence about raising concerns in a number of possible scenarios. Thematic analysis was applied to comments about barriers identified.Although 80% of respondents felt confident to report a patient safety issue, students were less confident around issues of probity, attitude, and conduct. This needs to be addressed to create clear mechanisms to raise concerns, as well as support for students during the process.

  4. Nuclear safety review for the year 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-07-01

    The Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2001 reports on worldwide efforts to strengthen nuclear and radiation safety, including radioactive waste safety. It is in three parts. Part 1 describes those events in 2001 that have, or may have, significance for nuclear, radiation and waste safety worldwide. It includes developments such as new initiatives in international cooperation, events of safety significance and events that may be indicative of trends in safety. Part 2 describes some of the IAEA's efforts to strengthen international co-operation in nuclear, radiation and waste safety during 2001. It covers legally binding international agreements, non-binding safety standards, and provisions for the application of safety standards. This is done in a very brief manner, because these issues are addressed in more detail in the Agency's Annual Report for 2001. Part 3 presents a brief look ahead to some issues that are likely to be prominent in the coming year(s). The topics covered were selected by the IAEA Secretariat on the basis of trends observed in recent years, account being taken of planned or expected future developments. A draft of the Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2001 was presented to the March 2002 session of IAEA's Board of Governors. This final version has been prepared taking account of the discussion in the Board. In some places, information has been added to describe developments early in 2002 that were considered pertinent to the discussion of events during 2001

  5. The European nuclear power industry: Restructuring for combined strength and worldwide leadership

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forsberg, C.W.; Norman, R.E.; Reich, W.J.; Hill, L.J.

    1993-01-01

    The European nuclear power industry is being restructured from an industry drawn along national lines to a European-wide industry. This, in part, reflects growth of the European Economic Community, but it also reflects changes in the international nuclear power industry. The objectives of the participants, beyond better integration of the nuclear industry in Western Europe, are to (1) obtain European leadership of the worldwide commercial nuclear power industry, (2) improve medium- and long-term safety of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (FSU) power reactors, and (3) reduce domestic concerns about nuclear power. The activities to achieve these goals include (1) formation of Nuclear Power International (a joint venture of the German and French nuclear power plant vendors for design and construction of nuclear power plants), (2) formation of a utility group to forge agreement throughout Europe on what the requirements are for the next generation of nuclear power plants, and (3) agreement by regulators in multiple European countries to harmonize regulations. This is to be achieved before the end of the decade. These changes would allow a single design of nuclear power plant to be built anywhere in Europe. The creation of European-wide rules (utility requirements, engineering standards, and national regulations) would create strong economic and political forces for other European countries (Eastern Europe and FSU) to meet these standards

  6. The European nuclear power industry: Restructuring for combined strength and worldwide leadership

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Forsberg, C.W.; Norman, R.E.; Reich, W.J.; Hill, L.J.

    1993-06-18

    The European nuclear power industry is being restructured from an industry drawn along national lines to a European-wide industry. This, in part, reflects growth of the European Economic Community, but it also reflects changes in the international nuclear power industry. The objectives of the participants, beyond better integration of the nuclear industry in Western Europe, are to (1) obtain European leadership of the worldwide commercial nuclear power industry, (2) improve medium- and long-term safety of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (FSU) power reactors, and (3) reduce domestic concerns about nuclear power. The activities to achieve these goals include (1) formation of Nuclear Power International (a joint venture of the German and French nuclear power plant vendors for design and construction of nuclear power plants), (2) formation of a utility group to forge agreement throughout Europe on what the requirements are for the next generation of nuclear power plants, and (3) agreement by regulators in multiple European countries to harmonize regulations. This is to be achieved before the end of the decade. These changes would allow a single design of nuclear power plant to be built anywhere in Europe. The creation of European-wide rules (utility requirements, engineering standards, and national regulations) would create strong economic and political forces for other European countries (Eastern Europe and FSU) to meet these standards.

  7. 78 FR 66097 - In the Matter of Heritage Worldwide, Inc., Impala Mineral Exploration Corp., Klondike Star...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-04

    ... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [ File No. 500-1] In the Matter of Heritage Worldwide, Inc., Impala Mineral Exploration Corp., Klondike Star Mineral Corporation, MIV Therapeutics Inc., Most Home... concerning the securities of Klondike Star Mineral Corporation because it has not filed any periodic reports...

  8. Industrial radiography in the Philippines: safety concerns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    David, Jocelyn L.; Artificio, Thelma P.; Cerbolles, Justina S.; Caseria, Estrella S.; Agron, Inocencio A.

    2005-01-01

    Industrial radiography utilizes the highest activity (5.55 tera becquerel (TBq) to 7.4 TBq) among the various mobile application of radioisotopes. It is highly possible that radiographers exceed the annual dose limits for workers occupationally exposed to radiation (as prescribed in the Code of PNRI Regulations part 3) if they do not give cautious consideration to the factors that determine the radiation dose, namely: the gamma source dose rates, time distance and shielding. To enhance the safety culture among radiographers, various strategies are recommended to be undertaken by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute as well as the licensed companies undertaking activities in industrial radiography. (Authors)

  9. Towards a global nuclear safety culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosen, M.

    1997-01-01

    This paper discusses the evolution of the global nuclear safety culture and the role in which the IAEA has played in encouraging its development. There is also a look ahead to what the future challenges of the world-wide nuclear industry might be and to the need for a continued and improved global nuclear safety culture to meet these changing needs. (Author)

  10. Calcium supplementation and cardiovascular risk: A rising concern.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tankeu, Aurel T; Ndip Agbor, Valirie; Noubiap, Jean Jacques

    2017-06-01

    Over the past decade, the number of individuals taking calcium supplementation worldwide has been on the rise, especially with the emergence of new pharmaceutical companies specialized in the marketing of dietary supplements; with calcium supplementation being their main business axis. This is mostly because of the established role of calcium in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and, to a lesser extent, its role in the prevention of fractures. Recently, a rising body of evidence on the adverse effect of calcium supplementation on nonskeletal, especially cardiovascular, health has been a cause for concern. In fact, a significant number of studies have reported an association between calcium supplementation and adverse cardiovascular events, even though high dietary calcium intake was shown to have a protective effect. The mechanism by which calcium supplementation could cause a cardiovascular event was still unclear until a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Combining this recent finding with available data associating calcium supplementation with cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality, we call on the need for an evidence-based approach to calcium supplementation, while stressing on the safety of dietary calcium intake over the former on cardiovascular health. ©2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Modulation of Brain Activity with Noninvasive Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): Clinical Applications and Safety Concerns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Haichao; Qiao, Lei; Fan, Dongqiong; Zhang, Shuyue; Turel, Ofir; Li, Yonghui; Li, Jun; Xue, Gui; Chen, Antao; He, Qinghua

    2017-01-01

    Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a widely-used tool to induce neuroplasticity and modulate cortical function by applying weak direct current over the scalp. In this review, we first introduce the underlying mechanism of action, the brief history from discovery to clinical scientific research, electrode positioning and montages, and parameter setup of tDCS. Then, we review tDCS application in clinical samples including people with drug addiction, major depression disorder, Alzheimer's disease, as well as in children. This review covers the typical characteristics and the underlying neural mechanisms of tDCS treatment in such studies. This is followed by a discussion of safety, especially when the current intensity is increased or the stimulation duration is prolonged. Given such concerns, we provide detailed suggestions regarding safety procedures for tDCS operation. Lastly, future research directions are discussed. They include foci on the development of multi-tech combination with tDCS such as with TMS and fMRI; long-term behavioral and morphological changes; possible applications in other research domains, and more animal research to deepen the understanding of the biological and physiological mechanisms of tDCS stimulation. PMID:28539894

  12. The regulatory framework concerning the safe transport of radioactive material in the European Union

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarz, G.; Ridder, K.

    2002-01-01

    Radioactive materials of natural and manmade origins are employed worldwide in many areas, such as medicine, research, energy generation, and industry. As a consequence of the special nature and the properties of radioactive substances, irregular handling and use of such materials entails hazards. This is why special safety and protection provisions have been made in the interest of protecting health, life, property, and the environment from such hazards. The development and use of harmonized goals of protection and standards of safety is essential to free trade and the exchange of goods and services within the European Union and worldwide. The national and international institutions and organizations responsible for the protection and safety of transports of radioactive materials, including the European Union and its member countries, early on recognized the need for harmonized safety standards and criteria for transports of dangerous goods and developed an appropriate system of standards of safety and protection and a comprehensive set of tools for monitoring and checking observance of these standards. These tools have been laid down in a system of legally binding agreements, regulations, directives etc., or in recommendations, for the fifteen EU member states. The article presents this system of legally binding agreements, regulations, and recommendations, respectively, which covers the protection and safety of national and international transports of radioactive materials. (orig.) [de

  13. Global Immunizations: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Worldwide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macintosh, Janelle L B; Eden, Lacey M; Luthy, Karlen E; Schouten, Aimee E

    Immunizations are one of the most important health interventions of the 20th century, yet people in many areas of the world do not receive adequate immunizations. Approximately 3 million people worldwide die every year from vaccine-preventable diseases; about half of these deaths are young children and infants. Global travel is more common; diseases that were once localized now can be found in communities around the world. Multiple barriers to immunizations have been identified. Healthcare access, cost, and perceptions of safety and trust in healthcare are factors that have depressed global immunization rates. Several global organizations have focused on addressing these barriers as part of their efforts to increase immunization rates. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The World Health Organization, and the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund each have a part of their organization that is concentrated on immunizations. Maternal child nurses worldwide can assist in increasing immunization rates. Nurses can participate in outreach programs to ease the burden of patients and families in accessing immunizations. Nurses can work with local and global organizations to make immunizations more affordable. Nurses can improve trust and knowledge about immunizations in their local communities. Nurses are a powerful influence in the struggle to increase immunization rates, which is a vital aspect of global health promotion and disease prevention.

  14. Nuclear safety review for the year 2000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-06-01

    The nuclear safety review for the year 2000 reports on worldwide efforts to strengthen nuclear and radiation safety, including radioactive waste safety. It is in three parts: Part 1 describes those events in 2000 that have, or may have, significance for nuclear, radiation and waste safety worldwide. It includes developments such as new initiatives in international cooperation, events of safety significance and events that may be indicative of trends in safety; Part 2 describes some of the IAEA efforts to strengthen international co-operation in nuclear, radiation and waste safety during 2000. It covers legally binding international agreements, non-binding safety standards, and provisions for the application of safety standards. This is done in a very brief manner, because these issues are addressed in more detail in the Agency's Annual Report for 2000; Part 3 presents a brief look ahead to some issues that are likely to be prominent in the coming year(s). The topics covered were selected by the IAEA Secretariat on the basis of trends observed in recent years, account being taken of planned or expected future developments. A draft of the Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2000 was presented to the March 2001 session of the IAEA Board of Governors. This final version has been prepared taking account of the discussion in the Board. In some places, information has been added to describe developments early in 2001 that were considered pertinent to the discussion of events during 2000. In such cases, a note containing the more recent information has been provided in the form of a footnote

  15. Annual Safety Report 1981

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-09-01

    A safety report from Section K (Nuclear Physics) of the Dutch National Institute for Nuclear and High Energy Physics is presented for 1981. The report begins with general matters concerning safety policy at NIKHEF, licences and expenditure. Works accidents (none of them radiological) are detailed and accident prevention considered. The measurement programme for neutron radiation in the vicinity of the accelerator is described and the results are discussed. The means and results of personnel dosimetry are also presented. The report is concluded with a list of publications concerning safety aspects at NIKHEF. (C.F.)

  16. The global nuclear safety regime and its impact in Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almeida, C.

    2004-01-01

    This work describes the Global Nuclear Safety Regime that was established worldwide after the accident at the Tchernobyl nuclear power plant. This regime is composed of biding international safety conventions, globally accepted safety standard, and a voluntary peer review system. The impact of this Global Regime in Brazil is also discussed. (Author)

  17. Safety climate in OHSAS 18001-certified organisations: antecedents and consequences of safety behaviour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Muñiz, Beatriz; Montes-Peón, José Manuel; Vázquez-Ordás, Camilo José

    2012-03-01

    The occupational health and safety standard OHSAS 18001 has gained considerable acceptance worldwide, and firms from diverse sectors and of varying sizes have implemented it. Despite this, very few studies have analysed safety management or the safety climate in OHSAS 18001-certified organisations. The current work aims to analyse the safety climate in these organisations, identify its dimensions, and propose and test a structural equation model that will help determine the antecedents and consequences of employees' safety behaviour. For this purpose, the authors carry out an empirical study using a sample of 131 OHSAS 18001-certified organisations located in Spain. The results show that management's commitment, and particularly communication, have an effect on safety behaviour and on safety performance, employee satisfaction, and firm competitiveness. These findings are particularly important for management since they provide evidence about the factors that should be encouraged to reduce risks and improve performance in this type of organisation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Worldwide potential of wind energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flavin, C

    1982-01-01

    A well-documented discussion is presented dealing with the worldwide potential of wind energy as a source of electrical and mechanical power. It is pointed out that 2% of the solar insolation is converted to wind kinetic energy; it is constantly renewed and nondepletable. Efficiency of windmills are discussed (20 to 40%) and payback periods of less than 5 years are cited. Effects of wind velocity and site location are described. Wind pumps are reviewed and the need for wind pumps, particularly in the developing countries is stressed. The generation of electricity by windmills using small turbines is reviewed and appears promising in areas with wind velocities greater than 12 mi/hr. The development of large windmills and groups of windmills (windfarms) for large scale electrical power is discussed, illustrated, and reviewed (offshore sites included). Environmental and safety problems are considered as well as the role of electrical utilities, government support and research activities. It is concluded that the potential contribution of wind energy is immense and that mechanical windmills may become one of the most important renewable technologies. Electrical generating potential is estimated at 20 to 30% of electrical needs. International programs are discussed briefly. 57 references. (MJJ)

  19. Safety evaluation of food flavorings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schrankel, Kenneth R.

    2004-01-01

    Food flavorings are an essential element in foods. Flavorings are a unique class of food ingredients and excluded from the legislative definition of a food additive because they are regulated by flavor legislation and not food additive legislation. Flavoring ingredients naturally present in foods, have simple chemical structures, low toxicity, and are used in very low levels in foods and beverages resulting in very low levels of human exposure or consumption. Today, the overwhelming regulatory trend is a positive list of flavoring substances, e.g. substances not listed are prohibited. Flavoring substances are added to the list following a safety evaluation based on the conditions of intended use by qualified experts. The basic principles for assessing the safety of flavoring ingredients will be discussed with emphasis on the safety evaluation of flavoring ingredients by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the US Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Expert Panel (FEXPAN). The main components of the JECFA evaluation process include chemical structure, human intake (exposure), metabolism to innocuous or harmless substances, and toxicity concerns consistent with JECFA principles. The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) evaluation is very similar to the JECFA procedure. Both the JECFA and FEMA evaluation procedures are widely recognized and the results are accepted by many countries. This implies that there is no need for developing countries to conduct their own toxicological assessment of flavoring ingredients unless it is an unique ingredient in one country, but it is helpful to survey intake or exposure assessment. The global safety program established by the International Organization of Flavor Industry (IOFI) resulting in one worldwide open positive list of flavoring substances will be reviewed

  20. Regulatory oversight report 2008 concerning nuclear safety in Swiss nuclear installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-04-01

    This annual report issued by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Inspectorate (ENSI) reports on the work carried out by the Inspectorate in 2008. This report reviews the regulatory activities in the four Swiss nuclear power stations and in four further nuclear installations in various Swiss research facilities. It deals with topics such as operational details, technologies in use, radiation protection, radioactive wastes, emergency dispositions, personnel and provides an assessment of operations from the safety point of view. Also, the transportation of nuclear materials - both nuclear fuels and nuclear wastes - is reported on. General topics discussed include probabilistic safety analyses and accident management, earthquake damage analysis and agreements on nuclear safety. The underground disposal of highly-radioactive nuclear wastes and work done in the rock laboratories are discussed, as are proposals for additional nuclear power stations

  1. 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...

  2. Status of research reactor spent fuel world-wide: Database summary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ritchie, I.G.

    1996-01-01

    Results complied in the research reactor spent fuel database are used to assess the status of research reactor spent fuel world-wide. Fuel assemblies, their types, enrichment, origin of enrichment and geological distribution among the industrialized and developed countries of the world are discussed. Fuel management practices in wet and dry storage facilities and the concerns of reactor operators about long-term storage of their spent fuel are presented and some of the activities carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency to address the issues associated with research reactor spent fuel are outlined. (author). 4 refs, 17 figs, 4 tabs

  3. Core competencies for patient safety research: a cornerstone for global capacity strengthening

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andermann, Anne; Ginsburg, Liane; Norton, Peter; Arora, Narendra; Bates, David; Wu, Albert

    2011-01-01

    Background Tens of millions of patients worldwide suffer disabling injuries or death every year due to unsafe medical care. Nonetheless, there is a scarcity of research evidence on how to tackle this global health priority. The shortage of trained researchers is a major limitation, particularly in developing and transitional countries. Objectives As a first step to strengthen capacity in this area, the authors developed a set of internationally agreed core competencies for patient safety research worldwide. Methods A multistage process involved developing an initial framework, reviewing the existing literature relating to competencies in patient safety research, conducting a series of consultations with potential end users and international experts in the field from over 35 countries and finally convening a global consensus conference. Results An initial draft list of competencies was grouped into three themes: patient safety, research methods and knowledge translation. The competencies were considered by the WHO Patient Safety task force, by potential end users in developing and transitional countries and by international experts in the field to be relevant, comprehensive, clear, easily adaptable to local contexts and useful for training patient safety researchers internationally. Conclusions Reducing patient harm worldwide will require long-term sustained efforts to build capacity to enable practical research that addresses local problems and improves patient safety. The first edition of Competencies for Patient Safety Researchers is proposed by WHO Patient Safety as a foundation for strengthening research capacity by guiding the development of training programmes for researchers in the area of patient safety, particularly in developing and transitional countries, where such research is urgently needed. PMID:21228081

  4. Developing patient safety in dentistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pemberton, M N

    2014-10-01

    Patient safety has always been important and is a source of public concern. Recent high profile scandals and subsequent reports, such as the Francis report into the failings at Mid Staffordshire, have raised those concerns even higher. Mortality and significant morbidity associated with the practice of medicine has led to many strategies to help improve patient safety, however, with its lack of associated mortality and lower associated morbidity, dentistry has been slower at systematically considering how patient safety can be improved. Recently, several organisations, researchers and clinicians have discussed the need for a patient safety culture in dentistry. Strategies are available to help improve patient safety in healthcare and deserve further consideration in dentistry.

  5. Phenomenology of men with body dysmorphic disorder concerning penis size compared to men anxious about their penis size and to men without concerns: a cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veale, David; Miles, Sarah; Read, Julie; Troglia, Andrea; Carmona, Lina; Fiorito, Chiara; Wells, Hannah; Wylie, Kevan; Muir, Gordon

    2015-03-01

    Men with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) may be preoccupied with the size or shape of the penis, which may be causing significant shame or impairment. Little is known about the characteristics and phenomenology of such men and whether they can be differentiated from men with small penis anxiety (SPA) (who do not have BDD), and men with no penile concerns. Twenty-six men with BDD, 31 men with SPA, and 33 men without penile concerns were compared on psychopathology, experiences of recurrent imagery, avoidance and safety-seeking behaviours. Men with BDD had significantly higher scores than both the SPA group and no penile concern group for measures of imagery, avoidance, safety seeking and general psychopathology. The groups differed on the phenomenology of BDD specific to penile size preoccupation clearly from the worries of SPA, which in turn were different to those of the men without concerns. The common avoidance and safety seeking behaviours were identified in such men that may be used clinically. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. 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

  7. The TSN bill concerning transparency and safety in the nuclear sector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leger, M.; Lahorgue, M.B.; Strohl, P.

    2009-01-01

    This document gathers together 3 articles whose common purpose is to shed light on the 13. June 2006 French law on transparency and safety in the nuclear sector. This law is fundamental because it gave, for the first time, the legal definitions of basic concepts like nuclear safety, public information or transparency. It also gave a series of principles on which the right in nuclear activities, has to rely: the principle of precaution, the principle of prevention, the principle of remedial action, the principle of who pollutes has to pay, and the principle of public information. The law gives also a clear scheme of the roles and responsibilities in the nuclear sector: the state, the government, the nuclear safety authority, the nuclear facility operator and the land (on which the nuclear facility stands) owner. (A.C.)

  8. World-wide environmental problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wohlers, H.C.

    1975-01-01

    Man and the physical and natural resources necessary to support him in a civilized society are on a collision course. It is simple to say that man cannot continue to grow in number at an ever-increasing rate without a destructive effect upon the environment. Positive scientific proof for this impending calamity is not now available, yet many indications--sometimes physical and sometimes natural--point toward major world-wide environmental troubles in the near future. A number of environmental problems are described, particularly as they relate to the total world system. A computer model simulating future world-wide environmental trends from 1900 to 2100 A.D. is evaluated and suggested as a major tool for data-gathering purposes to determine the extent of world-wide environmental problems. It is suggested that scientists take an active role in the study of the environment, particularly in relation to man's future on earth

  9. Safety; Avertissement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-07-01

    This annual report of the Senior Inspector for the Nuclear Safety, analyses the nuclear safety at EDF for the year 1999 and proposes twelve subjects of consideration to progress. Five technical documents are also provided and discussed concerning the nuclear power plants maintenance and safety (thermal fatigue, vibration fatigue, assisted control and instrumentation of the N4 bearing, 1300 MW reactors containment and time of life of power plants). (A.L.B.)

  10. Nuclear safety: an international approach: the convention on nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosen, M.

    1994-01-01

    This paper is a general presentation of the IAEA Convention on Nuclear Safety which has already be signed by 50 countries and which is the first legal instrument that directly addresses the safety of nuclear power plants worldwide. The paper gives a review of its development and some key provisions for a better understanding of how this agreement will operate in practice. The Convention consists of an introductory preamble and four chapters consisting of 35 articles dealing with: the principal objectives, definitions and scope of application; the various obligations (general provisions, legislation, responsibility and regulation, general safety considerations taking into account: the financial and human resources, the human factors, the quality assurance, the assessment and verification of safety, the radiation protection and the emergency preparedness; the safety of installations: sitting, design and construction, operation); the periodic meetings of the contracting parties to review national reports on the measures taken to implement each of the obligations, and the final clauses and other judicial provisions common to international agreements. (J.S.). 1 append

  11. A worldwide survey of fast breeder reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hennies, H.H.

    1986-01-01

    While the completion of the SNR 300 was accompanied by manifold discussions on questions relevant to safety and energy policies in the Federal Republic of Germany and as a result considerable scheduling delays and exceeding of budgets were recorded, breeder reactor technology has been progressing worldwide. The transition from the development phase with small trial reactors to the construction and operation of large performance reactors was completed systematically, in particular in France and the Soviet Union. Even though the uranium supply situation does not make a short-term and comprehensive employment of fast breeder reactors essential, technology has meanwhile been advanced to such a level and extensive operating experience is on hand to enable the construction and safe operation of fast breeder reactors. A positive answer has long been found to the question of the realization of a breeding rate to guarantee the breeding effect. There remain now the endeavors to achieve a reduction in investment and fuel cycle costs. (orig.) [de

  12. A Global Perspective on Vaccine Safety and Public Health: The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Folb, Peter I.; Bernatowska, Ewa; Chen, Robert; Clemens, John; Dodoo, Alex N. O.; Ellenberg, Susan S.; Farrington, C. Patrick; John, T. Jacob; Lambert, Paul-Henri; MacDonald, Noni E.; Miller, Elizabeth; Salisbury, David; Schmitt, Heinz-J.; Siegrist, Claire-Anne; Wimalaratne, Omala

    2004-01-01

    Established in 1999, the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety advises the World Health Organization (WHO) on vaccine-related safety issues and enables WHO to respond promptly, efficiently, and with scientific rigor to issues of vaccine safety with potential global importance. The committee also assesses the implications of vaccine safety for practice worldwide and for WHO policies. We describe the principles on which the committee was established, its modus operandi, and the scope of the work undertaken, both present and future. We highlight its recent recommendations on major issues, including the purported link between the measles–mumps–rubella vaccine and autism and the safety of the mumps, influenza, yellow fever, BCG, and smallpox vaccines as well as that of thiomersal-containing vaccines. PMID:15514229

  13. Nuclear power plant safe operation principles and some topics concerning systems reliability analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borsky, M.; Kreim, R.; Stanicek, J.

    1997-01-01

    General safety criteria are specified, and nuclear power plant equipment is classified into systems either important or unimportant for nuclear safety. The former class is subdivided into safety systems and safety related systems. The safety requirements concern earthquakes, storms, fires, floods, man-induced events, and equipment failures. The actual state of systems important for safety is described. (M.D.)

  14. Food Safety as a contributor to Food Security: global policy concerns & challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijay Kumar Chattu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The theme for World Health Day campaign for this year 2015 is “Food safety: from farm to plate, make food safe”. The day focuses on demonstrating the importance of food safety along the whole length of the food chain in a globalized world, from production and transport, to preparation and consumption (1. Everyone needs food and needs it every day either plant sources or animal sources or both. The food we eat must be nutritious and safe but we often ignore or overlook the issue of food safety. Many cases of food borne diseases either acute poisoning or chronic exposure are largely under reported. In this globalized world, though the food chain extends over thousands of miles from different continents, an error or contamination in one country can affect the health of consumers on the other part of the world. To ensure full impact, these actions must build on principles of government stewardship, engagement of civil society, (2.According to UN, access to a safe and secure food supply is a basic human right. Food safety and food security are interrelated concepts which have an impact on the health outcomes and quality of human lives. As per Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO, Food security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life, (3. Based on the definition of Food security, four food security dimensions can be identified: food availability, economic and physical access to food, food utilization and stability over time. Apart from that food security is also affected by Poverty and Climate change.Food safety is an umbrella term that encompasses many aspects like food items handling, preparation and storage of food to prevent illness and injury. The other important issues are chemical, microphysical and microbiological aspects of food safety, (4. Control of

  15. Guide to the declaration procedure and coding system for criteria concerning significant events related to safety, radiation protection or the environment, applicable to basic nuclear installations and the transport of radioactive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lacoste, Andre-Claude

    2005-01-01

    This guide notably contains various forms associated with the declaration of significant events, and explanations to fill them in: significant event declaration form for a basic nuclear installation, significant event declaration form for radioactive material transport, significant event report for a basic nuclear installation, significant event report for radioactive material transport, declaration criteria for significant events related to the safety of non-PWR basic nuclear installations, declaration criteria for significant events related to PWR safety, significant events declared further to events resulting in group 1 unavailability and non-compliance with technical operating specifications, declaration criteria for significant events concerning radiation protection for basic nuclear installations, declaration criteria for significant events concerning environmental protection, applicable to basic nuclear installations, and declaration criteria for significant events concerning radioactive material transport

  16. Assessments of global drivers of vaccine hesitancy in 2014-Looking beyond safety concerns.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melanie Marti

    Full Text Available Vaccine hesitancy has become the focus of growing attention and concern globally despite overwhelming evidence of the value of vaccines in preventing disease and saving the lives of millions of individuals every year. Measuring vaccine hesitancy and its determinants worldwide is important in order to understand the scope of the problem and for the development of evidence-based targeted strategies to reduce hesitancy. Two indicators to assess vaccine hesitancy were developed to capture its nature and scope at the national and subnational level to collect data in 2014: 1 The top 3 reasons for not accepting vaccines according to the national schedule in the past year and whether the response was opinion- or assessment-based and 2 Whether an assessment (or measurement of the level of confidence in vaccination had taken place at national or subnational level in the previous 5 years. The most frequently cited reasons for vaccine hesitancy globally related to (1 the risk-benefit of vaccines, (2 knowledge and awareness issues, (3 religious, cultural, gender or socio-economic factors. Major issues were fear of side effects, distrust in vaccination and lack of information on immunization or immunization services. The analysis revealed that 29% of all countries had done an assessment of the level of confidence in their country, suggesting that vaccine confidence was an issue of importance. Monitoring vaccine hesitancy is critical because of its influence on the success of immunization programs. To our knowledge, the proposed indicators provide the first global snapshot of reasons driving vaccine hesitancy and depicting its widespread nature, as well as the extent of assessments conducted by countries.

  17. Technical Safety Appraisal of the Rocky Flats Plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, Blake P.

    1989-01-01

    This report provides the results of a Technical Safety Appraisal (TSA) of the Rocky Flats Plant (RFP) conducted November 14 to 18 and November 28 to December 9, 1988. This appraisal covered the effectiveness and improvements in the RFP safety program across the site, evaluating progress to date against standards of accepted practice. The appraisal included coverage of the timeliness and effectiveness of actions taken in response to the recommendations/concerns in three previous Technical Safety Appraisals (TSAs) of RFP Bldg. 707 conducted in July 1986, Bldgs. 771/774 conducted in October/November 1986, and Bldgs. 776/777 conducted in January/February 1988. Results of this appraisal are given in Section IV for each of 14 technical safety areas at RFP. These results include a discussion, conclusions and any new safety concerns for each technical safety area. Appendix A contains a description of the system for categorizing concerns, and the concerns are tabulated in Appendix B. Appendix C reports on the evaluation of the contractor's actions and the current status of each of the 230 recommendations and concerns contained in the three previous TSA reports.

  18. Nanotechnology in sustainable agriculture: Present concerns and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nanotechnology in sustainable agriculture: Present concerns and future aspects. ... of those living in developing countries face daily food shortages as a result of ... applications in agricultural, food, and water safety that could have significant ...

  19. The nuclear safety convention. Results for Argentine as contracting party

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caruso, Gustavo

    2002-01-01

    A powerful mechanism for increasing safety worldwide is through the development and adoption of legally binding Safety Conventions. Since 1986 four Conventions were ratified in the areas of Nuclear, Radiation and Waste Safety. The Nuclear Safety Convention establishes an international co-operation mechanism to maintain safety nuclear installations, focused on: to achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety worldwide through the enhancement of national measures and international co-operation including, where appropriate, safety-related technical co-operation; to establish and maintain effective defences in nuclear installations against potential radiological hazards in order to protect individuals, society and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation from such installations and to prevent accidents with radiological consequences and to mitigate such consequences should they occur. Each contracting party shall take, within the framework of its national law, the legislative, regulatory and administrative measures and other steps necessary for implementing its obligations under this Convention. Moreover, each contracting parties shall submit for review prior to each review meeting, a National Report on the measures it has taken to implement each of the obligations of the Convention. The contracting parties concluded that the review process had proven to be of great value to their national nuclear safety programmes. (author)

  20. Food Safety as a contributor to Food Security: global policy concerns & challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijay Kumar Chattu

    2015-12-01

    Microphysical particles such as glass and metal can be hazardous and cause serious injury to consumers. Pathogenic bacteria, viruses and toxins produced by microorganisms are all possible contaminants of food and impact food safety. Like food security, food safety is also effected by poverty and climate change. Hence Foo

  1. Safety KPIs - Monitoring of safety performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrej Lališ

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to provide brief overview of aviation safety development focusing on modern trends represented by implementation of Safety Key Performance Indicators. Even though aviation is perceived as safe means of transport, it is still struggling with its complexity given by long-term growth and robustness which it has reached today. Thus nowadays safety issues are much more complex and harder to handle than ever before. We are more and more concerned about organizational factors and control mechanisms which have potential to further increase level of aviation safety. Within this paper we will not only introduce the concept of Key Performance Indicators in area of aviation safety as an efficient control mechanism, but also analyse available legislation and documentation. Finally we will propose complex set of indicators which could be applied to Czech Air Navigation Service Provider.

  2. Advanced Test Reactor Safety Basis Upgrade Lessons Learned Relative to Design Basis Verification and Safety Basis Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    G. L. Sharp; R. T. McCracken

    2004-01-01

    The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is a pressurized light-water reactor with a design thermal power of 250 MW. The principal function of the ATR is to provide a high neutron flux for testing reactor fuels and other materials. The reactor also provides other irradiation services such as radioisotope production. The ATR and its support facilities are located at the Test Reactor Area of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). An audit conducted by the Department of Energy's Office of Independent Oversight and Performance Assurance (DOE OA) raised concerns that design conditions at the ATR were not adequately analyzed in the safety analysis and that legacy design basis management practices had the potential to further impact safe operation of the facility.1 The concerns identified by the audit team, and issues raised during additional reviews performed by ATR safety analysts, were evaluated through the unreviewed safety question process resulting in shutdown of the ATR for more than three months while these concerns were resolved. Past management of the ATR safety basis, relative to facility design basis management and change control, led to concerns that discrepancies in the safety basis may have developed. Although not required by DOE orders or regulations, not performing design basis verification in conjunction with development of the 10 CFR 830 Subpart B upgraded safety basis allowed these potential weaknesses to be carried forward. Configuration management and a clear definition of the existing facility design basis have a direct relation to developing and maintaining a high quality safety basis which properly identifies and mitigates all hazards and postulated accident conditions. These relations and the impact of past safety basis management practices have been reviewed in order to identify lessons learned from the safety basis upgrade process and appropriate actions to resolve possible concerns with respect to the current ATR safety

  3. Steel Erection Safety. Module SH-39. Safety and Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

    This student module on steel erection safety is one of 50 modules concerned with job safety and health. This module identifies typical jobsite hazards encountered by steel erectors, as well as providing safe job procedures for general and specific construction activities. Following the introduction, 11 objectives (each keyed to a page in the text)…

  4. 76 FR 411 - Regulatory Guidance Concerning Electronic Signatures and Documents

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-04

    ... guidance, including memoranda and letters, may no longer be relied upon to the extent they are inconsistent... Concerning Electronic Signatures and Documents AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of regulatory guidance. SUMMARY: FMCSA issues regulatory guidance concerning the...

  5. Radiation Safety in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Too Little or Too Much Concern?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng-Chung Yu

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available With rising numbers of extremely premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU who require multiple radiologic examinations for their complex medical conditions, concerns the risk of radiation exposure become a more prevalent issue. The biological effects from cumulative doses of both primary and secondary radiation can be particularly troubling for very premature babies due to their inherent sensitivity to both iatrogenic and environmental insults. Similarly, radiologic studies performed in the NICU pose potentially significant exposure risks to caretakers and to the families of patients often present in the NICU during these examinations. The purpose of this article is to critically review the available literature regarding current exposure rates in the NICU, address the validity of radiation exposure concerns, and suggest areas for improvement. With few exceptions, studies reveal that there were only low doses of radiation derived from any single radiographic examination in standard NICUs and that the radiation dosage used was in compliance with recommendations made by the Commission of European Communities (EC and International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP. However, there were wide variations in the radiation dose per single examination (mean entrance skin doses ranged from 15 to 73.6 μGy and in the frequency (mean ranged from 3.2 to 31 examinations per infant of those examinations. Studies also reported low secondary exposure rates from scatter radiation to others present in the NICU during radiographic examinations. Key to limiting unnecessary radiation exposure in the NICU is the employment of proper radiation techniques and safety measures. Thus, adhering to recommendations made by the EC and ICRP can help to reduce the anxiety of patients' families and medical staff regarding their risks from the effects of ionizing radiation in the NICU.

  6. Leadership and Management for Safety. General Safety Requirements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    This Safety Requirements publication establishes requirements that support Principle 3 of the Fundamental Safety Principles in relation to establishing, sustaining and continuously improving leadership and management for safety and an integrated management system. It emphasizes that leadership for safety, management for safety, an effective management system and a systemic approach (i.e. an approach in which interactions between technical, human and organizational factors are duly considered) are all essential to the specification and application of adequate safety measures and to the fostering of a strong safety culture. Leadership and an effective management system will integrate safety, health, environmental, security, quality, human-and-organizational factor, societal and economic elements. The management system will ensure the fostering of a strong safety culture, regular assessment of performance and the application of lessons from experience. The publication is intended for use by regulatory bodies, operating organizations (registrants and licensees) and other organizations concerned with facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks

  7. Thermal reactor safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-06-01

    Information is presented concerning new trends in licensing; seismic considerations and system structural behavior; TMI-2 risk assessment and thermal hydraulics; statistical assessment of potential accidents and verification of computational methods; issues with respect to improved safety; human factors in nuclear power plant operation; diagnostics and activities in support of recovery; LOCA transient analysis; unresolved safety issues and other safety considerations; and fission product transport

  8. Thermal reactor safety

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-06-01

    Information is presented concerning new trends in licensing; seismic considerations and system structural behavior; TMI-2 risk assessment and thermal hydraulics; statistical assessment of potential accidents and verification of computational methods; issues with respect to improved safety; human factors in nuclear power plant operation; diagnostics and activities in support of recovery; LOCA transient analysis; unresolved safety issues and other safety considerations; and fission product transport.

  9. Safety management - policy, analysis and implementation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, F.R.

    1993-01-01

    The nuclear industry is moving towards a period of ever increasing emphasis on business performance and profitability. Safety has, of course, always been a major concern of management in the nuclear industry and elsewhere. The civil aviation industry , for example, has had a similar concern for safety. Other industry sectors are also developing safety management as a response to events within and outside their sectors. In this paper the way that the risk management process as a whole is being addressed is looked at. Can we use risk management, initially a safety-orientated tool, to improve business performance? (author)

  10. Oh β s concerns surface after spill

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1984-01-01

    A spill of uranium- and radium-contaminated water from a reservoir at the Key Lake Mine in northern Saskatchewan in early January 1984 created extensive public concern. Now attention is being focussed on the issue of worker safety

  11. Worldwide Airfield Summary

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Worldwide Airfield Summary contains a selection of climatological data produced by the U.S. Air Force, Air Weather Service. The reports were compiled from dozens...

  12. The first symposium of Research Center for Radiation Safety, NIRS. Perspective of future studies of radiation safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimo, Michikuni

    2002-03-01

    This paper summarizes presentations given in the title symposium, held at the Conference Room of National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) on November 29 and 30, 2001. Contained are Introductory remarks: Basic presentations concerning exposure dose in man; Environmental levels of radiation and radioactivity, environmental radon level and exposure dose, and radiation levels in the specific environment (like in the aircraft): Special lecture (biological effects given by space environment) concerning various needs for studies of radiation safety; Requirement for open investigations, from the view of utilization, research and development of atomic energy, from the clinical aspect, and from the epidemiological aspect: Special lecture (safety in utilization of atomic energy and radiation-Activities of Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan) concerning present state and perspective of studies of radiation safety; Safety of radiation and studies of biological effects of radiation-perspective, and radiation protection and radiation safety studies: Studies in the Research Center for Radiation Safety; Summary of studies in the center, studies of the biological effects of neutron beam, carcinogenesis by radiation and living environmental factors-complicated effects, and studies of hereditary effects: Panel discussion (future direction of studies of radiation safety for the purpose of the center's direction): and concluding remarks. (N.I.)

  13. Understanding road safety in Kenya: views of matatu drivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raynor, Nicolas J; Mirzoev, Tolib

    2014-09-01

    Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are estimated to cause 1.3 million deaths and 20-50 million injuries worldwide. Road safety is a challenge in Kenya with causes being multi-factorial. Matatus (minibuses) are involved in a large proportion of accidents. A literature review was completed to identify key issues and refine the scope of the study. The fieldwork included 20 semi-structured interviews with matatu drivers. All participants were male, with driving experience of 1-20 years. Thematic framework was used for analysis. Some unstructured observations on different road users and their behaviours were also recorded. Literature showed that the causes of RTAs in Kenya are multi-factorial, but that human factors play a large part. There is also an evidence gap concerning matatu drivers, who are key stakeholders in road safety. Fieldwork showed that the matatu industry creates financial pressures on drivers and an excessive level of competition, leading to dangerous driving. Corruption of traffic police appears to be a major barrier to improving road safety, as road safety legislation is not enforced, and bribery has become the cultural norm. The general public, including passengers and private vehicles owners, also cause problems by failing to understand their role in road safety and placing the blame on others. The key policy implication for improving road safety in Kenya is seeking measures to ensure responsibility by all road users through awareness raising in the short-term and reforming the matatu industry and addressing the root causes of corruption in the longer term. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. IAEA establishes International Seismic Safety Centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-01-01

    Full text: The IAEA today officially inaugurated an international centre to coordinate efforts for protecting nuclear installations against the effects of earthquakes. The International Seismic Safety Centre (ISSC), which has been established within the IAEA's Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, will serve as a focal point on seismic safety for nuclear installations worldwide. ISSC will assist countries on the assessment of seismic hazards of nuclear facilities to mitigate the consequences of strong earthquakes. 'With safety as our first priority, it is vital that we pool all expert knowledge available worldwide to assist nuclear operators and regulators to be well prepared for coping with major seismic events,' said Antonio Godoy, Acting Head of the IAEA's Engineering Safety Section and leader of the ISSC. 'The creation of the ISSC represents the culmination of three decades of the IAEA's active and recognized involvement in this matter through the development of an updated set of safety standards and the assistance to Member States for their application.' To further seismic safety at nuclear installations worldwide, the ISSC will: - Promote knowledge sharing among the international community in order to avoid or mitigate the consequences of extreme seismic events on nuclear installations; - Support countries through advisory services and training courses; and - Enhance seismic safety by utilizing experience gained from previous seismic events in member states. The centre is supported by a scientific committee of high-level experts from academic, industrial and nuclear safety authorities that will advise the ISSC on implementation of its programme. Experts have been nominated from seven specialized areas, including geology and tectonics, seismology, seismic hazard, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, equipment, and seismic risk. Japan and the United States have both contributed initial funds for creation of the centre, which will be based at

  15. How to manage the cumulative flood safety of catchment dams ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dam safety is a significant issue being taken seriously worldwide. However, in Australia, although much attention is being devoted to the medium- to large-scale dams, minimal attention is being paid to the serious potential problems associated with smaller dams, particularly the potential cumulative safety threats they pose ...

  16. Regulatory Activities for Licensee's Safety Culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Young Sung; Choi, Kwang Sik

    2008-01-01

    Weaknesses in safety culture have contributed to a number of incidents/accidents in the nuclear and other high hazard sectors worldwide in the past. These events have fostered an increasing awareness of the need for licensees to develop a strong safety culture to support successful and sustainable nuclear safety performance. Regulatory bodies are taking a growing interest in this issue, and several are actively working to develop and implement approaches to maintaining regulatory oversight of licensee safety culture. However, these approaches are not yet well-established, and it was considered prudent to share experiences and developing methodologies in order to disseminate good practices and avoid potential pitfalls. This paper presents the findings, conclusions and recommendations of international meetings and other countries' activities on safety culture and gives some suggestions for regulators to consider when planning regulatory oversight for licensee's safety culture

  17. Food Safety & Standards

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2005-01-01

    @@ An increasing number of people have realized that food safety is an important issue for public health. It not only concerns public health and safety, but also has direct influence on national economic progress and social development. The development and implementation of food safety standards play a vital role in protecting public health, as well as in standardizing and facilitating the sound development of food production and business.

  18. Nuclear Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-09-01

    In this short paper it has only been possible to deal in a rather general way with the standards of safety used in the UK nuclear industry. The record of the industry extending over at least twenty years is impressive and, indeed, unique. No other industry has been so painstaking in protection of its workers and in its avoidance of damage to the environment. Headings are: introduction; how a nuclear power station works; radiation and its effects (including reference to ICRP, the UK National Radiological Protection Board, and safety standards); typical radiation doses (natural radiation, therapy, nuclear power programme and other sources); safety of nuclear reactors - design; key questions (matters of concern which arise in the public mind); safety of operators; safety of people in the vicinity of a nuclear power station; safety of the general public; safety bodies. (U.K.)

  19. Safety is paramount; Sicherheit ist das oberste Gebot

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2013-11-15

    Since 20 years nuclear power plants provider a contribution to the power supply in Germany. In this long period the safety concept has been approved and was completed ever more. Aim of the safety concept is the operational personnel and the population from ionizing (radioactive) radiation, which arises in the nuclear fission itself or is emitted by the radionuclides produced in the nuclear fission. Base of the safety concept is the concerted action of facility safety, safety management, qualification of co-workers, and living safety culture. German nuclear power plants belong concidedly to the worldwide safest. They were and are currently fitted to the progressing status of technology and offer the guarantee that they also during the remaining operational time are operated on the highest safety level.

  20. 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...

  1. Industrial safety management with emphasis on construction safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhattacharya, R.

    2016-01-01

    Safety professionals, line managers, team leaders and concerned workers today eagerly discuss to find out the best safety approach for their workplace. Some research suggested that behaviour based and comprehensive ergonomics approaches lead in average reduction of injuries. This article discusses 'the science and engineering' behind improvement in industrial safety aspects particularly at construction sites through various safety approaches. A high degree of commitment to safety by the project management and rigorous and proactive measures are essential to prevent accidents at construction sites particularly in DAE units because of its sensitivity. Persistent efforts by the project management are needed for sustainable and committed safety at work place. The number of fatalities occurring from construction work in DAE units is sometimes disturbing and fall of person from height and through openings are the major causes for serious accidents

  2. Extensive Analysis of Worldwide Events Related to The Construction and Commissioning of Nuclear Power Plants: Lessons Learned and Recommendations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noel, M.; Zerger, B.; Vuorio, U.; )

    2011-01-01

    Lessons learnt from past experience are extensively used to improve the safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs) worldwide. Although the process of analyzing operational experience is now widespread and well developed, the need for establishment of a similar process for construction experience was highlighted by several countries embarking on construction of new NPPs and in some international forums including the Working Group on the Regulation of New Reactors (WGRNR) of the OECD-NEA. In 2008, EU Member State Safety Authorities participating to the EU Clearinghouse on Operational Experience Feedback decided to launch a topical study on events related to pre-operational stages of NPPs. The aim of this topical study is to reduce the recurrence of events related to the construction, the initial component manufacturing and the commissioning of NPPs, by identifying the main recurring and safety significant issues. For this study, 1090 IRS event reports, 857 US Licensee Event Reports (LERs) and approximately 100 WGRNR reports have been preselected based on key word searches and screened. The screening period starts from the beginning of the databases operation (in the 1980's as far as IRS and LER database are concerned) and ends in November 2009. After this initial screening, a total of 582 reports have been found applicable (247 IRS reports, 309 LERs and 26 WGRNR reports). Events considered for this study were those which have been initiated before the start of commercial operation, and detected before or even long after commercial operation. The events have been classified into 3 main categories (construction, manufacturing and commissioning), and into further sub-categories (building structures, metallic liners, electrical components, anchors, I and C, penetrations and building seals, emergency diesel generators, pipes, valves, welds, pumps, etc.) in order to facilitate the detailed analysis with the final objective to formulate both equipment specific

  3. Description of present practice concerning the safety criteria for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    In the description at hand, the authors portray how the aims defined in the safety criteria are reached, and they make proposals for improvement. Basic principles, acceptances and requirements, with which the experts of TUeV and GRS involved in licensing procedures work at the moment, are compiled. This description of present practice has to be adapted perhaps to the existing scientific knowledge at the time. In order that an optimal behaviour as regards safety is reached by the employees in nuclear power plants, criterion 2.5 requires the following measures: the places of work and the work routine in nuclear power plants are to be organized in such a way, that they offer the conditions for the optimal behaviour of employees as regards safety. (orig./HP) [de

  4. European demands for food quality and safety

    OpenAIRE

    Bulatsyk, Sofiya; Yavorska, Nadiya

    2017-01-01

    In this article was investigated regulations and other normative documents of the European Union concerning food quality and safety and was arranged EU demands regards to food safety. There were determined the basic business concerns of the domestic enterprises in the process of manufacturing and marketing food products

  5. EPR safety. Consideration of the internal and external hazards in the safety studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gueguin, H.

    2008-04-01

    The author presents the main points of the Preliminary Safety Report of EDF on the EPR reactor safety. It concerns the considerations of the internal (fire, flood, explosions, pipes failures) and external (earthquakes, airplane falls, explosions, exceptional natural disasters, extreme meteorological conditions) damages. It presents how the safety report takes into account the aggression. (A.L.B.)

  6. Safety program of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory: a different approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burger, G.H.

    1981-01-01

    The uniqueness and therefore different approach to Oak Ridge National Laboratory's safety program is not a result of elimination of the usual industrial safety organization, but results from the three organizations which supplement it and the areas of safety concerns that they cover. While industrial safety is primarily concerned with day-to-day routine worker activities (wearing of safety glasses and hard hats, adherence to electrical safety work procedures, proper safety lockout and tagout of equipment for maintenance activities, etc.), the other organizations, the Office of Operational Safety, Division Safety Officers and Radiation Control Officers, and the Laboratory director's Review Committees, are concerned with themuch broader spectrum of the total work environment. These organizations are concerned not only with the day-to-day worker activities but the design and conduction of all operations from a process viewpoint. The emphasis of these groups is assuring first that operations, experiments, facilities, etc., are designed properly and then secondly operated properly to assure safety of the operators, Laboratory population, and the public. Responsibilities of the three safety organizations constituting operational or process safety are described and discussed

  7. Safety and security of radioactive sources - international provisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Czarwinski, R.; Weiss, W.

    2005-01-01

    For more than 50 years radioactive sources are used beneficially world-wide in medicine, industry, research and teaching. In the early 50ies mainly Ra-226 sources were used especially for medical applications. In the mean time a great number of radionuclides with more or less risk to individuals, society and environment are used. The number of these sources is increasing. The available experience with the application of sealed sources in industry, medicine, research and teaching shows that despite the widespread use of such sources a high level of safety can be achieved. One precondition is that the regulatory control of a radioactive source has to be carried out consistently during the life cycle of the sources - 'from cradle to grave'. Particular attention has to be given to the so-called orphan sources which are not subject to regulatory control, either because they have never been under control, or because they have been lost, misplaced, abandoned, stolen or transferred without proper authorisation. The concern about orphan sources arising from poor safety and security standards of radioactive material around the world resulted in intensive global actions especially in the light of the security situation after the 11 th September 2001. The improvement of regulatory control is one of the key elements in preventing people, goods and environment from being exposed exceptionally by the misuse of radioactive sources. Important steps toward the improvement of the safety and security of high radioactive sources are the IAEA Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and the European Directive on the Control of High Activity Sealed Radioactive Sources and Orphan Sources. (orig.)

  8. Knowledge transfer: a worldwide challenge in child mental health: a recommendation to the readership of CAPMH concerning the revised version of the IACAPAP Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maier, Anna T; Brown, Rebecca C; Fegert, Joerg M

    2018-01-01

    Transfer of knowledge is an important issue throughout all scientific disciplines, especially in the medical and psycho-social field. The issue of worldwide knowledge transfer in child mental health is one of the aims and goals of the journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health (CAPMH). The demand for mental health training is high worldwide, and especially in low- to lower-middle income countries, where inadequate access to knowledge resources in the field of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) is prevalent. At the same time, many of these countries are showing an increased risk for mental health issues in children and adolescents. The International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health counters this problem. It is an open-access e-textbook aiming to provide an overview of current and established treatment and practical approaches for child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychotherapists and allied (mental health) professionals worldwide. First published in 2012, the updated and revised version was launched in 2015. The aim of this commentary is to review and disseminate the usefulness and practicability of content and further material included in the new version of the textbook. Overall, the textbook contains ten sections divided into 59 chapters, with a total of 1435 pages. The original version of the textbook was written in English. The revised version contains translations of 49 chapters into different languages (to date French, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, Norwegian and/or Japanese), with additional material for knowledge dissemination and self-directed learning (e.g. videos and quizzes) for several chapters. The textbook and the add-on materials for dissemination are of high quality and convey a great introduction to important topics concerning mental health. Apart from knowledge transfer, there is a pragmatic focus on clinical

  9. Cardiovascular safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs among healthy individuals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fosbøl, Emil Loldrup; Køber, Lars; Torp-Pedersen, Christian

    2010-01-01

    Studies have raised concern on the cardiovascular safety of NSAIDs. We studied safety of NSAID therapy in a nationwide cohort of healthy individuals.......Studies have raised concern on the cardiovascular safety of NSAIDs. We studied safety of NSAID therapy in a nationwide cohort of healthy individuals....

  10. The 3^rd International Conference on Women in Physics: Global Perspectives, Common Concerns, Worldwide Views

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zastavker, Yevgeniya V.

    2009-03-01

    The 3^rd International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP), held in Seoul, Korea, in October 2008, brought together 300 participants from 57 countries, including a diverse 22-member U.S. Delegation, for a 3-day summit of stimulating discussions, thought-provoking presentations, inspirational posters, and networking. Held under the auspices of the Working Group on Women in Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), this meeting built on the successes of the 1^st (Paris, 2002) and 2^nd (Rio de Janeiro, 2005) Conferences and further clarified the importance of diversifying the field of physics worldwide. Although considerable progress has been made since 2002, it was clear that the global scientific workforce is still under-utilizing a large percentage of the available female talent pool. If human society is to benefit to its fullest from various contributions that the field of physics can offer in addressing global issues of economic crisis, energy, environment, water, health, poverty, and hunger, women of all races and nationalities need to become fully included and engaged in the national and international physical community. To address these and many other issues, the ICWIP unanimously approved a five-part resolution to IUPAP recommending actions to promote the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in physics and related fields.

  11. Drinking water purification in the Czech Republic and worldwide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krmela, Jan; Beckova, Vera; Vlcek, Jaroslav; Marhol, Milan

    2012-06-01

    The report is structured as follows: (i) Legislative (hygienic) requirements for technologies applied to drinking water purification with focus on uranium elimination; (ii) Technological drinking water treatment processes (settling, filtration, precipitation, acidification, iron and manganese removal) ; (iii) State Office for Nuclear Safety requirements for the operation of facilities to separate uranium from drinking water and for the handling of saturated ionexes from such facilities; (iv) Material requirements for the operation of ionex filters serving to separate uranium from drinking water; (v) Effect of enhanced uranium concentrations in drinking waters on human body; (vi) Uranium speciation in ground waters; (vii) Brief description of technologies which are used worldwide for uranium removal; (viii) Technologies which are usable and are used in the Czech Republic for drinking water purification from uranium; (ix) Inorganic and organic ion exchangers and sorbents. (P.A.)

  12. US nuclear safety. Review and experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanauer, S.H.

    1977-01-01

    The paper deals with the evolution of reactor safety principles, design bases, regulatory requirements, and experience in the United States. Safety concerns have evolved over the years, from reactivity transients and shut-down systems, to blowdowns and containment, to severe design basis accidents and mitigating systems, to the performance of actual materials, systems and humans. The primary safety concerns of one epoch have been superseded in considerable measure by those of later times. Successive plateaus of technical understanding are achieved by solutions being found to earlier problems. Design studies, research, operating experience and regulatory imperatives all contribute to the increased understanding and thus to the safety improvements adopted and accepted. The improvement of safety with time, and the ability of existing reactors to operate safely in the face of new concerns, has confirmed the correctness and usefulness of the defence-in-depth approach and safety margins used in safety design in the United States of America. A regulatory programme such as the one in the United States justifies its great cost by its important contributions to safety. Yet only the designers, constructors and operators of nuclear power plants can actually achieve public safety. The regulatory programme audits, assesses and spot-checks the actual work. Since neither materials nor human beings are flawless, mistakes will be made; that is why defence-in-depth and safety margins are provided. The regulatory programme should enhance safety by decreasing the frequency of uncorrected mistakes. Maintenance of public safety also requires technical and managerial competence and attention in the organizations responsible for nuclear plants as well as regulatory organizations. (author)

  13. Promoting safety in nuclear installations. The IAEA has established safety standards for nuclear reactors and provides expert review and safety services to assist Member States in their application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    More than 430 nuclear power plants (NPPs) are currently operating in 30 countries around the world. The nuclear share of total electricity production ranges from about 20 percent in the Czech Republic and United States to nearly 78 percent in France and Lithuania. Worldwide, nuclear power generates about 16% of the total electricity. The safety of such nuclear installations is fundamental. Every aspect of a power plant must be closely supervised and scrutinized by national regulatory bodies to ensure safety at every phase. These aspects include design, construction, commissioning, trial operation, commercial operation, repair and maintenance, plant upgrades, radiation doses to workers, radioactive waste management and, ultimately, plant decommissioning. Safety fundamentals comprise defence-in-depth, which means having in place multiple levels of protection. nuclear facilities; regulatory responsibility; communicating with the public; adoption of the international convention on nuclear safety including implementation of IAEA nuclear safety standards. This publication covers topics of designing for safety (including safety concepts, design principles, and human factors); operating safety (including safety culture and advance in operational safety); risk assessment and management

  14. Strengthening the safety and security of radioactive sources worldwide: a perspective on Philippine contributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murray, Allan

    2009-01-01

    Radioactive sources have been used for many decades in a wide variety of applications in all countries. The safety of radioactive sources and the associated radiation protection have been implemented by national and international programs during this time with cooperation through the IAEA intended to achieve application of minimum standards and harmonization of approach. The security of radioactive sources is however relatively new consideration. A perspective on the Philippine contributions to the safety and security of radioactive sources will be provided with reference to the following: What is radioactive source security and why it is important?; International cooperation, including the IAEA Code of Conduct; Regulation for radioactive source security; Implementation of radioactive source security measures for licenses, operators and others; Impact of regulatory and operational matters such as professional development and training, emergency preparedness and response, and radiation protection. (author)

  15. Worldwide construction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williamson, M.

    1994-01-01

    The paper lists major construction projects in worldwide processing and pipelining, showing capacities, contractors, estimated costs, and time of construction. The lists are divided into refineries, petrochemical plants, sulfur recovery units, gas processing plants, pipelines, and related fuel facilities. This last classification includes cogeneration plants, coal liquefaction and gasification plants, biomass power plants, geothermal power plants, integrated coal gasification combined-cycle power plants, and a coal briquetting plant

  16. Nuclear safety cooperation for Soviet designed reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reisman, A.W.; Horak, W.C.

    1995-01-01

    The nuclear accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 first alerted the West to the significant safety risks of Soviet designed reactors. Five years later, this concern was reaffirmed when the IAEA, as a result of a review by an international team of nuclear safety experts, announced that it did not believe the Kozloduy nuclear power plants in Bulgaria could be operated safely. To address these safety concerns, the G-7 summit in Munich in July 1992 outlined a five point program to address the safety problems of Soviet Designed Reactors: operational safety improvement; near-term technical improvements to plants based on safety assessment; enhancing regulatory regimes; examination of the scope for replacing less safe plants by the development of alternative energy sources and the more efficient use of energy; and upgrading of the plants of more recent design. As of early 1994, over 20 countries and international organizations have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in financial assistance to improve safety. This paper summarizes these assistance efforts for Soviet designed reactors, draws lessons learned from these activities, and offers some options for better addressing these concerns

  17. Research notes : are safety corridors really safe? Evaluation of the corridor safety improvement program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-08-26

    High accident frequencies on Oregons highway corridors are of concern to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). : ODOT adopted the Corridor Safety Improvement Program as part of an overall program of safety improvements using federal and ...

  18. Effective Safety Management in Construction Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Othman, I.; Shafiq, Nasir; Nuruddin, M. F.

    2017-12-01

    Effective safety management is one of the serious problems in the construction industry worldwide, especially in large-scale construction projects. There have been significant reductions in the number and the rate of injury over the last 20 years. Nevertheless, construction remains as one of the high risk industry. The purpose of this study is to examine safety management in the Malaysian construction industry, as well as to highlight the importance of construction safety management. The industry has contributed significantly to the economic growth of the country. However, when construction safety management is not implemented systematically, accidents will happen and this can affect the economic growth of the country. This study put the safety management in construction project as one of the important elements to project performance and success. The study emphasize on awareness and the factors that lead to the safety cases in construction project.

  19. Risk communication activities toward nuclear safety in Tokai: your safety is our safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuchiya, T.

    2007-01-01

    As several decades have passed since the construction of nuclear power plants began, residents have become gradually less interested in nuclear safety. The Tokai criticality accident in 1909, however, had roused residents in Tokai-Mura to realize that they live with nuclear technology risks. To prepare a field of risk communication, the Tokai-Mura C 3 project began as a pilot research project supported by NISA. Alter the project ended, we are continuing risk. communication activities as a non-profit organisation. The most important activity of C 3 project is the citizen's inspection programme for nuclear related facilities. This programme was decided by participants who voluntarily applied to the project. The concept of the citizen's inspection programme is 'not the usual facility tours'. Participants are involved from the planning stage and continue to communicate with workers of the inspected nuclear facility. Since 2003, we have conducted six programmes for five nuclear related organisations. Participants evaluated that radiation protection measures were near good but there were some problems concerning the worker's safety and safety culture, and proposed a mixture of advice based on personal experience. Some advice was accepted and it did improve the facility's safety measures. Other suggestions were not agreed upon by nuclear organisations. The reason lies in the difference of concept between the nuclear expert's 'safety' and the citizen's 'safety'. Residents do not worry about radiation only, but also about the facility's safety as a whole including the worker's safety. They say, 'If the workers are not safe, you also are unable to protect us'. Although the disagreement remained, the participants and the nuclear industry learned much about each other. Participating citizens received a substantial amount of knowledge about the nuclear industry and its safety measures, and feel the credibility and openness of the nuclear industry. On the other hand, the nuclear

  20. Safety Climate of Commercial Vehicle Operation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-01

    Enhancing the safety culture within trucking and motor coach industries has become a key area of concern given the potential impact it has on crashes and overall safety. Many organizations recognize that safety is compromised if the culture within th...

  1. Mobile Phone Network Operators' Actions on RF Safety (invited paper)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Causebrook, J.H.

    1999-01-01

    The current and possible future global penetration of mobile phone usage is given. Health and safety aspects relate to both the statutory requirements for the operation of their networks and the public perception of risks in using services provided by the operators. The coordination of this work nationally through trade associations is mentioned. GSM is the predominant standard used for the provision of global mobile phone services. The GSM MoU Association is introduced as the operators' coordination body worldwide for dealing with radio frequency (RF) health and safety issues through its sub-group, EBRC. The scope of the EBRC group is presented with the considerations used to determine if external research should be supported by the GSM MoU Association. A personal view is provided on the present quality of worldwide research on RF health and safety and some consideration is given as to what constitutes 'good' research. The mobile phone network operators' involvement in the science and application of epidemiological research is considered. Consideration is given to introducing risk/benefit analysis into the debate on the health and safety of mobile phone usage. The media presentation of the results of scientific work on this topic often leads to a falsely negative public perception of the perceived risks. This is made worse when such perceptions are used for the purposes of objecting to the deployment of network infrastructure. The operators' approach to RF health and safety procedures is outlined, with a clarification of the distinctions between near-field and far-field methodologies for the calculation of physical exclusion zones. It is concluded that the mobile phone operators are part of an industry which is safe and who work to ensure that their operations are seen to be safe in the context of the best available worldwide scientific knowledge and safety guidelines. (author)

  2. Safety concerns and hidden agenda behind HPV vaccines: another generation of drug-dependent society?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khatami, Mahin

    2016-12-01

    Analyses of data and hidden agenda behind repeated failed outcomes of cancer research and therapy, status of American health, safety concerns for HPV vaccines and future research considerations are summarized in this commentary. A closer look at cancer science reveals that highly power structure (system) in medical establishment vs. anti-system and chaos in cancer research ('medical/scientific ponzi schemes') is potent recipe for failed therapeutics that kills patients but generates huge corporate profit. American health status ranks last among other developed nations despite the highest amount that USA invests in healthcare. This is a wake-up call to make sure that the evil part of human being does not prevent the health services that the public deserves. Otherwise, 'it does not matter how many resources you have, if you don't know, or don't want to know, how to use them, they will never be enough'. Answer to cancer and improved public health is possible only by switching the current corruptive and abusive culture of 'who you know' to a culture of 'what you know'. Policy makers and professionals in decision making roles are urged to return to common sense and logics that our Forefathers used to serve the public.

  3. Radiation safety concerns and diagnostic reference levels for computed tomography scanners in Tamil Nadu

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Livingstone, Roshan S.; Dinakaran, Paul M.

    2011-01-01

    Radiation safety in computed tomography (CT) scanners is of concern due its widespread use in the field of radiological imaging. This study intends to evaluate radiation doses imparted to patients undergoing thorax, abdomen and pelvic CT examinations and formulate regional diagnostic reference levels (DRL) in Tamil Nadu, South India. In-site CT dose measurement was performed in 127 CT scanners in Tamil Nadu for a period of 2 years as a part of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)-funded project. Out of the 127 CT scanners,13 were conventional; 53 single-slice helical scanners (SSHS); 44 multislice CT (MSCT) scanners; and 17 refurbished scanners. CT dose index (CTDI) was measured using a 32-cm polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-body phantom in each CT scanner. Dose length product (DLP) for different anatomical regions was generated using CTDI values. The regional DRLs for thorax, abdomen and pelvis examinations were 557, 521 and 294 mGy cm, respectively. The mean effective dose was estimated using the DLP values and was found to be 8.04, 6.69 and 4.79 mSv for thorax, abdomen and pelvic CT examinations, respectively. The establishment of DRLs in this study is the first step towards optimization of CT doses in the Indian context. (author)

  4. 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

  5. Collection of laws and ordinances concerning regulation of atomic energy, 1989 edition. 1989 ed.

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    The collection of the laws and ordinances concerning the regulation of atomic energy, 1989 edition, was published by the Nuclear Safety Bureau, Science and Technology Agency. First, the abbreviated expressions of 56 laws and ordinances are shown. The contents are divided into Part 1: Fundamental laws and ordinances, Part 2: Regulation of nuclear source materials, nuclear fuel materials and nuclear reactors, Part 3: Prevention of radiation injuries due to radioactive isotopes and others, and Part 4: Related laws and ordinances. In Part 1, Atomic Energy Fundamental Act, Act of Institution of Atomic Energy Commission and Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, Law Concerning the Technical Standard for Prevention of Radiation Injuries and 9 others are included. In Part 2, Law Concerning Regulation of Nuclear Source Materials, Nuclear Fuel Materials and Nuclear Reactors and 45 others are included. In Part 3, Law Concerning Prevention of Radiation Injuries Due to Radioisotopes and Others and 25 others are included. In Part 4, Electricity Enterprises Act, Road Transport and Vehicles Act, Ships' Safety Law, Labor Safety and Hygiene Law, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute Law and 29 others are included. The contents are those as of November 30, 1988. (Kako, I.)

  6. Application of electron accelerator worldwide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Machi, Sueo

    2003-01-01

    Electron accelerator is an important radiation source for radiation technology, which covers broad fields such as industry, health care, food and environmental protection. There are about 1,000 electron accelerators for radiation processing worldwide. Electron accelerator has advantage over Co-60 irradiator in term of high dose rate and power, assurance of safety, and higher economic performance at larger volume of irradiation. Accelerator generating higher energy in the range of 10 MeV and high power electron beam is now commercially available. There is a trend to use high-energy electron accelerator replacing Co-60 in case of large through-put of medical products. Irradiated foods, in particular species, are on the commercial market in 35 countries. Electron accelerator is used efficiently and economically for production of new or modified polymeric materials through radiation-induced cross-linking, grafting and polymerization reaction. Another important application of electron beam is the curing of surface coatings in the manufacture of products. Electron accelerators of large capacity are used for cleaning exhaust gases in industrial scale. Economic feasibility studies of this electron beam process have shown that this technology is more cost effective than the conventional process. It should be noted that the conventional limestone process produce gypsum as a by-product, which cannot be used in some countries. By contrast, the by-product of the electron beam process is a valuable fertilizer. (Y. Tanaka)

  7. Application of electron accelerator worldwide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Machi, Sueo [Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc., Tokyo (Japan)

    2003-02-01

    Electron accelerator is an important radiation source for radiation technology, which covers broad fields such as industry, health care, food and environmental protection. There are about 1,000 electron accelerators for radiation processing worldwide. Electron accelerator has advantage over Co-60 irradiator in term of high dose rate and power, assurance of safety, and higher economic performance at larger volume of irradiation. Accelerator generating higher energy in the range of 10 MeV and high power electron beam is now commercially available. There is a trend to use high-energy electron accelerator replacing Co-60 in case of large through-put of medical products. Irradiated foods, in particular species, are on the commercial market in 35 countries. Electron accelerator is used efficiently and economically for production of new or modified polymeric materials through radiation-induced cross-linking, grafting and polymerization reaction. Another important application of electron beam is the curing of surface coatings in the manufacture of products. Electron accelerators of large capacity are used for cleaning exhaust gases in industrial scale. Economic feasibility studies of this electron beam process have shown that this technology is more cost effective than the conventional process. It should be noted that the conventional limestone process produce gypsum as a by-product, which cannot be used in some countries. By contrast, the by-product of the electron beam process is a valuable fertilizer. (Y. Tanaka)

  8. Niosomal encapsulation of ethambutol hydrochloride for increasing its efficacy and safety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Ridy, Mohammed Shafik; Yehia, Soad Aly; Kassem, Mahfouz Abd-El-Megeid; Mostafa, Dina Mahmoud; Nasr, Essam Amin; Asfour, Marwa Hasanin

    2015-01-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) is a worldwide health concern. In 2011, about 8.7 million new cases developed TB and 1.4 million people died from it. Enhancement of ethambutol hydrochloride activity and safety in treatment of TB through niosomal encapsulation. Niosomes were prepared by the thin-film hydration method. They were characterized, investigated for in vitro release, lung disposition and in vivo biological evaluation. Entrapment efficiency of ethambutol hydrochloride ranged from 12.20% to 25.81%. Zeta potential values inferred stability of neutral and negatively charged formulations. In vitro release was biphasic. Lung targeting was increased by niosomal encapsulation. Biological evaluation revealed superiority of niosomal ethambutol hydrochloride over the free drug. Neutral and negatively charged niosomal vesicles are dispersed homogenously unlike positively charged vesicles. Niosomal encapsulation results in controlled drug release. Niosomal formulations targeted more drugs to mice lungs for a prolonged period of time resulting in: decreased root-specific lung weight, bacterial counts in lung homogenates and optimizing pathological effect on guinea pigs lungs, livers and spleens. Encapsulation of ethambutol hydrochloride in niosomal formulations for the treatment of TB provides higher efficacy and safety compared with the free drug.

  9. Materials for lithium-ion battery safety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Kai; Liu, Yayuan; Lin, Dingchang; Pei, Allen; Cui, Yi

    2018-06-01

    Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered to be one of the most important energy storage technologies. As the energy density of batteries increases, battery safety becomes even more critical if the energy is released unintentionally. Accidents related to fires and explosions of LIBs occur frequently worldwide. Some have caused serious threats to human life and health and have led to numerous product recalls by manufacturers. These incidents are reminders that safety is a prerequisite for batteries, and serious issues need to be resolved before the future application of high-energy battery systems. This Review aims to summarize the fundamentals of the origins of LIB safety issues and highlight recent key progress in materials design to improve LIB safety. We anticipate that this Review will inspire further improvement in battery safety, especially for emerging LIBs with high-energy density.

  10. Topical points of community policy concerning nuclear safety relevant to the Internal Market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schroeder, M.

    1991-01-01

    Starting with the Internal Market concept, the lecture describes general and specific expectations directed to the nuclear community from a point of view of nuclear safety, and analyzes those aspects of nuclear safety, EC policy focuses on. There are the following chapters: 1. Selection of sites for nuclear installations, 2. installation and reactor safety, 3. radioactive waste management, 4. decommissioning of nuclear installations, 5. radioactive waste storage, 6. coping with nuclear accidents and other radiological emergency situations. Sophistication of public health and environmental protection within the framework of the EURATOM Treaty is seen in connection with interim and final storage as well as reprocessing of radioactive waste, and with the decommissioning of nuclear facilities on the basis of section 30 ff., and installation and reactor safety on the basis of section 203 EURATOM Treaty. Improving the protection of public health in particular is possible and necessary in order to make the EURATOM community into a proper nuclear community of law. (orig./HSCH) [de

  11. 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...

  12. The transport safety programme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selling, H.A.

    1994-01-01

    The transport safety programme is one of the smaller technical sub-programmes in the Radiation Safety Section of the Division of Nuclear Safety, in terms of both regular budget and professional staff allocations. The overall aim of the programme is to promote the safe movement of radioactive material worldwide. The specific objectives are the development, review and maintenance of the Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, Safety Series No 6, and its supporting documents Safety Series Nos 7, 37 and 80 and the assistance to Member States and International Organizations in the proper implementation of the Regulations. One of the important issues that emerged during an ongoing Review/Revision process is the transport of Low-Specific Activity (LSA) material and Surface Contaminated Objects (SCO). Many of the radioactive waste materials fall in one of these categories. The subject has gained substance because it is expected that in the next decade radioactive waste could become available in so far unprecedented quantities and volumes due to decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. (author)

  13. Hydrogen Technologies Safety Guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rivkin, C. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Burgess, R. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Buttner, W. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this guide is to provide basic background information on hydrogen technologies. It is intended to provide project developers, code officials, and other interested parties the background information to be able to put hydrogen safety in context. For example, code officials reviewing permit applications for hydrogen projects will get an understanding of the industrial history of hydrogen, basic safety concerns, and safety requirements.

  14. Study on safety of a nuclear ship having an integral marine water reactor. Intelligent information database program concerned with thermal-hydraulic characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inasaka, Fujio; Nariai, Hideki; Kobayashi, Michiyuki; Murata, Hiroyuki; Aya, Izuo

    2001-01-01

    As a high economical marine reactor with sufficient safety functions, an integrated type marine water reactor has been considered most promising. At the National Maritime Research Institute, a series of the experimental studies on the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of an integrated/passive-safety type marine water reactor such as the flow boiling of a helical-coil type steam generator, natural circulation of primary water under a ship rolling motion and flashing-condensation oscillation phenomena in pool water has been conducted. This current study aims at making use of the safety analysis or evaluation of a future marine water reactor by developing an intelligent information database program concerned with the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of an integral/passive-safety reactor on the basis of the above-mentioned valuable experimental knowledge. Since the program was created as a Windows application using the Visual Basic, it is available to the public and can be easily installed in the operating system. Main functions of the program are as follows: (1) steady state flow boiling analysis and determination of stability limit for any helical-coil type once-through steam generator design. (2) analysis and comparison with the flow boiling data, (3) reference and graphic display of the experimental data, (4) indication of the knowledge information such as analysis method and results of the study. The program will be useful for the design of not only the future integrated type marine water reactor but also the small sized water reactor. (author)

  15. Safety concerning the alteration in fuel material usage (new installation of the uranium enrichment pilot plant) at Ningyo Pass Mine of Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-01-01

    A report of the Committee on Examination of Nuclear Fuel Safety was presented to the Atomic Energy Commission of Japan, which is concerned with the safety in the alteration of fuel material usage (new installation of the uranium enrichment pilot plant) at the Ningyo Pass Mine. Its safety was confirmed. The alteration, i.e. installation of the uranium enrichment pilot plant, is as follows. Intended for the overall test of centrifugal uranium enrichment technology, the pilot plant includes a two-storied main building of about 9,000 m 2 floor space, containing centrifuges, UF 6 equipment, etc., a uranium storage of about 1,000 m 2 floor space, and a waste water treatment facility, two-storied with about 300 m 2 floor space. The contents of the examination are safety of the facilities, criticality control, radiation control, waste treatment, and effects of accidents on the surrounding environment. (Mori, K

  16. Innovation in Science Education - World-Wide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baez, Albert V.

    The purpose of this book is to promote improvements in science education, world-wide, but particularly in developing countries. It is addressed to those in positions to make effective contributions to the improvement of science education. The world-wide role of science education, the goals of innovative activities, past experience in efforts to…

  17. Regulatory oversight report 2007 concerning nuclear safety in Swiss nuclear installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-04-01

    This annual report issued by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Inspectorate (HSK) reports on the work carried out by the Inspectorate in 2007. This report reviews the regulatory activities in the four Swiss nuclear power stations and in four further nuclear installations in various Swiss research facilities. It deals with topics such as operational details, technologies in use, radiation protection, radioactive wastes, emergency dispositions and personnel and provides an assessment of operations from the point of view of safety. Also, the transportation of nuclear materials - both nuclear fuels and nuclear wastes - is reported on. General topics discussed include probabilistic safety analyses and accident management. Finally, the disposal of nuclear wastes and work done in the rock laboratories in Switzerland is commented on

  18. Protocol between the Nuclear Protection and Safety Bureau of Portugal and the Nuclear Energy Commission of Spain on Technical Information concerning Nuclear Installations in Border Areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-01-01

    This Protocol was concluded under the Agreement of the same date on the safety of nuclear installations in border areas. Its purpose is to prescribe the type of information referred to in the Agreement. It lays down in detail all the documents to be supplied concerning the siting, construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear installations, including the geological, seismological, meteorological, hydrological and ecological aspects of the sites concerned, for purposes of environmental protection; the characteristics of the projected installations and emergency plans must also be provided. Similarly to the Agreement, this Protocol will remain in force for a period of ten years. (NEA) [fr

  19. IAEA activities in nuclear safety: future perspectives. Spanish Nuclear Safety Council, Madrid, 28 May 1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    ElBaradei, M.

    1998-01-01

    The document represents the conference given by the Director General of the IAEA at the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council in Madrid, on 28 May 1998, on Agency's activities in nuclear safety. The following aspects are emphasized: Agency's role in creating a legally binding nuclear safety regime, non-binding safety standards, services provided by the Agency to assist its Member States in the Application of safety standards, Agency's nuclear safety strategy, and future perspective concerning safety aspects related to radioactive wastes, residues of past nuclear activities, and security of radiological sources

  20. NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connell, Linda J.

    2017-01-01

    The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) collects, analyzes, and distributes de-identified safety information provided through confidentially submitted reports from frontline aviation personnel. Since its inception in 1976, the ASRS has collected over 1.4 million reports and has never breached the identity of the people sharing their information about events or safety issues. From this volume of data, the ASRS has released over 6,000 aviation safety alerts concerning potential hazards and safety concerns. The ASRS processes these reports, evaluates the information, and provides selected de-identified report information through the online ASRS Database at http:asrs.arc.nasa.gov. The NASA ASRS is also a founding member of the International Confidential Aviation Safety Systems (ICASS) group which is a collection of other national aviation reporting systems throughout the world. The ASRS model has also been replicated for application to improving safety in railroad, medical, fire fighting, and other domains. This presentation will discuss confidential, voluntary, and non-punitive reporting systems and their advantages in providing information for safety improvements.

  1. Review of activities concerning sodium water reaction in LMFBR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajput, A.K.

    1984-01-01

    This paper presents a review of activities concerning safety engineering programme for steam generators of FBT reactor in India. Leak rate and its effect and leak detection system are briefly discussed

  2. Leadership and Management for Safety. General Safety Requirements (Arabic Edition)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    This Safety Requirements publication establishes requirements that support Principle 3 of the Fundamental Safety Principles in relation to establishing, sustaining and continuously improving leadership and management for safety and an integrated management system. It emphasizes that leadership for safety, management for safety, an effective management system and a systemic approach (i.e. an approach in which interactions between technical, human and organizational factors are duly considered) are all essential to the specification and application of adequate safety measures and to the fostering of a strong safety culture. Leadership and an effective management system will integrate safety, health, environmental, security, quality, human-and-organizational factors, societal and economic elements. The management system will ensure the fostering of a strong safety culture, regular assessment of performance and the application of lessons from experience. The publication is intended for use by regulatory bodies, operating organizations and other organizations concerned with facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks.

  3. Leadership and Management for Safety. General Safety Requirements (Chinese Edition)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    This Safety Requirements publication establishes requirements that support Principle 3 of the Fundamental Safety Principles in relation to establishing, sustaining and continuously improving leadership and management for safety and an integrated management system. It emphasizes that leadership for safety, management for safety, an effective management system and a systemic approach (i.e. an approach in which interactions between technical, human and organizational factors are duly considered) are all essential to the specification and application of adequate safety measures and to the fostering of a strong safety culture. Leadership and an effective management system will integrate safety, health, environmental, security, quality, human-and-organizational factors, societal and economic elements. The management system will ensure the fostering of a strong safety culture, regular assessment of performance and the application of lessons from experience. The publication is intended for use by regulatory bodies, operating organizations and other organizations concerned with facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks.

  4. Leadership and Management for Safety. General Safety Requirements (French Edition)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    This Safety Requirements publication establishes requirements that support Principle 3 of the Fundamental Safety Principles in relation to establishing, sustaining and continuously improving leadership and management for safety and an integrated management system. It emphasizes that leadership for safety, management for safety, an effective management system and a systemic approach (i.e. an approach in which interactions between technical, human and organizational factors are duly considered) are all essential to the specification and application of adequate safety measures and to the fostering of a strong safety culture. Leadership and an effective management system will integrate safety, health, environmental, security, quality, human-and-organizational factors, societal and economic elements. The management system will ensure the fostering of a strong safety culture, regular assessment of performance and the application of lessons from experience. The publication is intended for use by regulatory bodies, operating organizations and other organizations concerned with facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks.

  5. Leadership and Management for Safety. General Safety Requirements (Spanish Edition)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2017-01-01

    his Safety Requirements publication establishes requirements that support Principle 3 of the Fundamental Safety Principles in relation to establishing, sustaining and continuously improving leadership and management for safety and an integrated management system. It emphasizes that leadership for safety, management for safety, an effective management system and a systemic approach (i.e. an approach in which interactions between technical, human and organizational factors are duly considered) are all essential to the specification and application of adequate safety measures and to the fostering of a strong safety culture. Leadership and an effective management system will integrate safety, health, environmental, security, quality, human-and-organizational factors, societal and economic elements. The management system will ensure the fostering of a strong safety culture, regular assessment of performance and the application of lessons from experience. The publication is intended for use by regulatory bodies, operating organizations and other organizations concerned with facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks.

  6. Effective vaccine safety systems in all countries: a challenge for more equitable access to immunization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amarasinghe, Ananda; Black, Steve; Bonhoeffer, Jan; Carvalho, Sandra M Deotti; Dodoo, Alexander; Eskola, Juhani; Larson, Heidi; Shin, Sunheang; Olsson, Sten; Balakrishnan, Madhava Ram; Bellah, Ahmed; Lambach, Philipp; Maure, Christine; Wood, David; Zuber, Patrick; Akanmori, Bartholomew; Bravo, Pamela; Pombo, María; Langar, Houda; Pfeifer, Dina; Guichard, Stéphane; Diorditsa, Sergey; Hossain, Md Shafiqul; Sato, Yoshikuni

    2013-04-18

    Serious vaccine-associated adverse events are rare. To further minimize their occurrence and to provide adequate care to those affected, careful monitoring of immunization programs and case management is required. Unfounded vaccine safety concerns have the potential of seriously derailing effective immunization activities. To address these issues, vaccine pharmacovigilance systems have been developed in many industrialized countries. As new vaccine products become available to prevent new diseases in various parts of the world, the demand for effective pharmacovigilance systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is increasing. To help establish such systems in all countries, WHO developed the Global Vaccine Safety Blueprint in 2011. This strategic plan is based on an in-depth analysis of the vaccine safety landscape that involved many stakeholders. This analysis reviewed existing systems and international vaccine safety activities and assessed the financial resources required to operate them. The Blueprint sets three main strategic goals to optimize the safety of vaccines through effective use of pharmacovigilance principles and methods: to ensure minimal vaccine safety capacity in all countries; to provide enhanced capacity for specific circumstances; and to establish a global support network to assist national authorities with capacity building and crisis management. In early 2012, the Global Vaccine Safety Initiative (GVSI) was launched to bring together and explore synergies among on-going vaccine safety activities. The Global Vaccine Action Plan has identified the Blueprint as its vaccine safety strategy. There is an enormous opportunity to raise awareness for vaccine safety in LMIC and to garner support from a large number of stakeholders for the GVSI between now and 2020. Synergies and resource mobilization opportunities presented by the Decade of Vaccines can enhance monitoring and response to vaccine safety issues, thereby leading to more equitable

  7. Food safety concerns deriving from the use of silver based food packaging materials: a case study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra ePezzuto

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The formulation of innovative packaging solutions, exerting a functional antimicrobial role in slowing down food spoilage, is expected to have a significant impact on the food industry, allowing both the maintenance of food safety criteria for longer periods and the reduction of food waste. Different materials are considered able to exert the required antimicrobial activity, among which are materials containing silver. However, challenges exist in the application of silver to food contact materials due to knowledge gaps in the production of ingredients, stability of delivery systems in food matrices and health risks caused by the same properties which also offer the benefits. Aims of the present study were to test the effectiveness and suitability of two packaging systems, one of which contained silver, for packaging and storing Stracchino cheese, a typical Italian fresh cheese, and to investigate if there was any potential for consumers to be exposed to silver, via migration from the packaging to the cheese. Results did not show any significant difference in the effectiveness of the packaging systems on packaged Stracchino cheese, excluding that the active packaging systems exerted an inhibitory effect on the growth of spoilage microorganisms. Moreover, silver migrated into the cheese matrix throughout the storage time (24 days. Silver levels in cheese finally exceeded the maximum established level for the migration of a non-authorised substance through a functional barrier (Commission Regulation (EC No. 450/2009. This result poses safety concerns and strongly suggests the need for more research aimed at better characterizing the new packaging materials in terms of their potential impacts on human health and the environment.

  8. Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aikaterini Toska

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Due to a variety of circumstances and world-wide research findings, patient safety andquality care during hospitalization have emerged as major issues. Patient safety deficits may burdenhealth systems as well as allocated resources. The international community has examined severalproposals covering general and systemic aspects in order to improve patient safety; several long-termprograms and strategies have also been implemented promoting the participation of health-relatedagents, and also government agencies and non-governmental organizations.Aim: Those factors that have negative correlations with patient safety and quality healthcare weredetermined; WHO and EU programs as well as the Greek health policy were also reviewed.Method: Local and international literature was reviewed, including EU and WHO official publications,by using the appropriate keywords.Conclusions: International cooperation on patient safety is necessary in order to improvehospitalization and healthcare quality standards. Such incentives depend heavily on establishing worldwideviable and effective health programs and planning. These improvements also require further stepson safe work procedures, environment safety, hazard management, infection control, safe use ofequipment and medication, and sufficient healthcare staff.

  9. Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2012

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-07-01

    The Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2012 contains an analytical overview of the dominant trends, issues and challenges worldwide in 2011 and the Agency's efforts to strengthen the global nuclear safety framework. This year's report also highlights issues and activities related to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The analytical overview is supported by the Appendix at the end of this document, entitled: The IAEA Safety Standards: Activities during 2011. A draft version of the Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2012 was submitted to the March 2012 session of the Board of Governors in document GOV/2012/6. The final version of the Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2012 was prepared in light of the discussions held during the Board of Governors and also of the comments received.

  10. Seismic reevaluation of nuclear facilities worldwide: Overview and status

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Campbell, R D; Hardy, G S; Ravindra, M K [EQE International, Irvine, CA (United States); Johnson, J J [EQE International, San Francisco, CA (United States); Hoy, A J [EQE International Ltd., Birchwood, Warrington (United Kingdom)

    1995-07-01

    Existing nuclear facilities throughout the world are being subjected to severe scrutiny of their safety in tile event of an earthquake. In the United States, there have been several licensing and safety review issues for which industry and regulatory agencies have cooperated to develop rational and economically feasible criteria for resolving the issues. Currently, all operating nuclear power plants in the United States are conducting an Individual Plant Examination of External Events, including earthquakes beyond tile design basis. About two-thirds of tile operating plants are conducting parallel programs for verifying, tile seismic adequacy of equipment for the design basis earthquake. The U.S. Department of Energy is also beginning to perform detailed evaluations of their facilities, many of which had little or no seismic design. Western European countries also have been reevaluating their older nuclear power plants for seismic events often adapting the criteria developed in the United States. With the change in tile political systems in Eastern Europe, there is a strong emphasis from their Western European neighbors to evaluate and Upgrade tile safely of their operating nuclear power plants. Finally, nuclear facilities in Asia are, also, being evaluated for seismic vulnerabilities. This paper focuses oil tile methodologies that have been developed for reevaluation of existing nuclear power plants and presents examples of the application of these methodologies to nuclear facilities worldwide. (author)

  11. Seismic reevaluation of nuclear facilities worldwide: Overview and status

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campbell, R.D.; Hardy, G.S.; Ravindra, M.K.; Johnson, J.J.; Hoy, A.J.

    1995-01-01

    Existing nuclear facilities throughout the world are being subjected to severe scrutiny of their safety in tile event of an earthquake. In the United States, there have been several licensing and safety review issues for which industry and regulatory agencies have cooperated to develop rational and economically feasible criteria for resolving the issues. Currently, all operating nuclear power plants in the United States are conducting an Individual Plant Examination of External Events, including earthquakes beyond tile design basis. About two-thirds of tile operating plants are conducting parallel programs for verifying, tile seismic adequacy of equipment for the design basis earthquake. The U.S. Department of Energy is also beginning to perform detailed evaluations of their facilities, many of which had little or no seismic design. Western European countries also have been reevaluating their older nuclear power plants for seismic events often adapting the criteria developed in the United States. With the change in tile political systems in Eastern Europe, there is a strong emphasis from their Western European neighbors to evaluate and Upgrade tile safely of their operating nuclear power plants. Finally, nuclear facilities in Asia are, also, being evaluated for seismic vulnerabilities. This paper focuses oil tile methodologies that have been developed for reevaluation of existing nuclear power plants and presents examples of the application of these methodologies to nuclear facilities worldwide. (author)

  12. “Is it still safe to eat traditional food?” Addressing traditional food safety concerns in aboriginal communities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bordeleau, Serge, E-mail: Serge.Bordeleau@uqat.ca [Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Foresterie Autochtone, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 445 boul. de l' Université, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec J9X 5E4 (Canada); Chaire Industrielle CRSNG-UQAT-UQÀM en Aménagement Forestier Durable, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 445 boul. de l' Université, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec J9X 5E4 (Canada); Asselin, Hugo, E-mail: Hugo.Asselin@uqat.ca [Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Foresterie Autochtone, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 445 boul. de l' Université, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec J9X 5E4 (Canada); Chaire Industrielle CRSNG-UQAT-UQÀM en Aménagement Forestier Durable, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 445 boul. de l' Université, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec J9X 5E4 (Canada); and others

    2016-09-15

    Food insecurity is a growing concern for indigenous communities worldwide. While the risk of heavy metal contamination associated to wild food consumption has been extensively studied in the Arctic, data are scarce for the Boreal zone. This study addressed the concerns over possible heavy metal exposure through consumption of traditional food in four Anishnaabeg communities living in the Eastern North American boreal forest. Liver and meat samples were obtained from 196 snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) trapped during winter 2012 across the traditional lands of the participating communities and within 56–156 km of a copper smelter. Interviews were conducted with 78 household heads to assess traditional food habits, focusing on snowshoe hare consumption. Concentrations in most meat and liver samples were below the detection limit for As, Co, Cr, Ni and Pb. Very few meat samples had detectable Cd and Hg concentrations, but liver samples had mean dry weight concentrations of 3.79 mg/kg and 0.15 mg/kg respectively. Distance and orientation from the smelter did not explain the variability between samples, but percent deciduous and mixed forest cover had a marginal negative effect on liver Cd, Cu and Zn concentrations. The estimated exposition risk from snowshoe hare consumption was low, although heavy consumers could slightly exceed recommended Hg doses. In accordance with the holistic perspective commonly adopted by indigenous people, the nutritional and sociocultural importance of traditional food must be considered in risk assessment. Traditional food plays a significant role in reducing and preventing serious health issues disproportionately affecting First Nations, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Traditional consumption of snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) entails low risk of heavy metal exposure if animals are tapped > 50 km from a point emission source (such as a copper smelter in the present study), if risk-increasing behaviours are

  13. “Is it still safe to eat traditional food?” Addressing traditional food safety concerns in aboriginal communities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bordeleau, Serge; Asselin, Hugo

    2016-01-01

    Food insecurity is a growing concern for indigenous communities worldwide. While the risk of heavy metal contamination associated to wild food consumption has been extensively studied in the Arctic, data are scarce for the Boreal zone. This study addressed the concerns over possible heavy metal exposure through consumption of traditional food in four Anishnaabeg communities living in the Eastern North American boreal forest. Liver and meat samples were obtained from 196 snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) trapped during winter 2012 across the traditional lands of the participating communities and within 56–156 km of a copper smelter. Interviews were conducted with 78 household heads to assess traditional food habits, focusing on snowshoe hare consumption. Concentrations in most meat and liver samples were below the detection limit for As, Co, Cr, Ni and Pb. Very few meat samples had detectable Cd and Hg concentrations, but liver samples had mean dry weight concentrations of 3.79 mg/kg and 0.15 mg/kg respectively. Distance and orientation from the smelter did not explain the variability between samples, but percent deciduous and mixed forest cover had a marginal negative effect on liver Cd, Cu and Zn concentrations. The estimated exposition risk from snowshoe hare consumption was low, although heavy consumers could slightly exceed recommended Hg doses. In accordance with the holistic perspective commonly adopted by indigenous people, the nutritional and sociocultural importance of traditional food must be considered in risk assessment. Traditional food plays a significant role in reducing and preventing serious health issues disproportionately affecting First Nations, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Traditional consumption of snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) entails low risk of heavy metal exposure if animals are tapped > 50 km from a point emission source (such as a copper smelter in the present study), if risk-increasing behaviours are

  14. Optimization method concerning target conflicts between safety aspects and occupational safety aspects in nuclear power plant operations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, W.

    1991-01-01

    The simplified cost-benefit analysis has not been considered for applications in nuclear engineering with complex decisions between safety aspects and occupational safety aspects. The extended cost-benefit analysis encounters problems with non-monetary criteria. Solutions are in sight, however with a subjective element. A major problem in implementing the method is the psychological barrier as against an evaluation of human life. The multi-attribute utility analysis overcomes the difficulties of the extended cost-benefit analysis, however, it also creates new problems on account of the complicated construction of the utility functions. The problems are solved most elegantly with the multi-criteria outranking analysis, the only disadvantage possibly being less transparency at first sight. (orig./HP) [de

  15. 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...

  16. World-wide anthropogenic climate changes: facts, uncertainties and open questions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schoenwiese, C.D.

    1994-01-01

    Various human activities are, without a doubt, leading to a steady increase world-wide in the emissions of trace gases which affect the climate into the atmosphere. As a result, the global climate is also forced to change. The evidence from climate models regarding this is uncertain, however, both with respect to the quantitative aspect and the regional aspect, especially concerning climatic elements apart from temperature. It is therefore important to examine the data of climate history for anthropogenic climate signals. It is difficult, though, to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic climate effects. Despite these uncertainties, however, which result in many questions remaining open, estimations of risk and the principle of responsibility lead to immediate, international climate protection measures being demanded. (orig.) [de

  17. The Role of OSHA in Safety and Health. Module SH-02. Safety and Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

    This student module on the role of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) in Safety and Health is one of 50 modules concerned with job safety and health. This module looks at the OSHA Act, its aims, and the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers under the Act. Following the introduction, 16 objectives (each keyed to a page in the…

  18. Safety assessment of botanicals and botanical preparations used as ingredients in food supplements: testing an European Food Safety Authority-tiered approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speijers, Gerrit; Bottex, Bernard; Dusemund, Birgit; Lugasi, Andrea; Tóth, Jaroslav; Amberg-Müller, Judith; Galli, Corrado L; Silano, Vittorio; Rietjens, Ivonne M C M

    2010-02-01

    This article describes results obtained by testing the European Food Safety Authority-tiered guidance approach for safety assessment of botanicals and botanical preparations intended for use in food supplements. Main conclusions emerging are as follows. (i) Botanical ingredients must be identified by their scientific (binomial) name, in most cases down to the subspecies level or lower. (ii) Adequate characterization and description of the botanical parts and preparation methodology used is needed. Safety of a botanical ingredient cannot be assumed only relying on the long-term safe use of other preparations of the same botanical. (iii) Because of possible adulterations, misclassifications, replacements or falsifications, and restorations, establishment of adequate quality control is necessary. (iv) The strength of the evidence underlying concerns over a botanical ingredient should be included in the safety assessment. (v) The matrix effect should be taken into account in the safety assessment on a case-by-case basis. (vi) Adequate data and methods for appropriate exposure assessment are often missing. (vii) Safety regulations concerning toxic contaminants have to be complied with. The application of the guidance approach can result in the conclusion that safety can be presumed, that the botanical ingredient is of safety concern, or that further data are needed to assess safety.

  19. Overview of the environmental concerns of coal transportation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bertram, K.; Dauzvardis, P.; Fradkin, L.; Surles, T.

    1980-02-01

    More than 30 environmental concerns were analyzed for the transportation of coal by rail, roads (trucks), high voltage transmission lines (that is, from mine-mouth generating plants to distribution networks), coal slurry pipelines, and barges. The following criteria were used to identify these problems: (1) real physical environmetal impacts for which control technologies must be developed, or regulation made effective where control technologies presently exist; (2) the level of impact is uncertain, although the potential impact may be moderate to high; (3) the concerns identified by the first two criteria are specific to or exacerbated by coal transportation. Generic transportation problems are not included. The significant environmental problems identified as a result of this study are: (1) rail transport - community traffic disruption and human health, safety, and habitat destruction; (2) coal haul roads - road degradation, traffic congestion and safety, air quality, and noise; (3) high voltage transmission lines - changed land use without local benefits, biological health and safety effects, and disruption of world weather patterns; (4) slurry pipelines - water availability, water quality, and possible spills from non-water slurry pipelines; and (5) barge transport - impacts common to all barge traffic. (DMC)

  20. Food Safety as a contributor to Food Security: global policy concerns & challenges

    OpenAIRE

    Vijay Kumar Chattu

    2015-01-01

    The theme for World Health Day campaign for this year 2015 is “Food safety: from farm to plate, make food safe”. The day focuses on demonstrating the importance of food safety along the whole length of the food chain in a globalized world, from production and transport, to preparation and consumption (1). Everyone needs food and needs it every day either plant sources or animal sources or both. The food we eat must be nutritious and safe but we often ignore or overlook the issue of food safet...

  1. Maturing safety in the UK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Debenham, A.; Kovan, D.

    1994-01-01

    AEA Technology provides UK nuclear industry with technical services and R+D support, concentrating on plant performance, safety and environmental issues. Today, safety has a new set of priorities, reflected by a more demanding regulatory regime which takes account of concerns such as human factors, severe accidents, risks during plant outages, the need for improving safety culture, etc

  2. 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.

  3. Enhancing operational safety

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiebe, J S

    1997-09-01

    The presentation briefly considers the following aspects concerning enhancing operational safety of NPP: licensed control room supervision, reactivity changes, personnel access to control room, simulator training.

  4. Safety first. Yes, but which safety?; Primat der Sicherheit. Ja, aber welche Sicherheit ist gemeint?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roehlig, Klaus-Juergen [Technische Univ. Clausthal, Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany). Inst. fuer Endlagerforschung; Eckhardt, Anne [risicare GmbH, Zollikerberg (Switzerland)

    2017-09-01

    The site selection law in Germany and the final report of the final repository commission state the central objective to find a repository site that will guarantee safety for the next million of years. Decision makers, concerned and interested people have obviously different opinions and acceptance criteria with respect to the tools for the demonstration of safety (safety case). Possible solutions for a broad acceptance of safety definitions are discussed.

  5. Lumbar epidural catheter placement in the presence of low back tattoos: a review of the safety concerns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welliver, Dawn; Welliver, Mark; Carroll, Tammy; James, Peggy

    2010-06-01

    Current fashion in body art includes low back tattoos of varying designs and colors, a trend that presents unique concerns for anesthesia providers. Does the placement of epidural catheters risk the introduction of tattoo pigment dyes into the epidural space through the process of coring? Are there specific risks associated with tattoo dyes and epidural needle placement? We performed a comprehensive review of the literature using multiple search databases with the intent to form guidelines for practice using a level of evidence taxonomy. The available evidence does not identify any specific risks associated with epidural catheter placement through low back tattoos, although tissue coring with tissue transport to deeper sites has been confirmed. Continued investigation is necessary before comprehensive practice guidelines regarding the practice of placing epidural needles and catheters through lumbar tattoos can be developed. We suggest avoidance of piercing tattoos when performing epidural punctures until there is sound evidence of short-term and long-term safety.

  6. Patient safety education at Japanese medical schools: results of a nationwide survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeda, Shoichi; Kamishiraki, Etsuko; Starkey, Jay

    2012-05-10

    Patient safety education, including error prevention strategies and management of adverse events, has become a topic of worldwide concern. The importance of the patient safety is also recognized in Japan following two serious medical accidents in 1999. Furthermore, educational curriculum guideline revisions in 2008 by relevant the Ministry of Education includes patient safety as part of the core medical curriculum. However, little is known about the patient safety education in Japanese medical schools partly because a comprehensive study has not yet been conducted in this field. Therefore, we have conducted a nationwide survey in order to clarify the current status of patient safety education at medical schools in Japan. Response rate was 60.0% (n = 48/80). Ninety-eight-percent of respondents (n = 47/48) reported integration of patient safety education into their curricula. Thirty-nine percent reported devoting less than five hours to the topic. All schools that teach patient safety reported use of lecture based teaching methods while few used alternative methods, such as role-playing or in-hospital training. Topics related to medical error theory and legal ramifications of error are widely taught while practical topics related to error analysis such as root cause analysis are less often covered. Based on responses to our survey, most Japanese medical schools have incorporated the topic of patient safety into their curricula. However, the number of hours devoted to the patient safety education is far from the sufficient level with forty percent of medical schools that devote five hours or less to it. In addition, most medical schools employ only the lecture based learning, lacking diversity in teaching methods. Although most medical schools cover basic error theory, error analysis is taught at fewer schools. We still need to make improvements to our medical safety curricula. We believe that this study has the implications for the rest of the world as a

  7. Patient safety education at Japanese medical schools: results of a nationwide survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maeda Shoichi

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Patient safety education, including error prevention strategies and management of adverse events, has become a topic of worldwide concern. The importance of the patient safety is also recognized in Japan following two serious medical accidents in 1999. Furthermore, educational curriculum guideline revisions in 2008 by relevant the Ministry of Education includes patient safety as part of the core medical curriculum. However, little is known about the patient safety education in Japanese medical schools partly because a comprehensive study has not yet been conducted in this field. Therefore, we have conducted a nationwide survey in order to clarify the current status of patient safety education at medical schools in Japan. Results Response rate was 60.0% (n = 48/80. Ninety-eight-percent of respondents (n = 47/48 reported integration of patient safety education into their curricula. Thirty-nine percent reported devoting less than five hours to the topic. All schools that teach patient safety reported use of lecture based teaching methods while few used alternative methods, such as role-playing or in-hospital training. Topics related to medical error theory and legal ramifications of error are widely taught while practical topics related to error analysis such as root cause analysis are less often covered. Conclusions Based on responses to our survey, most Japanese medical schools have incorporated the topic of patient safety into their curricula. However, the number of hours devoted to the patient safety education is far from the sufficient level with forty percent of medical schools that devote five hours or less to it. In addition, most medical schools employ only the lecture based learning, lacking diversity in teaching methods. Although most medical schools cover basic error theory, error analysis is taught at fewer schools. We still need to make improvements to our medical safety curricula. We believe that this

  8. Aviation safety and ICAO

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huang, Jiefang

    2009-01-01

    The thesis addresses the issue of aviation safety under the rule of law. Aviation safety is a global concern. While air transport is considered a safe mode of travel, it is susceptible to inherent risks of flight, the use of force, and terrorist acts. Consequently, within the framework of the

  9. Fiscal 1997 survey report. Subtask 3 (hydrogen utilization worldwide clean system technology) (WE-NET) (total system conceptual design/safety measures/evaluation technology); 1997 nendo seika hokokusho. Suiso riyo kokusai clean energy system gijutsu (WE-NET) subtask 3 zentai system gainen sekkei - anzen taisaku hyoka gijutsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-03-01

    Concerning the study of safety measures in WE-NET, the paper described the fiscal 1997 results. For drawing up a policy for safety design, technology of preserving hydrogen at high temperature/pressure, continuing collecting information on existing plants (liquid hydrogen, LNG). Investigating manuals of NASA and NASDA and also referring to people`s opinions at chemical plants, etc., the study entered into the setting-up of the safety policy and design standards. Examples of anomalies/accidents were extracted, and classification/arrangement were commenced of the measures for anomalies of detection/prevention/protection. Toward the diffusion of hydrogen and the enhancement and unification of explosion/fire simulation models, the extraction of problems has been almost finished. The second mini work shop on safety was held in the U.S., and exchanges of information were made among researchers of each country. All agreed on the importance of collecting data as the base of safety standards. As to safety measures in various tests using combustor evaluation experimental facilities, experimental equipment for materials under liquid hydrogen and experimental equipment of thermal insulation under liquid hydrogen, problems were extracted between researchers and people concerned with safety measures, and the measures to solve them were studied. 18 refs., 31 figs., 10 tabs.

  10. Applying Systems Thinking to Law Enforcement Safety: Recommendation for a Comprehensive Safety Management Framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-01

    injuries can also lead to other significant health concerns such as depression and absenteeism , which impact organizational productivity and safety...injuries is important: (1) to determine the impact of costs such as lost wages, medical expenses and insurance claims, as well as productivity ... production and operational safety; and a sustaining institutional culture.53 Safety is often not the primary goal of organizations, as other business or

  11. Worldwide satellite market demand forecast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowyer, J. M.; Frankfort, M.; Steinnagel, K. M.

    1981-01-01

    The forecast is for the years 1981 - 2000 with benchmark years at 1985, 1990 and 2000. Two typs of markets are considered for this study: Hardware (worldwide total) - satellites, earth stations and control facilities (includes replacements and spares); and non-hardware (addressable by U.S. industry) - planning, launch, turnkey systems and operations. These markets were examined for the INTELSAT System (international systems and domestic and regional systems using leased transponders) and domestic and regional systems. Forecasts were determined for six worldwide regions encompassing 185 countries using actual costs for existing equipment and engineering estimates of costs for advanced systems. Most likely (conservative growth rate estimates) and optimistic (mid range growth rate estimates) scenarios were employed for arriving at the forecasts which are presented in constant 1980 U.S. dollars. The worldwide satellite market demand forecast predicts that the market between 181 and 2000 will range from $35 to $50 billion. Approximately one-half of the world market, $16 to $20 billion, will be generated in the United States.

  12. Validity of your safety awareness training

    CERN Multimedia

    DG Unit

    2010-01-01

    AIS is setting up an automatic e-mail reminder system for safety training. You are invited to forward this message to everyone concerned. Reminder: Please check the validity of your Safety courses Since April 2009 the compulsory basic Safety awareness courses (levels 1, 2 and 3) have been accessible on a "self-service" basis on the web (see CERN Bulletin). Participants are required to pass a test at the end of each course. The test is valid for 3 years so courses must be repeated on a regular basis. A system of automatic e-mail reminders already exists for level 4 courses on SIR and will be extended to the other levels shortly. The number of levels you are required to complete depends on your professional category. Activity Personnel concerned Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4     Basic safety Basic Safety ...

  13. A tailored online safety and health intervention for women experiencing intimate partner violence: the iCAN Plan 4 Safety randomized controlled trial protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marilyn Ford-Gilboe

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Intimate partner violence (IPV threatens the safety and health of women worldwide. Safety planning is a widely recommended, evidence-based intervention for women experiencing IPV, yet fewer than 1 in 5 Canadian women access safety planning through domestic violence services. Rural, Indigenous, racialized, and immigrant women, those who prioritize their privacy, and/or women who have partners other than men, face unique safety risks and access barriers. Online IPV interventions tailored to the unique features of women’s lives, and to maximize choice and control, have potential to reduce access barriers, and improve fit and inclusiveness, maximizing effectiveness of these interventions for diverse groups. Methods/Design In this double blind randomized controlled trial, 450 Canadian women who have experienced IPV in the previous 6 months will be randomized to either a tailored, interactive online safety and health intervention (iCAN Plan 4 Safety or general online safety information (usual care. iCAN engages women in activities designed to increase their awareness of safety risks, reflect on their plans for their relationships and priorities, and create a personalize action plan of strategies and resources for addressing their safety and health concerns. Self-reported outcome measures will be collected at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months post-baseline. Primary outcomes are depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Revised and PTSD Symptoms (PTSD Checklist, Civilian Version. Secondary outcomes include helpful safety actions, safety planning self-efficacy, mastery, and decisional conflict. In-depth qualitative interviews with approximately 60 women who have completed the trial and website utilization data will be used to explore women’s engagement with the intervention and processes of change. Discussion This trial will contribute timely evidence about the effectiveness of online safety and

  14. Safety of High Speed Magnetic Levitation Transportation Systems: Preliminary Safety Review of the Transrapid Maglev System

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-11-01

    The safety of various magnetically levitated trains under development for possible : implementation in the United States is of direct concern to the Federal Railroad : Administration. This report, one in a series of planned reports on maglev safety, ...

  15. Food control concept: Food safety/ingestion issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, B.

    1995-01-01

    This talk outlines the issues in food safety/ingestion in the case of radiation accidents at nuclear power plants and how emergency preparedness plans can/should be tailored. The major topics are as follows: In Washington: food safety/ingestion issues exist at transition between response and regulatory worlds; agricultural concerns; customer concerns; Three Mile Island: detailed maps; development of response procedures; development of tools; legal issues

  16. Nuclear power plants and safety; Elektrownie jadrowe i bezpieczenstwo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Celinski, Z. [Politechnika Warszawska, Warsaw (Poland)

    1995-12-31

    The brief scope on the state of nuclear energetics worldwide as well as development perspectives have been presented. The safety problems, economic competitiveness and public acceptance have been shown and discussed. 55 refs, 3 figs, 2 tabs.

  17. Safety assessment of biotechnology-derived pharmaceuticals: ICH and beyond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serabian, M A; Pilaro, A M

    1999-01-01

    ). Guidances concerning the design of preclinical studies for such therapies are generally based on the clinical indication. Risk versus benefit decisions are made with an understanding of the nature of the patient population, the severity of disease, and the availability of alternative therapies. Key components of protocol design for preclinical studies addressing the risks of these agents include (a) a safe starting dose in humans, (b) identification of potential target organs, (c) identification of clinical parameters that should be monitored in humans, and (d) identification of at-risk populations. One of the distinct aspects of the safety evaluation of biotechnology-derived pharmaceuticals is the use of relevant and often nontraditional species and the use of animal models of disease in preclinical safety evaluation. Extensive contributions were made by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research to the ICH document on the safety of biotherapeutics, which is intended to provide worldwide guidance for a framework approach to the design and review of preclinical programs. Rational, scientifically sound study design and early identification of the potential safety concerns that may be anticipated in the clinical trial can result in preclinical data that facilitate use of these novel therapies for use in humans without duplication of effort or the unnecessary use of animals.

  18. Safety assessments and public concern for genetically modified food products: the American view.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harlander, Susan K

    2002-01-01

    In the relatively short time since their commercial introduction in 1996, genetically modified (GM) crops have been rapidly adopted in the United States GM crops are regulated through a coordinated framework developed in 1992 and administered by three agencies-the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that ensures the products are safe to grow, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that ensures the products are safe for the environment, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that ensures the products are safe to eat. Rigorous food and environmental safety assessments must be completed before GM crops can be commercialized. Fifty-one products have been reviewed by the FDA, including several varieties of corn, soybeans, canola, cotton, rice, sugar beets, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, papaya, and flax. Because FDA considers these crops "substantially equivalent" to their conventional counterparts, no special labeling is required for GM crops in the United States and they are managed as commodities with no segregation or identity preservation. GM crops have thus made their way through commodity distribution channels into thousands of ingredients used in processed foods. It has been estimated that 70% to 85% of processed foods on supermarket shelves in the United States today contain one or more ingredients potentially derived from GM crops. The food industry and retail industry have been monitoring the opinions of their consumers on the GM issue for the past several years. Numerous independent groups have also surveyed consumer concerns about GM foods. The results of these surveys are shared and discussed here.

  19. Safety report concerning Melusine (after power increase to 4 MW). Descriptive part. Volumes 1 and 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baas, C.; Delcroix, V.; Jacquemain, M.; Marouby, R.; Meunier, C.; De Robien, E.; Rossillon, F.

    1967-03-01

    Construction of Melusine was started in January 1957, It first diverged on July 1, 1958. It operated at: 1 MW from March 1959; 1.4 MW from April 1960; 2 MW from September 1961; 4 MW from December 1965. Various modifications have been made since the reactor was built. They concern: - the addition of a hot cell. - the effluents: 2 reservoirs of 15 m 3 for liquid waste have been installed. The resin regeneration equipment has been completely modified. - the building: offices have been added - experimental zones have been set up in the hall - the electrical supply. - the cooling and purification circuits (installation of a second exchanger, replacement of the primary pumps, creation of a hot layer, etc... ). - the fuel elements (at the moment of the MTR type enriched to 90 per cent). - the swimming-pool (which has been partially equipped with a stainless steel coating). - the core (placing of 'stools', of a diving-board, etc...). - the ventilation: the hall has been de-pressurized during normal working in the event of an accident, the hall can be isolated and a safety circuit can be started up. A chimney has been installed. - the hall (which has been strengthened and sealed more effectively). - the control electronics (modification of the principle, and which are now entirely transistorized). So many changes have been made that the reactor now bears only a slight resemblance to the initial model. It has appeared necessary to make a brief review of these improvements in order to be able to judge more effectively the installations present safety characteristics; these latter are furthermore fairly well known as a result of the experiments carried out not only by the Thermal Transfer Service in Grenoble but also at Cadarache (Cabri) and Toulon (the work of Mr. PASCOUET). (authors) [fr

  20. Electronic Health Record-Related Safety Concerns: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Electronic Health Record Users

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pajunen, Tuuli; Saranto, Kaija; Lehtonen, Lasse

    2016-01-01

    systematic assessments of EHR risks before harmful events occur. An EHR training program should be compulsory for all EHR users in order to address EHR safety concerns resulting from the failure to use HIT appropriately. PMID:27154599

  1. Worldwide cloud cover model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, O. E.; Sommerville, P. N.

    1979-01-01

    Classifying worldwide cloudiness into homogeneous regions, using a satellite data set containing day IR, night IR, incoming, and absorbed solar radiation measurements on a 2.5-degree latitude-longitude grid is considered. Methods of analysis are presented.

  2. Twenty-first century learning after school: the case of Junior Achievement Worldwide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Box, John M

    2006-01-01

    Efforts to increase after-school programming indicate the nation's concern about how youth are engaged during out-of-school time. There are clear benefits to extending the learning that goes on during the school day. Research from the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice shows that after-school participants do better in school and have stronger expectations for the future than youth who are not occupied after school. And the need is evident: 14.3 million students return to an empty house after school, yet only 6.5 million children are currently enrolled in after-school programs. If an after-school program were available, parents of 15.3 million would enroll their child. JA Worldwide began in 1919 and has been rooted in the afterschool arena from its origins. Its after-school programs teach students about the free enterprise system through curriculum focusing on business, citizenship, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics and character, financial literacy, and career development. At the same time, JA Worldwide incorporates hands-on learning and engagement with adults as role models, both key elements to a successful after-school program. Now focused on developing curriculum emphasizing skills needed for the twenty-first century, JA adopted the key elements laid out for after-school programs by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. To ensure that the next generation of students enters the workforce prepared, America's education system must provide the required knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Programs such as JA Worldwide serve as models of how to provide the twenty-first century skills that all students need to succeed.

  3. Regulatory oversight report 2012 concerning nuclear safety in Swiss nuclear installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-04-01

    The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) assesses and monitors nuclear facilities in Switzerland. These include the five nuclear power plants, the interim storage facilities based at each plant, the Central Interim Storage Facility (ZWILAG) and the nuclear facilities at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and at the University of Basel. Using a combination of inspections, regulatory meetings, examinations and analyses together with reports from the licensees of individual facilities, ENSI obtains the required overview of nuclear safety in the relevant facilities. It ensures that the facilities comply with the regulations and operate as required by law. Its regulatory responsibilities also include the transport of radioactive materials from and to nuclear facilities and the preparations for a deep geological repository for nuclear waste. ENSI maintains its own emergency organisation. It formulates and updates its own guidelines which stipulate the criteria for evaluating the current activities and future plans of the operators of nuclear facilities. ENSI produces regular reports on its regulatory activities and nuclear safety in Swiss nuclear facilities. It fulfils its statutory obligation to provide the public with information on particular events and findings in nuclear facilities. In 2012, the five nuclear power plants in Switzerland were all operated safely. 34 events were reported; on the international INES scale of 0 to 7, ENSI rated 33 events as Level 0 and 1 as Level 1. ENSI evaluates the safety of each nuclear power plant as part of a systematic safety evaluation taking account of both reportable events and other findings, in particular the results of more than 400 inspections conducted by ENSI during 2012. ZWILAG consists of several interim storage halls, a conditioning plant and an incineration/melting plant. At the end of 2012, the cask storage hall contained 40 transport/storage casks

  4. Safety Features of Material and Personnel Movement Devices. Module SH-25. Safety and Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

    This student module on safety features of material and personnel movement devices is one of 50 modules concerned with job safety and health. This module covers safe conditions and operating practices for conveyors, elevators, escalators, moving walks, manlifts, forklifts, and motorized hand trucks. Following the introduction, 10 objectives (each…

  5. Environmental contaminants of emerging concern in seafood - European database on contaminant levels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vandermeersch, Griet; Lourenço, Helena Maria; Alvarez-Muñoz, Diana

    2015-01-01

    Marine pollution gives rise to concern not only about the environment itself but also about the impact on food safety and consequently on public health. European authorities and consumers have therefore become increasingly worried about the transfer of contaminants from the marine environment...... to seafood.So-called "contaminants of emerging concern" are chemical substances for which no maximum levels have been laid down in EU legislation, or substances for which maximum levels have been provided but which require revision. Adequate information on their presence in seafood is often lacking and thus...... potential risks cannot be excluded. Assessment of food safety issues related to these contaminants has thus become urgent and imperative. A database (www.ecsafeseafooddbase.eu), containing available information on the levels of contaminants of emerging concern in seafood and providing the most recent data...

  6. Worldwide research productivity on tramadol: a bibliometric analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweileh, Waleed M; Shraim, Naser Y; Zyoud, Sa'ed H; Al-Jabi, Samah W

    2016-01-01

    Pain management and safe use of analgesics is an important medical issue. Tramadol is an old analgesic with controversial properties. Evaluation of worldwide scientific output on tramadol has not been explored. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to give a bibliometric overview of global research productivity on tramadol. SciVerse Scopus was used to retrieve and quantitatively and qualitatively analyze worldwide publications on tramadol. A total of 2059 original and review research articles on tramadol were retrieved from Scopus. Forty-six documents (2.23 %) were published in Anesthesia and Analgesia Journal whereas 30 (1.46 %) were published in Arzneimittel Forschung Drug Research Journal. Retrieved tramadol documents were published from 71 countries and appeared in 160 peer reviewed journals. Although the United States of America (259; 12.86 %) had the largest contribution to tramadol publications; the contribution by other countries like Turkey (232; 11.27) India (189; 8.09 %) and Germany (176; 8.56 % was not far away from that of USA. The most productive institution was Grunenthal, Germany (47; 2.28 %) followed by Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran (29; 1.41 %), and, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Incorporated, USA (25; 1.21 %). Of the 2059 documents, there were 370 documents about dependence. The leading institution in documents pertaining to tramadol dependence was Grunenthal GmbH (18; 4.86 %) followed by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Incorporated (17; 4.59 %). The current study showed that there is an obvious interest in tramadol research. More efforts are needed to clarify the abuse potential and safety profile of tramadol to help in determining the legal status of tramadol. Collaboration among pharmaceutical industry, clinical researchers and academic institutions can improve research quantity and quality on tramadol.

  7. The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Risoluti, P.

    2004-01-01

    The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (the Joint Convention) is the only legally binding international treaty in the area of radioactive waste management. It was adopted by a Diplomatic Conference in September 1997 and opened for signature on 29 September 1997. The Convention entered into force on 18 June 1998, and to date (September 04) has been signed by 42 States, of which 34 have formally ratified, thus becoming Contracting Parties. The Joint Convention applies to spent fuel and radioactive waste resulting from civilian application. Its principal aim is to achieve and maintain a high degree of safety in their management worldwide. The Convention is an incentive instrument, not designed to ensure fulfillment of obligations through control and sanction, but by a peer pressure. The obligations of the Contracting Parties are mainly based on the international safety standards developed by the IAEA in past decades. The Convention is intended for all countries generating radioactive waste. Therefore it is relevant not only for those using nuclear power, but for any country where application of nuclear energy in medicine, conventional industry and research is currently used. Obligations of Contracting Parties include attending periodic Review Meetings and prepare National Reports for review by the other Contracting Parties. The National Reports should describe how the country is complying with the requirements of the Articles of the Convention. The first such meeting was held at the IAEA headquarters in November 2003. This paper will describe the origin of the Convention, present its content, the expected outcome for the worldwide safety, and the benefits for a country to be part of it

  8. Nuclear Safety Review 2013

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2013-07-15

    The Nuclear Safety Review 2013 focuses on the dominant nuclear safety trends, issues and challenges in 2012. The Executive Overview provides crosscutting and worldwide nuclear safety information along with a summary of the major sections covered in this report. Sections A-E of this report cover improving radiation, transport and waste safety; strengthening safety in nuclear installations; improving regulatory infrastructure and effectiveness; enhancing emergency preparedness and response (EPR); and civil liability for nuclear damage. The Appendix provides details on the activities of the Commission on Safety Standards (CSS), and activities relevant to the IAEA Safety Standards. The world nuclear community has made noteworthy progress in strengthening nuclear safety in 2012, as promoted by the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety (hereinafter referred to as ''the Action Plan''). For example, an overwhelming majority of Member States with operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) have undertaken and essentially completed comprehensive safety reassessments ('stress tests') with the aim of evaluating the design and safety aspects of plant robustness to protect against extreme events, including: defence in depth, safety margins, cliff edge effects, multiple failures, and the prolonged loss of support systems. As a result, many have introduced additional safety measures including mitigation of station blackout. Moreover, the IAEA's peer review services and safety standards have been reviewed and strengthened where needed. Capacity building programmes have been built or improved, and EPR programmes have also been reviewed and improved. Furthermore, in 2012, the IAEA continued to share lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident with the nuclear community including through three international experts' meetings (IEMs) on reactor and spent fuel safety, communication in the event of a nuclear or radiological emergency, and protection against extreme earthquakes and tsunamis.

  9. Nuclear Safety Review 2013

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-07-01

    The Nuclear Safety Review 2013 focuses on the dominant nuclear safety trends, issues and challenges in 2012. The Executive Overview provides crosscutting and worldwide nuclear safety information along with a summary of the major sections covered in this report. Sections A-E of this report cover improving radiation, transport and waste safety; strengthening safety in nuclear installations; improving regulatory infrastructure and effectiveness; enhancing emergency preparedness and response (EPR); and civil liability for nuclear damage. The Appendix provides details on the activities of the Commission on Safety Standards (CSS), and activities relevant to the IAEA Safety Standards. The world nuclear community has made noteworthy progress in strengthening nuclear safety in 2012, as promoted by the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety (hereinafter referred to as ''the Action Plan''). For example, an overwhelming majority of Member States with operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) have undertaken and essentially completed comprehensive safety reassessments ('stress tests') with the aim of evaluating the design and safety aspects of plant robustness to protect against extreme events, including: defence in depth, safety margins, cliff edge effects, multiple failures, and the prolonged loss of support systems. As a result, many have introduced additional safety measures including mitigation of station blackout. Moreover, the IAEA's peer review services and safety standards have been reviewed and strengthened where needed. Capacity building programmes have been built or improved, and EPR programmes have also been reviewed and improved. Furthermore, in 2012, the IAEA continued to share lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident with the nuclear community including through three international experts' meetings (IEMs) on reactor and spent fuel safety, communication in the event of a nuclear or radiological emergency, and protection against extreme earthquakes and tsunamis

  10. Deep Sequencing of Plant and Animal DNA Contained within Traditional Chinese Medicines Reveals Legality Issues and Health Safety Concerns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coghlan, Megan L.; Haile, James; Houston, Jayne; Murray, Dáithí C.; White, Nicole E.; Moolhuijzen, Paula; Bellgard, Matthew I.; Bunce, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been practiced for thousands of years, but only within the last few decades has its use become more widespread outside of Asia. Concerns continue to be raised about the efficacy, legality, and safety of many popular complementary alternative medicines, including TCMs. Ingredients of some TCMs are known to include derivatives of endangered, trade-restricted species of plants and animals, and therefore contravene the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) legislation. Chromatographic studies have detected the presence of heavy metals and plant toxins within some TCMs, and there are numerous cases of adverse reactions. It is in the interests of both biodiversity conservation and public safety that techniques are developed to screen medicinals like TCMs. Targeting both the p-loop region of the plastid trnL gene and the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene, over 49,000 amplicon sequence reads were generated from 15 TCM samples presented in the form of powders, tablets, capsules, bile flakes, and herbal teas. Here we show that second-generation, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of DNA represents an effective means to genetically audit organic ingredients within complex TCMs. Comparison of DNA sequence data to reference databases revealed the presence of 68 different plant families and included genera, such as Ephedra and Asarum, that are potentially toxic. Similarly, animal families were identified that include genera that are classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, including Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica). Bovidae, Cervidae, and Bufonidae DNA were also detected in many of the TCM samples and were rarely declared on the product packaging. This study demonstrates that deep sequencing via HTS is an efficient and cost-effective way to audit highly processed TCM products and will assist in monitoring their legality and safety especially when

  11. Providers' perceptions of parental concerns about HPV vaccination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perkins, Rebecca B; Clark, Jack A

    2013-05-01

    Parental resistance is often posited to explain low rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake. We sought to describe providers' perceptions of parents' attitudes towards HPV vaccination. Thirty-four providers from four federally qualified community health centers participated in semi-structured interviews related to their experiences discussing HPV vaccination with low-income and minority parents. Providers found that parents were eager to prevent cancer in their daughters. Safety concerns and feeling that vaccination was unnecessary for virgins were reasons for declining vaccination. Providers found that immigrants from low-resource settings were more receptive to HPV vaccination than White middle-class parents due both to personal experience with vaccine-preventable diseases and cervical cancer and more realistic impressions of their children's sexual activity. Immigrants from low-resource settings may be particularly receptive to HPV vaccination, while White middle-class parents may be more likely to defer vaccination due to concerns about safety or sexual issues.

  12. Measures to strengthen international co-operation in nuclear, radiation and transport safety and waste management. Nuclear safety review for the year 2003

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    The Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2003 presents an overview of the current issues and trends in nuclear, radiation, transport and radioactive waste safety during 2003. As in 2002 the overview is supported by more detailed Notes by the Secretariat: Safety Related Events and Issues Worldwide during 2003 (document 2004/Note 6), The Agency's Safety Standards: Activities during 2003 (document 2004/Note 7) and Providing for the Application of the Safety Standards (document 2004/Note 8). In January 2003, the Agency implemented an organization change and developed an integrated approach to reflect a broader assignment of nuclear safety and nuclear security and to better exploit synergy between them. The Office of Physical Protection and Material Security renamed to Office of Nuclear Security was transferred from the Department of Safeguards to the Department of Nuclear Safety, which became the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security to reflect the change. This Review provides information primarily on nuclear safety, and nuclear security will be addressed in a separate report

  13. Optimal Enforcement of Safety Law

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.J. van den Bergh (Roger); L.T. Visscher (Louis)

    2008-01-01

    textabstractGiven the threats of our current 'risk society', there is an ever-increasing demand for safety regulation to counter the harmful effects of an equally growing number of dangerous activities. Claims for more safety and security abound, ranging from concerns about people killed in traffic

  14. Ethnic differences in ecological concerns: Spanish-speaking Hispanics are more concerned than others

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burger, Joanna; Greenberg, Michael

    2006-01-01

    We postulated that environmental concern encompasses a wide range of different issues, often lumping pollution with habitat loss (or land use) and ecological resources (fish and wildlife). In this paper, we compare perceptions about a range of environmental and ecological resource issues, and explore ethnic/racial differences. We surveyed 1513 residents of New Jersey about 'environmental concerns', using both general environmental questions (two questions: How serious are environmental problems in New Jersey? Are you concerned about the loss of open space?) and ecological resource questions (12 questions: e.g., how important is planting trees in your neighborhood, how concerned are you about loss of breeding and feeding habitat for fish and birds?) in New Jersey. Not all concerns were rated equally. For the ecological questions, there were no ethnic differences in concerns over preserving areas around water supplies, loss of places to hunt and fish, and loss of places for quiet walks and cycling, but there were for the other 9 ecological concerns. For eight of these nine concerns, Spanish-speaking Hispanics were more concerned than others (including English-speaking Hispanics). We divided the ecological resources into three categories: ecological services (clean water and safety), ecological resources (fish and wildlife), and recreational services. The strongest correlates of people's association with enlarging and enhancing recreational services were Spanish-speaking Hispanics, who are supportive of regulations and believe local government is not doing enough for environmental problems. People concerned about the loss of ecological resources and open space believe the federal government and the state are not doing enough for the environment, were non-Hispanic White, want continued environmental regulations, were longer-term residents, were high school graduates, and were older (45-54 years). People interested in ecological services were college-educated, non

  15. Addressing employee concerns about welding in a nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Danko, J.C.; Hansen, D.D.; O'Leary, P.D.

    1988-01-01

    A leading utility contracted with EG and G Idaho to perform a comprehensive, independent evaluation of the utility's welding program with respect to the safety-related welds made at one of its nuclear power plants. The purpose of this paper is to review a number of the employee concerns and the technical basis for the disposition of these concerns. In addition, recommendations are presented that may help to prevent the recurrence of employee concerns in future nuclear power plant construction, and thereby costly delays may be avoided and welding productivity and quality improved

  16. Safety Training: Basic Safety and Access Courses

    CERN Multimedia

    Antonella Vignes

    2005-01-01

    Objective The purpose of the basic safety courses is to increase awareness for everyone working on the CERN site (CERN staff, associates, outside companies, students and apprentices) of the various existing on-site hazards, and how to recognize and avoid them. Safety course changes The current organization for basic safety courses is changing. There will be two main modifications: the organization of the courses and the implementation of a specific new training course for the LHC machine during the LHC tests and hardware commissioning phase. Organizational changes This concerns the existing basic safety training, currently called level1, level2 and level3. Under the new procedure, a video will be projected in registration building 55 and will run every day at 14.00 and 15.00 in English. The duration of the video will be 50 minutes. The course contents will be the same as the slides currently used, plus a video showing real situations. With this new organization, attendees will systematically follow the...

  17. Safety Training: basic safety and access courses

    CERN Multimedia

    2005-01-01

    Objective The purpose of the basic safety courses is to increase awareness for everyone working on the CERN site (CERN staff, associates, outside companies, students and apprentices) of the various hazards existing on site, and how to recognise and avoid them. Safety course changes The current organisation of basic safety courses is changing. There will be two main modifications: the organisation of the courses and the implementation of a specific new training course for the LHC machine during the LHC tests and hardware commissioning phase. Organisational changes This concerns the existing basic safety training, currently called level 1, level 2 and level 3. Under the new procedure, a video will be projected in registration building 55 and will run every day at 14.00 and 15.00 in English. The duration of the video will be 50 minutes. The course contents will be the same as the slides currently used, plus a video showing real situations. With this new organization, participants will systematically follow...

  18. Concerns related to Safety Management of Engineered Nanomaterials in research environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groso, A; Meyer, Th

    2013-01-01

    Since the rise of occupational safety and health research on nanomaterials a lot of progress has been made in generating health effects and exposure data. However, when detailed quantitative risk analysis is in question, more research is needed, especially quantitative measures of workers exposure and standards to categorize toxicity/hazardousness data. In the absence of dose-response relationships and quantitative exposure measurements, control banding (CB) has been widely adopted by OHS community as a pragmatic tool in implementing a risk management strategy based on a precautionary approach. Being in charge of health and safety in a Swiss university, where nanomaterials are largely used and produced, we are also faced with the challenge related to nanomaterials' occupational safety. In this work, we discuss the field application of an in-house risk management methodology similar to CB as well as some other methodologies. The challenges and issues related to the process will be discussed. Since exact data on nanomaterials hazardousness are missing for most of the situations, we deduce that the outcome of the analysis for a particular process is essentially the same with a simple methodology that determines only exposure potential and the one taking into account the hazardousness of ENPs. It is evident that when reliable data on hazardousness factors (as surface chemistry, solubility, carcinogenicity, toxicity etc.) will be available, more differentiation will be possible in determining the risk for different materials. On the protective measures side, all CB methodologies are inclined to overprotection side, only that some of them suggest comprehensive protective/preventive measures and others remain with basic advices. The implementation and control of protective measures in research environment will also be discussed.

  19. Concerns related to Safety Management of Engineered Nanomaterials in research environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groso, A.; Meyer, Th

    2013-04-01

    Since the rise of occupational safety and health research on nanomaterials a lot of progress has been made in generating health effects and exposure data. However, when detailed quantitative risk analysis is in question, more research is needed, especially quantitative measures of workers exposure and standards to categorize toxicity/hazardousness data. In the absence of dose-response relationships and quantitative exposure measurements, control banding (CB) has been widely adopted by OHS community as a pragmatic tool in implementing a risk management strategy based on a precautionary approach. Being in charge of health and safety in a Swiss university, where nanomaterials are largely used and produced, we are also faced with the challenge related to nanomaterials' occupational safety. In this work, we discuss the field application of an in-house risk management methodology similar to CB as well as some other methodologies. The challenges and issues related to the process will be discussed. Since exact data on nanomaterials hazardousness are missing for most of the situations, we deduce that the outcome of the analysis for a particular process is essentially the same with a simple methodology that determines only exposure potential and the one taking into account the hazardousness of ENPs. It is evident that when reliable data on hazardousness factors (as surface chemistry, solubility, carcinogenicity, toxicity etc.) will be available, more differentiation will be possible in determining the risk for different materials. On the protective measures side, all CB methodologies are inclined to overprotection side, only that some of them suggest comprehensive protective/preventive measures and others remain with basic advices. The implementation and control of protective measures in research environment will also be discussed.

  20. Nuclear safety in France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanguy, P.

    1979-01-01

    A brief description of the main safety aspects of the French nuclear energy programme and of the general safety organization is followed by a discussion on the current thinking in CEA on some important safety issues. As far as methodology is concerned, the use of probabilistic analysis in the licensing procedure is being extensively developed. Reactor safety research is aimed at a better knowledge of the safety margins involved in the present designs of both PWRs and LMFBRs. A greater emphasis should be put during the next years in the safety of the nuclear fuel cycle installations, including waste disposals. Finally, it is suggested that further international cooperation in the field of nuclear safety should be developed in order to insure for all countries the very high safety level which has been achieved up till now. (author)

  1. Safety for Compressed Gas and Air Equipment. Module SH-26. Safety and Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

    This student module on safety for compressed gas and air equipment is one of 50 modules concerned with job safety and health. This module presents technical data about commonly used gases and stresses the procedures necessary for safe handling of compressed gases. Following the introduction, 14 objectives (each keyed to a page in the text) the…

  2. Safety in Elevators and Grain Handling Facilities. Module SH-27. Safety and Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

    This student module on safety in elevators and grain handling facilities is one of 50 modules concerned with job safety and health. Following the introduction, 15 objectives (each keyed to a page in the text) the student is expected to accomplish are listed (e.g., Explain how explosion suppression works). Then each objective is taught in detail,…

  3. Research program on regulatory safety research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mailaender, R.

    2010-02-01

    This paper elaborated for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents the synthesis report for 2009 made by the SFOE's program leader on the research program concerning regulatory nuclear safety research, as co-ordinated by the Swiss Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI. Work carried out in various areas is reviewed, including that done on reactor safety, radiation protection and waste disposal as well as human aspects, organisation and safety culture. Work done concerning materials, pressure vessel integrity, transient analysis, the analysis of serious accidents in light-water reactors, fuel and material behaviour, melt cooling and concrete interaction is presented. OECD data bank topics are discussed. Transport and waste disposal research at the Mont Terri rock laboratory is looked at. Requirements placed on the personnel employed in nuclear power stations are examined and national and international co-operation is reviewed

  4. The nuclear power safety programme of the International Atomic Energy Agency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosen, M.

    1981-01-01

    The role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in the field of nuclear power safety is growing. In the period since the Three Mile Island accident, a significant expansion in its nuclear safety programme has taken place. To assure an acceptable safety level world-wide, new emphasis is being placed on the major effort to establish and foster the use of a comprehensive set of internationally agreed safety standards for nuclear power plants. New initiatives are in progress to intensify international co-operative safety efforts through the exchange of information on safety-related operating occurrences, and through a more open sharing of safety research results. Emergency accident assistance lends itself to international co-operation and steps are being taken to establish an emergency assistance programme so the Agency can aid in co-ordinating a timely response to provide, at short notice, help and advice in case of a nuclear power accident. There has been some strengthening of those advisory services which involve missions of international experts primarily to countries with less developed nuclear power programmes, and in conjunction with the Technical Assistance Programme there is a co-ordinated programme for developing countries, involving safety training courses and assistance aimed at promoting an effective national regulatory programme in all countries using nuclear power. This paper discusses the major features of the IAEA activities in nuclear power plant safety. An understanding of the programme and its limitations is essential to its more effective use. Additional initiatives may still be proposed, but the possibilities for international and regional co-operation to assure an adequate level of safety world-wide already exist. (author)

  5. A Novel Control Algorithm for Integration of Active and Passive Vehicle Safety Systems in Frontal Collisions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Wallner

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available The present paper investigates an approach to integrate active and passive safety systems of passenger cars. Worldwide, the introduction of Integrated Safety Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS is considered to continue the today

  6. Nuclear safety review for the year 1997

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-12-01

    The Nuclear Safety Review attempts to summarize the global nuclear safety scene during 1997. It starts with discussion of significant safety related events worldwide: International cooperation; reactor facilities; radioactive waste management; medical uses of radiation sources; events at other facilities and transport of radioactive material. This is followed by a description of principal IAEA activities that contributed to global nuclear safety, namely: legally binding international agreements; non-binding safety standards and their application. The third part highlights developments in Member States as they reported them. The review closes with a description of issues that are likely to be prominent in the coming year(s). A draft version was submitted to the March 1998 session of the IAEA Board of Governors, and this final version has been prepared in light of the discussion in the Board and was submitted for information to the 42nd session of the IAEA General Conference

  7. AGI Safety Literature Review

    OpenAIRE

    Everitt, Tom; Lea, Gary; Hutter, Marcus

    2018-01-01

    The development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) promises to be a major event. Along with its many potential benefits, it also raises serious safety concerns (Bostrom, 2014). The intention of this paper is to provide an easily accessible and up-to-date collection of references for the emerging field of AGI safety. A significant number of safety problems for AGI have been identified. We list these, and survey recent research on solving them. We also cover works on how best to think of ...

  8. Review of Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources in Africa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiti, Shadrack Anthony; Choi, Kwang Sik

    2011-01-01

    Radioactive materials are used worldwide for peaceful applications in medicine, industry, agriculture, environmental science, education and research and military applications. Most of these radioactive sources used are imported therefore trans-boundary movement is a significant factor in consideration of safety and security measures during movement of these sources. It is estimated that 20 million packages of radioactive materials are transported annually worldwide and this number of shipments is expected to increase due to the renaissance of nuclear power generation. The African continent has shown considerable leadership in its advocacy for the safety and security of radioactive sources. The First Africa Workshop on the Establishment of a Legal Framework governing Radiation Protection, the Safety of Radiation Sources and the Safe Management of Radioactive Waste held in Ethiopia in 2001 called upon the IAEA to form a forum for African countries to consider the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and give it a legally binding effect so that the peaceful use of nuclear technology is not compromised. Despite these laudable efforts, Africa still faces considerable challenges in the implementation of safety and security of radioactive sources because of weak regulatory control and lack of infrastructure to properly control, manage and secure radiation sources 1 . The purpose of this paper was therefore, to analyze, review, address and share knowledge and experience with regard to safety and security measures of radioactive materials in Africa. This project will benefit IAEA's African member states in creating nuclear safety and security networking in the region

  9. Effects of safety climate on safety norm violations: exploring the mediating role of attitudinal ambivalence toward personal protective equipment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavazza, Nicoletta; Serpe, Alessandra

    2009-01-01

    Research on the role of organizational and psychosocial factors in influencing risk behaviors and the likelihood of injury at work showed that safety climate also has great impact on workers' behavior. However, the mechanisms through which this impact operates are still partially unclear. In order to explore the role that attitudinal ambivalence toward wearing PPE might play in mediating the impact of safety climate on safety norm violations, a questionnaire was administered to 345 Italian workers. Three dimensions of safety climate (i.e., company safety concern, senior managers' safety concern, supervisors' attitudes towards safety) were found to be positively associated with the individual ambivalence level, whereas the fourth one (i.e., work pressure) was negatively correlated with it. In turn, low levels of ambivalence were associated with a lower tendency to break the safety norms, even though the perception of a good safety climate also maintained a direct effect on unsafe behaviors. Designers of training program for the prevention of work related injuries must pay great attention to the psycho-social factors (such as the effects of the safety climate perception by employees on their attitudes and behaviors), and include specific contents into the prevention programs in order to improve workers compliance with safety norms.

  10. The development of safety requirements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jorel, M.

    2009-01-01

    This document describes the safety approach followed in France for the design of nuclear reactors. This safety approach is based on safety principles from which stem safety requirements that set limiting values for specific parameters. The improvements in computerized simulation, the use of more adequate new materials, a better knowledge of the concerned physical processes, the changes in the reactor operations (higher discharge burnups for instance) have to be taken into account for the definition of safety criteria and the setting of limiting values. The developments of the safety criteria linked to the risks of cladding failure and loss of primary coolant are presented. (A.C.)

  11. CSNI Status summary on utilization of best-estimate methodology in safety analysis and licensing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-10-01

    The PWG 2 Task Group on Thermal Hydraulic System Behavior has discussed the subject of the use of best-estimate codes in the licensing process (codes that model thermal hydraulic processes are important to assessing safety system performance). The Task Group set out to determine the prevailing practices in member countries, concerning safety assessment and safety review of transients affecting the reactor coolant system. A summary of information provided by member countries in response to eleven questions is given: Who is Responsible for Safety Analysis? Who is Responsible for Review and Evaluation of Safety Analysis? Do the Regulations Permit the use of Best-Estimate Codes? What are the Requirements for What Constitutes a Best Estimate Code? What are the Requirements Concerning Code Documentation? What are the Requirements for Review of Code Models and Correlations? What are the Requirements Concerning Code Assessment? What are the Requirements Concerning Initial and Boundary Conditions? What are the Requirements Concerning Operability of Active Equipment? What are the Requirements Concerning Operator Actions?

  12. Safety assessment and detection methods of genetically modified organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Rong; Zheng, Zhe; Jiao, Guanglian

    2014-01-01

    Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), are gaining importance in agriculture as well as the production of food and feed. Along with the development of GMOs, health and food safety concerns have been raised. These concerns for these new GMOs make it necessary to set up strict system on food safety assessment of GMOs. The food safety assessment of GMOs, current development status of safety and precise transgenic technologies and GMOs detection have been discussed in this review. The recent patents about GMOs and their detection methods are also reviewed. This review can provide elementary introduction on how to assess and detect GMOs.

  13. CloudSat Safety Operations at Vandenberg AFB

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenberg, Steve

    2006-01-01

    CloudSat safety operations at Vendenberg AFB is given. The topics include: 1) CloudSat Project Overview; 2) Vandenberg Ground Operations; 3) Delta II Launch Vehicle; 4) The A-Train; 5) System Safety Management; 6) CALIPSO Hazards Assessment; 7) CALIPSO Supplemental Safeguards; 8) Joint System Safety Operations; 9) Extended Stand-down; 10) Launch Delay Safety Concerns; and 11) Lessons Learned.

  14. HSE Nuclear Safety Research Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bagley, M.J. [Health and Safety Executive, Sheffield (United Kingdom)

    1995-12-31

    HSE funds two programmes of nuclear safety research: a programme of {approx} 2.2M of extramural research to support the Nuclear Safety Division`s regulatory activities and a programme of {approx} 11M of generic safety research managed by the Nuclear Safety Research Management Unit (NSRMU) in Sheffield, UK. This paper is concerned only with the latter programme; it describes how it is planned and procured and outlines some of the work on structural integrity problems. It also describes the changes that are taking place in the way nuclear safety research is procured in the UK. (author).

  15. HSE Nuclear Safety Research Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bagley, M.J.

    1995-01-01

    HSE funds two programmes of nuclear safety research: a programme of ∼ 2.2M of extramural research to support the Nuclear Safety Division's regulatory activities and a programme of ∼ 11M of generic safety research managed by the Nuclear Safety Research Management Unit (NSRMU) in Sheffield, UK. This paper is concerned only with the latter programme; it describes how it is planned and procured and outlines some of the work on structural integrity problems. It also describes the changes that are taking place in the way nuclear safety research is procured in the UK. (author)

  16. Safety investigation of 'Mutsu', the first nuclear ship in Japan (the correspondence to the guideline of safety design examination, etc.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1981-01-01

    Japan Nuclear Ship Development Agency had made previously application for the permission of the alteration of the reactor installation in the nuclear ship Mutsu (the first of this kind in Japan), based on the overall safety investigation of the ship made by JNDA. Taking the opportunity of the governmental safety examination concerning the permission, the correspondence of the safety aspects of the n.s. Mutsu to the existing guidelines for the safety of nuclear reactor facilities was examined. These results to further enhance the safety of the n.s. Mutsu are described concerning the following matters: the safety design examination guideline for power-generating LWR facilities (58 items); the safety evaluation guideline for power-generating LWR facilities (the analysis of abnormal transients during operation and accidents); the safety countermeasures to be adopted in the reactor plant of the n.s. Mutsu from the situation of the TMI nuclear accident in U.S. (7 in design and 10 in operation management); the analysis simulating the TMI accident. (J.P.N.)

  17. United States import safety, environmental health, and food safety regulation in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyambok, Edward O; Kastner, Justin J

    2012-01-01

    China boasts a rapidly growing economy and is a leading food exporter. Since China has dominated world export markets in food, electronics, and toys, many safety concerns about Chinese exports have emerged. For example, many countries have had problems with Chinese food products and food-processing ingredients. Factors behind food safety and environmental health problems in China include poor industrial waste management, the use of counterfeit agricultural inputs, inadequate training of farmers on good farm management practices, and weak food safety laws and poor enforcement. In the face of rising import safety problems, the U.S. is now requiring certification of products and foreign importers, pursuing providing incentives to importers who uphold good safety practices, and considering publicizing the names of certified importers.

  18. Nuclear safety. Technical progress journal, January--March 1996: Volume 37, No. 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muhlheim, M D [ed.

    1996-01-01

    Nuclear Safety is a journal that covers significant issues in the field of nuclear safety. Its primary scope is safety in the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors worldwide and the research and analysis activities that promote this goal, but is also encompasses the safety aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing and handling, and nuclear waste disposal, the handling of fissionable materials and radioisotopes, and the environmental effects of all these activities. Individual articles are indexed separately for the data base.

  19. Progress of nuclear safety research. 2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anoda, Yoshinari; Sasajima, Hideo; Nishiyama, Yutaka (eds.) [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment] [and others

    2001-10-01

    JAERI is conducting nuclear safety research primarily at the Nuclear Safety Research Center in close cooperation with the related departments in accordance with the Long Term Plan for Development and Utilization of Nuclear Energy or the Safety Research Annual Plan issued by the Japanese government. The safety research at JAERI concerns the engineering safety of nuclear power plants and nuclear fuel cycle facilities, and radioactive waste management as well as advanced technology for safety improvement or assessment. Also, JAERI has conducted international collaboration to share the information on common global issues of nuclear safety. This report summarizes the nuclear safety research activities of JAERI from April 1999 through March 2001. (author)

  20. Current regulatory developments concerning the implementation of probabilistic safety analyses for external hazards in Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krauss, Matias; Berg, Heinz-Peter

    2014-01-01

    The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) initiated in September 2003 a comprehensive program for the revision of the national nuclear safety regulations which has been successfully completed in November 2012. These nuclear regulations take into account the current recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA). In this context, the recommendations and guidelines of the Nuclear Safety Standards Commission (KTA) and the technical documents elaborated by the respective expert group on Probabilistic Safety Analysis for Nuclear Power Plants (FAK PSA) are being updated or in the final process of completion. A main topic of the revision was the issue external hazards. As part of this process and in the light of the accident at Fukushima and the findings of the related actions resulting in safety reviews of nuclear power plants at national level in Germany and on European level, a revision of all relevant standards and documents has been made, especially the recommendations of KTA and FAK PSA. In that context, not only design issues with respect to events such as earthquakes and floods have been discussed, but also methodological issues regarding the implementation of improved probabilistic safety analyses on this topic. As a result of the revision of the KTA 2201 series 'Design of Nuclear Power Plants against Seismic Events' with their parts 1 to 6, part 1 'Principles' was published as the first standard in November 2011, followed by the revised versions of KTA 2201.2 (soil) and 2201.4 (systems and components) in 2012. The modified the standard KTA 2201.3 (structures) is expected to be issued before the end of 2013. In case of part 5 (seismic instrumentation) and part 6 (post>seismic actions) draft amendments are expected in 2013. The expert group 'Probabilistic Safety Assessments for Nuclear Power Plants' (FAK PSA) is an advisory body of the Federal

  1. Dukovany nuclear power plant safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    Presentation covers recommended safety issues for the Dukovany NPP which have been solved with satisfactory conclusions. Safety issues concerned include: radiation safety; nuclear safety; security; emergency preparedness; health protection at work; fire protection; environmental protection; chemical safety; technical safety. Quality assurance programs at all stages on NPP life time is described. Report includes description of NPP staff training provision, training simulator, emergency operating procedures, emergency preparedness, Year 2000 problem, inspections and life time management. Description of Dukovany Plant Safety Analysis Projects including integrity of the equipment, modernisation, equipment innovation and safety upgrading program show that this approach corresponds to the actual practice applied in EU countries, and fulfilment of current IAEA requirements for safety enhancement of the WWER 440/213 units in the course of MORAWA Equipment Upgrading program

  2. Occupational health and safety issues among nurses in the Philippines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Castro, A B; Cabrera, Suzanne L; Gee, Gilbert C; Fujishiro, Kaori; Tagalog, Eularito A

    2009-04-01

    Nursing is a hazardous occupation in the United States, but little is known about workplace health and safety issues facing the nursing work force in the Philippines. In this article, work-related problems among a sample of nurses in the Philippines are described. Cross-sectional data were collected through a self-administered survey during the Philippine Nurses Association 2007 convention. Measures included four categories: work-related demographics, occupational injury/illness, reporting behavior, and safety concerns. Approximately 40% of nurses had experienced at least one injury or illness in the past year, and 80% had experienced back pain. Most who had an injury did not report it. The top ranking concerns were stress and overwork. Filipino nurses encounter considerable health and safety concerns that are similar to those encountered by nurses in other countries. Future research should examine the work organization factors that contribute to these concerns and strengthen policies to promote health and safety.

  3. Occupational Health and Safety Issues Among Nurses in the Philippines

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Castro, A. B.; Cabrera, Suzanne L.; Gee, Gilbert C.; Fujishiro, Kaori; Tagalog, Eularito A.

    2009-01-01

    Nursing is a hazardous occupation in the United States, but little is known about workplace health and safety issues facing the nursing work force in the Philippines. In this article, work-related problems among a sample of nurses in the Philippines are described. Cross-sectional data were collected through a self-administered survey during the Philippine Nurses Association 2007 convention. Measures included four categories: work-related demographics, occupational injury/illness, reporting behavior, and safety concerns. Approximately 40% of nurses had experienced at least one injury or illness in the past year, and 80% had experienced back pain. Most who had an injury did not report it. The top ranking concerns were stress and overwork. Filipino nurses encounter considerable health and safety concerns that are similar to those encountered by nurses in other countries. Future research should examine the work organization factors that contribute to these concerns and strengthen policies to promote health and safety. PMID:19438081

  4. Domestic hygienic legislation concerning population radiation protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marej, A.N.

    1984-01-01

    Problems and principles of domestic sanitary legislation, concerning population radiation protection, are considered. The legislation envisages preventive measures, directed to contamination preventation of the main environmental objects, it regulates their content in the objects, their human intake and ionizing radiation doses, which might affect population. Existing domestic hygienic guides and safety standards for personnel and population are enumerated and characterized

  5. Interface between radiation protection and nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bengtsson, G.; Hoegberg, L.

    1991-01-01

    Interface issues concern the character and management of overlaps between radiation protection and nuclear safety in nuclear power plants. Typical examples include the selection of inspection and maintenance volumes in order to balance occupational radiation doses versus the safety status of the plant, and the intentional release to the environment in the course of an accident in order to secure better plant control. The paper discusses whether it is desirable and possible to employ a consistent management of interface issues with trade-offs between nuclear safety and radiation protection. Illustrative examples are quoted from a major Nordic research programme on risk analysis and safety rationale. These concern for instance in-service inspections, modifications of plant systems and constructions after the plant has been taken into operation, and studies on the limitations of probabilistic safety assessment. They indicate that in general there are no simple rules for such trade-offs

  6. Security issues affecting occupational safety of receptionists in Helsinki city centre hotels

    OpenAIRE

    Hämäläinen, Ann-Mari

    2013-01-01

    Safety in tourism is more and more under discussion as restlessness has increased worldwide. Hotel as a working environment is exceptionally challenging as it needs to be accessible 24 hours a day. The aim of this thesis is to identify the main factors and threats affecting hotel receptionists’ employee safety. Improvement suggestions to improve safety are drawn based on the results of the research. The research was limited to Helsinki city centre hotels. The research data was collect...

  7. Nuclear Safety. Technical progress journal, April--June 1996: Volume 37, No. 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muhlheim, M D [ed.

    1996-01-01

    This journal covers significant issues in the field of nuclear safety. Its primary scope is safety in the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors worldwide and the research and analysis activities that promote this goal, but it also encompasses the safety aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing and handling, nuclear waste disposal, the handling of fissionable materials and radioisotopes, and the environmental effects of all these activities.

  8. Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-08-01

    In the nuclear area, challenges continue to emerge from the globalization of issues related to safety, technology, business, information, communication and security. Scientific advances and operational experience in nuclear, radiation, waste and transport technology are providing new opportunities to continuously improve safety and security by utilizing synergies between safety and security. The prime responsibility for nuclear, radiation, waste and transport safety rests with users and national governments. The Agency continues to support a Global Nuclear Safety Regime based on strong national safety infrastructures and widespread subscription to international legal instruments to maintain high levels of safety worldwide. Central to the Agency's role are the establishment of international safety standards and the provision for applying these standards, as well as the promotion of sharing information through managing the knowledge base. Nuclear power plant operational safety performance remains high throughout the world. Challenges facing the nuclear power industry include avoiding complacency, maintaining the necessary infrastructure, nuclear power plant ageing and long-term operation, as well as new reactor designs and construction. The research reactor community has a long history of safe operation. However nearly two-thirds of the world's operating research reactors are now over 30 years old and face safety and security challenges. In 2004, the Board of Governors approved the Code of Conduct on the Safety of Research Reactors to help address these challenges. In 2004, there was international consensus on radionuclide activity concentrations in materials below which regulatory controls need not apply. Key occupational radiation protection performance indicators continued to improve in 2004. Challenges include new medical practices where workers can receive high exposures, industrial radiography and worker exposure to naturally occurring radioactive material. New

  9. Programmable Electronic Safety Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parry, R.

    1993-05-01

    Traditionally safety systems intended for protecting personnel from electrical and radiation hazards at particle accelerator laboratories have made extensive use of electromechanical relays. These systems have the advantage of high reliability and allow the designer to easily implement failsafe circuits. Relay based systems are also typically simple to design, implement, and test. As systems, such as those presently under development at the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL), increase in size, and the number of monitored points escalates, relay based systems become cumbersome and inadequate. The move toward Programmable Electronic Safety Systems is becoming more widespread and accepted. In developing these systems there are numerous precautions the designer must be concerned with. Designing fail-safe electronic systems with predictable failure states is difficult at best. Redundancy and self-testing are prime examples of features that should be implemented to circumvent and/or detect failures. Programmable systems also require software which is yet another point of failure and a matter of great concern. Therefore the designer must be concerned with both hardware and software failures and build in the means to assure safe operation or shutdown during failures. This paper describes features that should be considered in developing safety systems and describes a system recently installed at the Accelerator Systems String Test (ASST) facility of the SSCL

  10. A word from the DG: Improved safety at CERN

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    One of the important objectives of my term of office is improving safety at CERN. My consideration of safety issues over the last few months, in conjunction with the Safety Commission and the Heads of Department, has led me to define a new approach for the implementation of safety policy at CERN. It is not a question of changing the safety policy and the basic safety rules laid down in document 'Safety Policy at CERN' (SAPOCO 42) but, rather, of improving the way they are applied by clarifying the roles of everyone concerned. The existing safety policy and rules have yet to be fully implemented. Some people continue to think, for example, that safety implementation only concerns the Safety Commission (SC). In reality, as SAPOCO 42 clearly specifies, safety is the responsibility of each and every individual. This means that each person in charge of a task is also responsible for guaranteeing its safe completion by implementing all the necessary measures. To enhance the awareness of this responsibility and t...

  11. WATER REALITY IN UKRAINE AND WORLDWIDE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. F. Dolina

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The paper analyzes the state of water management in Ukraine and worldwide, as well as the best practices in this area. Methodology. The study was carried out based on the analysis of literature sources and reporting data on the state of water management in Ukraine, European countries, the USA (2010-2016. Findings. The water state analysis in the regions of Ukraine showed that the quality in most cases is close to or meets the requirements for drinking water. Drinking tap water requires post-treatment in all regions of the country. The main issue for today is the production of the necessary equipment for treatment plants. Unfortunately, not all equipment is produced in Ukraine. The condition of rural water pipelines is of particular concern. Among the tested pipelines 7.3% do not comply with the rules and regulations. At the same time, only 25% of villages in Ukraine are provided with centralized water supply. Originality. The authors presented the results of a comprehensive review of the world's issues on disinfection of drinking and waste water, where various methods are used, partly in combination with each other in Ukraine and the worldwide. The main unresolved issue today is the issue of the residual quantity of drugs in the drinking water. The main environmental threat of the world scale is the presence of medicines in drinking water. The treatment facilities are not suitable for the decomposition or trapping of medicinal products. Nowhere in the world there is protection from these substances. One of the key issues in the solution of drinking water production is seawater desalination. To reduce the cost of desalination of sea water the SWRO-membrane technology is used. Practical value. Water problems are number one problems all over the world and in Ukraine as well. It is necessary to provide for additional financing to solve problems in the preparation and purification of waters, not with whatever funds remain, taking into

  12. Safety and safety analysis. From CP1 to Fukushima

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yadigaroglu, George

    2012-01-01

    The safety of nuclear installations has been a serious concern starting from the days of infancy of this technology. When Fermi and co-workers built the first nuclear reactor in 1941, the Chicago Pile-1 or CP1 at the University of Chicago, some basic safety principles still in use today were already part of this very simple experiment. During the fast-growth period in the 1960ies, a number of NPP systems were conceived, tested and some of them built, mainly in the US and in the Soviet Union, but also in the UK, in France and in Canada, before just a handful of nuclear systems dominated: the LWRs conquered some 3 quarters of the world market and their dominance continues till today. The fission process has been amazingly well ''designed'' by nature: a remarkably simple to produce, self-sustained reaction that can be easily controlled, modulated and adjusted by a variety of available materials. Fission leads to large release of energy that can be easily collected and transformed into useful work. The process has only a major drawback, the inexorable production and accumulation in the core of the radioactive fission products that also produce decay heat. Criticality considerations put apart, the major goal of reactor safety is the confinement and cooling of these fission products. Although safety has been a major concern from the very first nuclear developments, feedback and actions following incidents and accidents have contributed to continuous enhancements. In particular, the three major nuclear accidents, TMI, Chernobyl and Fukushima had or will hopefully have in the future major impacts on safety improvements. Lessons learned from TMI have greatly enhanced the safety of LWRs, while Chernobyl triggered a number of radio-ecology studies and improved the readiness for radiological crisis management. It is hoped that Fukushima will be the trigger for much stronger international oversight and harmonization of safety practices, something that has already been launched

  13. Safety and safety analysis. From CP1 to Fukushima

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yadigaroglu, George [ASCOMP GmbH, Zurich (Switzerland)

    2012-02-15

    The safety of nuclear installations has been a serious concern starting from the days of infancy of this technology. When Fermi and co-workers built the first nuclear reactor in 1941, the Chicago Pile-1 or CP1 at the University of Chicago, some basic safety principles still in use today were already part of this very simple experiment. During the fast-growth period in the 1960ies, a number of NPP systems were conceived, tested and some of them built, mainly in the US and in the Soviet Union, but also in the UK, in France and in Canada, before just a handful of nuclear systems dominated: the LWRs conquered some 3 quarters of the world market and their dominance continues till today. The fission process has been amazingly well ''designed'' by nature: a remarkably simple to produce, self-sustained reaction that can be easily controlled, modulated and adjusted by a variety of available materials. Fission leads to large release of energy that can be easily collected and transformed into useful work. The process has only a major drawback, the inexorable production and accumulation in the core of the radioactive fission products that also produce decay heat. Criticality considerations put apart, the major goal of reactor safety is the confinement and cooling of these fission products. Although safety has been a major concern from the very first nuclear developments, feedback and actions following incidents and accidents have contributed to continuous enhancements. In particular, the three major nuclear accidents, TMI, Chernobyl and Fukushima had or will hopefully have in the future major impacts on safety improvements. Lessons learned from TMI have greatly enhanced the safety of LWRs, while Chernobyl triggered a number of radio-ecology studies and improved the readiness for radiological crisis management. It is hoped that Fukushima will be the trigger for much stronger international oversight and harmonization of safety practices, something that has

  14. IRSN safety research carried out for reviewing safety cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serres, Ch.

    2010-01-01

    Christophe Serres from IRSN (France) described the independent role of the IRSN regarding research related to nuclear safety in the context of the French Planning Act of 28 June 2006 foreseeing a licence application to be submitted in 2015 for the creation of a deep geological repository. IRSN research programme is organised along research activities devoted to addressing independently-identified k ey safety issues . These 'key issues' should also be of prime concern for the implementer since they relate to the demonstration of the overall safety of the repository, and the level of funding that the implementer should afford to research activities of concern for safety. He explained that the quality and independency of the research programme carried out by IRSN allow building and improving a set of scientific knowledge and technical skills that serves the public mission of delivering technical appraisal and advice, e.g., on behalf of the national safety authority. In particular they contribute to improving the decisional process by making possible scientific dialogue with stakeholders independently from regulator or implementer. The current IRSN R and D programme is developed along the following lines: - Test the adequacy of experimental methods for which feedback is not sufficient. - Develop basic scientific knowledge in the fields where there is a need for better understanding of complex phenomena and interactions. - Develop and use numerical modelling tools to support studies on complex phenomena and interactions. - Perform specific experimental tests aiming at assessing the key parameters that may warrant the performances of the different components of the repository. These studies are carried out by means of experiments performed either at IRSN surface laboratories, or in the Tournemire Experimental Station (TES), an underground facility operated by IRSN in the south-east of France. Targeted actions on research related to operational safety and reversibility

  15. Safety organization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lutz, M.

    1984-06-01

    After a rapid definition of a nuclear basis installation, the national organization of nuclear safety in France is presented, as also the main organizations concerned and their functions. This report shows how the licensing procedure leading to the construction and exploitation of such installations is applied in the case of nuclear laboratories of research and development: examinations of nuclear safety problems are carried out at different levels: - centralized to define the frame out of which the installation has not to operate, - decentralized to follow in a more detailed manner its evolution [fr

  16. Foreshock occurrence rates before large earthquakes worldwide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reasenberg, P.A.

    1999-01-01

    Global rates of foreshock occurrence involving shallow M ??? 6 and M ??? 7 mainshocks and M ??? 5 foreshocks were measured, using earthquakes listed in the Harvard CMT catalog for the period 1978-1996. These rates are similar to rates ones measured in previous worldwide and regional studies when they are normalized for the ranges of magnitude difference they each span. The observed worldwide rates were compared to a generic model of earthquake clustering, which is based on patterns of small and moderate aftershocks in California, and were found to exceed the California model by a factor of approximately 2. Significant differences in foreshock rate were found among subsets of earthquakes defined by their focal mechanism and tectonic region, with the rate before thrust events higher and the rate before strike-slip events lower than the worldwide average. Among the thrust events a large majority, composed of events located in shallow subduction zones, registered a high foreshock rate, while a minority, located in continental thrust belts, measured a low rate. These differences may explain why previous surveys have revealed low foreshock rates among thrust events in California (especially southern California), while the worldwide observations suggest the opposite: California, lacking an active subduction zone in most of its territory, and including a region of mountain-building thrusts in the south, reflects the low rate apparently typical for continental thrusts, while the worldwide observations, dominated by shallow subduction zone events, are foreshock-rich.

  17. Nuclear power performance and safety. V.3. Safety and international co-operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    The International Conference on Nuclear Power Performance and Safety, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency, was held at the Austria Centre Vienna (ACV) in Vienna, Austria, from 28 September to 2 October 1987. The objective of the Conference was to promote an exchange of worldwide information on the current trends in the performance and safety of nuclear power and its fuel cycle, and to take a forward look at the expectations and objectives for the 1990s. This objective was accomplished through presentation and discussion of about 200 papers at the Conference. Almost 500 participants and observers from 40 countries and 12 organizations discussed three major questions which were posed as the focus of this Conference: (1) What are the current trends and major issues with regard to performance and safety of nuclear power, the nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste management? (2) What steps are being taken or need to be taken to resolve outstanding issues in order to improve the performance of nuclear power with assured safety? (3) What performance objectives and achievements can be anticipated for the 1990s? All presentations of this Conference were divided into six volumes. This is Volume 3 which is devoted to the problems of safety and international cooperation. All presentations of Volume 3 were divided into four sessions as follows: the need for safety in nuclear power programmes (4 papers); international cooperation in nuclear safety (6 papers); technical aspects in plant safety (7 papers); approaches to safety (3 papers). A separate abstract was prepared for each of these 20 papers. Refs, figs and tabs

  18. Safety evaluation in the development of medical devices and combination products

    CERN Document Server

    Gad, Shayne C

    2008-01-01

    Capturing the growth of the global medical device market in recent years, this practical new guide is essential for all who are responsible for ensuring safety in the use and manufacture of medical devices. It has been extensively updated to reflect significant advances, incorporating combination products and helpful case examples of current real-life problems in the field.The Third Edition explores these key current trends:global device marketscontinually advancing technologythe increasing harmonization of device safety regulation worldwideEach aspect of safety evaluation is considered in ter

  19. Assessing medical students' perceptions of patient safety: the medical student safety attitudes and professionalism survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Joshua M; Etchegaray, Jason M; Williams, S Tyler; Berger, David H; Bell, Sigall K; Thomas, Eric J

    2014-02-01

    To develop and test the psychometric properties of a survey to measure students' perceptions about patient safety as observed on clinical rotations. In 2012, the authors surveyed 367 graduating fourth-year medical students at three U.S. MD-granting medical schools. They assessed the survey's reliability and construct and concurrent validity. They examined correlations between students' perceptions of organizational cultural factors, organizational patient safety measures, and students' intended safety behaviors. They also calculated percent positive scores for cultural factors. Two hundred twenty-eight students (62%) responded. Analyses identified five cultural factors (teamwork culture, safety culture, error disclosure culture, experiences with professionalism, and comfort expressing professional concerns) that had construct validity, concurrent validity, and good reliability (Cronbach alphas > 0.70). Across schools, percent positive scores for safety culture ranged from 28% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13%-43%) to 64% (30%-98%), while those for teamwork culture ranged from 47% (32%-62%) to 74% (66%-81%). They were low for error disclosure culture (range: 10% [0%-20%] to 27% [20%-35%]), experiences with professionalism (range: 7% [0%-15%] to 23% [16%-30%]), and comfort expressing professional concerns (range: 17% [5%-29%] to 38% [8%-69%]). Each cultural factor correlated positively with perceptions of overall patient safety as observed in clinical rotations (r = 0.37-0.69, P safety behavioral intent item. This study provided initial evidence for the survey's reliability and validity and illustrated its applicability for determining whether students' clinical experiences exemplify positive patient safety environments.

  20. The Joint Convention on the safety of spent fuel management and on the safety of radioactive waste management. An instrument to achieve a global safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Risoluti, P.

    2006-01-01

    The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (the Joint Convention) is the first legally binding international treaty in the area of radioactive material management. It was adopted by a Diplomatic Conference in September 1997 and opened for signature on 29 September 1997. The Convention entered into force on 18 June 1998, and to date (May 2006) has been ratified by 41 countries. The Joint Convention applies to spent fuel and radioactive waste resulting from civilian application. Its principal aim is to achieve and maintain a high degree of safety in their management worldwide. The Convention is an incentive instrument, not designed to ensure fulfilment of obligations through control and sanction, but by a volunteer peer review mechanism. The obligations of the Contracting Parties are mainly based on the international safety standards developed by the IAEA in past decades. The Convention is of interest of all countries generating radioactive waste. Therefore it is relevant not only for those using nuclear power, but for any country where application of nuclear energy in education, agriculture, medicine and industry is currently used. Obligations of Contracting Parties include attending a Review Meeting held every three years and prepare National Reports for review by the other Contracting Parties. In the National Reports basic information on inventory and facilities for management of radioactive materials has to be provided. Countries with small nuclear power and/or research programs or countries having radioactive materials only from nuclear application on medicine, agriculture or conventional industry, can benefit from the exchange of information and the technical knowledge gained by the reporting procedure set up by the Convention. The second Review Meeting is to be held at IAEA headquarters from 15 to 26 May 2006. This paper presents the objectives and the implementation status of the Convention, the

  1. Strengthening the Global Nuclear Safety Regime. INSAG-21. A report by the International Nuclear Safety Group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    The Global Nuclear Safety Regime is the framework for achieving the worldwide implementation of a high level of safety at nuclear installations. Its core is the activities undertaken by each country to ensure the safety and security of the nuclear installations within its jurisdiction. But national efforts are and should be augmented by the activities of a variety of international enterprises that facilitate nuclear safety - intergovernmental organizations, multinational networks among operators, multinational networks among regulators, the international nuclear industry, multinational networks among scientists, international standards setting organizations and other stakeholders such as the public, news media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are engaged in nuclear safety. All of these efforts should be harnessed to enhance the achievement of safety. The existing Global Nuclear Safety Regime is functioning at an effective level today. But its impact on improving safety could be enhanced by pursuing some measured change. This report recommends action in the following areas: - Enhanced use of the review meetings of the Convention on Nuclear Safety as a vehicle for open and critical peer review and a source for learning about the best safety practices of others; - Enhanced utilization of IAEA Safety Standards for the harmonization of national safety regulations, to the extent feasible; - Enhanced exchange of operating experience for improving operating and regulatory practices; and - Multinational cooperation in the safety review of new nuclear power plant designs. These actions, which are described more fully in this report, should serve to enhance the effectiveness of the Global Nuclear Safety Regime

  2. Evaluating fuel cycle safety for CITa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Longhurst, G.R.; Reilly, H.J.; Piet, S.J.

    1987-01-01

    A safety concern in the design of the Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT) currently being designed in the U. S. is the accidental release of tritium. To evaluate the basis for that concern, an assessment of the risk to the public posed by CIT was conducted that made use of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) techniques. These include both frequency and consequence elements of risk. This analysis concluded that the tritium systems on the CIT could be designed and operated as planned with negligible safety impact, well within the established guidelines. (author)

  3. Safety in the headlines again

    CERN Multimedia

    Association du personnel

    2006-01-01

    From the moment the current Management took up office, the Staff Association expressed its concerns about a certain number of Safety issues at CERN. Amongst others, the lack of resources and insufficient information given to the staff on the subject was already giving us cause for concern at the time.

  4. Worldwide exchange of nuclear news and information: Nucnet as a receiver and provider

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shepherd, J.

    2006-01-01

    NucNet is an independent NGO recognised as reliable and authoritative service for news and emergency information by the nuclear community, the media and the general public. The network, which has member organisations in more than 4 countries who contribute to our information flow, has a duty to report all nuclear-related issues objectively and accurately. Perceptions of the media and the general public on nuclear power are largely positive at present as nuclear is increasingly talked of as a climate-friendly source of energy. But the same cannot yet be said of issues concerning radioactive waste, it is always talked of the 'problem' of radioactive wastes. The choice of the words is very important, it is more positive to speak of 'final disposal' than of 'dump'. The internet is one of the best media to propagate right information. We organise workshops/seminar regularly. We have also created a special, monthly electronic publication: 'Nuclear Waste Review' that summarises developments worldwide in the field of waste management.We also created a special, monthly electronic publication. Nuclear Waste Review that summarises developments worldwide in the field of waste management.

  5. European consumers and beef safety

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Van Wezemael, Lynn; Verbeke, Wim; Kügler, Jens Oliver

    2010-01-01

    European beef consumption has been gradually declining during the past decades, while consumers' concerns about beef safety have increased. This paper explores consumer perceptions of and interest in beef safety and beef safety information, and their role in beef safety assessment and the beef...... consumption decision making process. Eight focus group discussions were performed with a total of 65 beef consumers in four European countries. Content analysis revealed that European consumers experienced difficulties in the assessment of the safety of beef and beef products and adopted diverging uncertainty...... reduction strategies. These include the use of colour, labels, brands and indications of origin as cues signalling beef safety. In general, consumer trust in beef safety was relatively high, despite distrust in particular actors....

  6. International Safety Regulation and Standards for Space Travel and Commerce

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelton, J. N.; Jakhu, R.

    The evolution of air travel has led to the adoption of the 1944 Chicago Convention that created the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), headquartered in Montreal, Canada, and the propagation of aviation safety standards. Today, ICAO standardizes and harmonizes commercial air safety worldwide. Space travel and space safety are still at an early stage of development, and the adoption of international space safety standards and regulation still remains largely at the national level. This paper explores the international treaties and conventions that govern space travel, applications and exploration today and analyzes current efforts to create space safety standards and regulations at the national, regional and global level. Recent efforts to create a commercial space travel industry and to license commercial space ports are foreseen as means to hasten a space safety regulatory process.

  7. Improving safety culture through the health and safety organization: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, Kent J

    2014-02-01

    International research indicates that internal health and safety organizations (HSO) and health and safety committees (HSC) do not have the intended impact on companies' safety performance. The aim of this case study at an industrial plant was to test whether the HSO can improve company safety culture by creating more and better safety-related interactions both within the HSO and between HSO members and the shop-floor. A quasi-experimental single case study design based on action research with both quantitative and qualitative measures was used. Based on baseline mapping of safety culture and the efficiency of the HSO three developmental processes were started aimed at the HSC, the whole HSO, and the safety representatives, respectively. Results at follow-up indicated a marked improvement in HSO performance, interaction patterns concerning safety, safety culture indicators, and a changed trend in injury rates. These improvements are interpreted as cultural change because an organizational double-loop learning process leading to modification of the basic assumptions could be identified. The study provides evidence that the HSO can improve company safety culture by focusing on safety-related interactions. © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council.

  8. Concern with the rural environment: urban views on the use of agricultural pesticides and chemicals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steve Jacob; A. E. Luloff

    1995-01-01

    This paper explores the dimensions of agricultural chemical and pesticide concern, and its correlates. Concern was found to be broad, and not limited to food safety, environmentalism, or altruism. Social bases were found to be the best predictors of concern, followed by rural beliefs and attitudes, and rural visitation behavior.

  9. Perceptions of safety in the workplace

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voelz, G.L.

    1980-01-01

    The concept of safety in the workplace is changing. Safety First was a slogan generated at a time when life and limb were at significant risk in many industries. Now much more subtle effects, such as late health effects due to industrial exposure and trauma, including mental stress, have become a concern to the safety specialists. Despite the changes in the concepts of safety today, the principles of safety in the workplace remain the same. They are management leadership, procedures, safe work conditions, safety training for supervisors and employees, medical surveillance, and careful accident reporting, investigation and record keeping

  10. Genesis of regulatory and legal provision of financial safety

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.V. Pataridze-Vyshynska

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The article describes the main problems that concern regulatory and legal provision of financial safety. The scientific groundwork of researchers of this matter in Ukraine is analyzed and its gaps are revealed. The state competences concerning the regulation of financial safety are investigated. The legal provision of financial safety in a retrospective section is considered. The short characteristic of the main legal instruments that make the subsoil for formation of financial safety environment is provided. The main stages of legislative process of ensuring financial safety are found out. The paradigm of financial safety formation is generalized. The possibilities of ensuring financial safety in different areas of the state financial policy through the definition of problem aspects and ways of their decision are defined. It is certain that the problem of protection of national interests in the economic sphere is rather actual, especially in formation of financial safety environment in modern conditions. This problem is subject to further investigation of both lawmakers and scientists-economists.

  11. Nuclear safety in all-European collaboration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toepfer, K.

    1992-01-01

    The importance of international cooperation in the field of nuclear safety is shown by the fact that there are more than 400 nuclear powerstations of different designs, different ages and in different legal, economic and social systems worldwide. The German Federal Government therefore supports the regulations of the IAEA Safety Standard, the so called NUSS codes. In the bilateral field, agreements have already been made with many countries, which provide for collaboration to protect against the dangers of nuclear energy. The effects of the Chernobyl accident reinforce the necessity of making this more intensive and extending it to the countries of the former Eastern block. (DG) [de

  12. Safety concerns and risk management of multiple sclerosis therapies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Soelberg Sorensen, P.

    2017-01-01

    Currently, more than ten drugs have been approved for treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Newer treatments may be more effective, but have less favorable safety record. Interferon-β preparations and glatiramer acetate treatment require frequent subcutaneous or intramuscular...... disease activity can choose between dimethyl fumarate and teriflunomide or the “old injectable.” Patients with very active MS may choose a more effective drug as the initial treatment. In case of side effects on one drug, switch to another drug can be tried. Suboptimal effect of the first drug indicates...... escalation to a highly efficacious drug. A favorable benefit-risk balance can be maintained by appropriate patient selection and appropriate risk management on therapy. New treatments will within the coming 1-2 years change our current treatment algorithm for relapsing-remitting MS....

  13. Safety evaluation of the Dalat research reactor operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Long, V.H.; Lam, P.V.; An, T.K.

    1989-01-01

    After an introduction presenting the essential characteristics of the Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor, the document presents i) The safety assurance condition of the reactor, ii) Its safety behaviour after 5 years of operation, iii) Safety research being realized on the reactor. Following is questionnaire of safety evaluation and a list of attachments, which concern the reactor

  14. Microsurgical reconstruction of the head and neck region: Current concepts of maxillofacial surgery units worldwide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kansy, Katinka; Mueller, Andreas Albert; Mücke, Thomas; Koersgen, Friederike; Wolff, Klaus Dietrich; Zeilhofer, Hans-Florian; Hölzle, Frank; Pradel, Winnie; Schneider, Matthias; Kolk, Andreas; Smeets, Ralf; Acero, Julio; Haers, Piet; Ghali, G E; Hoffmann, Jürgen

    2015-10-01

    Microvascular surgery following tumor resection has become an important field of oral maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). Following the surveys on current reconstructive practice in German-speaking countries and Europe, this paper presents the third phase of the project when the survey was conducted globally. The DOESAK questionnaire has been developed via a multicenter approach with maxillofacial surgeons from 19 different hospitals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It was distributed in three different phases to a growing number of maxillofacial units in German-speaking clinics, over Europe and then worldwide. Thirty-eight units from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, 65 remaining European OMFS-departments and 226 units worldwide responded to the survey. There is wide agreement on the most commonly used flaps, intraoperative rapid sections and a trend towards primary bony reconstruction. No uniform concepts can be identified concerning osteosynthesis of bone transplants, microsurgical techniques, administration of supportive medication and postoperative monitoring protocols. Microsurgical reconstruction is the gold standard for the majority of oncologic cases in Europe, but worldwide, only every second unit has access to this technique. The DOESAK questionnaire has proven to be a valid and well accepted tool for gathering information about current practice in reconstructive OMFS surgery. The questionnaire has been able to demonstrate similarities, differences and global inequalities. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Methods for safety culture improvement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sivintsev, Yu.V.

    1998-01-01

    New IAEA publication concerning the problems of safety assurance covering different aspects beginning from terminology applied and up to concrete examples of well and poor safety culture development at nuclear facilities is discussed. The safety culture is defined as such set of characteristics and specific activities of institutions and individual persons which states that safety problems of a nuclear facility are given the attention determined by their importance as being of highest priority. The statements of the new document have recommended, not mandatory character. It is emphasized that the process of safety culture improvement at nuclear facilities should be integral component of management procedure, not a bolt on extra

  16. Regulatory oversight report 2016 concerning nuclear safety in Swiss nuclear installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2017-06-01

    ENSI, the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate, assesses and monitors safety in the Swiss nuclear facilities. These include the five nuclear power plants: Beznau Units 1 and 2 (KKB1 and KKB2), Muehleberg (KKM), Goesgen (KKG) and Leibstadt (KKL), the interim storage facilities based at each plant, the Central Interim Storage Facility (Zwilag) in Wuerenlingen together with the nuclear facilities at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), the University of Basel (UniB) and the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Using a combination of inspections, regulatory meetings, checks, analyses and the reporting of the operators of individual facilities, ENSI obtains the required overview of nuclear safety in these facilities. It ensures that they operate as required by law. ENSI's regulatory responsibilities also include the transport of radioactive materials from and to nuclear facilities and preparations for a deep geological repository for radioactive waste. ENSI maintains its own emergency organisation, which is an integral part of the national emergency structure that would be activated in the event of a serious incident at a nuclear facility in Switzerland. ENSI reports periodically on its supervisory activities. It informs the public about special events and findings in the nuclear installations. All five nuclear power plants in Switzerland operated safely during the past year. Nuclear safety at all plants in operation was rated as good or satisfactory. In 2016, there were 31 reportable events at the nuclear power plants. 30 events were rated Level 0 (event of no or low safety significance) on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) and one was rated Level 1 (anomaly) at KKL. Zwilag consists of several interim storage buildings, a conditioning plant and a plasma plant (incineration/melting plant). At the end of 2016, the cask storage hall contained 56 transport/storage casks with spent fuel assemblies and vitrified residue

  17. Nuclear Safety. Technical progress journal, January--March 1994: Volume 35, No. 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silver, E G [ed.

    1994-01-01

    This is a journal that covers significant issues in the field of nuclear safety. Its primary scope is safety in the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors worldwide and the research and analysis activities that promote this goal, but it also encompasses the safety aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing and handling, and nuclear waste disposal, the handling of fissionable materials and radioisotopes, and the environmental effects of all these activities.

  18. Epidemiology of foodborne diseases: a worldwide review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todd, E C

    1997-01-01

    Acute foodborne disease infections and intoxications are much more of a concern to governments and the food industry today than a few decades ago. Some of the factors that have led to this include the identification of new agents that have caused life-threatening conditions; the finding that traditional agents are being associated with foods that were of no concern previously: an increasing number of large outbreaks being reported; the impact of foodborne disease on children, the aging population and the immunocompromised; migrant populations demanding their traditional foods in the countries of settlement; the ease of worldwide shipment of fresh and frozen food; and the development of new food industries, including aquaculture. However, to meaningfully monitor increases or decreases in foodborne disease requires an effective surveillance system at the local, national and international levels. To date, resources have been limited for most countries and regions to do this, and our current knowledge is based, for the most part, on passive reporting mechanisms. Laboratory isolation data and reports of notifiable diseases have some value in observing timely changes in case numbers of some enteric diseases, but they usually do not indicate the reasons for these trends. Special epidemiological studies are useful for the area covered, but it is often questionable whether they can be extrapolated to other areas or countries. Outbreak investigations tell us that a certain set of circumstances led to illness and that another outbreak may occur under similar but not necessarily identical conditions. Control programmes have often been triggered by the conclusions from investigations of specific outbreaks. Unfortunately, the agent/ food combination leading to illness in many of the reported incidents were not predicted from existing databases, and no doubt foodborne agents will continue to surprise food control agencies in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, data from around

  19. European Atlantic: the hottest oil spill hotspot worldwide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieites, David R.; Nieto-Román, Sandra; Palanca, Antonio; Ferrer, Xavier; Vences, Miguel

    2004-11-01

    Oil spills caused by maritime transport of petroleum products are still an important source of ocean pollution, especially in main production areas and along major transport routes. We here provide a historical and geographic analysis of the major oil spills (>700 t) since 1960. Spills were recorded from several key marine ecosystems and marine biodiversity hotspots. The past four decades have been characterized by an overall decrease in the number of accidents and tonnes of oil spilled in the sea, but this trend was less distinct in the European Atlantic area. Recent black tides from the Erika and Prestige vessels provided new evidence for the high risk of accidents with serious ecological impact in this area, which according to our analysis is historically the most important oil spill hotspot worldwide. The English Channel and waters around Galicia in Spain were the areas with most accidents. Maritime transport in European Atlantic waters has been predicted to continue increasing. Together with our own results this suggests that, in addition to measures for increased traffic safety, deployment of emergency capacities in the spill hotspot areas may be crucial for a sustainable conservation of sea resources and ecosystems.

  20. Determinants of safety outcomes and performance : A systematic literature review of research in four high-risk industries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cornelissen, Pieter A.; van Hoof, Joris J.; de Jong, Menno D.T.

    IntroductionIn spite of increasing governmental and organizational efforts, organizations still struggle to improve the safety of their employees as evidenced by the yearly 2.3 million work-related deaths worldwide. Occupational safety research is scattered and inaccessible, especially for

  1. The occupational health and safety of flight attendants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffiths, Robin F; Powell, David M C

    2012-05-01

    In order to perform safety-critical roles in emergency situations, flight attendants should meet minimum health standards and not be impaired by factors such as fatigue. In addition, the unique occupational and environmental characteristics of flight attendant employment may have consequential occupational health and safety implications, including radiation exposure, cancer, mental ill-health, musculoskeletal injury, reproductive disorders, and symptoms from cabin air contamination. The respective roles of governments and employers in managing these are controversial. A structured literature review was undertaken to identify key themes for promoting a future agenda for flight attendant health and safety. Recommendations include breast cancer health promotion, implementation of Fatigue Risk Management Systems, standardization of data collection on radiation exposure and health outcomes, and more coordinated approaches to occupational health and safety risk management. Research is ongoing into cabin air contamination incidents, cancer, and fatigue as health and safety concerns. Concerns are raised that statutory medical certification for flight attendants will not benefit either flight safety or occupational health.

  2. Development of 3D CFD simulation method in nuclear reactor safety analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosli Darmawan; Mariah Adam

    2012-01-01

    One of the most prevailing issues in the operation of nuclear reactor is the safety of the system. Worldwide publicity on a few nuclear accidents as well as the notorious Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing have always brought about public fear on anything related to nuclear. Most findings on the nuclear reactor accidents are closely related to the reactor cooling system. Thus, the understanding of the behaviour of reactor cooling system is very important to ensure the development and improvement on safety can be continuously done. Throughout the development of nuclear reactor technology, investigation and analysis on reactor safety have gone through several phases. In the early days, analytical and experimental methods were employed. For the last three decades 1D system level codes were widely used. The continuous development of nuclear reactor technology has brought about more complex system and processes of nuclear reactor operation. More detailed dimensional simulation codes are needed to assess these new reactors. This paper discusses the development of 3D CFD usage in nuclear reactor safety analysis worldwide. A brief review on the usage of CFD at Malaysia's Reactor TRIGA PUSPATI is also presented. (author)

  3. Rural expressway intersection safety toolbox : desktop reference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    This document is intended to be a guide for planning-level decisions concerning safety : issues and subsequent potential improvements at rural expressway intersections. It is : NOT a design guide. It simply presents the gamut of safety treatment opti...

  4. Safety of research reactors. Topical issues paper no. 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alcala-Ruiz, F.; Ferraz-Bastos, J.L.; Kim, S.C.; Voth, M.; Boeck, H.; Dimeglio, F.; Litai, D.

    2001-01-01

    Assessment of Research Reactors (INSARR) missions. The prime objective of these missions has been to conduct a comprehensive operational safety review of the research reactor facility and to verify compliance with the IAEA Safety Standards. The methods used during an INSARR mission have been collected and analysed. Some of the important issues identified are the following: general ageing of the facility; uncertain status of many research reactors (in extended shutdown); indefinite deferral of return to operation or decommissioning; inadequate regulatory supervision; insufficient systematic (periodic) reassessment of safety; lack of quality assurance (QA) programmes; lack of an international safety convention or arrangement; lack of financial support for safety measures (e.g. safety reassessment, safety upgrading, decommissioning) and utilization; lack of clear utilization programmes; inadequate emergency preparedness; inadequate safety documentation (e.g. safety analysis report, operating rules and procedures, emergency plan); inadequate funding of shutdown reactors; weak safety culture; loss of expertise and corporate memory; loss of information concerning radioactive materials contained in retired experimental devices stored in the facility indefinitely; obsolescence of equipment and lack of spare parts; inadequate training and qualifications of regulators and operators; safety implications of new fuel types. These issues have been addressed by the IAEA Secretariat and the chairman of the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG). INSAG has identified three major safety issues that are: the increasing age of research reactors, the number of research reactors that are not operating anymore but have not been decommissioned, and the number of research reactors in countries that do not have appropriate regulatory authorities. This issue paper discusses the concerns generated by an analysis of the results of INSARR missions and those expressed by INSAG. The

  5. EOR increases 24% worldwide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moritis, G.

    1992-01-01

    Although the higher cost of enhanced oil recovery has taken its toll in projects, the Journal's worldwide EOR survey reveals that production from EOR is a significant and growing component of the world's oil production. This paper outlines hundreds of projects in 14 countries. Pilot, field wide, and planned projects are all included

  6. Standards: An international framework for nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Versteeg, J.

    2000-01-01

    The IAEA, uniquely among international organizations concerned with the use of radiation, radioactive materials and nuclear energy, has statutory functions to establish safety standards and to provide for their application in Member States. The IAEA also contributes towards another major element of the 'global safety culture', namely the establishment of legally binding international agreements on safety related issues. (author)

  7. The broad scope of health effects from chronic arsenic exposure: update on a worldwide public health problem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naujokas, Marisa F; Anderson, Beth; Ahsan, Habibul; Aposhian, H Vasken; Graziano, Joseph H; Thompson, Claudia; Suk, William A

    2013-03-01

    Concerns for arsenic exposure are not limited to toxic waste sites and massive poisoning events. Chronic exposure continues to be a major public health problem worldwide, affecting hundreds of millions of persons. We reviewed recent information on worldwide concerns for arsenic exposures and public health to heighten awareness of the current scope of arsenic exposure and health outcomes and the importance of reducing exposure, particularly during pregnancy and early life. We synthesized the large body of current research pertaining to arsenic exposure and health outcomes with an emphasis on recent publications. Locations of high arsenic exposure via drinking water span from Bangladesh, Chile, and Taiwan to the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level (MCL) in drinking water is 10 µg/L; however, concentrations of > 3,000 µg/L have been found in wells in the United States. In addition, exposure through diet is of growing concern. Knowledge of the scope of arsenic-associated health effects has broadened; arsenic leaves essentially no bodily system untouched. Arsenic is a known carcinogen associated with skin, lung, bladder, kidney, and liver cancer. Dermatological, developmental, neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular, immunological, and endocrine effects are also evident. Most remarkably, early-life exposure may be related to increased risks for several types of cancer and other diseases during adulthood. These data call for heightened awareness of arsenic-related pathologies in broader contexts than previously perceived. Testing foods and drinking water for arsenic, including individual private wells, should be a top priority to reduce exposure, particularly for pregnant women and children, given the potential for life-long effects of developmental exposure.

  8. Worldwide Eutrophication of Water Bodies: Causes, Concerns, Controls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prepas, E. E.; Charette, T.

    2003-12-01

    Eutrophication is the nutrient enrichment of waters that stimulates an array of symptomatic changes, that can include increased phytoplankton and rooted aquatic plant (macrophyte) production, fisheries and water quality deterioration, and other undesirable changes that interfere with water uses (Bartsch, 1972). The trophic state, or degree of fertility, of water bodies ranges from oligotrophic to mesotrophic to eutrophic with increasing supply of nutrients and organic matter ( Table 1). Eutrophication is most often the result of an elevated supply of nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, to surface waters that results in enhanced production of primary producers, particularly phytoplankton and aquatic plants. Table 1. Mean annual values for the trophic classification system Total phosphorus (μg L-1)Chlorophyll a (μg L-1)Secchi disk depth (m) Ultra-oligotrophic12 Oligotrophic6 Mesotrophic10-352.5-86-3 Eutrophic35-1008-253-1.5 Hypertrophic>100>25fish kills, millions of dollars in losses to seafood-related industries, human memory loss, paralysis, and even death (Van den Hoeck et al., 1995; Silbergeld et al., 2000). Bloom-forming species of cyanobacteria can produce potent hepato-(liver) toxins termed microcystins that have been implicated in poisonings of domestic livestock, pets, wildlife, and susceptible humans ( Codd, 1995; Dunn, 1996). In addition, an accumulation of dead phytoplankton in bottom waters of eutrophic systems can lead to high decomposition rates by bacteria. Dissolved oxygen consumption by decomposers, combined with a barrier to gas exchange (thermocline or ice cover), can reduce (hypoxia) or eliminate (anoxia) dissolved oxygen in bottom waters. (A thermocline is the junction between an upper layer of warm, less dense water (the epilimnion) and a deeper layer of cold water (the hypolimnion). When this stratification is in place, the typically oxygen-rich waters of the epilimnion do not mix with the waters of the hypolimnion.) Oxygen depletion is one of the most harmful side effects of eutrophication because it can cause catastrophic fish kills, devastating local fisheries.The accumulation of plant biomass depends on the addition of factors that stimulate plant growth. On average, the macronutrients nitrogen and phosphorus are present in marine phytoplankton at an atomic ratio 16 : 1 (Redfield, 1958). The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus in freshwaters tends to be greater than the ratio in phytoplankton; therefore, phosphorus most often limits the growth of phytoplankton. As a result, phosphorus enrichment of freshwater often causes its eutrophication ( Schindler, 1977). In lakes, nitrogen is usually present in concentrations equal to or beyond what is required for aquatic plant growth because, unlike phosphorus, it has an atmospheric source. In marine systems, nitrogen concentrations are often limiting because bacterial nitrogen fixation, while a considerable source of nitrogen in lakes, not as important in marine waters. A wide variety of prokaryotic organisms (i.e., certain cyanobacteria, heterotrophic, and chemoautotrophic bacteria) can use nitrogen gas directly and incorporate it into organic compounds through a process called nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen fixation is an enzyme-catalyzed process that reduces nitrogen gas (N2) to ammonia (NH3). Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria make up less than 1% of the total biomass of phytoplankton in estuaries of the Atlantic coast of North America, whereas in lakes they often make up more than 50% of phytoplankton biomass (reviewed in Howarth, 1988). An increase in water clarity can also spur the growth of aquatic vegetation in systems where the clarity of water is poor from high concentrations of suspended particles.The biodiversity of most aquatic systems decreases with eutrophication (Figure 1). Phytoplankton species diversity is reduced in highly productive systems. Cyanobacteria are usually dominant in eutrophic systems because these organisms are better adapted to conditions of high nutrients (Smith, 1986; Trimbee and Prepas, 1987; Watson et al., 1997). In addition, fish and macro-invertebrate species diversity can decrease with eutrophication. Depletion of dissolved oxygen in deep water is associated with eutrophication and can lead to a loss or displacement of species intolerant of such conditions ( Ludsin et al., 2001). In eutrophic lakes of North America, characteristic fish types are surface-dwelling, warm water fishes such as pike, perch, and bass, as compared to deep-dwelling, cold-water fishes like salmon, trout, and cisco ( Ryding and Rast, 1989). (9K)Figure 1. Suggested changes in various characteristics of lakes with eutrophication (reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press from Welch, E. B., Ecological Effects of Waste Water, 1980, p. 273).

  9. Worldwide concerns relating to overexploited fish stocks are ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    cies of single-species models to address some of these .... that the approach and model structure have now ma- .... is the food consumption per unit biomass of j1; ..... Markov Chain (Gilks et al. .... Prey-switching and the stability of prey suitabilities .... ECOSIM to investigate the effects of removing a top ...... created equally.

  10. Safety barriers and safety functions a comparison of different applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harms-Ringdahl, L.

    1998-01-01

    A study is being made with the focus on different theories and applications concerning 'safety barriers' and 'safety functions'. One aim is to compare the characteristics of different kinds of safely functions, which can be purpose, efficiency, reliability, weak points etc. A further aim is to summarize how the combination of different barriers are described and evaluated. Of special interest are applications from nuclear and chemical process safety. The study is based on a literature review, interviews and discussions. Some preliminary conclusions are made. For example, it appears to exist a need for better tools to support the design and evaluation of procedures. There are a great number of theoretical models describing safety functions. However, it still appears to be an interest in further development of models, which might give the basis for improved practical tools. (author)

  11. Establishment of nuclear safety regulatory regime in Ukraine. Lessons of Chernobyl

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smyshlyaev, A.

    1996-01-01

    The issue of safety of Ukraine's Nuclear Power Plants attracts a particular attention world-wide, and the reasons for that are clearly understood: the memories of the Chernobyl tragedy happened in 1986 will possess the minds of people of the world for years. The international community is aware that the political changes and transient economy crisis the former Soviet Union States are facing today, make the resolution of nuclear facilities safety problems less possible. Nevertheless, the understanding and perception of safety policy in Ukraine underwent drastic changes after the Chernobyl accident, and the policy pursued by the Ukraine's safety authority contributes to turning the changes into good practices

  12. Structural safety - Is the safety margin measurable

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rintamaa, R.

    1992-01-01

    In ensuring the structural safety of the nuclear components one must be aware of the uncertainties related to the material deorientation, loadings and other operational conditions, geometrical dimensions as well as the service environment. Furthermore, the validation of the analysis tools and procedures is of great importance in overall safety assessment of a pressure retaining component. In order to identify and quantify the concerns and risks arising from the uncertainties in the safety related issue intensive research is being carried out all over the world, in particular, on the ageing, plant life extension and management of old nuclear power plants. The presentation includes a general survey of the factors relevant to the assessment of safe and reliable operation of a nuclear component throughout its planned service life. Certain aspects are outlined based on the research work being carried out at the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT)(orig.)

  13. 75 FR 4305 - Regulatory Guidance Concerning the Applicability of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-27

    ... review of, or preparation and transmission of, typed messages via wireless phones. Because of the safety... Secretary broad power in carrying out motor carrier safety statutes and regulations to ``prescribe.... Handheld or other wireless electronic devices that are brought into a CMV are considered ``additional...

  14. Product Safety Culture: A New Variant of Safety Culture?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suhanyiova, L.; Flin, R.; Irwin, A.

    2016-01-01

    Product safety culture is a new research area which concerns user safety rather than worker or process safety. The concept appears to have emerged after the investigation into the Nimrod aircraft accident (Haddon-Cave, 2009) which echoed aspects of NASA’s Challenger and Columbia crashes. In these cases, through a blend of human and organizational failures, the culture deteriorated to the extent of damaging product integrity, resulting in user fatalities. Haddon-Cave noted that it was due to a failure in leadership and organizational safety culture that accidents such as the Nimrod happened, where the aircraft exploded due to several serious technical failures, preceded by deficiencies in the safety case. Now some organizations are starting to measure product safety culture. This is important in day-to-day life as well, where a product failure as a result of poor organizational safety culture, can cause user harm or death, as in the case of Takata airbags scandal in 2015. Eight people have lost their lives and many were injured. According to investigation reports this was due to the company’s safety malpractices of fixing faulty airbags and proceeding to install them in vehicles, as well as secretly conducting tests to assess the integrity of their product and then deleting the data and denying safety issues as a result of the company’s cost-cutting policies. As such, organizational culture, specifically the applications of safety culture, can have far-reaching consequences beyond the workplace of an organization.

  15. Design safety improvements of Kozloduy NPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hinovski, I.

    1999-01-01

    Design safety improvements of Kozloduy NPP, discussed in detail, are concerned with: primary circuit integrity; reactor pressure vessel integrity; primary coolant piping integrity; primary coolant overpressure protection; leak before break status; design basis accidents and transients; severe accident analysis; improvements of safety and support systems; containment/confinement leak tightness and strength; seismic safety improvements; WWER-1000 control rod insertion; upgrading and modernization of Units 5 and 6; Year 2000 problem

  16. Concerns over use of glyphosate-based herbicides and risks associated with exposures: a consensus statement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myers, John Peterson; Antoniou, Michael N; Blumberg, Bruce; Carroll, Lynn; Colborn, Theo; Everett, Lorne G; Hansen, Michael; Landrigan, Philip J; Lanphear, Bruce P; Mesnage, Robin; Vandenberg, Laura N; Vom Saal, Frederick S; Welshons, Wade V; Benbrook, Charles M

    2016-02-17

    The broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate (common trade name "Roundup") was first sold to farmers in 1974. Since the late 1970s, the volume of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) applied has increased approximately 100-fold. Further increases in the volume applied are likely due to more and higher rates of application in response to the widespread emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds and new, pre-harvest, dessicant use patterns. GBHs were developed to replace or reduce reliance on herbicides causing well-documented problems associated with drift and crop damage, slipping efficacy, and human health risks. Initial industry toxicity testing suggested that GBHs posed relatively low risks to non-target species, including mammals, leading regulatory authorities worldwide to set high acceptable exposure limits. To accommodate changes in GBH use patterns associated with genetically engineered, herbicide-tolerant crops, regulators have dramatically increased tolerance levels in maize, oilseed (soybeans and canola), and alfalfa crops and related livestock feeds. Animal and epidemiology studies published in the last decade, however, point to the need for a fresh look at glyphosate toxicity. Furthermore, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer recently concluded that glyphosate is "probably carcinogenic to humans." In response to changing GBH use patterns and advances in scientific understanding of their potential hazards, we have produced a Statement of Concern drawing on emerging science relevant to the safety of GBHs. Our Statement of Concern considers current published literature describing GBH uses, mechanisms of action, toxicity in laboratory animals, and epidemiological studies. It also examines the derivation of current human safety standards. We conclude that: (1) GBHs are the most heavily applied herbicide in the world and usage continues to rise; (2) Worldwide, GBHs often contaminate drinking water sources, precipitation, and air

  17. Research program on regulatory safety research - Synthesis report 2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mailaender, R

    2009-06-01

    This report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) summarises the program's main points of interest, work done in the year 2008 and the results obtained. The main points of the research program, which is co-ordinated by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI, are discussed. Topics covered concern reactor safety as well as human, organisational and safety aspects. Work done in several areas concerning reactor safety and materials as well as interactions in severe accidents in light-water reactors is described. Radiation protection, the transport and disposal of radioactive wastes and safety culture are also looked at. Finally, national and international co-operation is briefly looked at and work to be done in 2009 is reviewed. The report is completed with a list of research and development projects co-ordinated by ENSI

  18. Development of Safety Analysis Technology for Integral Reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sim, S. K. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejeon (Korea); Seul, K. W.; Kim, W. S.; Kim, W. K.; Yun, Y. G.; Ahn, H. J.; Lee, J. S.; Sin, A. D. [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Taejeon (Korea)

    2000-03-01

    The Nuclear Desalination Plant(NDP) is being developed to produce electricity and fresh water, and is expected to locate near population zone. In the aspect of safety, it is required to protect the public and environment from the possible releases of fission products and to prevent the fresh water from the contamination of radioactivity. Thus, in a present study, the safety characteristics of the integral reactor adopting passive and inherent safety features significantly different from existing nuclear power plants were investigated based on the design of foreign and domestic integral reactors. Also, safety requirements applicable to the NDP were analyzed based on the regulatory requirements for current and advanced reactor designs, and use requirements for small-medium size reactors. Based on these analyses, some safety concerns to be considered in the design stage have been identified. They includes the use of proven technology for new safety systems, the systematic classification and selection of design basis accidents, and the safety assurance of desalination-related systems. These efforts to identify and resolve the safety concerns in the design stage will provide the early confidence of SMART safety to designers, and the technical basis to evaluate the safety to reviewers in the future. 8 refs., 20 figs., 4 tabs. (Author)

  19. Passive and inherent safety technologies for light-water nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forsberg, C.W.

    1990-07-01

    Passive/inherent safety implies a technical revolution in our approach to nuclear power safety. This direction is discussed herein for light-water reactors (LWRs) -- the predominant type of power reactor used in the world today. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) the approach to the development of passive/inherent safety for LWRs consists of four steps: identify and quantify safety requirements and goals; identify and quantify the technical functional requirements needed for safety; identify, invent, develop, and quantify technical options that meet both of the above requirements; and integrate safety systems into designs of economic and reliable nuclear power plants. Significant progress has been achieved in the first three steps of this program. The last step involves primarily the reactor vendors. These activities, as well as related activities worldwide, are described here. 27 refs., 7 tabs

  20. Programmable electronic safety systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parry, R.R.

    1993-01-01

    Traditionally safety systems intended for protecting personnel from electrical and radiation hazards at particle accelerator laboratories have made extensive use of electromechanical relays. These systems have the advantage of high reliability and allow the designer to easily implement fail-safe circuits. Relay based systems are also typically simple to design, implement, and test. As systems, such as those presently under development at the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL), increase in size, and the number of monitored points escalates, relay based systems become cumbersome and inadequate. The move toward Programmable Electronic Safety Systems is becoming more widespread and accepted. In developing these systems there are numerous precautions the designer must be concerned with. Designing fail-safe electronic systems with predictable failure states is difficult at best. Redundancy and self-testing are prime examples of features that should be implemented to circumvent and/or detect failures. Programmable systems also require software which is yet another point of failure and a matter of great concern. Therefore the designer must be concerned with both hardware and software failures and build in the means to assure safe operation or shutdown during failures. This paper describes features that should be considered in developing safety systems and describes a system recently installed at the Accelerator Systems String Test (ASST) facility of the SSCL

  1. Safety review of experiments at Albuquerque Operations Office

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elliott, K.

    1984-01-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) Albuquerque Operations Office is responsible for the safety overview of nuclear reactor and critical assembly facilities at Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Rocky Flats Plant. The important safety concerns with these facilities involve the complex experiments that are performed, and that is the area emphasized. A determination is made by the Albuquerque Office (AL) with assistance from DOE/OMA whether or not a proposed experiment is an unreviewed safety question. Meetings are held with the contractor to resolve and clarify questions that are generated during the review of the proposed experiment. The AL safety evaluation report is completed and any recommendations are discussed. Prior to the experiment a preoperational appraisal is performed to assure that personnel, procedures, and equipment are in readiness for operations. During the experiment, any abnormal condition is reviewed in detail to determine any safety concerns

  2. The evolution and future direction of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siraky, Gabriela

    2008-01-01

    Full text: The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, namely the Joint Convention, had been established in 1997. The objective of the Convention is to achieve and maintain a high level of safety worldwide in that fields to ensure that there are effective defenses against potential hazards so that individuals, society and the environment are protected from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation and to prevent accidents with radiological consequences and to mitigate their consequences. The Parties to the Convention intend to achieve this objective by international cooperation, peer reviews of each other's performance, assistance when needed for states with less developed programmes and capabilities and the use of internationally accepted standards of safety. The Joint Convention is rooted in the discussions held previously to the establishment of the Convention of the Nuclear Safety that had taken place in the period 1993-1994. The idea of a Convention on the Safety of waste management evolved since then, getting its final status in November 1997 after seven meetings of a specially appointed working group of outstanding specialists on the subject. After that, it was needed three years more until the number of the ratifying States, that then became Contracting Parties, to get the condition that let the Convention to enter into force: ninety days after the date of deposit with the Depository of the twenty-fifth instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, including the instruments of fifteen States having an operational nuclear power plant. The First Review Meeting was held three years after it entered into force, in November 2003, with the attendance of 33 Parties that presented their National Reports. The second review meeting was held in May 2006. Forty-one Contracting Parties participated in the Second Review Meeting. There is then, a constant evolution in the number of Contracting Parties

  3. International Approaches for Nuclear Waste Disposal in Geological Formations: Report on Fifth Worldwide Review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Faybishenko, Boris [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Birkholzer, Jens [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Persoff, Peter [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sassani, David [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Swift, Peter N. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2016-08-01

    An important issue for present and future generations is the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Over the past over forty years, the development of technologies to isolate both spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and other high-level nuclear waste (HLW) generated at nuclear power plants and from production of defense materials, and low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste (LILW) in underground rock and sediments has been found to be a challenging undertaking. Finding an appropriate solution for the disposal of nuclear waste is an important issue for protection of the environment and public health, and it is a prerequisite for the future of nuclear power. The purpose of a deep geological repository for nuclear waste is to provide to future generations, protection against any harmful release of radioactive material, even after the memory of the repository may have been lost, and regardless of the technical knowledge of future generations. The results of a wide variety of investigations on the development of technology for radioactive waste isolation from 19 countries were published in the First Worldwide Review in 1991 (Witherspoon, 1991). The results of investigations from 26 countries were published in the Second Worldwide Review in 1996 (Witherspoon, 1996). The results from 32 countries were summarized in the Third Worldwide Review in 2001 (Witherspoon and Bodvarsson, 2001). The last compilation had results from 24 countries assembled in the Fourth Worldwide Review (WWR) on radioactive waste isolation (Witherspoon and Bodvarsson, 2006). Since publication of the last report in 2006, radioactive waste disposal approaches have continued to evolve, and there have been major developments in a number of national geological disposal programs. Significant experience has been obtained both in preparing and reviewing cases for the operational and long-term safety of proposed and operating repositories. Disposal of radioactive waste is a complex issue, not only because of the nature

  4. 9 CFR 381.14 - Inspection concerning purportedly exempted operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Inspection concerning purportedly exempted operations. 381.14 Section 381.14 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... make inspections in accordance with law to ascertain whether any of the provisions of the Act or the...

  5. Current statistical tools, systems and bodies concerned with safety and accident statistics.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koornstra, M.J.

    1996-01-01

    There are a wide range of differences in the methods used nationally to classify and record road accidents. The current use of road safety information systems and the few systems available for international use are discussed. Recommendations are made for a more efficient, less costly, and improved

  6. The safety of treatment options available for gout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlesinger, Naomi

    2017-04-01

    Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis in humans. Gout treatment includes rapid initiation of anti-inflammatory medications for acute attacks and chronically treating with urate lowering drugs as well as chronic anti-inflammatory prophylaxis. Areas covered: This review aims to provide an overview and discussion of the safety concerns of current treatment options available for gout. Expert opinion: Gout is a curable disease with appropriate treatment. The advent of new therapies provides encouraging opportunities to improve gout management. However, clinicians should be aware of some of the safety concerns of medications used to treat acute and chronic gout. When prescribing medications for gout one has to be mindful of the presence of comorbidities commonly affecting gout patients that may affect drug safety and efficacy, especially in the elderly and in patients treated with multiple drugs. The benefits of gout drugs, usually, outweigh their safety concerns. Studies are needed in gout patients with chronic kidney disease and/or cardiovascular disease, so that escalation of dosing /combination of anti-inflammatory drugs needed to suppress gouty inflammation as well as escalation of dosing/combination of urate lowering drugs needed to achieve target serum urate level will lead to better understanding of gout treatment safety issues.

  7. An investigation of safety climate in OHSAS 18001-certified and non-certified organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghahramani, Abolfazl

    2016-09-01

    Many organizations worldwide have implemented Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001 in their premises because of the assumed positive effects of this standard on safety. Few studies have analyzed the effect of the safety climate in OHSAS 18001-certified organizations. This case-control study used a new safety climate questionnaire to evaluate three OHSAS 18001-certified and three non-certified manufacturing companies in Iran. Hierarchical regression indicated that the safety climate was influenced by OHSAS implementation and by safety training. Employees who received safety training had better perceptions of the safety climate and its dimensions than other respondents within the certified companies. This study found that the implementation of OHSAS 18001 does not guarantee improvement of the safety climate. This study also emphasizes the need for high-quality safety training for employees of the certified companies to improve the safety climate.

  8. Researches in nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souchet, Y.

    2009-01-01

    This article comprises three parts: 1 - some general considerations aiming at explaining the main motivations of safety researches, and at briefly presenting the important role of some organisations in the international conciliation, and the most common approach used in safety researches (analytical experiments, calculation codes, global experiments); 2 - an overview of some of the main safety problems that are the object of worldwide research programs (natural disasters, industrial disasters, criticality, human and organisational factors, fuel behaviour in accidental situation, serious accidents: core meltdown, corium spreading, failure of the confinement building, radioactive releases). Considering the huge number of research topics, this part cannot be exhaustive and many topics are not approached; 3 - the presentation of two research programs addressing very different problems: the evaluation of accidental releases in the case of a serious accident (behaviour of iodine and B 4 C, air infiltration, fission products release) and the propagation of a fire in a facility (PRISME program). These two programs belong to an international framework involving several partners from countries involved in nuclear energy usage. (J.S.)

  9. Improving Safety through Human Factors Engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siewert, Bettina; Hochman, Mary G

    2015-10-01

    Human factors engineering (HFE) focuses on the design and analysis of interactive systems that involve people, technical equipment, and work environment. HFE is informed by knowledge of human characteristics. It complements existing patient safety efforts by specifically taking into consideration that, as humans, frontline staff will inevitably make mistakes. Therefore, the systems with which they interact should be designed for the anticipation and mitigation of human errors. The goal of HFE is to optimize the interaction of humans with their work environment and technical equipment to maximize safety and efficiency. Special safeguards include usability testing, standardization of processes, and use of checklists and forcing functions. However, the effectiveness of the safety program and resiliency of the organization depend on timely reporting of all safety events independent of patient harm, including perceived potential risks, bad outcomes that occur even when proper protocols have been followed, and episodes of "improvisation" when formal guidelines are found not to exist. Therefore, an institution must adopt a robust culture of safety, where the focus is shifted from blaming individuals for errors to preventing future errors, and where barriers to speaking up-including barriers introduced by steep authority gradients-are minimized. This requires creation of formal guidelines to address safety concerns, establishment of unified teams with open communication and shared responsibility for patient safety, and education of managers and senior physicians to perceive the reporting of safety concerns as a benefit rather than a threat. © RSNA, 2015.

  10. Human health and safety risks management in underground coal mines using fuzzy TOPSIS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahdevari, Satar, E-mail: satar.mahdevari@aut.ac.ir [Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shahriar, Kourosh [Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Esfahanipour, Akbar [Industrial Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2014-08-01

    The scrutiny of health and safety of personnel working in underground coal mines is heightened because of fatalities and disasters that occur every year worldwide. A methodology based on fuzzy TOPSIS was proposed to assess the risks associated with human health in order to manage control measures and support decision-making, which could provide the right balance between different concerns, such as safety and costs. For this purpose, information collected from three hazardous coal mines namely Hashouni, Hojedk and Babnizu located at the Kerman coal deposit, Iran, were used to manage the risks affecting the health and safety of their miners. Altogether 86 hazards were identified and classified under eight categories: geomechanical, geochemical, electrical, mechanical, chemical, environmental, personal, and social, cultural and managerial risks. Overcoming the uncertainty of qualitative data, the ranking process is accomplished by fuzzy TOPSIS. After running the model, twelve groups with different risks were obtained. Located in the first group, the most important risks with the highest negative effects are: materials falling, catastrophic failure, instability of coalface and immediate roof, firedamp explosion, gas emission, misfire, stopping of ventilation system, wagon separation at inclines, asphyxiation, inadequate training and poor site management system. According to the results, the proposed methodology can be a reliable technique for management of the minatory hazards and coping with uncertainties affecting the health and safety of miners when performance ratings are imprecise. The proposed model can be primarily designed to identify potential hazards and help in taking appropriate measures to minimize or remove the risks before accidents can occur. - Highlights: • Risks associated with health and safety of coal miners were investigated. • A reliable methodology based on Fuzzy TOPSIS was developed to manage the risks. • Three underground mines in Kerman

  11. Human health and safety risks management in underground coal mines using fuzzy TOPSIS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahdevari, Satar; Shahriar, Kourosh; Esfahanipour, Akbar

    2014-01-01

    The scrutiny of health and safety of personnel working in underground coal mines is heightened because of fatalities and disasters that occur every year worldwide. A methodology based on fuzzy TOPSIS was proposed to assess the risks associated with human health in order to manage control measures and support decision-making, which could provide the right balance between different concerns, such as safety and costs. For this purpose, information collected from three hazardous coal mines namely Hashouni, Hojedk and Babnizu located at the Kerman coal deposit, Iran, were used to manage the risks affecting the health and safety of their miners. Altogether 86 hazards were identified and classified under eight categories: geomechanical, geochemical, electrical, mechanical, chemical, environmental, personal, and social, cultural and managerial risks. Overcoming the uncertainty of qualitative data, the ranking process is accomplished by fuzzy TOPSIS. After running the model, twelve groups with different risks were obtained. Located in the first group, the most important risks with the highest negative effects are: materials falling, catastrophic failure, instability of coalface and immediate roof, firedamp explosion, gas emission, misfire, stopping of ventilation system, wagon separation at inclines, asphyxiation, inadequate training and poor site management system. According to the results, the proposed methodology can be a reliable technique for management of the minatory hazards and coping with uncertainties affecting the health and safety of miners when performance ratings are imprecise. The proposed model can be primarily designed to identify potential hazards and help in taking appropriate measures to minimize or remove the risks before accidents can occur. - Highlights: • Risks associated with health and safety of coal miners were investigated. • A reliable methodology based on Fuzzy TOPSIS was developed to manage the risks. • Three underground mines in Kerman

  12. Decree of the President of the Republic of 31 July 1980 concerning the Higher Institute for Safety at Work (Section 23 of Act N0 833 of 1978)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-01-01

    This Decree is important as respects nuclear energy insofar as the tasks of the Institute which are mainly of an advisory nature, also concern radiation protection and safety in connection with nuclear activities. It provides for an advisory role to be played by the Institute as regards health protection in the field of nuclear power generation and radioactive materials, including use of and trade in such materials. On the other hand, it does not affect the regulations governing the use of nuclear energy, in particular as concerns Act N 0 1240 of 1971 reorganising the CNEN, Act N 0 1860 of 1962 on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, Presidential Decree N 0 185 of 1964 on radiation protection and the decrees implementing these tests (NEA) [fr

  13. Measuring Safety Culture on Ships Using Safety Climate: A Study among Indian Officers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yogendra Bhattacharya

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Workplace safety continues to be an area of concern in the maritime industry due to the international nature of the operations. The effectiveness of extensive legislation to manage shipboard safety remains in doubt. The focus must therefore shift towards the human element - seafarers and their perceptions of safety. The study aims to understand the alignment that exists between safety culture and safety climate on board ships as perceived by seafarers. The underlying factors of safety climate were identified using factor analysis which isolated seven factors - Support on Safety, Organizational Support, Resource Availability, Work Environment, Job Demands, ‘Just’ Culture, and Safety Compliance. The perception of safety level of seafarers was found to be low indicating the existence of misalignments between safety culture values and the actual safety climate. The study also reveals that the safety perceptions of officers employed directly by ship owners and those by managers do not differ significantly, nor do they differ between senior and junior officers. A shift in perspective towards how seafarers themselves feel towards safety might provide more effective solutions – instead of relying on regulations - and indeed aid in reducing incidents on board. This paper details practical suggestions on how to identify the factors that contribute towards a better safety climate on board ships.

  14. Safety aspects of the modernization of I and C and process information in nuclear power plants with special regard to alarm annunciation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seidel, F [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, Salzgitter (Germany)

    1997-09-01

    In particular for older German nuclear power plants there are projects to modernize I and C and process information systems. This modernization mainly aims at improvements in plant operation. For instance, using modern computing technology, the plant operation can be optimized, according to further details. Furthermore, the problem of spare-part keeping for out-dated components can be solved. For modernizing the I and C or the process computer system, safety-relevant aspects have to be taken into account. For instance, the compatibility of the system modification with the existing alarm annunciation concept shall be considered, and for each modernization step, the interfaces between the equipment of different safety significance shall be assessed and observed. The functions and the associated equipment have to be qualified in accordance to their safety significance. At present, the regulatory framework for computer-based instrumentation and control as well as for information systems is being elaborated in Germany and worldwide. Recently, the guidelines of the German Reactor Safety Commission have been extended with regard to the introduction and safety application of modern computer-based I and C in nuclear power plants. Furthermore, some of the essential requirements for design and qualification of modern I and C can be derived from the existing rules and standards. Particularly, concerning the alarm annunciation system, this report summarizes safety-relevant aspects of the modernization of the instrumentation and control system as well as the process information system in nuclear power plants. (author). 4 refs.

  15. Safety aspects of the modernization of I and C and process information in nuclear power plants with special regard to alarm annunciation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seidel, F.

    1997-01-01

    In particular for older German nuclear power plants there are projects to modernize I and C and process information systems. This modernization mainly aims at improvements in plant operation. For instance, using modern computing technology, the plant operation can be optimized, according to further details. Furthermore, the problem of spare-part keeping for out-dated components can be solved. For modernizing the I and C or the process computer system, safety-relevant aspects have to be taken into account. For instance, the compatibility of the system modification with the existing alarm annunciation concept shall be considered, and for each modernization step, the interfaces between the equipment of different safety significance shall be assessed and observed. The functions and the associated equipment have to be qualified in accordance to their safety significance. At present, the regulatory framework for computer-based instrumentation and control as well as for information systems is being elaborated in Germany and worldwide. Recently, the guidelines of the German Reactor Safety Commission have been extended with regard to the introduction and safety application of modern computer-based I and C in nuclear power plants. Furthermore, some of the essential requirements for design and qualification of modern I and C can be derived from the existing rules and standards. Particularly, concerning the alarm annunciation system, this report summarizes safety-relevant aspects of the modernization of the instrumentation and control system as well as the process information system in nuclear power plants. (author). 4 refs

  16. European Union International Cooperation to Improve Regulatory Effectiveness in Nuclear Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stockmann, Y.

    2016-01-01

    The European Union (EU) promotes a high level of nuclear safety worldwide, through the ''Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation'' (INSC) since 2007. The INSC builds on the experience gained under the completed ''Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States'' Programme (TACIS) from 1991. Development and strengthening of national Regulatory Authorities’ capabilities is a key activity in achieving the INSC goals, in particular in countries with or embarking on nuclear power. Specific partner countries under INSC include countries of all types of maturity in the nuclear technology, with mature countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Ukraine, countries with waste and mining issues, but no direct intention of embarking on nuclear power such as Georgia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tanzania and countries planning to embark on nuclear power such as Belarus, Egypt, Jordan and Vietnam. For new projects, the main focus is on the neighbourhood of the EU. The EU cooperation within INSC encompasses measures to support the promotion of high standards in radiation protection, radioactive waste management, decommissioning, remediation of contaminated sites, and efficient and effective safeguards of nuclear material. The INSC regulatory support is aimed at continuous assistance to Nuclear Regulatory Authorities (NRAs), including their technical support organisations (TSOs), in order to reinforce the regulatory framework, notably concerning licensing activities.

  17. Health and safety annual report 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    BNFL operates 6 sites in the United Kingdom concerned with the nuclear fuel cycle. The annual report on occupational health and safety gives information on all aspects of health and safety within BNFL with special reference to radiation doses received by the workforce and radiation protection measures taken by the company. BNFL's safety policy is set out. Radiation doses to all workers have remained low. Other industrial accidents are also listed and its safety measures for transport, radioactive effluents and in the event of an incident, are mentioned briefly. (UK)

  18. Resolving conflicting safety cultures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slider, J.E.; Patterson, M.

    1993-01-01

    Several nuclear power plant sites have been wounded in the crossfire between two distinct corporate cultures. The traditional utility culture lies on one side and that of the nuclear navy on the other. The two corporate cultures lead to different perceptions of open-quotes safety culture.close quotes This clash of safety cultures obscures a very important point about nuclear plant operations: Safety depends on organizational learning. Organizational learning provides the foundation for a perception of safety culture that transcends the conflict between utility and nuclear navy cultures. Corporate culture may be defined as the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs shared by employees of a given company. Safety culture is the part of corporate culture concerning shared attitudes and beliefs affecting individual or public safety. If the safety culture promotes behaviors that lead to greater safety, employees will tend to open-quotes do the right thingclose quotes even when circumstances and formal guidance alone do not ensure that actions will be correct. Safety culture has become particularly important to nuclear plant owners and regulators as they have sought to establish and maintain a high level of safety in today's plants

  19. Nuclear Safety Technical Progress Journal, January--June 1995. Volume 36, No. 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silver, E G [ed.

    1995-01-01

    This journal covers significant issues in the field of nuclear safety. Its primary scope is safety in the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors worldwide and the research and analysis activities that promote this goal, but it also encompasses the safety aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing and handling, and nuclear waste disposal, the handling of fissionable materials and radioisotopes, and the environmental effects of all these activities. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

  20. Toshiba's activity concerning technology succession and human resource development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogura, Kenji; Hoshide, Akehiko

    2008-01-01

    Recently, from the viewpoint of the reduction of carbon-dioxide emission that cause global warming and the energy security, the importance of nuclear power generation is recognized again as an effective approach for solving the problems, and many nuclear power plants are planed to be constructed worldwide. On the other hand, the experienced engineers will face the time of the retirement in the near future and technology succession and human resource development has become important problems. In this paper, Toshiba's Nuclear Energy Systems and Services Division's activity concerning technology succession and human resource development will be introduced. (author)

  1. SAFETY ALERT: Electrical insulation defect on safety helmets

    CERN Multimedia

    HSE Unit

    2013-01-01

    Contrarily to the information provided until 31 May 2013, some “Euro Protection” safety helmets do not respect any of the requirements for electrical insulation.   This alert concerns the safety helmets identified under the following SCEM numbers: 50.43.30.050.4 white 50.43.30.060.2 yellow 50.43.30.070.0 blue This amounts up to several hundreds of helmets on the CERN site. People who need to wear an electrically insulated safety helmet for their activities, must from now on acquire a duly insulated item to be found on the CERN store under the following SCEM numbers: 50.43.30.210.6: Petzl Vertex ST Helmet (without vent) 50.43.30.300.1: IDRA Helmet with a visor for electrical work As for the people who do not need to wear an electrically insulated helmet for their activities, they can continue working with the aforementioned helmets. For your information, please take note of the maximum use limit of each helmet: “Euro Protection” Safety Helme...

  2. Geological disposal of radioactive waste. Safety requirements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    This Safety Requirements publication is concerned with providing protection to people and the environment from the hazards associated with waste management activities related to disposal, i.e. hazards that could arise during the operating period and following closure. It sets out the protection objectives and criteria for geological disposal and establishes the requirements that must be met to ensure the safety of this disposal option, consistent with the established principles of safety for radioactive waste management. It is intended for use by those involved in radioactive waste management and in making decisions in relation to the development, operation and closure of geological disposal facilities, especially those concerned with the related regulatory aspects. This publication contains 1. Introduction; 2. Protection of human health and the environment; 3. The safety requirements for geological disposal; 4. Requirements for the development, operation and closure of geological disposal facilities; Appendix: Assurance of compliance with the safety objective and criteria; Annex I: Geological disposal and the principles of radioactive waste management; Annex II: Principles of radioactive waste management

  3. Safety engineering experiments of explosives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ishikawa, Noboru

    1987-07-24

    The outline of large scale experiments carried out every year since 1969 to obtain fundamental data and then establish the safety engineering standards concerning the manufacturing, storage and transportation, etc. of all explosives was described. Because it becomes recently difficult to ensure the safety distance in powder magazines and powder plants, the sandwich structure with sand is thought to be suitable as the neighboring barrier walls. The special vertical structure for embankments to provide against a emergency explosion is effective to absorb the blast. Explosion behaviors such as initiating sensitivity, detonation, sympathetic detonation, and shock occurence of the ANFO explosives in place of dynamite and the slurry explosives were studied. The safety engineering standards for the manufacturing and application of explosives were studied to establish because accidents by tabacco fire are not still distinguished. Much data concerning early stage fire fighting, a large quantity of flooding and shock occurence from a assumption of ignition during machining in the propellants manufacturing plant, could be obtained. Basic studies were made to prevent pollution in blasting sites. Collected data are utilized for the safety administration after sufficient discussion. (4 figs, 2 tabs, 3 photos, 17 refs)

  4. Rule-based Dynamic Safety Monitoring for Mobile Robots

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adam, Marian Sorin; Larsen, Morten; Jensen, Kjeld

    2016-01-01

    Safety is a key challenge in robotics, in particular for mobile robots operating in an open and unpredictable environment. Safety certification is desired for commercial robots, but no existing approaches for addressing the safety challenge provide a clearly specified and isolated safety layer......, defined in an easily understandable way for facilitating safety certification. In this paper, we propose that functional-safety-critical concerns regarding the robot software be explicitly declared separately from the main program, in terms of externally observable properties of the software. Concretely...

  5. Phytotoxins: environmental micropollutants of concern?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bucheli, Thomas D

    2014-11-18

    Natural toxins such as mycotoxins or phytotoxins (bioactive compounds from fungi and plants, respectively) have been widely studied in food and feed, where they are stated to out-compete synthetic chemicals in their overall human and animal toxicological risk. A similar perception and awareness is yet largely missing for environmental safety. This article attempts to raise concern in this regard, by providing (circumstantial) evidence that phytotoxins in particular can be emitted into the environment, where they may contribute to the complex mixture of organic micropollutants. Exposures can be orders-of-magnitude higher in anthropogenically managed/affected (agro-)ecosystems than in the pristine environment.

  6. World-wide architecture of osteoporosis research: density-equalizing mapping studies and gender analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brüggmann, D; Mäule, L-S; Klingelhöfer, D; Schöffel, N; Gerber, A; Jaque, J M; Groneberg, D A

    2016-10-01

    While research activities on osteoporosis grow constantly, no concise description of the global research architecture exists. Hence, we aim to analyze and depict the world-wide scientific output on osteoporosis combining bibliometric tools, density-equalizing mapping projections and gender analysis. Using the NewQIS platform, we analyzed all osteoporosis-related publications authored from 1900 to 2012 and indexed by the Web of Science. Bibliometric details were analyzed related to quantitative and semi-qualitative aspects. The majority of 57 453 identified publications were original research articles. The USA and Western Europe dominated the field regarding cooperation activity, publication and citation performance. Asia, Africa and South America played a minimal role. Gender analysis revealed a dominance of male scientists in almost all countries except Brazil. Although the scientific performance on osteoporosis is increasing world-wide, a significant disparity in terms of research output was visible between developed and low-income countries. This finding is particularly concerning since epidemiologic evaluations of future osteoporosis prevalences predict enormous challenges for the health-care systems in low-resource countries. Hence, our study underscores the need to address these disparities by fostering future research endeavors in these nations with the aim to successfully prevent a growing global burden related to osteoporosis.

  7. Advances in safety related maintenance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-03-01

    The maintenance of systems, structures and components in nuclear power plants (NPPs) plays an important role in assuring their safe and reliable operation. Worldwide, NPP maintenance managers are seeking to reduce overall maintenance costs while maintaining or improving the levels of safety and reliability. Thus, the issue of NPP maintenance is one of the most challenging aspects of nuclear power generation. There is a direct relation between safety and maintenance. While maintenance alone (apart from modifications) will not make a plant safer than its original design, deficient maintenance may result in either an increased number of transients and challenges to safety systems or reduced reliability and availability of safety systems. The confidence that NPP structures, systems and components will function as designed is ultimately based on programmes which monitor both their reliability and availability to perform their intended safety function. Because of this, approaches to monitor the effectiveness of maintenance are also necessary. An effective maintenance programme ensures that there is a balance between the improvement in component reliability to be achieved and the loss of component function due to maintenance downtime. This implies that the safety level of an NPP should not be adversely affected by maintenance performed during operation. The nuclear industry widely acknowledges the importance of maintenance in NPP safety and operation and therefore devotes great efforts to develop techniques, methods and tools to aid in maintenance planning, follow-up and optimization, and in assuring the effectiveness of maintenance

  8. Safety analyses for reprocessing and waste processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-03-01

    Presentation of an incident analysis of process steps of the RP, simplified considerations concerning safety, and safety analyses of the storage and solidification facilities of the RP. A release tree method is developed and tested. An incident analysis of process steps, the evaluation of the SRL-study and safety analyses of the storage and solidification facilities of the RP are performed in particular. (DG) [de

  9. Post Chernobyl safety review at Ontario Hydro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frescura, G.M.; Luxat, J.C.; Jobe, C.

    1991-01-01

    It is generally recognized that the Chernobyl Unit 4 accident did not reveal any new phenomena which had not been previously identified in safety analyses. However, the accident provided a tragic reminder of the potential consequences of reactivity initiated accidents (RIAs) and stimulated nuclear plant operators to review their safety analyses, operating procedures and various operational and management aspects of nuclear safety. Concerning Ontario Hydro, the review of the accident performed by the corporate body responsible for nuclear safety policy and by the Atomic Energy Control Board (the Regulatory Body) led to a number of specific recommendations for further action by various design, analysis and operation groups. These recommendations are very comprehensive in terms of reactor safety issues considered. The general conclusion of the various studies carried out in response to the recommendations, is that the CANDU safety design and the procedures in place to identify and mitigate the consequences of accidents are adequate. Improvements to the reliability of the Pickering NGSA shutdown system and to some aspects of safety management and staff training, although not essential, are possible and would be pursued. In support of this conclusion, the paper describes some of the studies that were carried out and discusses the findings. The first part of the paper deals with safety design aspects. While the second is concerned with operational aspects

  10. ELFR: The European Lead Fast Reactor. Design, Safety Approach and Safety Characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alemberti, Alessandro

    2012-01-01

    • In the framework of the LEADER project, the safety approach for a Lead cooled fast reactor has been defined and, in particular, all the possible challenges to the main safety functions and their mechanisms have been specified, in order to better define the needed provisions. • On the basis of the above and taking into account the results of the safety analyses performed during previous project (ELSY), a reference configuration of the ELFR plant has been consolidated, by improving and updating the plant design features. In particular, the emerged safety concerns have been analyzed in the LEADER project and a new set of design options and safety provisions have been proposed. • The combination of favourable Lead coolant inherent characteristics and plant design features, specifically developed to face identified challenges, resulted in a very robust and forgiving design, even in very extreme conditions, as a Fukushima-like scenario

  11. Reactor safety research. The CEC contribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krischer, W.

    1990-01-01

    The involvement of the EC Commission in the reactor safety research dates back almost to the implementation of the EURATOM Treaty and has thus lasted for thirty years. The need for close collaboration and for general consensus on some crucial problems of concern to the public, has made the role of international organizations and, as far as Europe is concerned, the role of the European Community particularly important. The areas in which the CEC has been active during the last five years are widespread. This is partly due to the fact that, after TMI and Chernobyl, the effort and the interest of the different countries in reactor safety was considerable. Reactor Safety Research represents the proceedings of a seminar held by the Commission at the end of its research programme 1984-88 on reactor safety. As such it gives a comprehensive overview of the recent activities and main results achieved in the CEC Joint Research Centre and in national laboratories throughout Europe on the basis of shared cost actions. In a concluding chapter the book reports on the opinions, expressed during a panel by a group of major exponents, on the needs for future research. The main topics addressed are, with particular reference to Light Water Reactors (LWRS): reliability and risk evaluation, inspection of steel components, primary circuit components end-of-life prediction, and abnormal behaviour of reactor cooling systems. As far as LMFBRs are concerned, the topics covered are: severe accident modelling, material properties and structural behaviour studies. There are 67 pages, all of which are indexed separately. Reactor Safety Research will be of particular interest to reliability and safety engineers, nuclear engineers and technicians, and mechanical and structural engineers. (author)

  12. User-Centered Collaborative Design and Development of an Inpatient Safety Dashboard.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mlaver, Eli; Schnipper, Jeffrey L; Boxer, Robert B; Breuer, Dominic J; Gershanik, Esteban F; Dykes, Patricia C; Massaro, Anthony F; Benneyan, James; Bates, David W; Lehmann, Lisa S

    2017-12-01

    Patient safety remains a key concern in hospital care. This article summarizes the iterative participatory development, features, functions, and preliminary evaluation of a patient safety dashboard for interdisciplinary rounding teams on inpatient medical services. This electronic health record (EHR)-embedded dashboard collects real-time data covering 13 safety domains through web services and applies logic to generate stratified alerts with an interactive check-box function. The technological infrastructure is adaptable to other EHR environments. Surveyed users perceived the tool as highly usable and useful. Integration of the dashboard into clinical care is intended to promote communication about patient safety and facilitate identification and management of safety concerns. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. All rights reserved.

  13. The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Safety Climate and Individual Safety Behavior on Construction Sites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuzhong Shen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Unsafe acts contribute dominantly to construction accidents, and increasing safety behavior is essential to reduce accidents. Previous research conceptualized safety behavior as an interaction between proximal individual differences (safety knowledge and safety motivation and distal contextual factors (leadership and safety climate. However, relatively little empirical research has examined this conceptualization in the construction sector. Given the cultural background of the sample, this study makes a slight modification to the conceptualization and views transformational leadership as an antecedent of safety climate. Accordingly, this study establishes a multiple mediator model showing the mechanisms through which transformational leadership translates into safety behavior. The multiple mediator model is estimated by the structural equation modeling (SEM technique, using individual questionnaire responses from a random sample of construction personnel based in Hong Kong. As hypothesized, transformational leadership has a significant impact on safety climate which is mediated by safety-specific leader–member exchange (LMX, and safety climate in turn impacts safety behavior through safety knowledge. The results suggest that future safety climate interventions should be more effective if supervisors exhibit transformational leadership, encourage construction personnel to voice safety concerns without fear of retaliation, and repeatedly remind them about safety on the job.

  14. The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Safety Climate and Individual Safety Behavior on Construction Sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yuzhong; Ju, Chuanjing; Koh, Tas Yong; Rowlinson, Steve; Bridge, Adrian J

    2017-01-05

    Unsafe acts contribute dominantly to construction accidents, and increasing safety behavior is essential to reduce accidents. Previous research conceptualized safety behavior as an interaction between proximal individual differences (safety knowledge and safety motivation) and distal contextual factors (leadership and safety climate). However, relatively little empirical research has examined this conceptualization in the construction sector. Given the cultural background of the sample, this study makes a slight modification to the conceptualization and views transformational leadership as an antecedent of safety climate. Accordingly, this study establishes a multiple mediator model showing the mechanisms through which transformational leadership translates into safety behavior. The multiple mediator model is estimated by the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, using individual questionnaire responses from a random sample of construction personnel based in Hong Kong. As hypothesized, transformational leadership has a significant impact on safety climate which is mediated by safety-specific leader-member exchange (LMX), and safety climate in turn impacts safety behavior through safety knowledge. The results suggest that future safety climate interventions should be more effective if supervisors exhibit transformational leadership, encourage construction personnel to voice safety concerns without fear of retaliation, and repeatedly remind them about safety on the job.

  15. The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Safety Climate and Individual Safety Behavior on Construction Sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yuzhong; Ju, Chuanjing; Koh, Tas Yong; Rowlinson, Steve; Bridge, Adrian J.

    2017-01-01

    Unsafe acts contribute dominantly to construction accidents, and increasing safety behavior is essential to reduce accidents. Previous research conceptualized safety behavior as an interaction between proximal individual differences (safety knowledge and safety motivation) and distal contextual factors (leadership and safety climate). However, relatively little empirical research has examined this conceptualization in the construction sector. Given the cultural background of the sample, this study makes a slight modification to the conceptualization and views transformational leadership as an antecedent of safety climate. Accordingly, this study establishes a multiple mediator model showing the mechanisms through which transformational leadership translates into safety behavior. The multiple mediator model is estimated by the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, using individual questionnaire responses from a random sample of construction personnel based in Hong Kong. As hypothesized, transformational leadership has a significant impact on safety climate which is mediated by safety-specific leader–member exchange (LMX), and safety climate in turn impacts safety behavior through safety knowledge. The results suggest that future safety climate interventions should be more effective if supervisors exhibit transformational leadership, encourage construction personnel to voice safety concerns without fear of retaliation, and repeatedly remind them about safety on the job. PMID:28067775

  16. 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

  17. Safety culture improvement. An adaptive management framework

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Obadia, Isaac Jose

    2005-01-01

    After the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) established the safety culture concept as a proactive mean to contribute to safety improvement, starting a worldwide safety culture enhancement program within nuclear organizations mainly focused on nuclear power plants. More recently, the safety culture concept has been extended to non-power applications such as nuclear research reactors and nuclear technological research and development organizations. In 1999, the Nuclear Engineering Institute (IEN), a research and technological development unit of the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN), started a management change program aiming at improving its performance level of excellence. This change program has been developed assuming the occurrence of complex causal inter-relationships between the organizational culture and the implementation of the management process. A systematic and adaptive management framework comprised of a safety culture improvement practice integrated to a management process based on the Criteria for Excellence of the Brazilian Quality Award Model, has been developed and implemented at IEN. The case study has demonstrated that the developed framework makes possible an effective safety culture improvement and simultaneously facilitates an effective implementation of the management process, thus providing some governance to the change program. (author)

  18. Current concepts on integrative safety assessment of active substances of botanical, mineral or chemical origin in homeopathic medicinal products within the European regulatory framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchholzer, Marie-Luise; Werner, Christine; Knoess, Werner

    2014-03-01

    For active substances of botanical, mineral or chemical origin processed in homeopathic medicinal products for human use, the adequate safety principles as with other human medicinal products are applied in line with the European regulatory framework. In homeopathy, nonclinical safety assessment is facing a particular challenge because of a multitude and diversity of source materials used and due to rarely available toxicological data. Thus, current concepts applied by the national regulatory authority in Germany (BfArM) on integrative safety assessment of raw materials used in homeopathic medicinal products involve several evaluation approaches like the use of the Lowest Human Recommended Dose (LHRD), toxicological limit values, Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC), data from food regulation or the consideration of unavoidable environmental or dietary background exposure. This publication is intended to further develop and clarify the practical use of these assessment routes by exemplary application on selected homeopathic preparations. In conclusion, the different approaches are considered a very useful scientific and simultaneously pragmatic procedure in differentiated risk assessment of homeopathic medicinal products. Overall, this paper aims to increase the visibility of the safety issues in homeopathy and to stimulate scientific discussion of worldwide existing regulatory concepts on homeopathic medicinal products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Effects of an educational patient safety campaign on patients' safety behaviours and adverse events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwappach, David L B; Frank, Olga; Buschmann, Ute; Babst, Reto

    2013-04-01

    Rationale, aims and objectives  The study aims to investigate the effects of a patient safety advisory on patients' risk perceptions, perceived behavioural control, performance of safety behaviours and experience of adverse incidents. Method  Quasi-experimental intervention study with non-equivalent group comparison was used. Patients admitted to the surgical department of a Swiss large non-university hospital were included. Patients in the intervention group received a safety advisory at their first clinical encounter. Outcomes were assessed using a questionnaire at discharge. Odds ratios for control versus intervention group were calculated. Regression analysis was used to model the effects of the intervention and safety behaviours on the experience of safety incidents. Results  Two hundred eighteen patients in the control and 202 in the intervention group completed the survey (75 and 77% response rates, respectively). Patients in the intervention group were less likely to feel poorly informed about medical errors (OR = 0.55, P = 0.043). There were 73.1% in the intervention and 84.3% in the control group who underestimated the risk for infection (OR = 0.51, CI 0.31-0.84, P = 0.009). Perceived behavioural control was lower in the control group (meanCon  = 3.2, meanInt  = 3.5, P = 0.010). Performance of safety-related behaviours was unaffected by the intervention. Patients in the intervention group were less likely to experience any safety-related incident or unsafe situation (OR for intervention group = 0.57, CI 0.38-0.87, P = 0.009). There were no differences in concerns for errors during hospitalization. There were 96% of patients (intervention) who would recommend other patients to read the advisory. Conclusions  The results suggest that the safety advisory decreases experiences of adverse events and unsafe situations. It renders awareness and perceived behavioural control without increasing concerns for safety and

  20. Regulations concerning marine transport and storage of dangerous things (abridged)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    This report shows the Ordinances No.84 (1967) and No.30 (1957) of the Ministry of transport. The Ordinance No.84 has been published in detail elsewhere. The provisions concerning shipping transport and storage of dangerous substances deal with isolation of each dangerous substance, method for loading (cleaning of container, etc.), certificate for ship for transporting dangerous substances, renewal of certificate for ship for transporting dangerous substances, return of certificate, fee (for renewal and reissue of certificate), definition of terms, type of radioactive cargo (L-type cargo, A-type cargo, BM-type cargo, BU type cargo), transport of radioactive substances, type of fissionable cargo (Type I, Type II and Type III), confirmation of safety concerning radioactive cargo (conformity to standards, inspection, approval, etc.), limit of cargo volume, transport index, marking (type of cargo), confirmation of safety of transport, inspection of contamination, notice of transport, special measures, inspection of cargo (radioactive substances), requirements for container and package, etc. (Nogami, K.)