Internet Safety Issues for Adolescents and Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buijs, Petra C. M.; Boot, Erik; Shugar, Andrea; Fung, Wai Lun Alan; Bassett, Anne S.

2017-01-01

Background: Research on Internet safety for adolescents has identified several important issues including unwanted exposure to sexual material and sexual solicitation. Methods: Although individuals with intellectual disabilities often have poor insight and judgment, and may therefore be at risk for Internet dangers, there is surprisingly little…

[Topics from "Overseas Drug Safety Information" in the past five years].

PubMed

Amanuma, Kimiko

2013-01-01

The Drug Safety Information Section of the Division of Safety Information on Drug, Food and Chemicals has been providing bulletins titled "Overseas Drug Safety Information" in Japanese since 2003. These bulletins comprise summarized and translated reports of important post-marketing drug safety information that are published by foreign regulatory agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medical Agency. A new issue of the bulletin is posted every two weeks on the website of the National Institute of Health Sciences, Japan; to date (May 2013), a total of 280 issues have been posted, covering approximately 2400 foreign news items and articles since its inception. Recently, visits to the bulletin website have been increasing: the number of hits for each issue totaled 570,000 in fiscal 2012. Among the "Overseas Drug Safety Information" issued in the past five years, I briefly describe here several topics which interested me: erythropoietin-stimulating agents in chronic kidney disease and their cardiovascular risk; bisphosphonates and atypical femur fracture; effectiveness of oral liquid cough medicines containing codeine in children; bevacizumab for metastatic breast cancer; and congenital abnormality associated with the use of antiepileptic drugs by pregnant women. I also describe the potential safety signals identified by FDA using its Adverse Event Reporting System, and their importance in ensuring the safe use of drugs in the post-marketing phase.

Qualitative Future Safety Risk Identification an Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barr, Lawrence C.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this report is to document the results of a high-level qualitative study that was conducted to identify future aviation safety risks and to assess the potential impacts to the National Airspace System (NAS) of NASA Aviation Safety research on these risks. Multiple external sources (for example, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Flight Safety Foundation, the National Research Council, and the Joint Planning and Development Office) were used to develop a compilation of future safety issues risks, also referred to as future tall poles. The primary criterion used to identify the most critical future safety risk issues was that the issue must be cited in several of these sources as a safety area of concern. The tall poles in future safety risk, in no particular order of importance, are as follows: Runway Safety, Loss of Control In Flight, Icing Ice Detection, Loss of Separation, Near Midair Collision Human Fatigue, Increasing Complexity and Reliance on Automation, Vulnerability Discovery, Data Sharing and Dissemination, and Enhanced Survivability in the Event of an Accident.

U.S. Food System Working Conditions as an Issue of Food Safety.

PubMed

Clayton, Megan L; Smith, Katherine C; Pollack, Keshia M; Neff, Roni A; Rutkow, Lainie

2017-02-01

Food workers' health and hygiene are common pathways to foodborne disease outbreaks. Improving food system jobs is important to food safety because working conditions impact workers' health, hygiene, and safe food handling. Stakeholders from key industries have advanced working conditions as an issue of public safety in the United States. Yet, for the food industry, stakeholder engagement with this topic is seemingly limited. To understand this lack of action, we interviewed key informants from organizations recognized for their agenda-setting role on food-worker issues. Findings suggest that participants recognize the work standards/food safety connection, yet perceived barriers limit adoption of a food safety frame, including more pressing priorities (e.g., occupational safety); poor fit with organizational strategies and mission; and questionable utility, including potential negative consequences. Using these findings, we consider how public health advocates may connect food working conditions to food and public safety and elevate it to the public policy agenda.

Coordinating State and Regional Transportation Safety Planning through the SHSP Process : an RSPCB Peer Exchange

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

Local and regional governments have important roles to play in identifying and addressing safety issues on roadways within their jurisdictions. Congress recognized this need and passed legislation in 1998 requiring safety consideration in transportat...

Improving safety on rural local and tribal roads.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

Rural roadway safety is an important issue for communities throughout the country and presents a challenge for local and Tribal agencies. The FHWA created a Toolkit and two User Guides to help rural local and Tribal roadway safety practitioners addre...

Road safety issues for bus transport management.

PubMed

Cafiso, Salvatore; Di Graziano, Alessandro; Pappalardo, Giuseppina

2013-11-01

Because of the low percentage of crashes involving buses and the assumption that public transport improves road safety by reducing vehicular traffic, public interest in bus safety is not as great as that in the safety of other types of vehicles. It is possible that less attention is paid to the significance of crashes involving buses because the safety level of bus systems is considered to be adequate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of bus managers with respect to safety issues and the potential effectiveness of various technologies in achieving higher safety standards. Bus managers were asked to give their opinions on safety issues related to drivers (training, skills, performance evaluation and behaviour), vehicles (maintenance and advanced devices) and roads (road and traffic safety issues) in response to a research survey. Kendall's algorithm was used to evaluate the level of concordance. The results showed that the majority of the proposed items were considered to have great potential for improving bus safety. The data indicated that in the experience of the participants, passenger unloading and pedestrians crossing near bus stops are the most dangerous actions with respect to vulnerable users. The final results of the investigation showed that start inhibition, automatic door opening, and the materials and internal architecture of buses were considered the items most strongly related to bus passenger safety. Brake assistance and vehicle monitoring systems were also considered to be very effective. With the exception of driver assistance systems for passenger and pedestrian safety, the perceptions of the importance of other driver assistance systems for vehicle monitoring and bus safety were not unanimous among the bus company managers who participated in this survey. The study results showed that the introduction of new technologies is perceived as an important factor in improving bus safety, but a better understanding of their actual effectiveness and related risk factor avoidance must be developed to permit their useful implementation in bus fleets. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Study in Iowa. Teaching Food Safety in Secondary FCS Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Jason D.; Henroid, Daniel H., Jr.

2005-01-01

Food safety is a significant issue in the United States and yet minimal research has been done on the inclusion of food safety in secondary school curricula. This study examined the feasibility of including food safety in Iowa FCS middle and secondary classes. Teachers reported food safety was important; only a few believed students were…

Multilevel models in the explanation of the relationship between safety climate and safe behavior.

PubMed

Cheyne, Alistair; Tomás, José M; Oliver, Amparo

2013-01-01

This study examines the relationships between components of organizational safety climate, including employee attitudes to organizational safety issues; perceptions of the physical working environment, and evaluations of worker engagement with safety issues; and relates these to self-reported levels of safety behavior. It attempts to explore the relationships between these variables in 1189 workers across 78 work groups in a large transportation organization. Evaluations of safety climate, the working environment and worker engagement, as well as safe behaviors, were collected using a self report questionnaire. The multilevel analysis showed that both levels of evaluation (the work group and the individual), and some cross-level interactions, were significant in explaining safe behaviors. Analyses revealed that a number of variables, at both levels, were associated with worker engagement and safe behaviors. The results suggest that, while individual evaluations of safety issues are important, there is also a role for the fostering of collective safety climates in encouraging safe behaviors and therefore reducing accidents.

Teaching Safety: Using Mole Calculations To Teach Aspects of Safety in Post-16 Chemistry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borrows, Peter; Vincent, Ray; Cochrane, Allen

1998-01-01

Recommends beginning certain chemistry courses with revision and consolidation of mole calculations. Argues that by choosing examples related to health and safety, mole calculations can be made less academic while raising student awareness of important issues. (DDR)

Issues in Software System Safety: Polly Ann Smith Co. versus Ned I. Ludd

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holloway, C. Michael

2002-01-01

This paper is a work of fiction, but it is fiction with a very real purpose: to stimulate careful thought and friendly discussion about some questions for which thought is often careless and discussion is often unfriendly. To accomplish this purpose, the paper creates a fictional legal case. The most important issue in this fictional case is whether certain proffered expert testimony about software engineering for safety critical systems should be admitted. Resolving this issue requires deciding the extent to which current practices and research in software engineering, especially for safety-critical systems, can rightly be considered based on knowledge, rather than opinion.

Older Driver Safety: A Survey of Psychologists' Attitudes, Knowledge, and Practices.

PubMed

Love, Janet; Tuokko, Holly

2016-09-01

Using an online survey, we examined the knowledge, attitudes, and practices with respect to older driver safety concerns of clinical psychologists from across Canada who self-identified as working with at least some drivers over 60 years of age. Eighty-four psychologists completed the survey, and many were aware of the issues relevant to older driver safety, although only about half reported that assessing fitness to drive was an important issue in their practice. The majority (75%) reported that they would benefit from education concerning evaluation of fitness to drive. The primary recommendation emerging from this investigation is to increase efforts to inform and educate psychologists about driving-related assessment and regulatory issues in general, and specifically with respect to older adults. As the population ages, it is of growing importance for all health care providers to understand the influence of mental health conditions-including cognitive impairment and dementia-on driving skills.

Playgrounds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frost, Joe L.; And Others

1997-01-01

This collection of seven articles focuses on playgrounds, looking at such issues as the importance of play in child development, playground injuries and safety (including international playground safety), community playground improvement projects, and shock-absorbing playground surfaces. (SM)

Impacts of soil and water pollution on food safety and health risks in China.

PubMed

Lu, Yonglong; Song, Shuai; Wang, Ruoshi; Liu, Zhaoyang; Meng, Jing; Sweetman, Andrew J; Jenkins, Alan; Ferrier, Robert C; Li, Hong; Luo, Wei; Wang, Tieyu

2015-04-01

Environmental pollution and food safety are two of the most important issues of our time. Soil and water pollution, in particular, have historically impacted on food safety which represents an important threat to human health. Nowhere has that situation been more complex and challenging than in China, where a combination of pollution and an increasing food safety risk have affected a large part of the population. Water scarcity, pesticide over-application, and chemical pollutants are considered to be the most important factors impacting on food safety in China. Inadequate quantity and quality of surface water resources in China have led to the long-term use of waste-water irrigation to fulfill the water requirements for agricultural production. In some regions this has caused serious agricultural land and food pollution, especially for heavy metals. It is important, therefore, that issues threatening food safety such as combined pesticide residues and heavy metal pollution are addressed to reduce risks to human health. The increasing negative effects on food safety from water and soil pollution have put more people at risk of carcinogenic diseases, potentially contributing to 'cancer villages' which appear to correlate strongly with the main food producing areas. Currently in China, food safety policies are not integrated with soil and water pollution management policies. Here, a comprehensive map of both soil and water pollution threats to food safety in China is presented and integrated policies addressing soil and water pollution for achieving food safety are suggested to provide a holistic approach. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IMPLEMENTATION OF DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITY SAFETY BOARD RECOMMENDATION 2000-2 AT WIPP

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jackson, K.; Wu, C.

2002-02-26

The Defense Nuclear Safeties Board (DNFSB) issued Recommendation 2000-2 on March 8, 2000, concerning the degrading conditions of vital safety systems, or systems important to nuclear safety, at DOE sites across the nation. The Board recommended that the DOE take action to assess the condition of its nuclear systems to ensure continued operational readiness of vital safety systems that are important for safely accomplishing the DOE's mission. To verify the readiness of vital safety systems, a two-phased approach was established. Phase I consisted of a qualitative assessment to approved criteria of the defined vital safety systems by operating contractor personnel,more » overseen by Federal field office personnel. Based on Phase I Assessment results, vital safety systems with significant deficiencies would be further assessed in Phase II, a more extensive quantitative assessment, by a contractor and Federal team, using a second set of criteria. In addition, Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board Recommendation 2000-2 concluded that the degradation of confinement ventilation systems was of major concern, and issued a separate set of criteria to perform a Phase II Assessment on confinement ventilation systems.« less

Pharmacist Staffing, Technology Use, and Implementation of Medication Safety Practices in Rural Hospitals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casey, Michelle M.; Moscovice, Ira S.; Davidson, Gestur

2006-01-01

Context: Medication safety is clearly an important quality issue for rural hospitals. However, rural hospitals face special challenges implementing medication safety practices in terms of their staffing and financial and technical resources. Purpose: This study assessed the capacity of small rural hospitals to implement medication safety…

Construction Safety Training via e-Learning: Learning Effectiveness and User Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Chun-Ling; Dzeng, Ren-Jye

2010-01-01

In Taiwan, promoting knowledge of "Labor Safety" which relates to life and work right is very important. Safety training and learning effectiveness become essential issues of adult learning. To reduce the costs of educational training, enterprises have also started to aggressively introduce e-learning education training. Unlike the…

Consumer confidence in the safety of food and newspaper coverage of food safety issues: a longitudinal perspective.

PubMed

de Jonge, Janneke; Van Trijp, Hans; Renes, Reint Jan; Frewer, Lynn J

2010-01-01

This study develops a longitudinal perspective on consumer confidence in the safety of food to explore if, how, and why consumer confidence changes over time. In the first study, a theory-based monitoring instrument for consumer confidence in the safety of food was developed and validated. The monitoring instrument assesses consumer confidence together with its determinants. Model and measurement invariance were validated rigorously before developments in consumer confidence in the safety of food and its determinants were investigated over time. The results from the longitudinal analysis show that across four waves of annual data collection (2003-2006), the framework was stable and that the relative importance of the determinants of confidence was, generally, constant over time. Some changes were observed regarding the mean ratings on the latent constructs. The second study explored how newspaper coverage of food safety related issues affects consumer confidence in the safety of food through subjective consumer recall of food safety incidents. The results show that the newspaper coverage on food safety issues is positively associated with consumer recall of food safety incidents, both in terms of intensity and recency of media coverage.

Review article: practical current issues in perioperative patient safety.

PubMed

Eichhorn, John H

2013-02-01

This brief review provides an overview and, importantly, a context perspective of relevant current practical issues in perioperative patient safety. The dramatic improvement in anesthesia patient safety over the last 30 years was not initiated by electronic monitors but, rather, largely by a set of behaviours known as "safety monitoring" that were then made decidedly more effective by extending the human senses through electronic monitoring, for example, capnography and pulse oximetry. In the highly developed world, this current success is threatened by complacency and production pressure. In some areas of the developing/underdeveloped world, the challenge is implementing the components of anesthesia practice that will bring safety improvements to parallel the overall current success, for instance, applying the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) "International Standards for A Safe Practice of Anaesthesia". Generally, expanding the current success in safety involves many practical issues. System issues involve research, effective reporting mechanisms and analysis/broadcasting of results, perioperative communication (including "speaking up to power"), and checklists. Monitoring issues involve enforcing existing published monitoring standards and also recognizing the risk of danger to the patient from hypoventilation during procedural sedation and from postoperative intravenous pain medications. Issues of clinical care include medication errors in the operating room, cerebral hypoperfusion (especially in the head-up position), dangers of airway management, postoperative residual weakness from muscle relaxants, operating room fires, and risks specific in obstetric anesthesia. Recognition of the issues outlined here and empowerment of all anesthesia professionals, from the most senior professors and administrators to the newest practitioners, should help maintain, solidify, and expand the improvements in anesthesia and perioperative patient safety.

Abusive behavior is barrier to high-reliability health care systems, culture of patient safety.

PubMed

Cassirer, C; Anderson, D; Hanson, S; Fraser, H

2000-11-01

Addressing abusive behavior in the medical workplace presents an important opportunity to deliver on the national commitment to improve patient safety. Fundamentally, the issue of patient safety and the issue of abusive behavior in the workplace are both about harm. Undiagnosed and untreated, abusive behavior is a barrier to creating high reliability service delivery systems that ensure patient safety. Health care managers and clinicians need to improve their awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the issue of workplace abuse. The available research suggests there is a high prevalence of workplace abuse in medicine. Both administrators at the blunt end and clinicians at the sharp end should consider learning new approaches to defining and treating the problem of workplace abuse. Eliminating abusive behavior has positive implications for preventing and controlling medical injury and improving organizational performance.

Safe Schools Report 2004-2005

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Mexico Public Education Department, 2006

2006-01-01

Safety in New Mexico's schools is one of the most important issues facing our communities. Every school and school district in the state make it a priority to identify and implement ways to increase the safety, security and integrity of students, teachers, staff, parents and visitors at our schools on a daily basis. Safety is critical for…

ANALYSIS OF SEQUENTIAL FAILURES FOR ASSESSMENT OF RELIABILITY AND SAFETY OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS. (R828541)

EPA Science Inventory

Assessment of reliability and safety of a manufacturing system with sequential failures is an important issue in industry, since the reliability and safety of the system depend not only on all failed states of system components, but also on the sequence of occurrences of those...

Evaluation of automated flagger assistance devices : interim report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

Flagger safety is an important issue in work zones due to the proximity of the flagger to traffic. Some strategies for improving flagger safety include slowing down approaching vehicles or removing flaggers from the immediate vicinity of traffic. The...

Analysis of safety reports involving area navigation and required navigation performance procedures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-11-03

In order to achieve potential operational and safety benefits enabled by Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP) procedures it is important to monitor emerging issues in their initial implementation. Reports from the Aviation...

Rules of the Road for Transporting Children--Guidelines for Developing a Motor Vehicle Safety Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hooker, Bruce; Gearhart, Kentin

1999-01-01

Discusses safety issues for child care centers that provide transportation for children. Notes the importance of vehicle usage and control, driver qualifications, vehicle maintenance, child securement, accident procedures, and driver education and training. (JPB)

48 CFR 50.205-1 - SAFETY Act Considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... CONTRACT MANAGEMENT EXTRAORDINARY CONTRACTUAL ACTIONS AND THE SAFETY ACT Support Anti-terrorism by... performance characteristics are addressed. This is important because the processing times for issuing... applications to DHS and the technical complexity of individual applications. (c) Industry outreach. When...

The road ahead: comprehensive and innovative approaches for improving safety and preventing child maltreatment fatalities.

PubMed

Chahine, Zeinab; Sanders, David

2013-01-01

This article presents a high-level overview of the complex issues, opportunities, and challenges involved in improving child safety and preventing child maltreatment fatalities. It emphasizes that improving measurement and classification is critical to understanding and preventing child maltreatment fatalities. It also stresses the need to reframe child maltreatment interventions from a public health perspective. The article draws on the lessons learned from state-of-the-art safety engineering innovations, research, and other expert recommendations presented in this special issue that can inform future policy and practice direction in this important area.

What Farm Families Tell Us That Can Be Useful in Educating for Health and Safety.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seiz, Robert C.; Downey, Eleanor Pepi

2001-01-01

Eight Colorado farm families were interviewed about the occupational health and safety risks they face. Four themes were identified: risks, obstacles, motivators, and supports. The important role played by farm families in motivating farmers to be attentive to safety issues should be fully explored in the design, packaging, and delivery of farm…

Materials for lithium-ion battery safety.

PubMed

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.

Materials for lithium-ion battery safety

PubMed Central

Liu, Kai

2018-01-01

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. PMID:29942858

The Effects Of Age, Spatial Ability, And Navigational Information On Navigational Performance

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-08-01

Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver inattention, particularly that due to fatigue, is widely recognized as an important safety issue in the transportation industry. This tech brief summarizes an Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety study to i...

Labor and the Supreme Court: Significant Issues of 1989-90.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hukill, Craig

1990-01-01

In contrast to its 1988 term, the Supreme Court's new term presents less controversial, though still important, labor issues in such areas as public-sector labor relations, pensions, occupational safety and health, employment discrimination, and workers' compensation. (Author)

Improving mature driver safety : task 6, final report with recommendations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-08-02

There are a number of important issues when examining the issue of mature drivers and mobility particularly age-related physical and behavioral changes that affect ones ability to drive. Recent research from a variety of sources (e.g., Nationa...

EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF STRATEGIES FOR OIL SPILL BIOREMEDIATION: POTENTIAL AND LIMITATION, LABORATORY TO FIELD (RESEARCH BRIEF)

EPA Science Inventory

Several important additional research efforts were identified during the development of test systems and protocols for assessing the effectiveness and environmental safety of oil spill commercial bioremediation agents (CBAs). Research that examined CBA efficacy issues included: (...

Low-frequency electrical dosimetry: research agenda of the IEEE International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety.

PubMed

Reilly, J Patrick; Hirata, Akimasa

2016-06-21

This article treats unsettled issues in the use of numerical models of electrical dosimetry as applied to international limits on human exposure to low-frequency (typically  <  100 kHz) electromagnetic fields and contact current. The perspective in this publication is that of Subcommittee 6 of IEEE-ICES (International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety) Technical Committee 95. The paper discusses 25 issues needing attention, fitting into three general categories: induction models; electrostimulation models; and human exposure limits. Of these, 9 were voted as 'high priority' by members of Subcommittee 6. The list is presented as a research agenda for refinements in numerical modeling with applications to human exposure limits. It is likely that such issues are also important in medical and electrical product safety design applications.

2011 Annual Criticality Safety Program Performance Summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andrea Hoffman

The 2011 review of the INL Criticality Safety Program has determined that the program is robust and effective. The review was prepared for, and fulfills Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) item H.20, 'Annual Criticality Safety Program performance summary that includes the status of assessments, issues, corrective actions, infractions, requirements management, training, and programmatic support.' This performance summary addresses the status of these important elements of the INL Criticality Safety Program. Assessments - Assessments in 2011 were planned and scheduled. The scheduled assessments included a Criticality Safety Program Effectiveness Review, Criticality Control Area Inspections, a Protection of Controlled Unclassified Information Inspection,more » an Assessment of Criticality Safety SQA, and this management assessment of the Criticality Safety Program. All of the assessments were completed with the exception of the 'Effectiveness Review' for SSPSF, which was delayed due to emerging work. Although minor issues were identified in the assessments, no issues or combination of issues indicated that the INL Criticality Safety Program was ineffective. The identification of issues demonstrates the importance of an assessment program to the overall health and effectiveness of the INL Criticality Safety Program. Issues and Corrective Actions - There are relatively few criticality safety related issues in the Laboratory ICAMS system. Most were identified by Criticality Safety Program assessments. No issues indicate ineffectiveness in the INL Criticality Safety Program. All of the issues are being worked and there are no imminent criticality concerns. Infractions - There was one criticality safety related violation in 2011. On January 18, 2011, it was discovered that a fuel plate bundle in the Nuclear Materials Inspection and Storage (NMIS) facility exceeded the fissionable mass limit, resulting in a technical safety requirement (TSR) violation. The TSR limits fuel plate bundles to 1085 grams U-235, which is the maximum loading of an ATR fuel element. The overloaded fuel plate bundle contained 1097 grams U-235 and was assembled under an 1100 gram U-235 limit in 1982. In 2003, the limit was reduced to 1085 grams citing a new criticality safety evaluation for ATR fuel elements. The fuel plate bundle inventories were not checked for compliance prior to implementing the reduced limit. A subsequent review of the NMIS inventory did not identify further violations. Requirements Management - The INL Criticality Safety program is organized and well documented. The source requirements for the INL Criticality Safety Program are from 10 CFR 830.204, DOE Order 420.1B, Chapter III, 'Nuclear Criticality Safety,' ANSI/ANS 8-series Industry Standards, and DOE Standards. These source requirements are documented in LRD-18001, 'INL Criticality Safety Program Requirements Manual.' The majority of the criticality safety source requirements are contained in DOE Order 420.1B because it invokes all of the ANSI/ANS 8-Series Standards. DOE Order 420.1B also invokes several DOE Standards, including DOE-STD-3007, 'Guidelines for Preparing Criticality Safety Evaluations at Department of Energy Non-Reactor Nuclear Facilities.' DOE Order 420.1B contains requirements for DOE 'Heads of Field Elements' to approve the criticality safety program and specific elements of the program, namely, the qualification of criticality staff and the method for preparing criticality safety evaluations. This was accomplished by the approval of SAR-400, 'INL Standardized Nuclear Safety Basis Manual,' Chapter 6, 'Prevention of Inadvertent Criticality.' Chapter 6 of SAR-400 contains sufficient detail and/or reference to the specific DOE and contractor documents that adequately describe the INL Criticality Safety Program per the elements specified in DOE Order 420.1B. The Safety Evaluation Report for SAR-400 specifically recognizes that the approval of SAR-400 approves the INL Criticality Safety Program. No new source requirements were released in 2011. A revision to LRD-18001 is planned for 2012 to clarify design requirements for criticality alarms. Training - Criticality Safety Engineering has developed training and provides training for many employee positions, including fissionable material handlers, facility managers, criticality safety officers, firefighters, and criticality safety engineers. Criticality safety training at the INL is a program strength. A revision to the training module developed in 2010 to supplement MFC certified fissionable material handlers (operators) training was prepared and presented in August of 2011. This training, 'Applied Science of Criticality Safety,' builds upon existing training and gives operators a better understanding of how their criticality controls are derived. Improvements to 00INL189, 'INL Criticality Safety Principles' are planned for 2012 to strengthen fissionable material handler training.« less

The effect of workers' visibility on effectiveness of intervention programs: supervisory-based safety interventions.

PubMed

Luria, Gil; Zohar, Dov; Erev, Ido

2008-01-01

This paper discusses an organizational change intervention program targeting safety behaviors and addresses important considerations concerning the planning of organizational change. Using layout of the plant as a proxy for ease of daily leader-member interaction, the effect of workers' visibility on the effectiveness of supervisory-based safety (SBS) interventions is examined. Through a reinforcement-learning framework, it is suggested that visibility can affect supervisors' incentive to interact with subordinates regarding safety-related issues. Data were collected during SBS intervention studies in five manufacturing companies. Results suggest a reinforcement cycle model whereby increased visibility generates more frequent exchanges between supervisors and employees, resulting in improved safety behavior among employees. In turn, employees' safer behavior reinforces continued supervisory safety-related interaction. CONCLUSION AND IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Visibility is an important moderator in supervisory based safety interventions, and can serve to increase workplace safety. Implications of these findings for safety are discussed.

[Operating Room Nurses' Experiences of Securing for Patient Safety].

PubMed

Park, Kwang Ok; Kim, Jong Kyung; Kim, Myoung Sook

2015-10-01

This study was done to evaluate the experience of securing patient safety in hospital operating rooms. Experiential data were collected from 15 operating room nurses through in-depth interviews. The main question was "Could you describe your experience with patient safety in the operating room?". Qualitative data from the field and transcribed notes were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory methodology. The core category of experience with patient safety in the operating room was 'trying to maintain principles of patient safety during high-risk surgical procedures'. The participants used two interactional strategies: 'attempt continuous improvement', 'immersion in operation with sharing issues of patient safety'. The results indicate that the important factors for ensuring the safety of patients in the operating room are manpower, education, and a system for patient safety. Successful and safe surgery requires communication, teamwork and recognition of the importance of patient safety by the surgical team.

PM101: intravenous amiodarone formulation changes can improve medication safety.

PubMed

Souney, Paul F; Cooper, Warren D; Cushing, Daniel J

2010-03-01

Intravenous amiodarone (A-IV) is used to manage ventricular and atrial arrhythmias. The current formulation uses polysorbate 80 and benzyl alcohol to maintain amiodarone in solution, and these co-solvents are linked with clinically-important adverse events and pharmaceutical incompatibilities. PM101 is a recently FDA-approved intravenous formulation of amiodarone that uses a cyclodextrin to solubilize amiodarone. This review describes the clinical and pharmaceutical development of formulations of amiodarone for intravenous administration. The medical and pharmaceutical literature was searched for papers discussing A-IV, PM101 and their formulation components. Relevant literature was identified starting from 1948 to the present. The reader will learn about the important medical and pharmaceutical issues complicating A-IV administration, including an understanding of related hypotension and compatibility with commonly used infusion materials and how these issues may impact drug safety. PM101 has been developed to address several of these important issues. PM101 is a new formulation of A-IV that is stable in commonly used infusion materials and avoids co-solvent related toxicities.

Critical issues in sensor science to aid food and water safety.

PubMed

Farahi, R H; Passian, A; Tetard, L; Thundat, T

2012-06-26

The stability of food and water supplies is widely recognized as a global issue of fundamental importance. Sensor development for food and water safety by nonconventional assays continues to overcome technological challenges. The delicate balance between attaining adequate limits of detection, chemical fingerprinting of the target species, dealing with the complex food matrix, and operating in difficult environments are still the focus of current efforts. While the traditional pursuit of robust recognition methods remains important, emerging engineered nanomaterials and nanotechnology promise better sensor performance but also bring about new challenges. Both advanced receptor-based sensors and emerging non-receptor-based physical sensors are evaluated for their critical challenges toward out-of-laboratory applications.

National Response Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

statutory authority for all domestic and imported food except meat , poultry , and egg products, which are under the authority of the USDA/Food Safety...Federal agencies (e.g., USDA). (Note: HHS, through the FDA, has statutory authority for all domestic and imported food except meat , poultry , and egg ...wildlife issues in disease and natural disaster issues Inspection and verification of meat , poultry , and egg products in affected areas Food

Cyber safety for adolescent girls: bullying, harassment, sexting, pornography, and solicitation.

PubMed

Smith, Peter K; Thompson, Fran; Davidson, Julia

2014-10-01

To examine cyber safety for adolescent girls, specifically issues around the definition, measurement, prevalence, and impact of cyberbullying, harassment, sexting, pornography, and solicitation. Despite some continuing disagreements about definition, especially around cyberbullying and cyber harassment, and about measurement, it is clear that a significant minority of adolescents have potentially or actually harmful experiences on the Internet. There are important sex differences, and those exploited by pornography are mainly women. On some measures, these dangers have increased in recent years, although the extent can be exaggerated. The nature of Internet grooming appears to be changing. Negative effects are well documented in a range of domains, although more longitudinal studies are needed. Individual coping strategies, family and school-based support, and legal actions, all have a role to play in minimizing these dangers. Cyber safety is an important issue. More research and action is needed, and interventions need to be evaluated for their effectiveness.

The Influence of Conflict Resolution Programs on Student Conduct Violations in Middle Schools with a School Uniform Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breitenbach, Edward C.

2010-01-01

School safety is a very important issue for school staff, parents, and students. When school safety is lacking, students suffer in emotional, academic, and social areas. One recent intervention middle schools are examining is the student uniform policy. In some cases, school uniforms have been shown to have a profound effect on school safety,…

Pre-pandemic planning survey of healthcare workers at a tertiary care children's hospital: ethical and workforce issues.

PubMed

Cowden, Jessica; Crane, Lori; Lezotte, Dennis; Glover, Jacqueline; Nyquist, Ann-Christine

2010-07-01

Prior to the development of written policies and procedures for pandemic influenza, worker perceptions of ethical and workforce issues must be identified. To determine the relationship between healthcare worker (HCW) reporting willingness to work during a pandemic and perception of job importance, belief that one will be asked to work, and sense of professionalism and to assess HCW's opinions regarding specific policy issues as well as barriers and motivators to work during a pandemic. A survey was conducted in HCWs at The Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado, from February to June 2007. Characteristics of workers reporting willingness to work during a pandemic were compared with those who were unwilling or unsure. Importance of barriers and motivators was compared by gender and willingness to work. Sixty percent of respondents reported willingness to work (overall response rate of 31%). Belief one will be asked to work (OR 4.6, P  <  0.0001) and having a high level of professionalism (OR 8.6, P  <  0.0001) were associated with reporting willingness to work. Hospital infrastructure support staffs were less likely to report willingness to work during a pandemic than clinical healthcare professionals (OR 0.39, P  <  0.001). Concern for personal safety, concern for safety of family, family's concern for safety, and childcare issues were all important barriers to coming to work. Educational programs should focus on professional responsibility and the importance of staying home when ill. Targeted programs toward hospital infrastructure support and patient and family support staff stressing the essential nature of these jobs may improve willingness to work.

The Exposure Index: Developing firefighter safety performance measures

Treesearch

Dave Calkin; John Phipps; Tom Holmes; Jon Rieck; Matt Thompson

2011-01-01

A cornerstone of effective institutional learning and accountability is the development, tracking, and analysis of informative performance measures. In a previous issue of Fire Management Today ("A New Look at Risk Management," Winter 2011), a series of articles highlighted the importance of organizational safety and risk management and the challenges of...

16 CFR 1500.231 - Guidance for hazardous liquid chemicals in children's products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... children's products. 1500.231 Section 1500.231 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION.... The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issues this guidance to manufacturers, importers... subsequent hand-to-mouth or hand-to-eye activity. The specific type and frequency of behavior that a child...

Student Health Clinics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jelliffe, James H.; Schipp, Michael K.

2002-01-01

Discusses important issues concerning the design of student health clinics, including convenient access, privacy and security, showers and sinks, durability and safety, and special considerations. (EV)

[Case Study] CityCenter and Cosmopolitan Construction Projects, Las Vegas, Nevada: lessons learned from the use of multiple sources and mixed methods in a safety needs assessment.

PubMed

Gittleman, Janie L; Gardner, Paige C; Haile, Elizabeth; Sampson, Julie M; Cigularov, Konstantin P; Ermann, Erica D; Stafford, Pete; Chen, Peter Y

2010-06-01

The present study describes a response to eight tragic deaths over an eighteen month times span on a fast track construction project on the largest commercial development project in U.S. history. Four versions of a survey were distributed to workers, foremen, superintendents, and senior management. In addition to standard Likert-scale safety climate scale items, an open-ended item was included at the end of the survey. Safety climate perceptions differed by job level. Specifically, management perceived a more positive safety climate as compared to workers. Content analysis of the open-ended item was used to identify important safety and health concerns which might have been overlooked with the qualitative portion of the survey. The surveys were conducted to understand workforce issues of concern with the aim of improving site safety conditions. Such efforts can require minimal investment of resources and time and result in critical feedback for developing interventions affecting organizational structure, management processes, and communication. The most important lesson learned was that gauging differences in perception about site safety can provide critical feedback at all levels of a construction organization. Implementation of multi-level organizational perception surveys can identify major safety issues of concern. Feedback, if acted upon, can potentially result in fewer injuries and fatal events. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Capability maturity models for offshore organisational management.

PubMed

Strutt, J E; Sharp, J V; Terry, E; Miles, R

2006-12-01

The goal setting regime imposed by the UK safety regulator has important implications for an organisation's ability to manage health and safety related risks. Existing approaches to safety assurance based on risk analysis and formal safety assessments are increasingly considered unlikely to create the step change improvement in safety to which the offshore industry aspires and alternative approaches are being considered. One approach, which addresses the important issue of organisational behaviour and which can be applied at a very early stage of design, is the capability maturity model (CMM). The paper describes the development of a design safety capability maturity model, outlining the key processes considered necessary to safety achievement, definition of maturity levels and scoring methods. The paper discusses how CMM is related to regulatory mechanisms and risk based decision making together with the potential of CMM to environmental risk management.

Too much information? A document analysis of sport safety resources from key organisations.

PubMed

Bekker, Sheree; Finch, Caroline F

2016-05-06

The field of sport injury prevention has seen a marked increase in published research in recent years, with concomitant proliferation of lay sport safety resources, such as policies, fact sheets and posters. The aim of this study was to catalogue and categorise the number, type and topic focus of sport safety resources from a representative set of key organisations. Cataloguing and qualitative document analysis of resources available from the websites of six stakeholder organisations in Australia. This study was part of a larger investigation, the National Guidance for Australian Football Partnerships and Safety (NoGAPS) project. The NoGAPS study provided the context for a purposive sampling of six organisations involved in the promotion of safety in Australian football. These partners are recognised as being highly representative of organisations at national and state level that reflect similarly in their goals around sport safety promotion in Australia. The catalogue comprised 284 resources. More of the practical and less prescriptive types of resources, such as fact sheets, than formal policies were found. Resources for the prevention of physical injuries were the predominant sport safety issue addressed, with risk management, environmental issues and social behaviours comprising other categories. Duplication of resources for specific safety issues, within and across organisations, was found. People working within sport settings have access to a proliferation of resources, which creates a potential rivalry for sourcing of injury prevention information. Important issues that are likely to influence the uptake of safety advice by the general sporting public include the sheer number of resources available, and the overlap and duplication of resources addressing the same issues. The existence of a large number of resources from reputable organisations does not mean that they are necessarily evidence based, fully up to date or even effective in supporting sport safety behaviour change. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Too much information? A document analysis of sport safety resources from key organisations

PubMed Central

Finch, Caroline F

2016-01-01

Objectives The field of sport injury prevention has seen a marked increase in published research in recent years, with concomitant proliferation of lay sport safety resources, such as policies, fact sheets and posters. The aim of this study was to catalogue and categorise the number, type and topic focus of sport safety resources from a representative set of key organisations. Design Cataloguing and qualitative document analysis of resources available from the websites of six stakeholder organisations in Australia. Setting This study was part of a larger investigation, the National Guidance for Australian Football Partnerships and Safety (NoGAPS) project. Participants The NoGAPS study provided the context for a purposive sampling of six organisations involved in the promotion of safety in Australian football. These partners are recognised as being highly representative of organisations at national and state level that reflect similarly in their goals around sport safety promotion in Australia. Results The catalogue comprised 284 resources. More of the practical and less prescriptive types of resources, such as fact sheets, than formal policies were found. Resources for the prevention of physical injuries were the predominant sport safety issue addressed, with risk management, environmental issues and social behaviours comprising other categories. Duplication of resources for specific safety issues, within and across organisations, was found. Conclusions People working within sport settings have access to a proliferation of resources, which creates a potential rivalry for sourcing of injury prevention information. Important issues that are likely to influence the uptake of safety advice by the general sporting public include the sheer number of resources available, and the overlap and duplication of resources addressing the same issues. The existence of a large number of resources from reputable organisations does not mean that they are necessarily evidence based, fully up to date or even effective in supporting sport safety behaviour change. PMID:27154480

A qualitative exploration of the perceptions and information needs of public health inspectors responsible for food safety

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In Ontario, local public health inspectors play an important frontline role in protecting the public from foodborne illness. This study was an in-depth exploration of public health inspectors' perceptions of the key food safety issues in public health, and their opinions and needs with regards to food safety information resources. Methods Four focus group discussions were conducted with public health inspectors from the Central West region of Ontario, Canada during June and July, 2008. A questioning route was used to standardize qualitative data collection. Audio recordings of sessions were transcribed verbatim and data-driven content analysis was performed. Results A total of 23 public health inspectors participated in four focus group discussions. Five themes emerged as key food safety issues: time-temperature abuse, inadequate handwashing, cross-contamination, the lack of food safety knowledge by food handlers and food premise operators, and the lack of food safety information and knowledge about specialty foods (i.e., foods from different cultures). In general, participants reported confidence with their current knowledge of food safety issues and foodborne pathogens. Participants highlighted the need for a central source for food safety information, access to up-to-date food safety information, resources in different languages, and additional food safety information on specialty foods. Conclusions The information gathered from these focus groups can provide a basis for the development of resources that will meet the specific needs of public health inspectors involved in protecting and promoting food safety. PMID:20553592

Safety assurance of cosmetics in Japan: current situation and future prospects.

PubMed

Inomata, Shinji

2014-01-01

The Japanese Pharmaceutical Affairs Law distinguishes cosmetics from quasi-drugs, and specifies that they must have a mild effect on the human body and must be safe to use over the long term. Therefore, the safety of cosmetics needs to be thoroughly evaluated and confirmed, taking into account the type of cosmetic, application method, conditions of use and so on. Post-marketing surveys of customers' complaints and case reports of adverse effects are important to monitor and confirm the safety of products. Although manufacturing and marketing of cosmetics are becoming more globalized, the regulations relevant to cosmetics safety still vary from country to country. Thus, compliance with different regulations in various markets is a major issue for producers. In particular, further development of alternatives to animal testing remains an urgent global issue.

Safety climate in university and college laboratories: impact of organizational and individual factors.

PubMed

Wu, Tsung-Chih; Liu, Chi-Wei; Lu, Mu-Chen

2007-01-01

Universities and colleges serve to be institutions of education excellence; however, problems in the areas of occupational safety may undermine such goals. Occupational safety must be the concern of every employee in the organization, regardless of job position. Safety climate surveys have been suggested as important tools for measuring the effectiveness and improvement direction of safety programs. Thus, this study aims to investigate the influence of organizational and individual factors on safety climate in university and college laboratories. Employees at 100 universities and colleges in Taiwan were mailed a self-administered questionnaire survey; the response rate was 78%. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that organizational category of ownership, the presence of a safety manager and safety committee, gender, age, title, accident experience, and safety training significantly affected the climate. Among them, accident experience and safety training affected the climate with practical significance. The authors recommend that managers should address important factors affecting safety issues and then create a positive climate by enforcing continuous improvements.

Issues of the '80s: Infertility, Child Sexual Abuse, Sex Roles, Herpes & AIDS, Single Parents, and Latchkey Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Britton, Patti O., Ed.; And Others

1984-01-01

This issue of Emphasis contains 10 articles dealing with important issues for the 1980s. "A Place for Youth" (L. Lefstein) discusses programs for latchkey children. "Transcending the Norm" (S. Miller Perry) describes a black single parent program in Washington, D.C. "Safety First" (M. Stone and L. Loontjens) presents…

School Transportation Issues, Laws and Concerns: Implications for Future Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durick, Jody M.

2010-01-01

Nearly all building administrators are confronted with a variety of transportation issues. Challenges, concerns and questions can arise from various aspects, including student misbehaviors, transportation laws and its implications at the school level, to importance and implementation of a school bus safety program. As new and upcoming future…

Study on occupational safety and health strategy for Taiwan.

PubMed

Chuang, Kuen-Yuan; Su, Teh-Sheng; Kuo, Chao-Yin; Lin, Chien-Liang; Lin, Han-Yu; Yu, Yi-Chun

2009-12-01

The aim of this study was to establish a set of occupational safety and health (OSH) issues and development policies suitable for adoption in Taiwan. A survey was conducted on a sample of 102 experts and 235 industrial work safety personnel in Taiwan for statistical analysis of the general consensus, with the results showing such consensus in 104 individual policy indicators. Our results reveal that the most appropriate targets were considered to be annual 10% reductions in the 'occupational accident disability rate', 'occupational accident injury rate' and 'occupational diseases before 2010'. Responding to the specific question of the appropriate method of achieving a reduction in the number of accidents in Taiwan, the primary consideration for 13.4% of the experts and 10.6% of the industry personnel was 'promoting OSH awareness and enhancing the overall safety culture'. As regards the current OSH policy focus, 11.2% of the experts considered 'improving OSH legislation, standards and systems' to be the most important, whilst 8.9% of the industry personnel felt that 'recognizing work stress, overwork and emerging OSH issues' were the most important.

[Safety culture in the context of work intensification--development in Germany over the last 10 years].

PubMed

Lauterberg, Jörg

2009-01-01

This article tries to review the development of patient safety culture in the German healthcare system over the last decade. Since the use of standardized questionnaires and other instruments to measure safety culture in Germany has only just begun there are no representative and longitudinal data. Therefore a set of indicators and clues is chosen to characterise the safety culture development on the micro-, meso- and macro-level of the healthcare system in four areas. Is patient safety an issue of the healthcare debates and especially of research? Have dedicated structures and processes been implemented to support clinical risk management? What are the objective outcomes of healthcare and treatment in regard to patient safety? In summary, there are a lot of signs that patient safety issues in Germany are gaining more and more importance on all levels of the healthcare system. To date there have been single evidence-based studies only indicating a causal or close temporal relationship between patient safety outcomes and the increasing efforts of hospitals, outpatient and long-term care facilities.

Safety culture: analysis of the causal relationships between its key dimensions.

PubMed

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

2007-01-01

Several fields are showing increasing interest in safety culture as a means of reducing accidents in the workplace. The literature shows that safety culture is a multidimensional concept. However, considerable confusion surrounds this concept, about which little consensus has been reached. This study proposes a model for a positive safety culture and tests this on a sample of 455 Spanish companies, using the structural equation modeling statistical technique. Results show the important role of managers in the promotion of employees' safe behavior, both directly, through their attitudes and behaviors, and indirectly, by developing a safety management system. This paper identifies the key dimensions of safety culture. In addition, a measurement scale for the safety management system is validated. This will assist organizations in defining areas where they need to progress if they wish to improve their safety. Also, we stress that managers need to be wholly committed to and personally involved in safety activities, thereby conveying the importance the firm attaches to these issues.

Fifty years of driving safety research.

PubMed

Lee, John D

2008-06-01

This brief review covers the 50 years of driving-related research published in Human Factors, its contribution to driving safety, and emerging challenges. Many factors affect driving safety, making it difficult to assess the impact of specific factors such as driver age, cell phone distractions, or collision warnings. The author considers the research themes associated with the approximately 270 articles on driving published in Human Factors in the past 50 years. To a large extent, current and past research has explored similar themes and concepts. Many articles published in the first 25 years focused on issues such as driver impairment, individual differences, and perceptual limits. Articles published in the past 25 years address similar issues but also point toward vehicle technology that can exacerbate or mitigate the negative effect of these issues. Conceptual and computational models have played an important role in this research. Improved crash-worthiness has contributed to substantial improvements in driving safety over the past 50 years, but future improvements will depend on enhancing driver performance and perhaps, more important, improving driver behavior. Developing models to guide this research will become more challenging as new technology enters the vehicle and shifts the focus from driver performance to driver behavior. Over the past 50 years, Human Factors has accumulated a large base of driving-related research that remains relevant for many of today's design and policy concerns.

Pre‐pandemic planning survey of healthcare workers at a tertiary care children’s hospital: ethical and workforce issues

PubMed Central

Cowden, Jessica; Crane, Lori; Lezotte, Dennis; Glover, Jacqueline; Nyquist, Ann‐Christine

2010-01-01

Please cite this paper as: Cowden et al. (2010). Pre‐pandemic planning survey of healthcare workers at a tertiary care children’s hospital: ethical and workforce issues. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 4(4), 213–222. Background  Prior to the development of written policies and procedures for pandemic influenza, worker perceptions of ethical and workforce issues must be identified. Objective  To determine the relationship between healthcare worker (HCW) reporting willingness to work during a pandemic and perception of job importance, belief that one will be asked to work, and sense of professionalism and to assess HCW’s opinions regarding specific policy issues as well as barriers and motivators to work during a pandemic. Methods  A survey was conducted in HCWs at The Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado, from February to June 2007. Characteristics of workers reporting willingness to work during a pandemic were compared with those who were unwilling or unsure. Importance of barriers and motivators was compared by gender and willingness to work. Results Sixty percent of respondents reported willingness to work (overall response rate of 31%). Belief one will be asked to work (OR 4·6, P < 0·0001) and having a high level of professionalism (OR 8·6, P < 0·0001) were associated with reporting willingness to work. Hospital infrastructure support staffs were less likely to report willingness to work during a pandemic than clinical healthcare professionals (OR 0·39, P < 0·001). Concern for personal safety, concern for safety of family, family’s concern for safety, and childcare issues were all important barriers to coming to work. Conclusions  Educational programs should focus on professional responsibility and the importance of staying home when ill. Targeted programs toward hospital infrastructure support and patient and family support staff stressing the essential nature of these jobs may improve willingness to work. PMID:20836796

Environmental and Personal Safety: No Vision Required. Practice Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozeman, Laura A.

2004-01-01

Personal safety is an important issue for all people, regardless of their physical capabilities. For people with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision), real concerns exist regarding their vulnerability to crime and their greater risk of attack. With a nationwide increase in crime in the United States, "Three out of…

Are Students Aware of the Speed Limits on a University Campus?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Johnell; Raines, Stephanie; Klein, Nathan; Crisler, Matt; Wills, Rebekkah; Mossey, Mary; Koon, Beatrice; McKibben, Eric; Ogle, Jennifer; Robinson, Geary

2010-01-01

Driving speed is an important traffic safety issue. The lack of adherence to posted speed limits is a safety concern, especially on university campuses where the populations of drivers are at increased risk for crashes involving speeding due to their young age. Thus, driver speed and knowledge of speed limits on university campuses is an important…

Persuasive appeals in road safety communication campaigns: Theoretical frameworks and practical implications from the analysis of a decade of road safety campaign materials.

PubMed

Guttman, Nurit

2015-11-01

Communication campaigns are employed as an important tool to promote road safety practices. Researchers maintain road safety communication campaigns are more effective when their persuasive appeals, which are central to their communicative strategy, are based on explicit theoretical frameworks. This study's main objectives were to develop a detailed categorization of persuasive appeals used in road safety communication campaigns that differentiate between appeals that appear to be similar but differ conceptually, and to indicate the advantages, limitations and ethical issues associated with each type, drawing on behavior change theories. Materials from over 300 campaigns were obtained from 41 countries, mainly using road safety organizations' websites. Drawing on the literature, five types of main approaches were identified, and the analysis yielded a more detailed categorizations of appeals within these general categories. The analysis points to advantages, limitations, ethical issues and challenges in using different types of appeals. The discussion summarizes challenges in designing persuasive-appeals for road safety communication campaigns. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reprint of "Persuasive appeals in road safety communication campaigns: Theoretical frameworks and practical implications from the analysis of a decade of road safety campaign materials".

PubMed

Guttman, Nurit

2016-12-01

Communication campaigns are employed as an important tool to promote road safety practices. Researchers maintain road safety communication campaigns are more effective when their persuasive appeals, which are central to their communicative strategy, are based on explicit theoretical frameworks. This study's main objectives were to develop a detailed categorization of persuasive appeals used in road safety communication campaigns that differentiate between appeals that appear to be similar but differ conceptually, and to indicate the advantages, limitations and ethical issues associated with each type, drawing on behavior change theories. Materials from over 300 campaigns were obtained from 41 countries, mainly using road safety organizations' websites. Drawing on the literature, five types of main approaches were identified, and the analysis yielded a more detailed categorizations of appeals within these general categories. The analysis points to advantages, limitations, ethical issues and challenges in using different types of appeals. The discussion summarizes challenges in designing persuasive-appeals for road safety communication campaigns. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patient-led training on patient safety: a pilot study to test the feasibility and acceptability of an educational intervention.

PubMed

Jha, V; Winterbottom, A; Symons, J; Thompson, Z; Quinton, N; Corrado, O J; Melville, C; Watt, I; Torgerson, D; Wright, J

2013-09-01

Training in patient safety is an important element of medical education. Most educational interventions on patient safety training adopt a 'health-professional lens' with limited consideration on the impact of safety lapses on the patient and their families and little or no involvement of patients in the design or delivery of the training. This paper describes a pilot study to test the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a patient-led educational intervention to facilitate safety training amongst newly qualified doctors. Patients and/or carers who had experienced harm during their care shared narratives of their stories with trainees; this was followed by a focused discussion on patient safety issues exploring the causes and consequences of safety incidents and lessons to be learned from these. The intervention, which will be further tested in an NIHR-funded randomised controlled trial (RCT), was successfully implemented into an existing training programme and found acceptance amongst the patients and trainees. The pilot study proved to be a useful step in refining the intervention for the RCT including identifying appropriate outcome measures and highlighting organisational issues.

A Qualitative Analysis of the Lesbian Connection's Discussion Forum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erwin,Terry McVannel

2006-01-01

Letters submitted to the discussion forum of the Lesbian Connection between 2000 and 2002 were analyzed to identify issues of importance to lesbians. The analysis revealed 5 discussion categories: (a) isolation, safety, and aging; (b) children; (c) lesbian relationships and sexuality; (d) physical and mental health; and (e) political issues. The…

Integrating environmental management into food safety and food packaging in Malaysia: review of the food regulation 1985

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nordin, N. H.; Hara, H.; Kaida, N.

2017-05-01

Food safety is an important issue that is related to public safety to prevent the toxicity threats of the food. Management through legal approach has been used in Malaysia as one of the predominant approaches to manage the environment. In this regard, the Food Regulation 1985 has been one of the mechanisms of environmental management through legal approach in controlling the safety of packaged food in food packaging industry in Malaysia. The present study aims to analyse and to explain the implementation of the Food Regulation 1985 in controlling the safety of packaged food in Malaysia and to integrate the concept of environmental management into the food safety issue. Qualitative analysis on the regulation document revealed that there are two main themes, general and specific, while their seven sub themes are included harmful packages, safety packages, reuse packages, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), alcoholic bottle, toys, money and others and iron powder. The implementation of the Food Regulation 1985 in controlling the safety of packaged food should not be regarded solely for regulation purposes but should be further developed for a broader sense of food safety from overcoming the food poisoning.

Introduction to Preharvest Food Safety.

PubMed

Torrence, Mary E

2016-10-01

This introductory article provides an overview of preharvest food safety activities and initiatives for the past 15 years. The section on traditional areas of preharvest food safety focuses on significant scientific advancements that are a culmination of collaborative efforts (both public health and agriculture) and significant research results. The highlighted advancements provide the foundation for exploring future preharvest areas and for improving and focusing on more specific intervention/control/prevention strategies. Examples include Escherichia coli and cattle, Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry, and interventions and prevention and control programs. The section on "nontraditional" preharvest food safety areas brings attention to potential emerging food safety issues and to future food safety research directions. These include organic production, the FDA's Produce Rule (water and manure), genomic sequencing, antimicrobial resistance, and performance metrics. The concluding section emphasizes important themes such as strategic planning, coordination, epidemiology, and the need for understanding food safety production as a continuum. Food safety research, whether at the pre- or postharvest level, will continue to be a fascinating complex web of foodborne pathogens, risk factors, and scientific and policy interactions. Food safety priorities and research must continue to evolve with emerging global issues, emerging technologies, and methods but remain grounded in a multidisciplinary, collaborative, and systematic approach.

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

PubMed

Artvinli, Fatih

2016-06-01

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

The Effects of Safety Information on Aeronautical Decision Making

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jang R.; Fanjoy, Richard O.; Dillman, Brian G.

2005-01-01

The importance of aeronautical decision making (ADM) has been considered one of the most critical issues of flight education for future professional pilots. Researchers have suggested that a safety information system based on information from incidents and near misses is an important tool to improve the intelligence and readiness of pilots. This paper describes a study that examines the effect of safety information on aeronautical decision making for students in a collegiate flight program. Data was collected from study participants who were exposed to periodic information about local aircraft malfunctions. Participants were then evaluated using a flight simulator profile and a pen and pencil test of situational judgment. Findings suggest that regular access to the described safety information program significantly improves decision making of student pilots.

Integrated deterministic and probabilistic safety analysis for safety assessment of nuclear power plants

DOE PAGES

Di Maio, Francesco; Zio, Enrico; Smith, Curtis; ...

2015-07-06

The present special issue contains an overview of the research in the field of Integrated Deterministic and Probabilistic Safety Assessment (IDPSA) of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Traditionally, safety regulation for NPPs design and operation has been based on Deterministic Safety Assessment (DSA) methods to verify criteria that assure plant safety in a number of postulated Design Basis Accident (DBA) scenarios. Referring to such criteria, it is also possible to identify those plant Structures, Systems, and Components (SSCs) and activities that are most important for safety within those postulated scenarios. Then, the design, operation, and maintenance of these “safety-related” SSCs andmore » activities are controlled through regulatory requirements and supported by Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA).« less

Occupational health and safety services for immigrant workers in Japanese workplaces.

PubMed

Uchino, Asuka; Muto, Takashi; Muto, Shigeki

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to clarify the status of occupational health and safety services for immigrant workers, the barriers to employing immigrant workers and the needs of the managers in workplaces to keep immigrant workers healthy and safe. This study was a cross-sectional survey. We sent self-administered questionnaires to 126 workplaces in the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan in August 2006. The questionnaire included the characteristics of the workplace, barriers to employing immigrant workers, current actions to keep immigrant workers healthy and safe, the implementation rate of health checkups and important issues to keep immigrant workers healthy and safe. Implementation rates of health and safety education, creating job instruction manuals written in their native languages, creating safety signs written in their native languages, and the use of translators were 62.5%, 50.0%, 41.1% and 37.5%, respectively. Implementation rates of general health checkups, special health checkups and follow up after health checkups were 80.8%, 73.6% and 67.3%, respectively. The most important issue which the managers considered kept immigrant workers healthy and safe was health checkups (69.6%). In conclusion, several occupational health and safety services were conducted for immigrant workers without a margin to compare with Japanese workers.

Driving safety in elderly individuals.

PubMed

Marottoli, R A

1993-05-01

Driving safety in elderly individuals is becoming an increasingly important issue in geriatrics and in medical practice. The number of elderly drivers is increasing as the population ages, and especially as current generations of female drivers age. Concern is raised about their safe operation of motor vehicles because of the increasing likelihood with advancing age of developing conditions that may adversely affect the visual, cognitive, and motor abilities integral to driving. But this issue is not only a medical one, since there are social and political components as well. This discussion will describe the background of this issue, focus on the changes that may occur with aging and their potential relationship to driving ability, and, finally, will outline an approach that physicians may employ in their practice.

[Psychological issues in manned spaceflight].

PubMed

Zhang, Q J; Bai, Y Q

1999-04-01

As the duration of manned spaceflight becomes longer and as crews become more heterogeneous, psychological and interpersonal factors will be more important in affecting the safety of crew and flight mission. In space environment there are four types of stressors: physical, physiological, psychological and interpersonal. Psychological issues include "Asthenia", alteration in time sense, transcendent experiences, sleep problem, career motivation, psychosomatic symptoms and psychiatric issues. Interpersonal issues include interpersonal tension, interpersonal relationships decreased cohesiveness and deprivation, displacement [correction of dispiacement] of anger to outside personnel over time.

Patient Safety Movement: History and Future Directions.

PubMed

Lark, Meghan E; Kirkpatrick, Kay; Chung, Kevin C

2018-02-01

Despite progress within the past 15 years, improving patient safety in health care remains an important public health issue. The history of safety policies, research, and development has revealed that this issue is more complex than initially perceived and is pertinent to all health care settings. Solutions, therefore, must be approached at the systems level and supplemented with a change in safety culture, especially in higher risk fields such as surgery. To do so, health care agents at all levels have started to prioritize the improvement of nontechnical skills such as teamwork, communication, and accountability, as reflected by the development of various checklists and safety campaigns. This progress may be sustained by adopting teamwork training programs that have proven successful in other high-risk industries, such as crew resource management in aviation. These techniques can be readily implemented among surgical teams; however, successful application depends heavily on the strong leadership and vigilance of individual surgeons. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Safety and Environment aspects of Tokamak- type Fusion Power Reactor- An Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doshi, Bharat; Reddy, D. Chenna

2017-04-01

Naturally occurring thermonuclear fusion reaction (of light atoms to form a heavier nucleus) in the sun and every star in the universe, releases incredible amounts of energy. Demonstrating the controlled and sustained reaction of deuterium-tritium plasma should enable the development of fusion as an energy source here on Earth. The promising fusion power reactors could be operated on the deuterium-tritium fuel cycle with fuel self-sufficiency. The potential impact of fusion power on the environment and the possible risks associated with operating large-scale fusion power plants is being studied by different countries. The results show that fusion can be a very safe and sustainable energy source. A fusion power plant possesses not only intrinsic advantages with respect to safety compared to other sources of energy, but also a negligible long term impact on the environment provided certain precautions are taken in its design. One of the important considerations is in the selection of low activation structural materials for reactor vessel. Selection of the materials for first wall and breeding blanket components is also important from safety issues. It is possible to fully benefit from the advantages of fusion energy if safety and environmental concerns are taken into account when considering the conceptual studies of a reactor design. The significant safety hazards are due to the tritium inventory and energetic neutron fluence induced activity in the reactor vessel, first wall components, blanket system etc. The potential of release of radioactivity under operational and accident conditions needs attention while designing the fusion reactor. Appropriate safety analysis for the quantification of the risk shall be done following different methods such as FFMEA (Functional Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) and HAZOP (Hazards and operability). Level of safety and safety classification such as nuclear safety and non-nuclear safety is very important for the FPR (Fusion Power Reactor). This paper describes an overview of safety and environmental merits of fusion power reactor, issues and design considerations and need for R&D on safety and environmental aspects of Tokamak type fusion reactor.

Keeping Kids Safe: A Guide for Safe Food Handling & Sanitation for Child Care Providers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

Because children under age 5 are susceptible to food-borne illnesses and children in diapers present special sanitation and health problems, food safety and sanitation are emerging as important issues for child care providers. This booklet is designed to give providers and parents a quick and easy reference for food safety and sanitation. The…

Factors influencing patient safety in Sweden: perceptions of patient safety officers in the county councils

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background National, regional and local activities to improve patient safety in Sweden have increased over the last decade. There are high ambitions for improved patient safety in Sweden. This study surveyed health care professionals who held key positions in their county council’s patient safety work to investigate their perceptions of the conditions for this work, factors they believe have been most important in reaching the current level of patient safety and factors they believe would be most important for achieving improved patient safety in the future. Methods The study population consisted of 218 health care professionals holding strategic positions in patient safety work in Swedish county councils. Using a questionnaire, the following topics were analysed in this study: profession/occupation; number of years involved in a designated task on patient safety issues; knowledge/overview of the county council’s patient safety work; ability to influence this work; conditions for this work; and the importance of various factors for current and future levels of patient safety. Results The response rate to the questionnaire was 79%. The conditions that had the highest number of responses in complete agreement were “patients’ involvement is important for patient safety” and “patient safety work has good support from the county council’s management”. Factors that were considered most important for achieving the current level of patient safety were root cause and risk analyses, incident reporting and the Swedish Patient Safety Law. An organizational culture that encourages reporting and avoids blame was considered most important for improved patient safety in the future, closely followed by improved communication between health care practitioners and patients. Conclusion Health care professionals with important positions in the Swedish county councils’ patient safety work believe that conditions for this work are somewhat constrained. They attribute the current levels of patient safety to a broad range of factors and believe that many different solutions can contribute to enhanced patient safety in the future, suggesting that this work must be multifactorial. PMID:23391301

A Virtual Reality Framework to Optimize Design, Operation and Refueling of GEN-IV Reactors.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rizwan-uddin; Nick Karancevic; Stefano Markidis

2008-04-23

many GEN-IV candidate designs are currently under investigation. Technical issues related to material, safety and economics are being addressed at research laboratories, industry and in academia. After safety, economic feasibility is likely to be the most important crterion in the success of GEN-IV design(s). Lessons learned from the designers and operators of GEN-II (and GEN-III) reactors must play a vital role in achieving both safety and economic feasibility goals.

Security Implications of Physical Design Attributes in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

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

2016-07-01

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

Teaching Chemistry Lab Safety through Comics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di Raddo, Pasquale

2006-04-01

As a means for raising students' interest in aspects pertaining to chemistry lab safety, this article presents a novel approach to teaching this important subject. Comic book lab scenes that involve fictional characters familiar to many students are presented and discussed as to the safety concerns represented in those images. These are discussed in a safety prelab session. For the sake of comparison, students are then shown images taken from current chemistry journals of safety-conscious contemporary chemists at work in their labs. Finally the need to adhere to copyright regulations for the use of the images is discussed so as to increase students' awareness of academic honesty and copyright issues.

Measuring patient safety in a UK dental hospital: development of a dental clinical effectiveness dashboard.

PubMed

Pemberton, M N; Ashley, M P; Shaw, A; Dickson, S; Saksena, A

2014-10-01

Patient safety is an important marker of quality for any healthcare organisation. In 2008, the British Government white paper entitled High quality care for all, resulting from a review led by Lord Darzi, identified patient safety as a key component of quality and discussed how it might be measured, analysed and acted upon. National and local clinically curated metrics were suggested, which could be displayed via a 'clinical dashboard'. This paper explains the development of a clinical effectiveness dashboard focused on patient safety in an English dental hospital and how it has helped us identify relevant patient safety issues in secondary dental care.

Corporate financial decision-makers' perceptions of workplace safety.

PubMed

Huang, Yueng-Hsiang; Leamon, Tom B; Courtney, Theodore K; Chen, Peter Y; DeArmond, Sarah

2007-07-01

This study, through a random national survey, explored how senior financial executives or managers (those who determined high-level budget, resource allocation, and corporate priorities) of medium-to-large companies perceive important workplace safety issues. The three top-rated safety priorities in resource allocation reported by the participants (overexertion, repetitive motion, and bodily reaction) were consistent with the top three perceived causes of workers' compensation losses. The greatest single safety concerns reported were overexertion, repetitive motion, highway accidents, falling on the same level and bodily reaction. A majority of participants believed that the indirect costs associated with workplace injury were higher than the direct costs. Our participants believed that money spent improving workplace safety would have significant returns. The perceived top benefits of an effective workplace safety program were increased productivity, reduced cost, retention, and increased satisfaction among employees. The perceived most important safety modification was safety training. The top reasons senior financial executives gave for believing their safety programs were better than those at other companies were that their companies paid more attention to and emphasized safety, they had better classes and training focused on safety, and they had teams/individuals focused specifically on safety.

9 CFR 327.11 - Receipts to importers for import product samples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... product samples. 327.11 Section 327.11 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... laboratory examination are to be used exclusively for that purpose, official receipts shall be issued and... collected, date of collection, and that the sample was collected for laboratory examination. The duplicate...

Emerging issues in occupational safety and health.

PubMed

Schulte, Paul A

2006-01-01

In developed countries, changes in the nature of work and the workforce may necessitate recalibrating the vision of occupational safety and health (OSH) researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to increase the focus on the most important issues. New methods of organizing the workplace, extensive labor contracting, expansion of service and knowledge sectors, increase in small business, aging and immigrant workers, and the continued existence of traditional hazards in high-risk sectors such as construction, mining, agriculture, health care, and transportation support the need to address: 1) broader consideration of the role and impact of work, 2) relationship between work and psychological dysfunction, 3) increased surveillance basis for research and intervention, 4) overcoming barriers to the conduct and use of epidemiologic research, 5) information and knowledge transfer and application, 6) economic issues in prevention, and 7) the global interconnectedness of OSH. These issues are offered to spur thinking as new national research agendas for OSH are considered for developed countries.

48 CFR 50.205-1 - SAFETY Act Considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... performance characteristics are addressed. This is important because the processing times for issuing... conferences. (d) Reciprocal waiver of claims. For purposes of 6 CFR 25.5(e), the Government is not a customer...

Nutrition and Myasthenia Gravis

MedlinePlus

Good nutrition is important for everyone. This is especially true when you have a chronic disorder like myasthenia gravis ( ... difficulty with chewing and swallowing may interfere with nutrition and create safety issues. Diet modifications may be ...

The Impact of Visibility on Teamwork, Collaborative Communication, and Security in Emergency Departments: An Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Gharaveis, Arsalan; Hamilton, D Kirk; Pati, Debajyoti; Shepley, Mardelle

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of visibility on teamwork, collaborative communication, and security issues in emergency departments (EDs). This research explored whether with high visibility in EDs, teamwork and collaborative communication can be improved while the security issues will be reduced. Visibility has been regarded as a critical design consideration and can be directly and considerably impacted by ED's physical design. Teamwork is one of the major related operational outcomes of visibility and involves nurses, support staff, and physicians. The collaborative communication in an ED is another important factor in the process of care delivery and affects efficiency and safety. Furthermore, security is a behavioral factor in ED designs, which includes all types of safety including staff safety, patient safety, and the safety of visitors and family members. This qualitative study investigated the impact of visibility on teamwork, collaborative communication, and security issues in the ED. One-on-one interviews and on-site observation sessions were conducted in a community hospital. Corresponding data analysis was implemented by using computer plan analysis, observation and interview content, and theme analyses. The findings of this exploratory study provided a framework to identify visibility as an influential factor in ED design. High levels of visibility impact productivity and efficiency of teamwork and communication and improve the chance of lowering security issues. The findings of this study also contribute to the general body of knowledge about the effect of physical design on teamwork, collaborative communication, and security.

Perceived organizational support for safety and employee safety voice: the mediating role of coworker support for safety.

PubMed

Tucker, Sean; Chmiel, Nik; Turner, Nick; Hershcovis, M Sandy; Stride, Chris B

2008-10-01

In the present study, we modeled 2 sources of safety support (perceived organizational support for safety and perceived coworker support for safety) as predictors of employee safety voice, that is, speaking out in an attempt to change unsafe working conditions. Drawing on social exchange and social impact theories, we hypothesized and tested a mediated model predicting employee safety voice using a cross-sectional survey of urban bus drivers (n = 213) in the United Kingdom. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that perceived coworker support for safety fully mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support for safety and employee safety voice. This study adds to the employee voice literature by evaluating the important role that coworkers can play in encouraging others to speak out about safety issues. Implications for research and practice related to change-oriented safety communication are discussed.

Safety Issues at the DOE Test and Research Reactors. A Report to the U.S. Department of Energy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources.

This report provides an assessment of safety issues at the Department of Energy (DOE) test and research reactors. Part A identifies six safety issues of the reactors. These issues include the safety design philosophy, the conduct of safety reviews, the performance of probabilistic risk assessments, the reliance on reactor operators, the fragmented…

Work Organization and Health Issues in Long-Term Care Centers

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yuan; Flum, Marian; Nobrega, Suzanne; Blais, Lara; Qamili, Shpend; Punnett, Laura

2018-01-01

This qualitative study explored common and divergent perceptions of caregivers and managers regarding occupational health and safety, work organization, and psychosocial concerns in long-term care centers. Both common and differing issues were identified. Both groups agreed on the importance of ergonomic concerns, the high prevalence of stress, and receptiveness to participatory health promotion programs. However, numerous work organization issues and physical and psychosocial workplace hazards were identified by certified nursing assistants but were not mentioned by managers. The results suggest that different perceptions naturally arise from people's varying positions in the occupational hierarchy and their consequent exposures to health and safety hazards. Improved systems of communication that allow frontline workers to express their concerns would make it possible to create solutions to these problems. PMID:21261239

Predicting clinical biological responses to dental materials.

PubMed

Wataha, John C

2012-01-01

Methods used to measure and predict clinical biological responses to dental materials remain controversial, confusing, and to some extent, unsuccessful. The current paper reviews significant issues surrounding how we assess the biological safety of materials, with a historical summary and critical look at the biocompatibility literature. The review frames these issues from a U.S. perspective to some degree, but emphasizes their global nature and universal importance. The PubMed database and information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, International Standards Organization, and American National Standards Institute were searched for prominent literature addressing the definition of biocompatibility, types of biological tests employed, regulatory and standardization issues, and how biological tests are used together to establish the biological safety of materials. The search encompassed articles published in English from approximately 1965-2011. The review does not comprehensively review the literature, but highlights significant issues that confront the field. Years ago, tests for biological safety sought to establish material inertness as the measure of safety, a criterion that is now deemed naive; the definition of biocompatibility has broadened along with the roles for materials in patient oral health care. Controversies persist about how in vitro or animal tests should be used to evaluate the biological safety of materials for clinical use. Controlled clinical trials remain the single best measure of the clinical response to materials, but even these tests have significant limitations and are less useful to identify mechanisms that shape material performance. Practice-based research networks and practitioner databases are emerging as important supplements to controlled clinical trials, but their final utility remains to be determined. Today we ask materials to play increasingly sophisticated structural and therapeutic roles in patient treatment. To accommodate these roles, strategies to assess, predict, and monitor material safety need to evolve. This evolution will be driven not only by researchers and manufacturers, but also by patients and practitioners, who want to use novel materials in new ways to treat oral disease. Copyright © 2011 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Path forward: emerging issues and challenges.

PubMed

Gillen, Matt; Gittleman, Janie L

2010-06-01

The NIOSH Construction Program worked with industry stakeholders to develop a National Occupational Safety and Health Construction Agenda to target future research and activities. The Program and its partners are also cognizant that new developments can emerge over time and that research can play an important role in helping to understand and address these emerging issues. Examples of emerging issues relevant to construction safety and health are described. These include: (a) climate change and energy considerations; (b) green construction developments and opportunities; (c) new materials; (d) changes in industry structure and practice; (e) workforce developments and disparities; (f) injury underreporting and cost and risk shifting; and (g) increased interest in addressing root causes. Responding to emerging issues while maintaining a focus on fundamental longstanding issues represents an ongoing challenge for researchers and industry organizations. Additional research to understand the diffusion and adoption of research by the industry is also needed. Research accomplished to date provides a strong foundation for addressing future industry needs and trends. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The growing use of herbal medicines: issues relating to adverse reactions and challenges in monitoring safety

PubMed Central

Ekor, Martins

2014-01-01

The use of herbal medicinal products and supplements has increased tremendously over the past three decades with not less than 80% of people worldwide relying on them for some part of primary healthcare. Although therapies involving these agents have shown promising potential with the efficacy of a good number of herbal products clearly established, many of them remain untested and their use are either poorly monitored or not even monitored at all. The consequence of this is an inadequate knowledge of their mode of action, potential adverse reactions, contraindications, and interactions with existing orthodox pharmaceuticals and functional foods to promote both safe and rational use of these agents. Since safety continues to be a major issue with the use of herbal remedies, it becomes imperative, therefore, that relevant regulatory authorities put in place appropriate measures to protect public health by ensuring that all herbal medicines are safe and of suitable quality. This review discusses toxicity-related issues and major safety concerns arising from the use of herbal medicinal products and also highlights some important challenges associated with effective monitoring of their safety. PMID:24454289

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

PubMed

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.

Managing risk in healthcare: understanding your safety culture using the Manchester Patient Safety Framework (MaPSaF).

PubMed

Parker, Dianne

2009-03-01

To provide sufficient information about the Manchester Patient Safety Framework (MaPSaF) to allow healthcare professionals to assess its potential usefulness. The assessment of safety culture is an important aspect of risk management, and one in which there is increasing interest among healthcare organizations. Manchester Patient Safety Framework offers a theory-based framework for assessing safety culture, designed specifically for use in the NHS. The framework covers multiple dimensions of safety culture, and five levels of safety culture development. This allows the generation of a profile of an organization's safety culture in terms of areas of relative strength and challenge, which can be used to identify focus issues for change and improvement. Manchester Patient Safety Framework provides a useful method for engaging healthcare professionals in assessing and improving the safety culture in their organization, as part of a programme of risk management.

Examining Attendance, Academic Performance, and Behavior in Obese Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniels, Dianne Yow

2008-01-01

Although academics and safety continue to rank as high-priority issues in public schools, educators and administrators are beginning to recognize the importance of student health on school success. This move toward a holistic approach suggests that efforts to improve a student's physical, social, and emotional well-being are as important as…

Framework for continuous assessment and improvement of occupational health and safety issues in construction companies.

PubMed

Mahmoudi, Shahram; Ghasemi, Fakhradin; Mohammadfam, Iraj; Soleimani, Esmaeil

2014-09-01

Construction industry is among the most hazardous industries, and needs a comprehensive and simple-to-administer tool to continuously assess and promote its health and safety performance. Through the study of various standard systems (mainly Health, Safety, and Environment Management System; Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 180001; and British Standard, occupational health and safety management systems-Guide 8800), seven main elements were determined for the desired framework, and then, by reviewing literature, factors affecting these main elements were determined. The relative importance of each element and its related factors was calculated at organizational and project levels. The provided framework was then implemented in three construction companies, and results were compared together. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY SHOW THAT THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE MAIN ELEMENTS AND THEIR RELATED FACTORS DIFFER BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL AND PROJECT LEVELS: leadership and commitment are the most important elements at the organization level, whereas risk assessment and management are most important at the project level. The present study demonstrated that the framework is easy to administer, and by interpreting the results, the main factors leading to the present condition of companies can be determined.

Swedish dairy farmers' perceptions of animal-related injuries.

PubMed

Lindahl, Cecilia; Lundqvist, Peter; Norberg, Annika Lindahl

2012-01-01

Animal-related injuries are among the most common occupational injuries in agriculture. Despite the large number of documented animal-related injuries in dairy farming, the issue has received relatively limited attention in the scientific literature. The farmers' own perspectives and views on risks and safety during livestock handling and what they think are effective ways of preventing injuries are valuable for the future design of effective interventions. This paper presents results from a qualitative study with the aim to investigate Swedish dairy farmers' own experience of animal-related occupational injuries, as well as their perceptions of and attitudes towards them, including risk and safety issues, and prevention measures. A total of 12 dairy farmers with loose housing systems participated in the study. Data collection was conducted by means of semistructured in-depth interviews. Three main themes with an impact on risks and safety when handling cattle were identified: the handler, the cattle, and the facilities. They all interact with each other, influencing the potential risks of any work task. Most of the farmers believed that a majority of the injuries can be prevented, but there are always some incidents that are impossible to foresee. In conclusion, this study indicates that Swedish dairy farmers are aware of the dangers from working with cattle. However, even though safety is acknowledged by the farmers as an important and relevant issue, in the end safety is often forgotten or not prioritized. One concern is that farmers are willing to take calculated risks to save money or time. In situations where they work alone with high stress levels and under economic distress, safety issues are easily given low priority.

GPs' compliance with health and safety legislation and their occupational health needs in one London health authority.

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Ioanna; Williams, Siân; Reynolds, Anne; Cockcroft, Anne; Solomon, Jack; Farrow, Stephen

2002-01-01

This survey assessed general practitioners' (GPs') knowledge of and compliance with, health and safety legislation and occupational health guidance in one London health authority. The response rate was 85%. Although the majority of practices were aware of the most important piece of legislation--The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, 1992--less than one in ten practices had carried out the required systematic risk assessments. Compliance with other health and safety legislation and related employment issues was also poor. The health of GPs and their staff may be at risk and these general practices may be vulnerable to prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive. PMID:12236278

Biosimilar safety considerations in clinical practice.

PubMed

Choy, Edwin; Jacobs, Ira Allen

2014-02-01

Biologics are important treatments for a number of cancers. Patents for several biologics will expire over the next decade, removing a barrier to the development and commercialization of biosimilars. As biologics differ from small-molecule drugs due to their size and complexity, multifaceted manufacturing process, and their potential for immunogenicity, biosimilars cannot be considered "generic versions" of currently approved biologics. In highly regulated markets, biosimilars can be authorized only if they are demonstrated to be highly similar to the original drug from an analytical and clinical perspective. Any differences must be justified and shown to have no clinically meaningful effect on the safety and efficacy of the biosimilar. The European Medicines Agency has approved a number of biosimilars and the recent approval of the biosimilar infliximab monoclonal antibody is another regulatory milestone. This article will provide context regarding key safety issues addressed in biosimilar development, approval, and delivery, as well as inform oncologists on matters of safety to consider when prescribing biosimilars. Pertinent issues about safety from countries or regions where biosimilars are currently in use also will be reviewed. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving Patient Safety in Hospitals through Usage of Cloud Supported Video Surveillance.

PubMed

Dašić, Predrag; Dašić, Jovan; Crvenković, Bojan

2017-04-15

Patient safety in hospitals is of equal importance as providing treatments and urgent healthcare. With the development of Cloud technologies and Big Data analytics, it is possible to employ VSaaS technology virtually anywhere, for any given security purpose. For the listed benefits, in this paper, we give an overview of the existing cloud surveillance technologies which can be implemented for improving patient safety. Modern VSaaS systems provide higher elasticity and project scalability in dealing with real-time information processing. Modern surveillance technologies can prove to be an effective tool for prevention of patient falls, undesired movement and tempering with attached life supporting devices. Given a large number of patients who require constant supervision, a cloud-based monitoring system can dramatically reduce the occurring costs. It provides continuous real-time monitoring, increased overall security and safety, improved staff productivity, prevention of dishonest claims and long-term digital archiving. Patient safety is a growing issue which can be improved with the usage of high-end centralised surveillance systems allowing the staff to focus more on treating health issues rather that keeping a watchful eye on potential incidents.

Causation mechanisms in car-to-vulnerable road user crashes: implications for active safety systems.

PubMed

Habibovic, Azra; Davidsson, Johan

2012-11-01

Vulnerable road users (VRUs), such as pedestrians and bicyclists, are often involved in crashes with passenger cars. One way to prevent these crashes is to deploy active safety systems that support the car drivers and/or VRUs. However, to develop such systems, a thorough understanding of crash causation mechanisms is required. The aim of this study is to identify crash causation mechanisms from the perspective of the VRUs, and to explore the implications of these mechanisms for the development of active safety systems. Data originate from the European project SafetyNet, where 995 crashes were in-depth investigated using the SafetyNet Accident Causation System (SNACS). To limit the scope, this study analyzed only intersection crashes involving VRUs. A total of 56 VRU crashes were aggregated. Results suggest that, while 30% of the VRUs did not see the conflict car due to visual obstructions in the traffic environment, 70% of the VRUs saw the car before the collision, but still misunderstood the traffic situation and/or made an inadequate plan of action. An important implication that follows from this is that, while detection of cars is clearly an issue that needs to be addressed, it is even more important to help the VRUs to correctly understand traffic situation (e.g., does the driver intend to slow down, and if s/he does, is it to let the VRU cross or for some other reason?). The former issue suggests a role for various cooperative active safety systems, as the obstacles are generally impenetrable with regular sensors. The latter issue is less straightforward. While various systems can be proposed, such as providing gap size estimation and reducing the car speed variability, the functional merits of each such a system need to be further investigated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementing new technologies for public safety communication: competing frequency demands and standardization issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, Kathryn J.

1997-01-01

Attempting to incorporate new technology into an existing environment is often very difficult. The problems are lengthy to resolve, wrought with confusion and seldom turn out like anyone expected. This document represents an overview of one such attempt. It outlines the general areas of concern which could be affected by a transition, and potential problems that may be encountered as a result of the effort. Over the past several decades, many local, state and federal agencies are pressing for more efficient use of frequency spectrums. The urgency of this issue has grown due to the demands of several groups wanting access to these channels for commercial use. Pager systems, cellular telephones, radio systems for private businesses all demand more space. Public safety agencies are starting to fear their needs will diminish in importance as the available channel spectrums are consumed by commercial ventures. How to share these channels, purchase appropriate equipment to meet your needs, and stay within a reasonable budget are not easy tasks. Public safety agencies who rely on communication networks in the performance of their jobs also know why encryption is important. Protecting the rights of citizens as police exchange information over the air, maintaining the integrity of an investigation and officer safety are all concerns police must address each time they use a radio.

Public Health, Ethics, and Autonomous Vehicles

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

With the potential to save nearly 30 000 lives per year in the United States, autonomous vehicles portend the most significant advance in auto safety history by shifting the focus from minimization of postcrash injury to collision prevention. I have delineated the important public health implications of autonomous vehicles and provided a brief analysis of a critically important ethical issue inherent in autonomous vehicle design. The broad expertise, ethical principles, and values of public health should be brought to bear on a wide range of issues pertaining to autonomous vehicles. PMID:28207327

Public Health, Ethics, and Autonomous Vehicles.

PubMed

Fleetwood, Janet

2017-04-01

With the potential to save nearly 30 000 lives per year in the United States, autonomous vehicles portend the most significant advance in auto safety history by shifting the focus from minimization of postcrash injury to collision prevention. I have delineated the important public health implications of autonomous vehicles and provided a brief analysis of a critically important ethical issue inherent in autonomous vehicle design. The broad expertise, ethical principles, and values of public health should be brought to bear on a wide range of issues pertaining to autonomous vehicles.

Investigation of user stereotypes and preferences

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-12-01

The presentation of in-vehicle information to the driver is an important issue for highway safety. A review of the guideline literature revealed that although attempts have been made to develop guidelines for in-vehicle information systems, few guide...

Timing issues for traffic signals interconnected with highway-railroad grade crossings.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-02-01

The coordination of highway-railroad grade crossing warning signals with nearby traffic signals is of vital : importance due to potential safety consequences. Interconnections between traffic signals in close : proximity to railroad crossings provide...

Methodological and Ethical Issues in Pediatric Medication Safety Research.

PubMed

Carpenter, Delesha; Gonzalez, Daniel; Retsch-Bogart, George; Sleath, Betsy; Wilfond, Benjamin

2017-09-01

In May 2016, the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill convened the PharmSci conference to address the topic of "methodological and ethical issues in pediatric medication safety research." A multidisciplinary group of experts representing a diverse array of perspectives, including those of the US Food and Drug Administration, children's hospitals, and academia, identified important considerations for pediatric medication safety research and opportunities to advance the field. This executive summary describes current challenges that clinicians and researchers encounter related to pediatric medication safety research and identifies innovative and ethically sound methodologies to address these challenges to improve children's health. This article addresses 5 areas: (1) pediatric drug development and drug trials; (2) conducting comparative effectiveness research in pediatric populations; (3) child and parent engagement on study teams; (4) improving communication with children and parents; and (5) assessing child-reported outcomes and adverse drug events. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Patient safety and patient assessment in pre-hospital care: a study protocol.

PubMed

Hagiwara, Magnus Andersson; Nilsson, Lena; Strömsöe, Anneli; Axelsson, Christer; Kängström, Anna; Herlitz, Johan

2016-02-12

Patient safety issues in pre-hospital care are poorly investigated. The aim of the planned study is to survey patient safety problems in pre-hospital care in Sweden. The study is a retro-perspective structured medical record review based on the use of 11 screening criteria. Two instruments for structured medical record review are used: a trigger tool instrument designed for pre-hospital care and a newly development instrument designed to compare the pre-hospital assessment with the final hospital assessment. Three different ambulance organisations are participating in the study. Every month, one rater in each organisation randomly collects 30 medical records for review. With guidance from the review instrument, he/she independently reviews the record. Every month, the review team meet for a discussion of problematic reviews. The results will be analysed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The findings will make an important contribution to knowledge about patient safety issues in pre-hospital care.

Aviation Safety Issues Database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morello, Samuel A.; Ricks, Wendell R.

2009-01-01

The aviation safety issues database was instrumental in the refinement and substantiation of the National Aviation Safety Strategic Plan (NASSP). The issues database is a comprehensive set of issues from an extremely broad base of aviation functions, personnel, and vehicle categories, both nationally and internationally. Several aviation safety stakeholders such as the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) have already used the database. This broader interest was the genesis to making the database publically accessible and writing this report.

Inside the black box of food safety: a qualitative study of 'non-compliance' among food businesses.

PubMed

Brough, Mark; Davies, Belinda; Johnstone, Eleesa

2016-04-01

Issue addressed This paper examines the meaning of food safety among food businesses deemed non-compliant and considers the need for an insider perspective to inform a more nuanced health promotion practice. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with 29 food business operators who had recently been deemed 'non-compliant' through Council inspection. Results Paradoxically, these 'non-compliers' revealed a strong belief in the importance of food safety as well as a desire to comply with the regulations as communicated to them by Environmental Health Officers. Conclusions The evidence base of food safety is largely informed by the science of food hazards, yet there is a very important need to consider the practical daily application of food safety practices. This requires a more socially nuanced appreciation of food businesses beyond the simple dichotomy of compliant/ non-compliant. So what? Armed with a deeper understanding of the social context surrounding food safety practice, it is anticipated that a more balanced, collaborative mode of food safety health promotion could develop, which could add to the current model of regulation.

Aviation occupant survival factors: an empirical study of the SQ006 accident.

PubMed

Chang, Yu-Hern; Yang, Hui-Hua

2010-03-01

We present an empirical study of Singapore Airline (SIA) flight SQ006 to illustrate the critical factors that influence airplane occupant survivability. The Fuzzy Delphi Method was used to identify and rank the survival factors that may reduce injury and fatality in potentially survivable accidents. This is the first attempt by a group from both the public and private sectors in Taiwan to focus on cabin-safety issues related to survival factors. We designed a comprehensive survey based on our discussions with aviation safety experts. We next designed an array of important cabin-safety dimensions and then investigated and selected the critical survival factors for each dimension. Our findings reveal important cabin safety and survivability information that should provide a valuable reference for developing and evaluating aviation safety programs. We also believe that the results will be practical for designing cabin-safety education material for air travelers. Finally, the major contribution of this research is that it has identified 47 critical factors that influence accident survivability; therefore, it may encourage improvements that will promote more successful cabin-safety management. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent Progresses in Nanobiosensing for Food Safety Analysis

PubMed Central

Yang, Tao; Huang, Huifen; Zhu, Fang; Lin, Qinlu; Zhang, Lin; Liu, Junwen

2016-01-01

With increasing adulteration, food safety analysis has become an important research field. Nanomaterials-based biosensing holds great potential in designing highly sensitive and selective detection strategies necessary for food safety analysis. This review summarizes various function types of nanomaterials, the methods of functionalization of nanomaterials, and recent (2014–present) progress in the design and development of nanobiosensing for the detection of food contaminants including pathogens, toxins, pesticides, antibiotics, metal contaminants, and other analytes, which are sub-classified according to various recognition methods of each analyte. The existing shortcomings and future perspectives of the rapidly growing field of nanobiosensing addressing food safety issues are also discussed briefly. PMID:27447636

Recent Progresses in Nanobiosensing for Food Safety Analysis.

PubMed

Yang, Tao; Huang, Huifen; Zhu, Fang; Lin, Qinlu; Zhang, Lin; Liu, Junwen

2016-07-19

With increasing adulteration, food safety analysis has become an important research field. Nanomaterials-based biosensing holds great potential in designing highly sensitive and selective detection strategies necessary for food safety analysis. This review summarizes various function types of nanomaterials, the methods of functionalization of nanomaterials, and recent (2014-present) progress in the design and development of nanobiosensing for the detection of food contaminants including pathogens, toxins, pesticides, antibiotics, metal contaminants, and other analytes, which are sub-classified according to various recognition methods of each analyte. The existing shortcomings and future perspectives of the rapidly growing field of nanobiosensing addressing food safety issues are also discussed briefly.

Defining a Road Safety Audits Program for Enhancing Safety and Reducing Tort Liability

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-07-01

Table of Contents: (1) Introduction; (2) Review of Safety Issues; (3) Review of Legal Liability Issues; (4) Summary of Safety and Legal Liability Issues. Prepared in cooperation with Wyoming Univ., Laramie. Dept. of Civil and Architectural Engineerin...

Specific issues, exact locations: case study of a community mapping project to improve safety in a disadvantaged community.

PubMed

Qummouh, Rana; Rose, Vanessa; Hall, Pat

2012-12-01

Safety is a health issue and a significant concern in disadvantaged communities. This paper describes an example of community-initiated action to address perceptions of fear and safety in a suburb in south-west Sydney which led to the development of a local, community-driven research project. As a first step in developing community capacity to take action on issues of safety, a joint resident-agency group implemented a community safety mapping project to identify the extent of safety issues in the community and their exact geographical location. Two aerial maps of the suburb, measuring one metre by two metres, were placed on display at different locations for four months. Residents used coloured stickers to identify specific issues and exact locations where crime and safety were a concern. Residents identified 294 specific safety issues in the suburb, 41.9% (n=123) associated with public infrastructure, such as poor lighting and pathways, and 31.9% (n=94) associated with drug-related issues such as drug activity and discarded syringes. Good health promotion practice reflects community need. In a very practical sense, this project responded to community calls for action by mapping resident knowledge on specific safety issues and exact locations and presenting these maps to local decision makers for further action.

Food safety concerns of fast food consumers in urban Ghana.

PubMed

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.

Time-related degradation, a key issue in nuclear plant safety evaluations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonzon, L.L.; Bustard, L.D.; Clough, R.L.

1982-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories is conducting a number of programs under NRC sponsorship which deal with safety-related equipment qualification issues, including the important aspect of aging. Among these is the Qualification Testing Evaluation (QTE) program which was probably the first to devote significant effort towards aging research and was one of the primary motivators leading to the Workshop. The thrust of the QTE aging efforts has been on elastomeric materials, typically used in electrical cables, seals, gaskets, and the like; currently, efforts are being pursued on plant ambient environments measurements, aging of electronics, and aging of motors. A brief status reportmore » is presented in this paper.« less

48 CFR 246.371 - Notification of potential safety issues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... safety issues. 246.371 Section 246.371 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE Contract Clauses 246.371 Notification of potential safety issues. (a) Use the clause at 252.246-7003, Notification of Potential Safety...

Linking empowering leadership to safety participation in nuclear power plants: a structural equation model.

PubMed

Martínez-Córcoles, Mario; Schöbel, Markus; Gracia, Francisco J; Tomás, Inés; Peiró, José M

2012-07-01

Safety participation is of paramount importance in guaranteeing the safe running of nuclear power plants. The present study examined the effects of empowering leadership on safety participation. Based on a sample of 495 employees from two Spanish nuclear power plants, structural equation modeling showed that empowering leadership has a significant relationship with safety participation, which is mediated by collaborative team learning. In addition, the results revealed that the relationship between empowering leadership and collaborative learning is partially mediated by the promotion of dialogue and open communication. The implications of these findings for safety research and their practical applications are outlined. An empowering leadership style enhances workers' safety performance, particularly safety participation behaviors. Safety participation is recommended to detect possible rule inconsistencies or misunderstood procedures and make workers aware of critical safety information and issues. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethical and Safety Issues of Stem Cell-Based Therapy.

PubMed

Volarevic, Vladislav; Markovic, Bojana Simovic; Gazdic, Marina; Volarevic, Ana; Jovicic, Nemanja; Arsenijevic, Nebojsa; Armstrong, Lyle; Djonov, Valentin; Lako, Majlinda; Stojkovic, Miodrag

2018-01-01

Results obtained from completed and on-going clinical studies indicate huge therapeutic potential of stem cell-based therapy in the treatment of degenerative, autoimmune and genetic disorders. However, clinical application of stem cells raises numerous ethical and safety concerns. In this review, we provide an overview of the most important ethical issues in stem cell therapy, as a contribution to the controversial debate about their clinical usage in regenerative and transplantation medicine. We describe ethical challenges regarding human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research, emphasizing that ethical dilemma involving the destruction of a human embryo is a major factor that may have limited the development of hESC-based clinical therapies. With previous derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) this problem has been overcome, however current perspectives regarding clinical translation of iPSCs still remain. Unlimited differentiation potential of iPSCs which can be used in human reproductive cloning, as a risk for generation of genetically engineered human embryos and human-animal chimeras, is major ethical issue, while undesired differentiation and malignant transformation are major safety issues. Although clinical application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has shown beneficial effects in the therapy of autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases, the ability to promote tumor growth and metastasis and overestimated therapeutic potential of MSCs still provide concerns for the field of regenerative medicine. This review offers stem cell scientists, clinicians and patient's useful information and could be used as a starting point for more in-depth analysis of ethical and safety issues related to clinical application of stem cells.

Ethical and Safety Issues of Stem Cell-Based Therapy

PubMed Central

Volarevic, Vladislav; Markovic, Bojana Simovic; Gazdic, Marina; Volarevic, Ana; Jovicic, Nemanja; Arsenijevic, Nebojsa; Armstrong, Lyle; Djonov, Valentin; Lako, Majlinda; Stojkovic, Miodrag

2018-01-01

Results obtained from completed and on-going clinical studies indicate huge therapeutic potential of stem cell-based therapy in the treatment of degenerative, autoimmune and genetic disorders. However, clinical application of stem cells raises numerous ethical and safety concerns. In this review, we provide an overview of the most important ethical issues in stem cell therapy, as a contribution to the controversial debate about their clinical usage in regenerative and transplantation medicine. We describe ethical challenges regarding human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research, emphasizing that ethical dilemma involving the destruction of a human embryo is a major factor that may have limited the development of hESC-based clinical therapies. With previous derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) this problem has been overcome, however current perspectives regarding clinical translation of iPSCs still remain. Unlimited differentiation potential of iPSCs which can be used in human reproductive cloning, as a risk for generation of genetically engineered human embryos and human-animal chimeras, is major ethical issue, while undesired differentiation and malignant transformation are major safety issues. Although clinical application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has shown beneficial effects in the therapy of autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases, the ability to promote tumor growth and metastasis and overestimated therapeutic potential of MSCs still provide concerns for the field of regenerative medicine. This review offers stem cell scientists, clinicians and patient's useful information and could be used as a starting point for more in-depth analysis of ethical and safety issues related to clinical application of stem cells. PMID:29333086

Editorial: emerging issues in sociotechnical systems thinking and workplace safety.

PubMed

Noy, Y Ian; Hettinger, Lawrence J; Dainoff, Marvin J; Carayon, Pascale; Leveson, Nancy G; Robertson, Michelle M; Courtney, Theodore K

2015-01-01

The burden of on-the-job accidents and fatalities and the harm of associated human suffering continue to present an important challenge for safety researchers and practitioners. While significant improvements have been achieved in recent decades, the workplace accident rate remains unacceptably high. This has spurred interest in the development of novel research approaches, with particular interest in the systemic influences of social/organisational and technological factors. In response, the Hopkinton Conference on Sociotechnical Systems and Safety was organised to assess the current state of knowledge in the area and to identify research priorities. Over the course of several months prior to the conference, leading international experts drafted collaborative, state-of-the-art reviews covering various aspects of sociotechnical systems and safety. These papers, presented in this special issue, cover topics ranging from the identification of key concepts and definitions to sociotechnical characteristics of safe and unsafe organisations. This paper provides an overview of the conference and introduces key themes and topics. Sociotechnical approaches to workplace safety are intended to draw practitioners' attention to the critical influence that systemic social/organisational and technological factors exert on safety-relevant outcomes. This paper introduces major themes addressed in the Hopkinton Conference within the context of current workplace safety research and practice challenges.

Editorial: emerging issues in sociotechnical systems thinking and workplace safety

PubMed Central

Noy, Y. Ian; Hettinger, Lawrence J.; Dainoff, Marvin J.; Carayon, Pascale; Leveson, Nancy G.; Robertson, Michelle M.; Courtney, Theodore K.

2015-01-01

The burden of on-the-job accidents and fatalities and the harm of associated human suffering continue to present an important challenge for safety researchers and practitioners. While significant improvements have been achieved in recent decades, the workplace accident rate remains unacceptably high. This has spurred interest in the development of novel research approaches, with particular interest in the systemic influences of social/organisational and technological factors. In response, the Hopkinton Conference on Sociotechnical Systems and Safety was organised to assess the current state of knowledge in the area and to identify research priorities. Over the course of several months prior to the conference, leading international experts drafted collaborative, state-of-the-art reviews covering various aspects of sociotechnical systems and safety. These papers, presented in this special issue, cover topics ranging from the identification of key concepts and definitions to sociotechnical characteristics of safe and unsafe organisations. This paper provides an overview of the conference and introduces key themes and topics. Practitioner Summary: Sociotechnical approaches to workplace safety are intended to draw practitioners' attention to the critical influence that systemic social/organisational and technological factors exert on safety-relevant outcomes. This paper introduces major themes addressed in the Hopkinton Conference within the context of current workplace safety research and practice challenges. PMID:25819595

Moving forward with safety culture.

PubMed

Weber, Michael

2012-04-01

Radiation safety and protection of people are shared goals of the Health Physics Society (HPS) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A positive safety culture contributes to achieving radiation safety and protection of people, which are important to both the HPS and the NRC. Through unprecedented collaboration and engagement with diverse stakeholders, the NRC and the stakeholders developed a Safety Culture Policy Statement. The policy statement defines safety culture and describes the traits of a positive safety culture. Consideration of both safety and security issues and the interface of safety and security are underlying principles that support the policy. Examination of significant events, both within the nuclear industry and in society at large, illustrates how weaknesses in these traits can contribute to the occurrence and consequences of safety incidents, including serious injury and loss of life. With the policy statement in place, the NRC is moving forward with outreach and education about safety culture. Health physicists and other radiation safety specialists play an essential role in enhancing safety culture.

Cabin Safety Issues Related to Pre-Departure and Inflight Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connell, Linda

2014-01-01

The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) in a partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), participating carriers, and labor organizations. It is designed to improve the National Airspace System by collecting and studying reports detailing unsafe conditions and events in the aviation industry. Employees are able to report safety issues or concerns with confidentiality and without fear of discipline. Safety reports highlighting the human element in cabin safety issues and concerns.

Pharmacist recognition of and adherence to medication-use policies and safety practices.

PubMed

Saad, Aline H; Sweet, Burgunda V; Stumpf, Janice L; Gruppen, Larry; Oh, Mary; Stevenson, James G

2007-10-01

Pharmacist recognition of and adherence to medication-use policies and safety practices were assessed. Simulation testing was used to assess the performance of pharmacists in hypothetical scenarios simulating real-life situations. Fifty test case medication orders were developed, some requiring specific intervention and some requiring no special action. Orders were classified into four categories: those posing safety concerns n ( = 16), those with formulary and product standardization issues (n = 4), those with pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committee restrictions (n = 4), and those requiring no special action (n = 26). Potential barriers to compliance were identified by the project team and the orders categorized accordingly. The orders were processed by 25 pharmacists using a simulation testing procedure. Data were analyzed by pharmacists' demographics, order category, and perceived barriers to compliance. Pharmacists were correctly able to recognize 77.3% of test orders: 67.3% with safety concerns, 98.9% with formulary issues, and 98.5% with restrictions. Appropriate action was taken with 74.2% of test orders: 64.5% of safety orders, 96.6% of formulary orders, and 92.4% of restriction orders. There was no correlation between pharmacists' performance and demographic characteristics. The two barriers to correct response identified most often were ambiguous responsibility and low perceived level of importance. Pharmacists generally recognized and took appropriate action with simulated medication orders that contained problems related to formulary or P&T committee restrictions. They were less able to recognize and act appropriately on orders with safety-related problems. Ambiguous responsibility and low perceived importance were the most significant factors contributing to noncompliance with P&T committee policies and guidelines.

Development a Comprehensive Food Safety System in Serbia- A Narrative Review Article

PubMed Central

RADOVIĆ, Vesela; KEKOVIĆ, Zoran; AGIĆ, Samir

2014-01-01

Abstract Background Food safety issues are not a new issue in science, but due to the dynamic changes in the modern world it is as equally important as decades ago. The aim of the study was to address the efforts in the development of a comprehensive food safety system in Serbia, and make specific recommendations regarding the improvement of epidemiological investigation capacity as a useful tool which contributes to improving the public health by joint efforts of epidemiologists and law enforcement. Methods We used the methodology appropriate for social sciences. Results The findings show the current state-of-affairs in the area of food safety and health care system and present some most important weaknesses which have to be overcome. Policy makers need timely and reliable information so that they can make informed decisions to improve the population health in an ongoing process of seeking full membership in the European Union. Conclusion Serbia has to apply significant changes in practice because the current state-of-affairs in the area of food safety and health care system is not so favourable due to numerous both objective and subjective factors. Hence, the policy-makers must work on the development of epidemiological investigation capacities as a firm basis for greater efficiency and effectiveness. Epidemiologists would not stay alone in their work. Law enforcement as well as many other stakeholders should recognize their new role in the process of the development of epidemiological investigation capacity as a tool for the development of a comprehensive food safety system in Serbia. PMID:25909057

Including safety-net providers in integrated delivery systems: issues and options for policymakers.

PubMed

Witgert, Katherine; Hess, Catherine

2012-08-01

Health care reform legislation has spurred efforts to develop integrated health care delivery systems that seek to coordinate the continuum of health services. These systems may be of particular benefit to patients who face barriers to accessing care or have multiple health conditions. But it remains to be seen how safety-net providers, including community health centers and public hospitals--which have long experience in caring for these vulnerable populations--will be included in integrated delivery systems. This issue brief explores key considerations for incorporating safety-net providers into integrated delivery systems and discusses the roles of state and federal agencies in sup­porting and testing models of integrated care delivery. The authors conclude that the most important principles in creating integrated delivery systems for vulnerable populations are: (1) an emphasis on primary care; (2) coordination of all care, including behavioral, social, and public health services; and (3) accountability for population health outcomes.

Contemporary issues: The pre-licensure nursing student and medication errors.

PubMed

Green, Cheryl

2018-06-01

In Modern health care, the creation of cultures of safety for patients is of the upmost importance. Impacting the institutional stabilization of health care facilities safety initiatives, is the preparation of pre-licensure nursing students to safely administer medications to patients. Therefore, preparation of the pre-licensure nursing student must be evidence-based practice focused and incorporate innovative ways to reduce the potential for medication errors. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An interagency space nuclear propulsion safety policy for SEI - Issues and discussion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, A. C.; Sawyer, J. C., Jr.

1991-01-01

An interagency Nuclear Safety Policy Working Group (NSPWG) was chartered to recommend nuclear safety policy, requirements, and guidelines for the Space Exploration Initiative nuclear propulsion program to facilitate the implementation of mission planning and conceptual design studies. The NSPWG developed a top level policy to provide the guiding principles for the development and implementation of the nuclear propulsion safety program and the development of Safety Functional Requirements. In addition, the NSPWG reviewed safety issues for nuclear propulsion and recommended top level safety requirements and guidelines to address these issues. Safety topics include reactor start-up, inadvertent criticality, radiological release and exposure, disposal, entry, safeguards, risk/reliability, operational safety, ground testing, and other considerations. In this paper the emphasis is placed on the safety policy and the issues and considerations that are addressed by the NSPWG recommendations.

Evaluation of the patient safety Leadership Walkabout programme of a hospital in Singapore.

PubMed

Lim, Raymond Boon Tar; Ng, Benjamin Boon Lui; Ng, Kok Mun

2014-02-01

The Patient Safety Leadership Walkabout (PSLWA) programme is a commonly employed tool in the West, in which senior leaders visit sites within the hospital that are involved in patient care to talk to healthcare staff about patient safety issues. As there is a lack of perspective regarding PSLWA in Asia, we carried out an evaluation of its effectiveness in improving the patient safety culture in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. A mixed methods analysis approach was used to review and evaluate all documents, protocols, meeting minutes, post-walkabout surveys, action plans and verbal feedback pertaining to the walkabouts conducted from January 2005 to October 2012. A total of 321 patient safety issues were identified during the study period. Of these, 308 (96.0%) issues were resolved as of November 2012. Among the various categories of issues raised, issues related to work environment were the most common (45.2%). Of all the issues raised during the walkabouts, 72.9% were not identified through other conventional methods of error detection. With respect to the hospital's patient safety culture, 94.8% of the participants reported an increased awareness in patient safety and 90.2% expressed comfort in openly and honestly discussing patient safety issues. PSLWA serves as a good tool to uncover latent errors before actual harm reaches the patient. If properly implemented, it is an effective method for engaging leadership, identifying patient safety issues, and supporting a culture of patient safety in the hospital setting.

Consensus-based Recommendations for Research Priorities Related to Interventions to Safeguard Patient Safety in the Crowded Emergency Department

PubMed Central

Fee, Christopher; Hall, Kendall; Morrison, J. Bradley; Stephens, Robert; Cosby, Karen; Fairbanks, Rollin (Terry) J.; Youngberg, Barbara; Lenehan, Gail; Abualenain, Jameel; O’Connor, Kevin; Wears, Robert

2012-01-01

This article describes the results of the Interventions to Safeguard Safety breakout session of the 2011 Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM) consensus conference entitled “Interventions to Assure Quality in the Crowded Emergency Department.” Using a multistep nominal group technique, experts in emergency department (ED) crowding, patient safety, and systems engineering defined knowledge gaps and priority research questions related to the maintenance of safety in the crowded ED. Consensus was reached for seven research priorities related to interventions to maintain safety in the setting of a crowded ED. Included among these are: 1) How do routine corrective processes and compensating mechanism change during crowding? 2) What metrics should be used to determine ED safety? 3) How can checklists ensure safer care and what factors contribute to their success or failure? 4) What constitutes safe staffing levels / ratios? 5) How can we align emergency medicine (EM)-specific patient safety issues with national patient safety issues? 6) How can we develop metrics and skills to recognize when an ED is getting close to catastrophic overload conditions? and 7) What can EM learn from experts and modeling from fields outside of medicine to develop innovative solutions? These priorities have the potential to inform future clinical and human factors research and extramural funding decisions related to this important topic. PMID:22168192

16 CFR 1021.6 - Responsible official.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... important to environmental issues. (5) To ensure that environmental documents are before the Commission at... Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Procedures § 1021.6... following specific powers and duties: (1) To ensure that CPSC environmental review is conducted in...

Beyond Digital Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Lynn

2016-01-01

Conversations in middle school about digital citizenship tend to focus on the responsibilities of citizenship and the issues of surveillance, safety, cyberbullying, and internet etiquette. While these are important and essential conversations, digital citizenship education needs to consider youth political identity and democratic participation in…

Neuropeptides of the cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter), is an economically important pest of cotton, and increasing concerns over resistance and safety issues associated with traditional insecticide applications have led to an interest in research on novel, alternative strategies to control them....

Research on the management and endorsement of nuclear safety standards in the United States and its revelation for China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ting; Tian, Yu; Yang, Lili; Gao, Siyi; Song, Dahu

2018-01-01

This paper introduces the American standard system, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)’s responsibility, NRC nuclear safety regulations and standards system, studies on NRC’s standards management and endorsement mode, analyzes the characteristics of NRC standards endorsement management, and points out its disadvantages. This paper draws revelation from the standard management and endorsement model of NRC and points suggestion to China’s nuclear and radiation safety standards management.The issue of the “Nuclear Safety Law”plays an important role in China’s nuclear and radiation safety supervision. Nuclear and radiation safety regulations and standards are strong grips on the implementation of “Nuclear Safety Law”. This paper refers on the experience of international advanced countriy, will effectively promote the improvement of the endorsed management of China’s nuclear and radiation safety standards.

Introducing Proper Chemical Hygiene and Safety in the General Chemistry Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Gordon J.; Heideman, Stephen A.; Greenbowe, Thomas J.

2000-09-01

Chemical safety is an important component of science education for everyone, not just for chemistry majors. Developing a responsible and knowledgeable attitude towards chemical safety best starts at the early stages of a student's career. In many colleges and universities, safety education in undergraduate chemistry has been relegated primarily to a few regulatory documents at the beginning of a laboratory course, or an occasional warning in the description of a specific experiment in a prelaboratory lecture. Safety issues are seldom raised in general chemistry or organic chemistry lecture-based chemistry courses. At Iowa State University we have begun to implement a program, Chemical Hygiene and Safety in the Laboratory, into the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. This program is designed to increase the awareness and knowledge of proper chemical hygiene and laboratory safety issues among all students taking general chemistry and organic chemistry courses. Laboratory protocol, use of safety equipment, familiarity with MSD sheets, basics of first aid, some specific terminology surrounding chemical hygiene, EPA and OSHA requirements, and the use of the World Wide Web to search and locate chemical safety information are topics that are applied throughout the chemistry curriculum. The novelty of this approach is to incorporate MSD sheets and safety information that can be located on the World Wide Web in a series of safety problems and assignments, all related to the chemistry experiments students are about to perform. The fundamental idea of our approach is not only to teach students what is required for appropriate safety measures, but also to involve them in the enforcement of basic prudent practices.

Quality and strength of patient safety climate on medical-surgical units.

PubMed

Hughes, Linda C; Chang, Yunkyung; Mark, Barbara A

2009-01-01

Describing the safety climate in hospitals is an important first step in creating work environments where safety is a priority. Yet, little is known about the patient safety climate on medical-surgical units. Study purposes were to describe quality and strength of the patient safety climate on medical-surgical units and explore hospital and unit characteristics associated with this climate. Data came from a larger organizational study to investigate hospital and unit characteristics associated with organizational, nurse, and patient outcomes. The sample for this study was 3,689 RNs on 286 medical-surgical units in 146 hospitals. Nursing workgroup and managerial commitment to safety were the two most strongly positive attributes of the patient safety climate. However, issues surrounding the balance between job duties and safety compliance and nurses' reluctance to reveal errors continue to be problematic. Nurses in Magnet hospitals were more likely to communicate about errors and participate in error-related problem solving. Nurses on smaller units and units with lower work complexity reported greater safety compliance and were more likely to communicate about and reveal errors. Nurses on smaller units also reported greater commitment to patient safety and participation in error-related problem solving. Nursing workgroup commitment to safety is a valuable resource that can be leveraged to promote a sense of personal responsibility for and shared ownership of patient safety. Managers can capitalize on this commitment by promoting a work environment in which control over nursing practice and active participation in unit decisions are encouraged and by developing channels of communication that increase staff nurse involvement in identifying patient safety issues, prioritizing unit-level safety goals, and resolving day-to-day operational problems the have the potential to jeopardize patient safety.

Collegiate Aviation Research and Education Solutions to Critical Safety Issues. UNO Aviation Monograph Series. UNOAI Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Brent, Ed.

This document contains four papers concerning collegiate aviation research and education solutions to critical safety issues. "Panel Proposal Titled Collegiate Aviation Research and Education Solutions to Critical Safety Issues for the Tim Forte Collegiate Aviation Safety Symposium" (Brent Bowen) presents proposals for panels on the…

Workplace exposure to engineered nanomaterials: the Italian path for the definition of occupational health and safety policies.

PubMed

Mirabile, Marco; Boccuni, Fabio; Gagliardi, Diana; Rondinone, Bruna Maria; Iavicoli, Sergio

2014-07-01

This study explores the way the publication of a National White Book on health and safety risks that affect workers in jobs involving Nanotechnologies and Nanomaterials influenced the key Italian stakeholders attitude toward this issue and identifies the standpoints and priorities shared among researchers and stakeholders to develop a policy framework to address this issue. The study not only highlights some important assumptions (i.e. the acknowledgment by the key stakeholders of the need for actions and the identification of objectives which can gain a wide consensus) for the establishment of a policy community that sustains the development of a policymaking process on the issue but, through the interaction between stakeholders and OSH researchers, it also identifies some in nuce proposals that represent the starting point for policy interventions aimed at meeting the needs of both stakeholders and scientific community. Results obtained in terms of clarification of interests at stake, identification of potential areas of consensus and level of key national actors' engagement achieved, show the potentialities of adopting a knowledge based and inclusive approach to policy-making to address the issue of prevention and management of health and safety risks related to technological innovation within a framework of scientific uncertainty. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Creating reporting and learning cultures in health-care organizations.

PubMed

Jeffs, Lianne; Law, Madelyn; Baker, G Ross

2007-03-01

Patient safety has emerged as an important issue in Canadian health care, as reflected in the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation's patient/client safety goals. Achieving these goals calls for concerted efforts within health-care organizations. To assist nurse leaders in their efforts in developing a culture of safety that is receptive to reporting and learning from adverse events and near misses, the authors explore the challenges and provide four recommendations for action. By enacting these recommendations, nurse leaders can support the analysis and actions necessary to identify improvements that will create safer health-care environments.

Global harmonization of food safety regulation from the perspective of Korea and a novel fast automatic product recall system.

PubMed

Sohn, Mun-Gi; Oh, Sangsuk

2014-08-01

Efforts have been made for global harmonization of food safety regulations among countries through international organizations such as WTO and WHO/FAO. Global harmonization of food safety regulations is becoming increasingly important for Korean consumers because more than half of food and agricultural products are imported and consumed. Through recent reorganization of the Korean government, a consolidated national food safety authority-the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS)-has been established for more efficient food safety control and better communication with consumers. The Automatic Sales Blocking System (ASBS), which blocks the sales of the recalled food products at the point of sale, has been implemented at over 40,000 retail food stores around the nation using state-of-the art information and communication technology (ICT) for faster recall of adulterated food products, and the e-Food Safety Control System has been developed for more efficient monitoring of national food safety surveillance situations. The National Food Safety Information Service was also established for monitoring and collecting food safety information and incidents worldwide, and shares relevant information with all stakeholders. The new approaches adopted by the Korean Food Safety Authority are expected to enhance public trust with regard to food safety issues and expedite the recall process of adulterated products from the market. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Fire safety concerns in space operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert

1987-01-01

This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in fire control techniques and identifies important issues for continuing research, technology, and standards. For the future permanent orbiting facility, the space station, fire prevention and control calls for not only more stringent fire safety due to the long-term and complex missions, but also for simplified and flexible safety rules to accommodate the variety of users. Future research must address a better understanding of the microgravity space environment as it influences fire propagation and extinction and the application of the technology of fire detection, extinguishment, and material assessment. Spacecraft fire safety should also consider the adaptation of methods and concepts derived from aircraft and undersea experience.

78 FR 39576 - Adoption of Statutory Prohibition on the Operation of Jets Weighing 75,000 Pounds or Less That...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-02

.... Authority for This Rulemaking The FAA's authority to issue rules on aviation safety is found in Title 49 of... 0.5 22 Malaysia 2 0.5 23 Morocco 2 0.5 24 Nigeria 2 0.5 25 Sudan 2 0.5 26 Syria 2 0.5 27 Turkey 2 0... protection of safety, and does not operate in a manner that excludes imports that meet this objective. The...

Therapeutic Decisions In Multiple Sclerosis: Moving Beyond Efficacy

PubMed Central

Brück, Wolfgang; Ralf, Gold; Lund, Brett T.; Celia, Oreja-Guevara; Prat, Alexandre; Spencer, Collin M.; Steinman, Lawrence; Mar, Tintoré; Vollmer, Timothy; Weber, Martin S.; Weiner, Leslie P.; Ziemssen, Tjalf; Zamvil, Scott S.

2014-01-01

Importance Several innovative disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have been licensed recently, or are in late-stage development. The molecular targets of several of these DMTs are well defined. All affect at least one of four properties: (1) immune cell trafficking, (2) cell depletion, (3) immune cell function, or (4) cell replication. In contrast to β-interferons and glatiramer acetate, the first generation DMTs, several newer therapies are imbued with safety issues. In addition to efficacy, understanding the relationship between the mechanism of action (MOA) of the DMTs and their safety profile is essential for decision-making in patient care. Objective In this article, we relate safety issues of newer DMTs to their pharmacological characteristics, including molecular targets, MOA, chemical structure, and metabolism. Some newer DMTs also represent repurposing or modifications of previous treatments used in other diseases. Here, we describe how identification and understanding of adverse events (AEs) observed with these established drugs within the same class, provide clues regarding safety and toxicities of newer MS therapeutics. Conclusions and relevance While understanding mechanisms underlying DMT toxicities is incomplete, it is important to further develop this knowledge to minimize risk to patients, and to ensure future therapies have the most advantageous risk-benefit profiles. Recognizing the individual classes of DMTs described here may be beneficial when considering use of such agents sequentially and possibly in combination. PMID:23921521

Improving Patient Safety in Hospitals through Usage of Cloud Supported Video Surveillance

PubMed Central

Dašić, Predrag; Dašić, Jovan; Crvenković, Bojan

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Patient safety in hospitals is of equal importance as providing treatments and urgent healthcare. With the development of Cloud technologies and Big Data analytics, it is possible to employ VSaaS technology virtually anywhere, for any given security purpose. AIM: For the listed benefits, in this paper, we give an overview of the existing cloud surveillance technologies which can be implemented for improving patient safety. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Modern VSaaS systems provide higher elasticity and project scalability in dealing with real-time information processing. Modern surveillance technologies can prove to be an effective tool for prevention of patient falls, undesired movement and tempering with attached life supporting devices. Given a large number of patients who require constant supervision, a cloud-based monitoring system can dramatically reduce the occurring costs. It provides continuous real-time monitoring, increased overall security and safety, improved staff productivity, prevention of dishonest claims and long-term digital archiving. CONCLUSION: Patient safety is a growing issue which can be improved with the usage of high-end centralised surveillance systems allowing the staff to focus more on treating health issues rather that keeping a watchful eye on potential incidents. PMID:28507610

AOTF hyperspectral microscope imaging for foodborne bacteria detection

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Food safety is an important public health issue worldwide. Researchers have developed many different methods for detecting foodborne pathogens; however, most technologies currently being used have limitations, in terms of speed, sensitivity and selectivity, for practical use in the food industry. Ac...

High Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldecker, Mark

2005-01-01

Education administrators make buying decisions for furniture based on many factors. Cost, durability, functionality, safety and aesthetics represent just a few. Those issues always will be important, but gaining greater recognition in recent years has been the role furniture plays in creating positive, high-performance learning environments. The…

An investigation into online videos as a source of safety hazard reports.

PubMed

Nasri, Leila; Baghersad, Milad; Gruss, Richard; Marucchi, Nico Sung Won; Abrahams, Alan S; Ehsani, Johnathon P

2018-06-01

Despite the advantages of video-based product reviews relative to text-based reviews in detecting possible safety hazard issues, video-based product reviews have received no attention in prior literature. This study focuses on online video-based product reviews as possible sources to detect safety hazards. We use two common text mining methods - sentiment and smoke words - to detect safety issues mentioned in videos on the world's most popular video sharing platform, YouTube. 15,402 product review videos from YouTube were identified as containing either negative sentiment or smoke words, and were carefully manually viewed to verify whether hazards were indeed mentioned. 496 true safety issues (3.2%) were found. Out of 9,453 videos that contained smoke words, 322 (3.4%) mentioned safety issues, vs. only 174 (2.9%) of the 5,949 videos with negative sentiment words. Only 1% of randomly-selected videos mentioned safety hazards. Comparing the number of videos with true safety issues that contain sentiment words vs. smoke words in their title or description, we show that smoke words are a more accurate predictor of safety hazards in video-based product reviews than sentiment words. This research also discovers words that are indicative of true hazards versus false positives in online video-based product reviews. Practical applications: The smoke words lists and word sub-groups generated in this paper can be used by manufacturers and consumer product safety organizations to more efficiently identify product safety issues from online videos. This project also provides realistic baselines for resource estimates for future projects that aim to discover safety issues from online videos or reviews. Copyright © 2018 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overseas visitor deaths in Australia, 2001 to 2003.

PubMed

Leggat, Peter A; Wilks, Jeff

2009-01-01

The health and safety of international visitors remain an important issue for Australia and other tourist destinations. The death of visitors remains an important indicator of safety. The aim of this study was to provide updated figures on deaths of overseas travelers in Australia. Data were sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics concerning deaths of overseas visitors for the years 2001 to 2003. There were 1,068 overseas visitor deaths (701 males, 66%) during the study period 2001 to 2003. Death by natural causes increased with age, while deaths associated with accidents were more frequent among younger age groups. The majority of deaths were from natural causes (782, 73%), particularly ischemic heart diseases (26%). There were a total of 247 accidental deaths (23% of all deaths) with the main causes being transportation accidents (14% of all deaths) and accidental drowning/submersion (5% of all deaths). The countries contributing the most deaths were the UK (247, 23%), New Zealand (108, 10%) Melanesia/Micronesia (95, 9%), and the United States (57, 5%). Australia remains a relatively safe destination for international travelers, at least in terms of fatalities, which appear to be declining. Most deaths of overseas tourists in Australia are due to natural causes with cardiovascular disease being the predominant cause of death in this group. Accidents remain the most common preventable cause of death of travelers, with road and water safety being the major issues. It is important that tourism and travel medicine groups continue to advocate for improved health and safety of international travelers visiting Australia.

49 CFR 238.603 - Safety planning requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... or potential safety hazards over the life cycle of the equipment; (3) Identify safety issues during... issues, reducing hazards, and meeting safety requirements; (6) Develop a program of testing or analysis...

49 CFR 238.603 - Safety planning requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... or potential safety hazards over the life cycle of the equipment; (3) Identify safety issues during... issues, reducing hazards, and meeting safety requirements; (6) Develop a program of testing or analysis...

Current issues connected with usage of genetically modified crops in production of feed and livestock feeding.

PubMed

Kwiatek, K; Mazur, M; Sieradzki, Z

2008-01-01

Progress, which is brought by new advances in modern molecular biology, allowed interference in the genome of live organisms and gene manipulation. Introducing new genes to the recipient organism enables to give them new features, absent before. Continuous increase in the area of the biotech crops triggers continuous discussion about safety of genetically modified (GM) crops, including food and feed derived from them. Important issue connected with cultivation of genetically modified crops is a horizontal gene transfer and a bacterial antibiotic resistance. Discussion about safety of GM crops concerns also food allergies caused by eating genetically modified food. The problem of genetic modifications of GM crops used for livestock feeding is widely discussed, taking into account Polish feed law.

Communicating with the public about risk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wade, C R; Molony, S T; Durbin, M E

1992-01-01

Risk communication is a growing specialty field in communication that draws from well-established principles of sociology and psychology. It is a new way to communicate with potentially hostile audiences about sensitive environmental, safety, and health issues they face. This paper explains the most important principles of risk communication and discusses audience analyses, perceptions of risk (outrage factors), and risk comparisons. These principles are applied to a risk communication issue in Malhuevo, a fictitious Arizona community.

Psychology in nuclear power plants: an integrative approach to safety - general statement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shikiar, R.

Since the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant on March 28, 1979, the commercial nuclear industry in the United States has paid increasing attention to the role of humans in overall plant safety. As the regulatory body with primary responsibility for ensuring public health and safety involving nuclear operations, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has also become increasingly involved with the ''human'' side of nuclear operations. The purpose of this symposium is to describe a major program of research and technical assistance that the Pacific Northwest Laboratory is performing for the NRC that deals withmore » the issues of safety at nuclear power plants (NPPs). This program addresses safety from several different levels of analysis, which are all important within the context of an integrative approach to system safety.« less

Safety assessment in the urban park environment in Alborz Province, Iran.

PubMed

Oostakhan, Morteza; Babaei, Aliakbar

2013-01-01

Urban parks, as one of the recreational and sports sectors, could cause serious injuries among different ages if the safety issues in their design are not considered. These injuries can result from the equipment in the park, including play and sports equipment, or even from environmental factors, too. Lack of safety benchmark in parks will impact on the development of future proposals. In this article, attempts are made to survey the important safety factors in the urban parks including playgrounds, fitness equipment, pedestrian surface and environmental factors into a risk assessment. Hence, a checklist of safety factors was used. A Yes or No descriptor was allocated to any factor for determining safety level. The study also suggests recommendations for future planning concerning existing failures for designers. It was found that the safety level of the regional and local parks differ from each other.

Safety Priorities and Underestimations in Recreational Scuba Diving Operations: A European Study Supporting the Implementation of New Risk Management Programmes

PubMed Central

Lucrezi, Serena; Egi, Salih Murat; Pieri, Massimo; Burman, Francois; Ozyigit, Tamer; Cialoni, Danilo; Thomas, Guy; Marroni, Alessandro; Saayman, Melville

2018-01-01

Introduction: Scuba diving is an important marine tourism sector, but requires proper safety standards to reduce the risks and increase accessibility to its market. To achieve safety goals, safety awareness and positive safety attitudes in recreational scuba diving operations are essential. However, there is no published research exclusively focusing on scuba divers’ and dive centres’ perceptions toward safety. This study assessed safety perceptions in recreational scuba diving operations, with the aim to inform and enhance safety and risk management programmes within the scuba diving tourism industry. Materials and Methods: Two structured questionnaire surveys were prepared by the organisation Divers Alert Network and administered online to scuba diving operators in Italy and scuba divers in Europe, using a mixture of convenience and snowball sampling. Questions in the survey included experience and safety offered at the dive centre; the buddy system; equipment and accessories for safe diving activities; safety issues in the certification of new scuba divers; incidents/accidents; and attitudes toward safety. Results: 91 scuba diving centres and 3,766 scuba divers participated in the study. Scuba divers gave importance to safety and the responsiveness of service providers, here represented by the dive centres. However, they underestimated the importance of a personal emergency action/assistance plan and, partly, of the buddy system alongside other safety procedures. Scuba divers agreed that some risks, such as those associated with running out of gas, deserve attention. Dive centres gave importance to aspects such as training and emergency action/assistance plans. However, they were limitedly involved in safety campaigning. Dive centres’ perceptions of safety in part aligned with those of scuba divers, with some exceptions. Conclusion: Greater responsibility is required in raising awareness and educating scuba divers, through participation in prevention campaigns and training. The study supports the introduction of programmes aiming to create a culture of safety among dive centres and scuba divers. Two examples, which are described in this paper, include the Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment protocol for dive centres and scuba divers, and the Diving Safety Officer programme to create awareness, improve risk management, and mitigate health and safety risks. PMID:29628904

Safety Priorities and Underestimations in Recreational Scuba Diving Operations: A European Study Supporting the Implementation of New Risk Management Programmes.

PubMed

Lucrezi, Serena; Egi, Salih Murat; Pieri, Massimo; Burman, Francois; Ozyigit, Tamer; Cialoni, Danilo; Thomas, Guy; Marroni, Alessandro; Saayman, Melville

2018-01-01

Introduction: Scuba diving is an important marine tourism sector, but requires proper safety standards to reduce the risks and increase accessibility to its market. To achieve safety goals, safety awareness and positive safety attitudes in recreational scuba diving operations are essential. However, there is no published research exclusively focusing on scuba divers' and dive centres' perceptions toward safety. This study assessed safety perceptions in recreational scuba diving operations, with the aim to inform and enhance safety and risk management programmes within the scuba diving tourism industry. Materials and Methods: Two structured questionnaire surveys were prepared by the organisation Divers Alert Network and administered online to scuba diving operators in Italy and scuba divers in Europe, using a mixture of convenience and snowball sampling. Questions in the survey included experience and safety offered at the dive centre; the buddy system; equipment and accessories for safe diving activities; safety issues in the certification of new scuba divers; incidents/accidents; and attitudes toward safety. Results: 91 scuba diving centres and 3,766 scuba divers participated in the study. Scuba divers gave importance to safety and the responsiveness of service providers, here represented by the dive centres. However, they underestimated the importance of a personal emergency action/assistance plan and, partly, of the buddy system alongside other safety procedures. Scuba divers agreed that some risks, such as those associated with running out of gas, deserve attention. Dive centres gave importance to aspects such as training and emergency action/assistance plans. However, they were limitedly involved in safety campaigning. Dive centres' perceptions of safety in part aligned with those of scuba divers, with some exceptions. Conclusion: Greater responsibility is required in raising awareness and educating scuba divers, through participation in prevention campaigns and training. The study supports the introduction of programmes aiming to create a culture of safety among dive centres and scuba divers. Two examples, which are described in this paper, include the Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment protocol for dive centres and scuba divers, and the Diving Safety Officer programme to create awareness, improve risk management, and mitigate health and safety risks.

Ethical Issues in Transnational Eye Banking.

PubMed

Martin, Dominique E; Kelly, Richard; Jones, Gary L A; Machin, Heather; Pollock, Graeme A

2017-02-01

To review ethical issues that may arise in the setting of transnational eye banking activities, such as when exporting or importing corneal tissue for transplantation. A principle-based normative analysis of potential common dilemmas in transnational eye banking activities was performed. Transnational activities in eye banking, like those in other fields involving procurement and use of medical products of human origin, may present a number of ethical issues for policy makers and professionals. Key ethical concerns include the potential impact of export or import activities on self-sufficiency of corneal tissue supply within exporting and importing countries; potential disclosure requirements when obtaining consent or authorization for ocular tissue donation when donations may be exported; and difficulties inherent in assuring equity in the allocation of tissues available for export and in establishing and respecting standards of safety and quality across different jurisdictions. Further analysis of specific ethical issues in eye banking is necessary to inform development of guidelines and other governance tools that will assist policy makers and professionals to support ethical practice.

Patients' and health care professionals' attitudes towards the PINK patient safety video.

PubMed

Davis, Rachel E; Pinto, Anna; Sevdalis, Nick; Vincent, Charles; Massey, Rachel; Darzi, Ara

2012-08-01

Patients can play an important role in reducing health care harm. Finding strategies to encourage patients to take on an active role in issues related to the quality and safety of their care is therefore essential. The aim of this study was to examine patients' and health care professionals' attitudes towards a video aimed at promoting patient involvement in safety-related behaviours. A within-subjects design was used where participants were required to complete a questionnaire pre and post screening of a patient safety video. Participants are 201 patients aged 19-103 years (mean 52) and 95 health care professionals aged 23-48 years (mean 32). Main outcome measures include (i) patients' willingness to participate and perceived importance in participating in safety-related behaviours; and (ii) health care professionals' willingness to support patient involvement. After watching the video patients elicited more positive attitudes towards asking doctors and nurses if they had washed their hands and notifying them about issues to do with personal hygiene. No significant effects were observed in relation to patients notifying staff if they have not received their medication or if they were in pain or feeling unwell. In relation to health care professionals, doctors and nurses were more willing to support patient involvement in asking about hand hygiene after they had watched the video. Video may be effective at changing patients' and health care professionals' attitudes towards patient involvement in some, but not all safety-related behaviours. Our findings suggest video may be most effective at encouraging involvement in behaviours patients are less inclined to participate in and health care professionals are less willing to support. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

49 CFR 385.407 - What conditions must a motor carrier satisfy for FMCSA to issue a safety permit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... safety performance. (1) The motor carrier: (i) Must be in compliance with any remedial directive issued under subpart J of this part, and (ii) Must have a “Satisfactory” safety rating assigned by either FMCSA... FMCSA to issue a safety permit? 385.407 Section 385.407 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to...

49 CFR 385.407 - What conditions must a motor carrier satisfy for FMCSA to issue a safety permit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... safety performance. (1) The motor carrier: (i) Must be in compliance with any remedial directive issued under subpart J of this part, and (ii) Must have a “Satisfactory” safety rating assigned by either FMCSA... FMCSA to issue a safety permit? 385.407 Section 385.407 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to...

Identification of Crew-Systems Interactions and Decision Related Trends

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Sharon Monica; Evans, Joni K.; Reveley, Mary S.; Withrow, Colleen A.; Ancel, Ersin; Barr, Lawrence

2013-01-01

NASA Vehicle System Safety Technology (VSST) project management uses systems analysis to identify key issues and maintain a portfolio of research leading to potential solutions to its three identified technical challenges. Statistical data and published safety priority lists from academic, industry and other government agencies were reviewed and analyzed by NASA Aviation Safety Program (AvSP) systems analysis personnel to identify issues and future research needs related to one of VSST's technical challenges, Crew Decision Making (CDM). The data examined in the study were obtained from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Aviation Accident and Incident Data System, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Accident/Incident Data System and the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). In addition, this report contains the results of a review of safety priority lists, information databases and other documented references pertaining to aviation crew systems issues and future research needs. The specific sources examined were: Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) Safety Enhancements Reserved for Future Implementation (SERFIs), Flight Deck Automation Issues (FDAI) and NTSB Most Wanted List and Open Recommendations. Various automation issues taxonomies and priority lists pertaining to human factors, automation and flight design were combined to create a list of automation issues related to CDM.

Using expert opinion to quantify accuracy and reliability of nondestructive evaluation on bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-08-01

Bridge inspection is an important phase in bridge management. In 2009, a joint American Society of Civil : Engineers Structural Engineering Institute and AASHTO Ad-Hoc group was created to identify the issues : in bridge safety and to study current b...

Serviceability-related issues for bridge live load deflection and construction closure pours : [research summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

The Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) method has evolved to become a : more reliable approach to bridge design in the past century. Nevertheless, safety is : always the number one concern in the design of bridge structures. Equally important, ...

Safety Issues at the Defense Production Reactors. A Report to the U.S. Department of Energy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources.

This report provides an assessment of safety management, safety review, and safety methodology employed by the Department of Energy (DOE) and private contractors. Chapter 1, "The DOE Safety Framework," examines safety objectives for production reactors and processes to implement the objectives. Chapter 2, "Technical Issues,"…

Meeting the global demand of sports safety: the intersection of science and policy in sports safety.

PubMed

Timpka, Toomas; Finch, Caroline F; Goulet, Claude; Noakes, Tim; Yammine, Kaissar

2008-01-01

Sports and physical activity are transforming, and being transformed by, the societies in which they are practised. From the perspectives of both competitive and non-competitive sports, the complexity of their integration into today's society has led to neither sports federations nor governments being able to manage the safety problem alone. In other words, these agencies, whilst promoting sport and physical activity, deliver policy and practices in an uncoordinated way that largely ignores the need for a concurrent overall policy for sports safety. This article reviews and analyses the possibility of developing an overall sports safety policy from a global viewpoint. Firstly, we describe the role of sports in today's societies and the context within which much sport is delivered. We then discuss global issues related to injury prevention and safety in sports, with practical relevance to this important sector, including an analysis of critical policy issues necessary for the future development of the area and significant safety gains for all. We argue that there is a need to establish the sports injury problem as a critical component of general global health policy agendas, and to introduce sports safety as a mandatory component of all sustainable sports organizations. We conclude that the establishment of an explicit intersection between science and policy making is necessary for the future development of sports and the necessary safety gains required for all participants around the world. The Safe Sports International safety promotion programme is outlined as an example of an international organization active within this arena.

Monitoring product safety in the postmarketing environment.

PubMed

Sharrar, Robert G; Dieck, Gretchen S

2013-10-01

The safety profile of a medicinal product may change in the postmarketing environment. Safety issues not identified in clinical development may be seen and need to be evaluated. Methods of evaluating spontaneous adverse experience reports and identifying new safety risks include a review of individual reports, a review of a frequency distribution of a list of the adverse experiences, the development and analysis of a case series, and various ways of examining the database for signals of disproportionality, which may suggest a possible association. Regulatory agencies monitor product safety through a variety of mechanisms including signal detection of the adverse experience safety reports in databases and by requiring and monitoring risk management plans, periodic safety update reports and postauthorization safety studies. The United States Food and Drug Administration is working with public, academic and private entities to develop methods for using large electronic databases to actively monitor product safety. Important identified risks will have to be evaluated through observational studies and registries.

Patient Safety Culture: A Review of the Nursing Home Literature and Recommendations for Practice

PubMed Central

Bonner, Alice F.; Castle, Nicholas G.; Perera, Subashan; Handler, Steven M.

2010-01-01

Patient safety culture (PSC) is a critical factor in creating high-reliability health-care organizations. Most PSC research studies to date have been conducted in acute care settings; however, nursing home studies have recently begun to appear in the literature. Nursing homes differ from hospitals in a number of ways, including the population they serve, the medical model of care, and having the vast majority of direct care provided by non-licensed certified nursing assistants. Research has shown that nursing home PSC differs in important ways from PSC in acute care institutions. Recent PSC studies conducted in nursing homes and related quality and safety research can guide recommendations for nursing homes wishing to evaluate their own PSC. Relationships between PSC measurement, quality improvement, and workforce issues are potentially important and may influence clinical outcomes. PMID:21701601

Issues Concerning The Development Of A Mobile Platform For Health Care Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korba, Larry W.; Liscano, Ramiro; Green, David; Durie, Nelson

1989-03-01

There are a number of problems that must yet be overcome before robotic technology can be applied in a hospital or a home care setting. The four basic problems are: cost, safety, finding appropriate applications and developing application specific solutions. Advanced robotics technology is now costly because of the complexity associated with autonomous systems. In any application, it is most important that the safety of the individuals using or exposed to the vehicle is ensured. Often in the health care field, innovative and useful new devices require an inordinate amount of time before they are accepted. The technical and ergonomic problems associated with any application must be solved so that cost containment, safety, ease of use, and quality of life are ensured. This paper discusses these issues in relation to our own development of an autonomous vehicle for health care applications. In this advancement, a commercially available platform is being equipped with an on-board, multiprocessor computer system and a variety of sensor systems. In order to develop pertinent solutions to the technical problems, there must be a framework wherein there is a focus upon the practical issues associated with the end application.

Hazardous workplace review program in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chang, Yi-Kuo; Chuang, Kuen-Yuan; Tseng, Jo-Ming; Lin, Fang-Chen; Su, Teh-Sheng

2013-01-01

In Taiwan, relevant mid-term plans and projects of mitigating occupational hazards have been launched in recent years in the hopes of lowering the incidence of occupational hazards. In light of the lack of objective methodologies for researches on issues pertaining occupational safety and health, this research aims to explore the priorities of safety and health issues through focal groups, expert questionnaires and interviews on relevant issues such as hazard installations identified in R181 Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Recommendation, 1993 proposed during the 18th World Congress on Safety and Health at work in Seoul 2008. Results revealed that distribute reports of major domestic/foreign occupational disasters to relevant sectors for the prevention of major accidents is needed, both from the importance and feasibility analysis. It is the only topic that scored over 4 points in average for expert and focal group consensus. Furthermore, the experts and focal groups came to consensus in the ranking of priority for 4 items, namely: 1) Installations containing/using large quantities of hazardous materials should be prioritized for inspection, 2) Incorporation of hazard installation review/inspection into OSH management system accreditation, 3) Impose operation shutdown as a means of penalty) and 4) Prioritize the promotion of preliminary PHA.

Safety assessment, detection and traceability, and societal aspects of genetically modified foods. European Network on Safety Assessment of Genetically Modified Food Crops (ENTRANSFOOD). Concluding remarks.

PubMed

Kuiper, H A; König, A; Kleter, G A; Hammes, W P; Knudsen, I

2004-07-01

The most important results from the EU-sponsored ENTRANSFOOD Thematic Network project are reviewed, including the design of a detailed step-wise procedure for the risk assessment of foods derived from genetically modified crops based on the latest scientific developments, evaluation of topical risk assessment issues, and the formulation of proposals for improved risk management and public involvement in the risk analysis process. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Software for occupational health and safety risk analysis based on a fuzzy model.

PubMed

Stefanovic, Miladin; Tadic, Danijela; Djapan, Marko; Macuzic, Ivan

2012-01-01

Risk and safety management are very important issues in healthcare systems. Those are complex systems with many entities, hazards and uncertainties. In such an environment, it is very hard to introduce a system for evaluating and simulating significant hazards. In this paper, we analyzed different types of hazards in healthcare systems and we introduced a new fuzzy model for evaluating and ranking hazards. Finally, we presented a developed software solution, based on the suggested fuzzy model for evaluating and monitoring risk.

A prioritization of generic safety issues. Supplement 19, Revision insertion instructions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1995-11-01

The report presents the safety priority ranking for generic safety issues related to nuclear power plants. The purpose of these rankings is to assist in the timely and efficient allocation of NRC resources for the resolution of those safety issues that have a significant potential for reducing risk. The safety priority rankings are HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW, and DROP, and have been assigned on the basis of risk significance estimates, the ratio of risk to costs and other impacts estimated to result if resolution of the safety issues were implemented, and the consideration of uncertainties and other quantitative or qualitative factors.more » To the extent practical, estimates are quantitative. This document provides revisions and amendments to the report.« less

Undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students' self-reported confidence in learning about patient safety in the classroom and clinical settings: an annual cross-sectional study (2010-2013).

PubMed

Lukewich, Julia; Edge, Dana S; Tranmer, Joan; Raymond, June; Miron, Jennifer; Ginsburg, Liane; VanDenKerkhof, Elizabeth

2015-05-01

Given the increasing incidence of adverse events and medication errors in healthcare settings, a greater emphasis is being placed on the integration of patient safety competencies into health professional education. Nurses play an important role in preventing and minimizing harm in the healthcare setting. Although patient safety concepts are generally incorporated within many undergraduate nursing programs, the level of students' confidence in learning about patient safety remains unclear. Self-reported patient safety competence has been operationalized as confidence in learning about various dimensions of patient safety. The present study explores nursing students' self-reported confidence in learning about patient safety during their undergraduate baccalaureate nursing program. Cross-sectional study with a nested cohort component conducted annually from 2010 to 2013. Participants were recruited from one Canadian university with a four-year baccalaureate of nursing science program. All students enrolled in the program were eligible to participate. The Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey was administered annually. The Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey captures how the six dimensions of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute Safety Competencies Framework and broader patient safety issues are addressed in health professional education, as well as respondents' self-reported comfort in speaking up about patient safety issues. In general, nursing students were relatively confident in what they were learning about the clinical dimensions of patient safety, but they were less confident about the sociocultural aspects of patient safety. Confidence in what they were learning in the clinical setting about working in teams, managing adverse events and responding to adverse events declined in upper years. The majority of students did not feel comfortable speaking up about patient safety issues. The nested cohort analysis confirmed these findings. In particular, confidence in acquiring basic clinical skills, learning about adverse events, and managing safety risks improved between Year 1 and Year 2, and confidence in managing safety risks declined in upper years. These findings suggest nursing students are confident in what they are learning about clinical aspects of patient safety, however, their confidence in learning about sociocultural aspects declines as they are increasingly exposed to the clinical environment. This suggests a need to address the impact of the practice environment on nursing students' confidence in what they are learning about patient safety. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aviation safety data accessibility study index: a report on the issues related to public interest in aviation safety data

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-20

This paper reviews aviation safety data and measurement issues relevant to the determination of the best means of providing safety information to the public while ensuring the integrity of the aviation safety system. In addition , the paper examines ...

Cops, cameras, and enclosures : a synthesis of the effectiveness of methods to provide enhanced security for bus operators

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-05-31

The safety of operators and passengers is a primary concern of transit systems and has become an increasingly important issue to transit bus operators themselves. Many transit agencies have experienced incidents of assaults against their bus operator...

Environment, health and safety issues for sources used in MOVPE growth of compound semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shenai-Khatkhate, Deodatta V.; Goyette, Randall J.; DiCarlo, Ronald L., Jr.; Dripps, Gregory

2004-12-01

As metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) is becoming well-established production technology, there are equally growing concerns associated with its bearing on personnel and community safety, environmental impact and maximum quantities of hazardous materials permissible in the device fabrication operations. Safety as well as responsible environmental care has always been of paramount importance in the MOVPE-based crystal growth of compound semiconductors. In this paper, we present the findings from workplace exposure monitoring studies on conventional MOVPE sources such as trimethylgallium, triethylgallium, trimethylantimony and diethylzinc. Also reviewed are the environmental, health and safety hazard aspects for metalorganic sources of routine elements, and the means to minimize the risks (i.e., engineering controls) involved while using these MOVPE sources.

Abuse Tolerance Improvements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Orendorff, Christopher J.; Nagasubramanian, Ganesan; Fenton, Kyle R.

As lithium-ion battery technologies mature, the size and energy of these systems continues to increase (> 50 kWh for EVs); making safety and reliability of these high energy systems increasingly important. While most material advances for lithium-ion chemistries are directed toward improving cell performance (capacity, energy, cycle life, etc.), there are a variety of materials advancements that can be made to improve lithium-ion battery safety. Issues including energetic thermal runaway, electrolyte decomposition and flammability, anode SEI stability, and cell-level abuse tolerance continue to be critical safety concerns. This report highlights work with our collaborators to develop advanced materials to improvemore » lithium-ion battery safety and abuse tolerance and to perform cell-level characterization of new materials.« less

[Safe Vascular Access - the Guideline of the Association of Anaesthesists of Great Britain and Ireland 2016].

PubMed

Bergmann, Lars

2018-06-01

This guideline was presented in 2016 due to the need for an up to date evidence-based guidance focusing on patient safety. In addition to safety-related aspects of catheter insertion or removal, organisational issues and structured training concepts were discussed. The guideline was created based on the review of current literature as well as expert opinion. The article summarizes and discusses the most important recommendations and the reader is provided with practical advice for catheter insertion or removal with the intention to improve the safety of the patients. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Security, safety, and related technology - the triangle of eHealth service provision.

PubMed

Savastano, Mario; Hovsto, Asbjorn; Pharow, Peter; Blobel, Bernd

2008-01-01

The developing of innovative solutions in the emerging eHealth market requires strong economic efforts which may be justified only in presence of particularly suitable boundary conditions. Among the factors retained of primary importance for the development of eHealth, a correct approach to id-management is unanimously considered fundamental. Three keywords in the id-management context appear particularly important: standardization, security and safety. Standardization may contribute to increase the size and duration of the eHealth market, while security and safety may encourage all the stakeholders to trust in a appropriate and safe management of all the very sensitive personal data involved in the eHealth applications. The aim of the present paper is analyzing some security and safety issues in eHealth from the particular prospective of the identity management and standardization. The paper highlights the mission of the EU funded "BioHealth" project whose mission is to increase the stakeholders' knowledge about existing and emerging standards in eHealth with particular reference to identity management.

Ethical issues in family violence research in healthcare settings.

PubMed

Paavilainen, Eija; Lepistö, Sari; Flinck, Aune

2014-02-01

Research ethics is always important. However, it is especially crucial with sensitive research topics such as family violence. The aim of this article is to describe and discuss some crucial issues regarding intimate partner violence and child maltreatment, based on the authors' own research experiences. We focus on and discuss examples concerning the definition of family violence, research design, ethical approval, participant recruitment and safety and data collection and processing. During the research process, the significance of teamwork is emphasized. Support provided by the participants to each other and support given by experienced researchers within the team is very important for high ethical standards.

29 CFR 1902.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... State law over any occupational safety or health issue with respect to which a Federal standard has been... occupational safety or health issue covered by the plan. Notwithstanding plan approval and a determination... safety and health issues as possible. To these ends, the Assistant Secretary intends to cooperate with...

New Automated System Available for Reporting Safety Concerns | Poster

Cancer.gov

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.

Healthcare professionals' self-reported experiences and preferences related to direct healthcare professional communications: a survey conducted in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Piening, Sigrid; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M; de Graeff, Pieter A; Straus, Sabine M J M; Mol, Peter G M

2012-11-01

In Europe, Direct Healthcare Professional Communications (DHPCs) are important tools to inform healthcare professionals of serious, new drug safety issues. However, this tool has not always been successful in effectively communicating the desired actions to healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to explore healthcare providers' experiences and their preferences for improvement of risk communication, comparing views of general practitioners (GPs), internists, community pharmacists and hospital pharmacists. A questionnaire was developed and pilot tested to assess experiences and preferences of Dutch healthcare professionals with DHPCs. The questionnaire and two reminders were sent to a random sample of 3488 GPs, internists and community and hospital pharmacists in the Netherlands. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics of the respondents. Chi squares, ANOVAs and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used, when appropriate, to compare healthcare professional groups. The overall response rate was 34% (N = 1141, ranging from 24% for internists to 46% for community pharmacists). Healthcare providers trusted safety information more when provided by the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) than by the pharmaceutical industry. This was more the case for GPs than for the other healthcare professionals. Respondents preferred safety information to be issued by the MEB, the Dutch Pharmacovigilance Center or their own professional associations. The preferred alternative channels of drug safety information were e-mail, medical journals and electronic prescribing systems. Safety information of drugs does not always reach healthcare professionals through DHPCs. To improve current risk communication of drug safety issues, alternative and/or additional methods of risk communication should be developed using electronic methods and medical journals. Moreover, (additional) risk communication coming from an independent source such as the MEB should be considered. Special effort is needed to reach GPs.

Nursing practice and work environment issues in the 21st century: a leadership challenge.

PubMed

Manojlovich, Milisa; Barnsteiner, Jane; Bolton, Linda Burnes; Disch, Joanne; Saint, Sanjay

2008-01-01

A leadership conference titled "Have Patient Safety and the Workforce Shortage Created the Perfect Storm?" was held in honor of Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw, who was ending her tenure as dean of the University of Michigan School of Nursing. A morning panel on the preferred future for practice featured plenary speaker Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton and participating panelists Dr. Sanjay Saint, Dr. Jane Barnsteiner, and Dr. Joanne Disch. Each speaker presented a unique yet complementary perspective, with several common themes permeating the morning's presentations. For example, all of the speakers mentioned how important interprofessional collaboration is to promoting patient safety. The themes can be categorized broadly as nursing practice and work environment issues, with subthemes of interprofessional communication and collaboration, systems solutions to patient safety problems, and future directions in nursing education. A synopsis of comments made during the morning practice panel and empirical support for the themes and subthemes identified by panelists are provided in this article.

Implications of advanced vehicle technologies for older drivers.

PubMed

Molnar, Lisa J; Eby, David W

2017-09-01

Advances are being made in vehicle technologies that may help older adults compensate for some of the declines in abilities associated with aging. These advances hold promise for increasing vehicle safety, reducing injuries, and making the driving task more comfortable. However, important research gaps remain with regard to how various advanced technologies impact the safety of older drivers, as well as older drivers' perceptions about these technologies. This special issue contains seven original contributions that address these issues. Specific topics include the: congruence of design guidelines with the needs and abilities of older drivers, transfer of control between automated and manual driving, use of in-vehicle monitoring technology, motivations for technology use and assigned meanings, technology valuation, and effects on driving behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

49 CFR 385.413 - What happens if a motor carrier receives a proposed safety rating that is less than Satisfactory?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... proposed safety rating that is less than Satisfactory? 385.413 Section 385.413 Transportation Other... Satisfactory? (a) If a motor carrier does not already have a safety permit, it will not be issued a safety permit (including a temporary safety permit) unless and until a Satisfactory safety rating is issued to...

Safety issues and new rapid detection methods in traditional Chinese medicinal materials

PubMed Central

Wang, Lili; Kong, Weijun; Yang, Meihua; Han, Jianping; Chen, Shilin

2015-01-01

The safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a major strategic issue that involves human health. With the continuous improvement in disease prevention and treatment, the export of TCM and its related products has increased dramatically in China. However, the frequent safety issues of Chinese medicine have become the ‘bottleneck’ impeding the modernization of TCM. It was proved that mycotoxins seriously affect TCM safety; the pesticide residues of TCM are a key problem in TCM international trade; adulterants have also been detected, which is related to market circulation. These three factors have greatly affected TCM safety. In this study, fast, highly effective, economically-feasible and accurate detection methods concerning TCM safety issues were reviewed, especially on the authenticity, mycotoxins and pesticide residues of medicinal materials. PMID:26579423

The politics and science behind GMO acceptance.

PubMed

Varzakas, Theodoros H; Arvanitoyannis, Ioannis S; Baltas, Haralambos

2007-01-01

The question of nutritional quality has arisen in the International Community over the last few years along with other important issues such as population aging, multipopulation societies, and political conflicts. The nutritional issue is questioned both quantitatively and qualitatively. It is well known that the planet faces enormous problems with food that is available. Nowadays 20% of the population consumes approximately 80% of the produced energy and natural resources. During the last 15 years, a series of food scares and crises (BSE, dioxin, foot and mouth disease, bird flu) have seriously undermined public confidence in food producers and operators and their capacity to produce safe food. As a result, food safety has become a top priority of the European legislative authorities. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is the new food safety concern which despite the intense reactions from Non Governmental Organizations and consumer organizations have entered our lives with inadequate legislative measures to protect consumers from their consumption. The GMO issue will be the issue for discussion in the long run not only for the European Community but also for the international community as far as scientific, economical, political, ideological, ethical, and human issues are concerned. These issues are discussed in this paper along with a case of study of GM fish.

75 FR 34520 - The Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC) Aviation Safety Subcommittee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-17

... of the global economy. The Aviation Safety Subcommittee will develop a list of priority safety issues...-- 1. Develop a list of priority safety issues to be referred to the full committee for deliberation. 2...

Growth Hormone Research Society perspective on the development of long-acting growth hormone preparations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Growth Hormone (GH) Research Society (GRS) convened a workshop to address important issues regarding trial design, efficacy, and safety of long-acting growth hormone preparations (LAGH). A closed meeting of 55 international scientists with expertise in GH, including pediatric and adult endocrino...

The Utility of Single Subject Design Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Kyle D.

2016-01-01

Single subject design (SSD) research is a quantitative approach used to investigate basic and applied research questions. It has been used for decades to examine issues of social importance such as those related to general and special education strategies, therapeutic approaches in mental health, community health practices, safety, and business…

Identification of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium isolates that have an antibiotic-induced invasion phenotype

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella is an important food safety issue in humans and animals. The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) has reported that 27.3% of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium isolates in humans were resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics...

Companion Animals. [Information Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Anti-Vivisection Society, Chicago, IL.

This collection of articles reprinted from other National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) publications was compiled to educate the public on issues of importance to NAVS concerning companion animals. Topics covered include spaying and neutering, animal safety, pet theft, and the use of cats and dogs in research. The article on spaying and…

The Handbook for Campus Crime Reporting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Diane; Lee, Janice

2005-01-01

Campus security and safety are important issues in postsecondary education today. Providing students nationwide with a safe environment in which to learn and keeping students, parents and employees well informed about campus security are goals that have been voiced by many groups. These goals were advanced by the Crime Awareness and Campus…

Exploring Matter: An Interactive, Inexpensive Chemistry Exhibit for Museums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murov, Steven; Chavez, Arnold

2017-01-01

Despite its vital importance in our lives, chemistry is inadequately represented in most museums. Issues such as safety, replenishing and disposal of chemicals, supervision required, and cost are constraints that have limited the number and size of chemistry exhibits. Taking into account the constraints, a 21-station interactive and inexpensive…

14 CFR 21.29 - Issue of type certificate: import products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... to provide noise, fuel venting and exhaust emission levels no greater than those provided by the... manufactured and any other requirements the Administrator may prescribe to provide a level of safety equivalent...) requirements are presented in the English language. (b) A product type certificated under this section is...

Storytelling: An Important Component of Successful Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegel, Mark

1996-01-01

The director of production at Interactive Media Communications discusses its multimedia training models that address health and safety issues. Their purpose is to create entertaining instructional designs to guide the student in an interactive approach. The article describes two CD-ROM products (on hazardous chemicals and safe driving),…

1995 NPTS user's guide for the public use data files : nationwide personal transportation survey

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-04-01

Given the lack of funds for new highway construction and the ever-increasing traffic flows, the issue of conversion from two lanes to four lanes is of increasing importance. The best way to assess the safety effects of these conversions would be to d...

Central Libraries in Uncertain Times.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenney, Brian J.

2001-01-01

Discusses security and safety issues for public libraries, especially high-profile central facilities, in light of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Highlights include inspecting bags as patrons enter as well as exit; the need for security guidelines for any type of disaster or emergency; building design; and the importance of communication.…

Patient safety culture among medical students in Singapore and Hong Kong.

PubMed

Leung, Gilberto Ka Kit; Ang, Sophia Bee Leng; Lau, Tang Ching; Neo, Hong Jye; Patil, Nivritti Gajanan; Ti, Lian Kah

2013-09-01

Undergraduate education in medical schools plays an important role in promoting patient safety. Medical students from different backgrounds may have different perceptions and attitudes toward issues concerning safety. This study aimed to investigate whether patient safety cultures differed between students from two Asian countries, and if they did, to find out how they differed. This study also aimed to identify the educational needs of these students. A voluntary, cross-sectional and self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 259 students from two medical schools - one in Hong Kong and the other in Singapore. None of the students had received any formal teaching on patient safety. We used a validated survey instrument, the Attitudes to Patient Safety Questionnaire III (APSQ-III), which was designed specifically for students and covered nine key factors of patient safety culture. Of the 259 students, 81 (31.3%) were from Hong Kong and 178 (68.7%) were from Singapore. The overall response rate was 66.4%. Significant differences between the two groups of students were found for two key factors - 'patient safety training', with Hong Kong students being more likely to report having received more of such training (p = 0.007); and 'error reporting confidence', which Singapore students reported having less of (p < 0.001). Both groups considered medical errors as inevitable, and that long working hours and professional incompetence were important causes of medical errors. The importance of patient involvement and team functioning were ranked relatively lower by the students. Students from different countries with no prior teaching on patient safety may differ in their baseline patient safety cultures and educational needs. Our findings serve as a reference for future longitudinal studies on the effects of different teaching and healthcare development programmes.

Cross-validation of an employee safety climate model in Malaysia.

PubMed

Bahari, Siti Fatimah; Clarke, Sharon

2013-06-01

Whilst substantial research has investigated the nature of safety climate, and its importance as a leading indicator of organisational safety, much of this research has been conducted with Western industrial samples. The current study focuses on the cross-validation of a safety climate model in the non-Western industrial context of Malaysian manufacturing. The first-order factorial validity of Cheyne et al.'s (1998) [Cheyne, A., Cox, S., Oliver, A., Tomas, J.M., 1998. Modelling safety climate in the prediction of levels of safety activity. Work and Stress, 12(3), 255-271] model was tested, using confirmatory factor analysis, in a Malaysian sample. Results showed that the model fit indices were below accepted levels, indicating that the original Cheyne et al. (1998) safety climate model was not supported. An alternative three-factor model was developed using exploratory factor analysis. Although these findings are not consistent with previously reported cross-validation studies, we argue that previous studies have focused on validation across Western samples, and that the current study demonstrates the need to take account of cultural factors in the development of safety climate models intended for use in non-Western contexts. The results have important implications for the transferability of existing safety climate models across cultures (for example, in global organisations) and highlight the need for future research to examine cross-cultural issues in relation to safety climate. Copyright © 2013 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The perceptions of patient safety culture: A difference between physicians and nurses in Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Chih-Hsuan; Wu, Hsin-Hung; Lee, Yii-Ching

2018-04-01

In order to pursue a better patient safety culture and provide a superior medical service for patients, this study aims to respectively investigate the perceptions of patient safety from the viewpoints of physicians and nurses in Taiwan. Little knowledge has clearly identified the difference of perceptions between physicians and nurses in patient safety culture. Understanding physicians and nurses' attitudes toward patient safety is a critical issue for healthcare organizations to improve medical quality. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is used to verify the structure of data (e.g. reliability and validity), and Pearson's correlation analysis is conducted to demonstrate the relationships among seven patient safety culture dimensions. Research results illustrate that more teamwork is exhibited among team members, the more safety of a patient is committed. Perceptions of management and emotional exhaustion are important components that contribute to a better patient safety. More importantly, working conditions and stress recognition are found to be negatively related from the perceptions of nurses. Compared to physicians, nurses reported higher stress and challenges which result from multi-task working conditions in the hospital. This study focused on the contribution of a better patient safety culture from different viewpoints of physicians and nurses for healthcare organizations in Taiwan. A different attitudes toward patient safety is found between physicians and nurses. The results enable the hospital management to realize and design appropriate implications for hospital staffs to establish a better patient safety culture. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Alaska Humans Factors Safety Study: The Southern Coastal Area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chappell, Sheryl L.; Reynard, William (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

At the request of the Alaska Air Carriers Association, researchers from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System, at NASA Ames Research Center, conducted a study on aspects of safety in Alaskan Part 135 air taxi operations. An interview form on human factors safety issues was created by a representative team from the FAA-Alaska, NTSB-Alaska, NASA-ASRS, and representatives of the Alaska Air Carriers Association which was subsequently used in the interviews of pilots and managers. Because of the climate and operational differences, the study was broken into two geographical areas, the southern coastal areas and the northern portion of the state. This presentation addresses the southern coastal areas, specifically: Anchorage, Dillingham, King Salmon, Kodiak, Cold Bay, Juneau, and Ketchikan. The interview questions dealt with many of the potential pressures on pilots and managers associated with the daily air taxi operations in Alaska. The impact of the environmental factors such as the lack of available communication, navigation and weather information systems was evaluated. The results of this study will be used by government and industry working in Alaska. These findings will contribute important information on specific Alaska safety issues for eventual incorporation into training materials and policies that will help to assure the safe conduct of air taxi flights in Alaska.

Effect of safety issues with HIV drugs on the approval process of other drugs in the same class: an analysis of European Public Assessment Reports.

PubMed

Arnardottir, Arna H; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M; Straus, Sabine M J; de Graeff, Pieter A; Mol, Peter G M

2011-11-01

Knowledge on the safety of new medicines is limited at the time of market entry. Nearly half of all drugs used to treat HIV registered in the EU required ≥1 Direct Healthcare Professional Communication (DHPC) in the past 10 years for safety issues identified post-approval. The aim was to evaluate the extent to which regulators and industry have addressed the risk of safety issues for HIV drugs based on prior experience with other drugs in the same class and whether doing so impacts development time of these drugs. HIV drugs receiving ≥1 DHPC in the Netherlands between January 1999 and December 2008 were identified. Each drug with a DHPC ('index' drug) was paired with subsequently approved HIV drug(s) in the same class (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical [ATC] 4th level) ['follow-on' drugs]. Characteristics of safety issues were extracted from the DHPCs of the 'index' drugs. European Public Assessment Reports (EPARs) were reviewed regarding whether the safety issues had been considered during development and approval. Consideration of previously identified safety issues in 'follow-on' drug applications was assessed regarding attention paid to adverse drug reaction (ADR) symptoms in pre-marketing studies, Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and postmarketing commitments, and whether size of the safety population was in accordance with Regulatory guidelines. 'Index' drugs were also paired with drugs in the same class already on the market ('older' drugs). For 'older' drugs, we identified whether the safety issue led to appropriate changes in the current SmPC (January 2011) compared with the SmPC at the time of marketing authorization. Clinical development time was assessed using time from first patent application to market authorization as proxy, and comparison was made between 'index' and 'follow-on' drugs. For 9 (43%) of the 21 centrally authorized HIV drugs, 11 serious safety issues that required a DHPC were identified. Two drugs were excluded from our analysis (DHPCs related to contamination/medication error). Six 'index' drugs were paired, each with one to six 'follow-on' drugs. Three concerned drug-drug interactions (DDIs); the other three were intracranial haemorrhage, neuromuscular weakness and severe skin/hepatic reactions. All but one 'follow-on' drug had information in the EPAR on that specific ADR (i.e. attention was paid to the ADR). The DDIs were addressed in pre-marketing studies and/or the SmPC. Two of the other ADRs were addressed by postmarketing surveillance commitments; intracranial haemorrhage was not addressed. Three safety issues for two 'index' drugs could not be paired with a 'follow-on' drug as no drug in the same class was approved after the corresponding DHPCs were issued. Five of the nine safety issues were added to at least one of the current SmPCs for the 'older' drugs already on the market at the time of DHPC issue. Two safety issues were already in the SmPC of the 'older' drugs at time of market approval and two were not introduced into the SmPC of 'older' drugs. Population size to assess short-term safety complied with the guidelines for four 'index', seven 'follow-on' and three 'older' drugs; population size to assess long-term safety complied for one, three and two drugs, respectively. For five drugs, EPARs did not provide adequate information on population size. No statistically significant difference in development time between 'index' and 'follow-on' drugs was found. Generally, safety issues were taken into account in the approval process of other drugs in the class. The approaches were different and determined by the nature of the ADR. Taking safety issues into account in the approval process did not seem to impact on the time taken to perform the pre-approval clinical programme.

Presenting a conceptual pattern of HSE performance of oil trucks.

PubMed

Ghaleh, Sahar; Omidvari, Manouchehr; Nassiri, Parvin; Momeni, Mansour; Lavasani, Seyed Mohammadreza Miri

2018-01-25

Accidents are among the main problems in the oil product supply chain. The most important effective factors in these events are the kind of trucks used and their health, safety, and environment (HSE) condition. The aim of this study was to present a conceptual pattern of the HSE performance of oil trucks in oil industries. In this study, 20 truck models (with fixed tanks), in use over different periods of time, were investigated. In this regard, the criteria and sub-criteria were first determined in two parts-carrier and tank-and weighted by fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP). The results showed that the most important sub-criteria regarding the HSE factors of the carrier were resistance and strength of the front and rear shields, the brake system, and the ventilation system. The most important sub-criteria regarding the HSE factors of the tank were tank shell thickness and a good tank design shape with respect to portable material. It should be noted that the weight of the criteria with each other and sub-criteria with each other are not equal. This issue is important for decision-making. The main reason for the use of trucks with the lowest score in developing countries is the lack of attention by managers to safety issues and international standards and agreements such as the ADR.

And now, from the company that brought you the seven-eyed trout: Risk communication in action

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durbin, M.E.; Klein, S.H.; Molony, S.T.

1992-01-01

Risk communication is a growing specialty field in communication that draws from well-established principles of sociology and psychology. It is a way to communicate with potentially hostile audiences about sensitive environmental, safety, and health issues they face. This paper explains the most important principles of risk communication and discusses audience analyses, perceptions of risk (outrage factors), and risk comparisons. These principles are applied to a risk communication issue in a fictitious community.

Climate change and the health impact of aflatoxins exposure in Portugal - an overview.

PubMed

Assunção, Ricardo; Martins, Carla; Viegas, Susana; Viegas, Carla; Jakobsen, Lea S; Pires, Sara; Alvito, Paula

2018-03-08

Climate change has been indicated as a driver for food safety issues worldwide, mainly due to the impact on the occurrence of food safety hazards at various stages of food chain. Mycotoxins, natural contaminants produced by fungi, are among the most important of such hazards. Aflatoxins, which have the highest acute and chronic toxicity of all mycotoxins, assume particular importance. A recent study predicted aflatoxin contamination in maize and wheat crops in Europe within the next 100 years and aflatoxin B1 is predicted to become a food safety issue in Europe, especially in the most probable scenario of climate change (+2°C). This review discusses the potential influence of climate change on the health risk associated to aflatoxins dietary exposure of Portuguese population. We estimated the burden of disease associated to the current aflatoxin exposure for Portuguese population in terms of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). It is expected that in the future the number of DALYs and the associated cases of hepatocellular carcinoma due to aflatoxins exposure will increase due to climate change. The topics highlighted through this review, including the potential impact on health of the Portuguese population through the dietary exposure to aflatoxins, should represent an alert for the potential consequences of an incompletely explored perspective of climate change. Politics and decision-makers should be involved and committed to implement effective measures to deal with climate change issues and to reduce its possible consequences. This review constitutes a contribution for the prioritisation of strategies to face the unequal burden of effects of weather-related hazards in Portugal and across Europe.

Nuclear safety for the space exploration initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dix, Terry E.

1991-01-01

The results of a study to identify potential hazards arising from nuclear reactor power systems for use on the lunar and Martian surfaces, related safety issues, and resolutions of such issues by system design changes, operating procedures, and other means are presented. All safety aspects of nuclear reactor power systems from prelaunch ground handling to eventual disposal were examined consistent with the level of detail for SP-100 reactor design at the 1988 System Design Review and for launch vehicle and space transport vehicle designs and mission descriptions as defined in the 90-day Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) study. Information from previous aerospace nuclear safety studies was used where appropriate. Safety requirements for the SP-100 space nuclear reactor system were compiled. Mission profiles were defined with emphasis on activities after low earth orbit insertion. Accident scenarios were then qualitatively defined for each mission phase. Safety issues were identified for all mission phases with the aid of simplified event trees. Safety issue resolution approaches of the SP-100 program were compiled. Resolution approaches for those safety issues not covered by the SP-100 program were identified. Additionally, the resolution approaches of the SP-100 program were examined in light of the moon and Mars missions.

A Study on Drug Safety Monitoring Program in India

PubMed Central

Ahmad, A.; Patel, Isha; Sanyal, Sudeepa; Balkrishnan, R.; Mohanta, G. P.

2014-01-01

Pharmacovigilance is useful in assuring the safety of medicines and protecting the consumers from their harmful effects. A number of single drugs as well as fixed dose combinations have been banned from manufacturing, marketing and distribution in India. An important issue about the availability of banned drugs over the counter in India is that sufficient adverse drug reactions data about these drugs have not been reported. The most common categories of drugs withdrawn in the last decade were nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (28%), antidiabetics (14.28%), antiobesity (14.28%), antihistamines (14.28%), gastroprokinetic drugs (7.14%), breast cancer and infertility drugs (7.14%), irritable bowel syndrome and constipation drugs (7.14%) and antibiotics (7.14%). Drug withdrawals from market were made mainly due to safety issues involving cardiovascular events (57.14%) and liver damage (14.28%). Majority of drugs have been banned since 3-5 years in other countries but are still available for sale in India. The present study compares the drug safety monitoring systems in the developed countries such as the USA and UK and provides implications for developing a system that can ensure the safety and efficacy of drugs in India. Absence of a gold standard for a drug safety surveillance system, variations in culture and clinical practice across countries makes it difficult for India to completely adopt another country's practices. There should be a multidisciplinary approach towards drug safety that should be implemented throughout the entire duration spanning from drug discovery to usage by consumers. PMID:25425751

A study on drug safety monitoring program in India.

PubMed

Ahmad, A; Patel, Isha; Sanyal, Sudeepa; Balkrishnan, R; Mohanta, G P

2014-09-01

Pharmacovigilance is useful in assuring the safety of medicines and protecting the consumers from their harmful effects. A number of single drugs as well as fixed dose combinations have been banned from manufacturing, marketing and distribution in India. An important issue about the availability of banned drugs over the counter in India is that sufficient adverse drug reactions data about these drugs have not been reported. The most common categories of drugs withdrawn in the last decade were nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (28%), antidiabetics (14.28%), antiobesity (14.28%), antihistamines (14.28%), gastroprokinetic drugs (7.14%), breast cancer and infertility drugs (7.14%), irritable bowel syndrome and constipation drugs (7.14%) and antibiotics (7.14%). Drug withdrawals from market were made mainly due to safety issues involving cardiovascular events (57.14%) and liver damage (14.28%). Majority of drugs have been banned since 3-5 years in other countries but are still available for sale in India. The present study compares the drug safety monitoring systems in the developed countries such as the USA and UK and provides implications for developing a system that can ensure the safety and efficacy of drugs in India. Absence of a gold standard for a drug safety surveillance system, variations in culture and clinical practice across countries makes it difficult for India to completely adopt another country's practices. There should be a multidisciplinary approach towards drug safety that should be implemented throughout the entire duration spanning from drug discovery to usage by consumers.

Planning and design for a culture of safety in Thessaloniki's hospitals.

PubMed

Chatzicocoli-Syrakou, Sophia; Syrakoy, Athena-Christina

2004-01-01

Thessaloniki is the second capital of Greece, located in the region of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Greek mainland. After the opening of the boarders of the former 'Eastern Block' countries and following their general open-policy to the European Union, Thessaloniki became an important part of the Balkans Initiative, aiming at attracting patients from abroad to Greece. Thus, some of the most modern hospitals in Greece are near Thessaloniki. Patient safety forms an important issue of the policy attracting patients. With this paper an attempt will be made to examine the characteristics of a culture of safety embodied in the planning and design of two of Thessaloniki's hospitals. These characteristics are to be found in the health care environment of the present clinical processes, on both, a quantitative and a qualitatve basis, and finally, suggestions for further development.

Workplace safety in Bangladesh ready-made garment sector: 3 years after the Rana Plaza collapse.

PubMed

Barua, Uttama; Ansary, Mehedi Ahmed

2017-12-01

Workplace safety is one of the most important issues in industries worldwide, and is endangered by industrial accidents. Different industrial disasters have resulted in several initiatives worldwide to protect human life and reduce material damage, both nationally and internationally. In Bangladesh, the ready-made garment (RMG) industry is one of the most important export-oriented business sectors, which is facing challenges to ensure workplace safety. The Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh is the consequence of such non-compliance. The accident resulted in different local and global initiatives to address the challenges. This article reviews progress and achievement of the initiatives to reduce vulnerability in the Bangladesh RMG industry within 3 years after the deadly accident. In the long run, the challenge is to maintain momentum already created for achieving sustainability in the RMG sector in Bangladesh and maintaining compliance even after the end of support from external partners.

An Asian perspective on GMO and biotechnology issues.

PubMed

Teng, Paul P S

2008-01-01

Of the 102 million hectares that made up the global area of biotech crops in 2006, less than 8% (7.6 million ha) were in Asia. Three biotech crops are currently planted in significant areas in four Asian countries with government regulatory approval; namely, cotton, corn (maize), and canola. However, the amount of GM crop material imported into the Asian region for processing into food and animal feed is very substantial, and almost every country imports GM food. The issues which concern Asian scientists, regulators, and the lay public resemble those of other regions - biosafety, food safety, ethics and social justice, competitiveness, and the "EU" trade question. Most Asian countries now have regulatory systems for approving the commercialization of GM crops, and for approving food safety of GM crops. In Asia, because of the varied cultures, issues concerning the use of genes derived from animals arouse much emotion for religious and diet choice reasons. Because many Asian producers and farmers are small-scale, there is also concern about technology dependency and to whom the benefits accrue. All consumers surveyed have expressed concern about potential allergenic and long-term toxic effects, neither of which is grounded on scientific facts. Because of Asia's growing demand for high volumes of quality food, it is likely that GM crops will become an increasing feature of our diet.

Experimental Study and Computational Simulations of Key Pebble Bed Thermo-mechanics Issues for Design and Safety

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tokuhiro, Akira; Potirniche, Gabriel; Cogliati, Joshua

2014-07-08

An experimental and computational study, consisting of modeling and simulation (M&S), of key thermal-mechanical issues affecting the design and safety of pebble-bed (PB) reactors was conducted. The objective was to broaden understanding and experimentally validate thermal-mechanic phenomena of nuclear grade graphite, specifically, spheres in frictional contact as anticipated in the bed under reactor relevant pressures and temperatures. The contact generates graphite dust particulates that can subsequently be transported into the flowing gaseous coolent. Under postulated depressurization transients and with the potential for leaked fission products to be adsorbed onto graphite 'dust', there is the potential for fission products to escapemore » from the primary volume. This is a design safety concern. Furthermore, earlier safety assessment identified the distinct possibility for the dispersed dust to combust in contact with air if sufficient conditions are met. Both of these phenomena were noted as important to design review and containing uncertainty to warrant study. The team designed and conducted two separate effects tests to study and benchmark the potential dust-generation rate, as well as study the conditions under which a dust explosion may occure in a standardized, instrumented explosion chamber.« less

One-Day Conference on School Safety & Security and Fair Dismissals Issues (Dayton, Ohio, June 24, 1999).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Law Association, Dayton, OH.

This booklet contains five chapters relating to issues in school safety and security, and fair dismissals: (1) "Ohio Legislation and Federal and State Decisions" (Richard J. Dickinson). Items of deliberation include financial matters, school safety issues, administrator and teacher contract matters, Title IX liability, school prayer, drug testing…

Health and Safety Issues of Telecommuters: A Macroergonomic Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

Issues of Telecommuters : A Macroergonomic Perspective Michelle M. Robertson Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton...Massachussetts, USA. Abstract. With the rising number of telecommuters who are working in non-traditional work locations, health and safety issues are...even more critical. While telecommuting programs offer attractive alternatives to traditional work locations, it is not without challenges for

Safety I-II, resilience and antifragility engineering: a debate explained through an accident occurring on a mobile elevating work platform.

PubMed

Martinetti, Alberto; Chatzimichailidou, Maria Mikela; Maida, Luisa; van Dongen, Leo

2018-04-24

Occupational health and safety (OHS) represents an important field of exploration for the research community: in spite of the growth of technological innovations, the increasing complexity of systems involves critical issues in terms of degradation of the safety levels. In such a situation, new safety management approaches are now mandatory in order to face the safety implications of the current technological evolutions. Along these lines, performing risk-based analysis alone seems not to be enough anymore. The evaluation of robustness, antifragility and resilience of a socio-technical system is now indispensable in order to face unforeseen events. This article will briefly introduce the topics of Safety I and Safety II, resilience engineering and antifragility engineering, explaining correlations, overlapping aspects and synergies. Secondly, the article will discuss the applications of those paradigms to a real accident, highlighting how they can challenge, stimulate and inspire research for improving OHS conditions.

Middle East food safety perspectives.

PubMed

Idriss, Atef W; El-Habbab, Mohammad S

2014-08-01

Food safety and quality assurance are increasingly a major issue with the globalisation of agricultural trade, on the one hand, and intensification of agriculture, on the other. Consumer protection has become a priority in policy-making amongst the large economies of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries following a number of food safety incidents. To enhance food safety, it is necessary to establish markets underpinned by knowledge and resources, including analysis of international rejections of food products from MENA countries, international laboratory accreditation, improved reporting systems and traceability, continued development and validation of analytical methods, and more work on correlating sensory evaluation with analytical results. MENA countries should develop a national strategy for food safety based on a holistic approach that extends from farm-to-fork and involves all the relevant stakeholders. Accordingly, food safety should be a regional programme, raising awareness among policy- and decision-makers of the importance of food safety and quality for consumer protection, food trade and economic development. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pediatric cardiovascular safety: challenges in drug and device development and clinical application.

PubMed

Bates, Katherine E; Vetter, Victoria L; Li, Jennifer S; Cummins, Susan; Aguel, Fernando; Almond, Christopher; Dubin, Anne M; Elia, Josephine; Finkle, John; Hausner, Elizabeth A; Joseph, Francesca; Karkowsky, Abraham M; Killeen, Matthew; Lemacks, Jodi; Mathis, Lisa; McMahon, Ann W; Pinnow, Ellen; Rodriguez, Ignacio; Stockbridge, Norman L; Stockwell, Margaret; Tassinari, Melissa; Krucoff, Mitchell W

2012-10-01

Development of pediatric medications and devices is complicated by differences in pediatric physiology and pathophysiology (both compared with adults and within the pediatric age range), small patient populations, and practical and ethical challenges to designing clinical trials. This article summarizes the discussions that occurred at a Cardiac Safety Research Consortium-sponsored Think Tank convened on December 10, 2010, where members from academia, industry, and regulatory agencies discussed important issues regarding pediatric cardiovascular safety of medications and cardiovascular devices. Pediatric drug and device development may use adult data but often requires additional preclinical and clinical testing to characterize effects on cardiac function and development. Challenges in preclinical trials include identifying appropriate animal models, clinically relevant efficacy end points, and methods to monitor cardiovascular safety. Pediatric clinical trials have different ethical concerns from adult trials, including consideration of the subjects' families. Clinical trial design in pediatrics should assess risks and benefits as well as incorporate input from families. Postmarketing surveillance, mandated by federal law, plays an important role in both drug and device safety assessment and becomes crucial in the pediatric population because of the limitations of premarketing pediatric studies. Solutions for this wide array of issues will require collaboration between academia, industry, and government as well as creativity in pediatric study design. Formation of various epidemiologic tools including registries to describe outcomes of pediatric cardiac disease and its treatment as well as cardiac effects of noncardiovascular medications, should inform preclinical and clinical development and improve benefit-risk assessments for the patients. The discussions in this article summarize areas of emerging consensus and other areas in which consensus remains elusive and provide suggestions for additional research to further our knowledge and understanding of this topic. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

A full Bayes before-after study accounting for temporal and spatial effects: Evaluating the safety impact of new signal installations.

PubMed

Sacchi, Emanuele; Sayed, Tarek; El-Basyouny, Karim

2016-09-01

Recently, important advances in road safety statistics have been brought about by methods able to address issues other than the choice of the best error structure for modeling crash data. In particular, accounting for spatial and temporal interdependence, i.e., the notion that the collision occurrence of a site or unit times depend on those of others, has become an important issue that needs further research. Overall, autoregressive models can be used for this purpose as they can specify that the output variable depends on its own previous values and on a stochastic term. Spatial effects have been investigated and applied mostly in the context of developing safety performance functions (SPFs) to relate crash occurrence to highway characteristics. Hence, there is a need for studies that attempt to estimate the effectiveness of safety countermeasures by including the spatial interdependence of road sites within the context of an observational before-after (BA) study. Moreover, the combination of temporal dynamics and spatial effects on crash frequency has not been explored in depth for SPF development. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to carry out a BA study accounting for spatial effects and temporal dynamics in evaluating the effectiveness of a road safety treatment. The countermeasure analyzed was the installation of traffic signals at unsignalized urban/suburban intersections in British Columbia (Canada). The full Bayes approach was selected as the statistical framework to develop the models. The results demonstrated that zone variation was a major component of total crash variability and that spatial effects were alleviated by clustering intersections together. Finally, the methodology used also allowed estimation of the treatment's effectiveness in the form of crash modification factors and functions with time trends. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethical, environmental and social issues for machine vision in manufacturing industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batchelor, Bruce G.; Whelan, Paul F.

1995-10-01

Some of the ethical, environmental and social issues relating to the design and use of machine vision systems in manufacturing industry are highlighted. The authors' aim is to emphasize some of the more important issues, and raise general awareness of the need to consider the potential advantages and hazards of machine vision technology. However, in a short article like this, it is impossible to cover the subject comprehensively. This paper should therefore be seen as a discussion document, which it is hoped will provoke more detailed consideration of these very important issues. It follows from an article presented at last year's workshop. Five major topics are discussed: (1) The impact of machine vision systems on the environment; (2) The implications of machine vision for product and factory safety, the health and well-being of employees; (3) The importance of intellectual integrity in a field requiring a careful balance of advanced ideas and technologies; (4) Commercial and managerial integrity; and (5) The impact of machine visions technology on employment prospects, particularly for people with low skill levels.

A case example of asphyxia due to occupational exposure to airborne chemicals and review of workplace fatalities.

PubMed

Frame, Meredith H; Schandl, Cynthia A

2015-03-01

Although worker injury and fatalities have decreased since adoption of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970, it remains an important safety issue. This article describes a 27-year-old white male who died from occupational exposure to airborne chemicals. Several trends in the last several decades, both in the types of injuries and the occupations associated with fatalities, are noted. Additionally, individual risk factors such as age, gender, chronic disease, smoking, and alcohol and drug use are implicated in worker health and safety. The role of the forensic pathologist in the investigation of workplace deaths is highlighted, in addition to the future of occupational safety and current improvements brought about by such incidents. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Safety Issues with Hydrogen as a Vehicle Fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cadwallader, Lee Charles; Herring, James Stephen

1999-10-01

This report is an initial effort to identify and evaluate safety issues associated with the use of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel in automobiles. Several forms of hydrogen have been considered: gas, liquid, slush, and hydrides. The safety issues have been discussed, beginning with properties of hydrogen and the phenomenology of hydrogen combustion. Safety-related operating experiences with hydrogen vehicles have been summarized to identify concerns that must be addressed in future design activities and to support probabilistic risk assessment. Also, applicable codes, standards, and regulations pertaining to hydrogen usage and refueling have been identified and are briefly discussed. This reportmore » serves as a safety foundation for any future hydrogen safety work, such as a safety analysis or a probabilistic risk assessment.« less

Safety Issues with Hydrogen as a Vehicle Fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

L. C. Cadwallader; J. S. Herring

1999-09-01

This report is an initial effort to identify and evaluate safety issues associated with the use of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel in automobiles. Several forms of hydrogen have been considered: gas, liquid, slush, and hydrides. The safety issues have been discussed, beginning with properties of hydrogen and the phenomenology of hydrogen combustion. Safety-related operating experiences with hydrogen vehicles have been summarized to identify concerns that must be addressed in future design activities and to support probabilistic risk assessment. Also, applicable codes, standards, and regulations pertaining to hydrogen usage and refueling have been identified and are briefly discussed. This reportmore » serves as a safety foundation for any future hydrogen safety work, such as a safety analysis or a probabilistic risk assessment.« less

Occupational safety and health aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Japanese companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) first section.

PubMed

Kawashita, Futoshi; Taniyama, Yukari; Hwi, Song You; Fujisaki, Takeshi; Kameda, Takashi; Mori, Koji

2005-11-01

Recently, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming widely recognized as an issue for Japanese companies. Corporate responsibility for employees is considered important by various stakeholders, and occupational safety and health is regarded as one of these responsibilities. The present authors examined this issue from the viewpoint of corporate management by analysis of statements found in CSR-related reports. For companies listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), we searched for CSR-related reports, and titles and contents, based on two established guidelines: the GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines 2002 as the international reference and the Environmental Reporting Guidelines of the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan, as the domestic reference. Corporations that published CSR reports were 26.3% (416/1,581) of the total, and large differences were recognized by type of industry. Comparing the numbers of pages for various contents, more concern was shown about the environment than about social activity, indicating the environment to be the main issue of CSR in Japan. In the items included in the guidelines, many matters about occupational accidents were mentioned, but it was found that statements regarding HIV/AIDS, which is not of such strong social concern in Japan, and statements regarding the costs of safety that are difficult to calculate were few. However, statements regarding mental health, which is of high interest socially, were many, even though this issue is not included in the two guidelines used. In revising the guidelines, these matters should be reviewed. In the future, continuance of analysis of CSR-related reports with regard to changes and comparisons with overseas reports will help improve occupational safety and health.

Critical roles of orthopaedic surgeon leadership in healthcare systems to improve orthopaedic surgical patient safety.

PubMed

Kuo, Calvin C; Robb, William J

2013-06-01

The prevention of medical and surgical harm remains an important public health problem despite increased awareness and implementation of safety programs. Successful introduction and maintenance of surgical safety programs require both surgeon leadership and collaborative surgeon-hospital alignment. Documentation of success of such surgical safety programs in orthopaedic practice is limited. We describe the scope of orthopaedic surgical patient safety issues, define critical elements of orthopaedic surgical safety, and outline leadership roles for orthopaedic surgeons needed to establish and sustain a culture of safety in contemporary healthcare systems. We identified the most common causes of preventable surgical harm based on adverse and sentinel surgical events reported to The Joint Commission. A comprehensive literature review through a MEDLINE(®) database search (January 1982 through April 2012) to identify pertinent orthopaedic surgical safety articles found 14 articles. Where gaps in orthopaedic literature were identified, the review was supplemented by 22 nonorthopaedic surgical references. Our final review included 36 articles. Six important surgical safety program elements needed to eliminate preventable surgical harm were identified: (1) effective surgical team communication, (2) proper informed consent, (3) implementation and regular use of surgical checklists, (4) proper surgical site/procedure identification, (5) reduction of surgical team distractions, and (6) routine surgical data collection and analysis to improve the safety and quality of surgical patient care. Successful surgical safety programs require a culture of safety supported by all six key surgical safety program elements, active surgeon champions, and collaborative hospital and/or administrative support designed to enhance surgical safety and improve surgical patient outcomes. Further research measuring improvements from such surgical safety systems in orthopaedic care is needed.

Incorporating organisational safety culture within ergonomics practice.

PubMed

Bentley, Tim; Tappin, David

2010-10-01

This paper conceptualises organisational safety culture and considers its relevance to ergonomics practice. Issues discussed in the paper include the modest contribution that ergonomists and ergonomics as a discipline have made to this burgeoning field of study and the significance of safety culture to a systems approach. The relevance of safety culture to ergonomics work with regard to the analysis, design, implementation and evaluation process, and implications for participatory ergonomics approaches, are also discussed. A potential user-friendly, qualitative approach to assessing safety culture as part of ergonomics work is presented, based on a recently published conceptual framework that recognises the dynamic and multi-dimensional nature of safety culture. The paper concludes by considering the use of such an approach, where an understanding of different aspects of safety culture within an organisation is seen as important to the success of ergonomics projects. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: The relevance of safety culture to ergonomics practice is a key focus of this paper, including its relationship with the systems approach, participatory ergonomics and the ergonomics analysis, design, implementation and evaluation process. An approach to assessing safety culture as part of ergonomics work is presented.

Measurement of Carbon Dioxide Accumulation and Physiological Function in the Launch and Entry and Advanced Crew Escape Suits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Phillip; Greenisen, M. C.

1997-01-01

The Launch and Entry Suit (LES) and Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) are worn by astronauts for launch and entry. Previous work by Waligora, et al., 1992, Waligora and Gilbert, 1992, and Dalrymple 1996, have found that carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulation in the LES/ACES helmet may be problematic. CO2 accumulation is important because high inspired levels of CO2 reduce physical function and pose a safety hazard (e.g. levels of CO2 accumulation of 3.6% in the Extravehicular Mobility Unit are sufficient to terminate Extra Vehicular Activities). My task was to design a suitable test protocol for determining the important physiological aspects of LES/ACES use. Three basic issues arose. First was the determination of the astronaut's CO2 inspiration during visor-down use at rest and during walking at 3.5 mph. A sub-issue was the impact of a pneumotach on CO2 since it has been previously observed that when the Aerosport pneumotach was used, performance seemed improved, which might be attributable to a lowered respiration rate when using the pneumotach. The second issue was the energy costs of waLking in the LES/ACES with various G-suit inflation levels, since G-suit inflation increases metabolic costs and metabolic costs influence the C02 production in the LES/ACES helmet. Since G-suit inflation improves orthostatic tolerance after space flight, but likely increases the energy costs of walking, the balance between G-suit inflation and C02 accumulation is an important safety consideration. The third issue which arose from pilot work was the substantial reduction in physical function after a 10 min visor-down period prior to walk.

Challenging Assumptions About Minority Participation in US Clinical Research

PubMed Central

Kalbaugh, Corey A.

2011-01-01

Although extensive research addresses minorities’ low participation in clinical research, most focuses almost exclusively on therapeutic trials. The existing literature might mask important issues concerning minorities’ participation in clinical trials, and minorities might actually be overrepresented in phase I safety studies that require the participation of healthy volunteers. It is critical to consider the entire spectrum of clinical research when discussing the participation of disenfranchised groups; the literature on minorities’ distrust, poor access, and other barriers to trial participation needs reexamination. Minority participation in clinical trials is an important topic in public health discussions because this representation touches on issues of equality and the elimination of disparities, which are core values of the field. PMID:22021285

Occupational health and safety issues in military field hospitals.

PubMed

Bricknell, M C

2001-10-01

This paper considers the occupational health and safety issues that apply within a military field hospital. It considers NHS occupational health and safety activities and examines how these might be applied within an Army Medical Services unit. Areas that are unique to field hospitals are highlighted in comparison with a static NHS hospital. Some issues for future work are also considered.

Medical and surgical tourism: the new world of health care globalization and what it means for the practicing surgeon.

PubMed

Unti, James A

2009-04-01

In this issue of the Bulletin, the leadership of the American College of Surgeons has published a Statement on Medical and Surgical Tourism (see page 26). The statement addresses a number of concerns about this new industry and some of the safety and quality issues that patients may encounter if they seek health care services outside of the U.S. On June 16, 2008, the American Medical Association adopted its own first set of guidelines on medical tourism to help ensure the safety of patients who are considering traveling abroad for medical care. The American College of Surgeons' statement and the American Medical Association's guidelines together provide an important set of principles for consideration by patients, employers, insurers, and other third-party groups responsible for coordinating such travel outside of the country.

Compressed Natural Gas Safety in Transit Operations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-09-14

This report examines the safety issues relating to the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in transit service. The safety issues were determined by on-site surveys performed by Battelle of Columbus, Ohio and Science Applications International Corpora...

Medicolegal aspects of sports medicine.

PubMed

Boggess, Blake R; Bytomski, Jeffrey R

2013-06-01

Legal issues in sports medicine are rapidly developing and establishing an important body of jurisprudence that defines the legal rights and duties of all those involved with protecting the health and safety of athletes. The law makes important distinctions between the relevant duty of care owed to high-school, college, and professional athletes because of the differing legal relationships that arise out of athletic participation at different levels of competition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design of agricultural product quality safety retrospective supervision system of Jiangsu province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kun

2017-08-01

In store and supermarkets to consumers can trace back agricultural products through the electronic province card to query their origin, planting, processing, packaging, testing and other important information and found that the problems. Quality and safety issues can identify the responsibility of the problem. This paper designs a retroactive supervision system for the quality and safety of agricultural products in Jiangsu Province. Based on the analysis of agricultural production and business process, the goal of Jiangsu agricultural product quality safety traceability system construction is established, and the specific functional requirements and non-functioning requirements of the retroactive system are analyzed, and the target is specified for the specific construction of the retroactive system. The design of the quality and safety traceability system in Jiangsu province contains the design of the overall design, the trace code design and the system function module.

Economic approaches to measuring the significance of food safety in international trade.

PubMed

Caswell, J A

2000-12-20

International trade in food products has expanded rapidly in recent years. This paper presents economic approaches for analyzing the effects on trade in food products of the food safety requirements of governments and private buyers. Important economic incentives for companies to provide improved food safety arise from (1) public incentives such as ex ante requirements for sale of a product with sufficient quality and ex post penalties (liability) for sale of products with deficient quality, and (2) private incentives for producing quality such as internal performance goals (self-regulation) and the external (certification) requirements of buyers. The World Trade Organization's Sanitary Phytosanitary Agreement facilitates scrutiny of the benefits and costs of country-level regulatory programs and encourages regulatory rapprochement on food safety issues. Economists can help guide risk management decisions by providing estimates of the benefits and costs of programs to improve food safety and by analyzing their effect on trade in food products.

Improved Safety Margin Characterization of Risk from Loss of Offsite Power

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, Paul

Original intent: The original intent of this task was “support of the Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characteristic (RISMC) methodology in order” “to address … efficiency of computation so that more accurate and cost-effective techniques can be used to address safety margin characterizations” (S. M. Hess et al., “Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization,” Procs. ICONE17, Brussels, July 2009, CD format). It was intended that “in Task 1 itself this improvement will be directed toward upon the very important issue of Loss of Offsite Power (LOOP) events,” more specifically toward the challenge of efficient computation of the multidimensional nonrecovery integral that has been discussedmore » by many previous contributors to the theory of nuclear safety. It was further envisioned that “three different computational approaches will be explored,” corresponding to the three subtasks listed below; deliverables were tied to the individual subtasks.« less

The development and psychometric evaluation of a safety climate measure for primary care.

PubMed

de Wet, C; Spence, W; Mash, R; Johnson, P; Bowie, P

2010-12-01

Building a safety culture is an important part of improving patient care. Measuring perceptions of safety climate among healthcare teams and organisations is a key element of this process. Existing measurement instruments are largely developed for secondary care settings in North America and many lack adequate psychometric testing. Our aim was to develop and test an instrument to measure perceptions of safety climate among primary care teams in National Health Service for Scotland. Questionnaire development was facilitated through a steering group, literature review, semistructured interviews with primary care team members, a modified Delphi and completion of a content validity index by experts. A cross-sectional postal survey utilising the questionnaire was undertaken in a random sample of west of Scotland general practices to facilitate psychometric evaluation. Statistical methods, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach and Raykov reliability coefficients were conducted. Of the 667 primary care team members based in 49 general practices surveyed, 563 returned completed questionnaires (84.4%). Psychometric evaluation resulted in the development of a 30-item questionnaire with five safety climate factors: leadership, teamwork, communication, workload and safety systems. Retained items have strong factor loadings to only one factor. Reliability coefficients was satisfactory (α = 0.94 and ρ = 0.93). This study is the first stage in the development of an appropriately valid and reliable safety climate measure for primary care. Measuring safety climate perceptions has the potential to help primary care organisations and teams focus attention on safety-related issues and target improvement through educational interventions. Further research is required to explore acceptability and feasibility issues for primary care teams and the potential for organisational benchmarking.

Annual Report To Congress. Department of Energy Activities Relating to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Calendar Year 2003

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

2004-02-28

The Department of Energy (Department) submits an Annual Report to Congress each year detailing the Department’s activities relating to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board), which provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) regarding public health and safety issues at the Department’s defense nuclear facilities. In 2003, the Department continued ongoing activities to resolve issues identified by the Board in formal recommendations and correspondence, staff issue reports pertaining to Department facilities, and public meetings and briefings. Additionally, the Department is implementing several key safety initiatives to address and prevent safety issues: safety culture and review ofmore » the Columbia accident investigation; risk reduction through stabilization of excess nuclear materials; the Facility Representative Program; independent oversight and performance assurance; the Federal Technical Capability Program (FTCP); executive safety initiatives; and quality assurance activities. The following summarizes the key activities addressed in this Annual Report.« less

[The laboratory representative for safety. A trade union's or a professionals' defeat?].

PubMed

Gadaleta, N

2001-01-01

Prevention and health defence at working places are important issues in organizational change. Professionals by Legislative Decree 626/94 become and take an active part of the organization. Participation is seen as a bill of rights and responsibility of workers. In the article, a local experience is reported.

Chemicals in Schools: Solutions for Healthy School Environments. K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Environmental Protection Agency, 2006

2006-01-01

School leaders play a pivotal role in keeping schools safe from chemical accidents. Readers of this brochure can help schools develop a chemical cleanout and prevention program and assemble a team of teachers, facilities staff, and administrators with technical expertise to assess chemical safety issues and set policy. Some important team roles…

Operations and Maintenance March Newsletter | Poster

Cancer.gov

There are many safety rules and regulations designed to keep us safe as we carry out our individual tasks at NCI, but this issue of the O&M Newsletter is all about evacuation. Specifically, it highlights the importance of the systems and components that ensure the safe evacuation of all building occupants in emergency situations.

Combating Child Homicide: Preventive Policing for the New Millennium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boudreaux, Monique C.; Lord, Wayne D.

2005-01-01

High-profile media coverage of crimes against children has heightened public awareness of critical child safety needs and issues. However, numerous research studies in the area of child homicide have illustrated the importance of the power of science to correct false perceptions and misinformation, improving how to best serve and protect our…

NNI Public Webinars | Nano

Science.gov Websites

Communities Environmental, Health, and Safety Issues Ethical, Legal, and Societal Issues Federal Legislation Environmental, Health, and Safety Issues Ethical, Legal, and Societal Issues Federal Legislation & Infrastructure (NNCI) Nodes and Environmental Research: Examples from the Field - Slides and Transcript An

Health and safety in clinical laboratories in developing countries: safety considerations.

PubMed

Ejilemele, A A; Ojule, A C

2004-01-01

Clinical laboratories are potentially hazardous work areas. Health and safety in clinical laboratories is becoming an increasingly important subject as a result of the emergence of highly infectious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV. This is even more so in developing countries where health and safety have traditionally been regarded as low priority issues, considering the more important health problems confronting the health authorities in these countries. We conducted a literature search using the medical subheadings titles on the INTERNET over a period of twenty years and summarized our findings. This article identifies hazards in the laboratories and highlights measures to make the laboratory a safer work place. It also emphasizes the mandatory obligations of employers and employees towards the attainment of acceptable safety standards in clinical laboratories in Third World countries in the face of the current HIV/AIDS epidemic in many of these developing countries especially in the sub-Saharan Africa while accommodating the increasing work load in these laboratories. Both the employer and the employee have major roles to play in the maintenance of a safe working environment. This can be achieved if measures discussed are incorporated into everyday laboratory practice.

Technology Solutions Case Study: Guidance on Taped Insulating Sheathing Drainage Planes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

The energy efficiency-based financial benefits of adding exterior insulation are well accepted by the building industry, and using exterior insulation as the drainage plane is the next logical step. This case study focuses on the field implementation of taped board insulation as the drainage plane in both new and retrofit residential applications, and provides information and recommendations for insulation contractors, general contractors, builders, remodelers, mechanical contractors, and homeowners. The order of work completed during home construction and retrofit improvements is important. Health and safety issues must be addressed first and are more important than durability issues, and durability issues aremore » more important than saving energy. Three significant items are required to make taped insulating sheathing a simple, long term, and durable drainage plane: first, horizontal joints should be limited or eliminated wherever possible; where a horizontal joint exists, use superior materials; and, frequent installation inspection and regular trade training are required to maintain proper installation.« less

29 CFR 1902.2 - General policies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... health program with respect to covered issues that in his judgment meets or will meet the criteria set... State plan may cover any occupational safety and health issue with respect to which a Federal standard... State plan shall describe the occupational safety and health issue or issues and the State standard or...

29 CFR 1902.2 - General policies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... health program with respect to covered issues that in his judgment meets or will meet the criteria set... State plan may cover any occupational safety and health issue with respect to which a Federal standard... State plan shall describe the occupational safety and health issue or issues and the State standard or...

Overview of the U.S. DOE Hydrogen Safety, Codes and Standards Program. Part 4: Hydrogen Sensors; Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buttner, William J.; Rivkin, Carl; Burgess, Robert

Hydrogen sensors are recognized as a critical element in the safety design for any hydrogen system. In this role, sensors can perform several important functions including indication of unintended hydrogen releases, activation of mitigation strategies to preclude the development of dangerous situations, activation of alarm systems and communication to first responders, and to initiate system shutdown. The functionality of hydrogen sensors in this capacity is decoupled from the system being monitored, thereby providing an independent safety component that is not affected by the system itself. The importance of hydrogen sensors has been recognized by DOE and by the Fuel Cellmore » Technologies Office's Safety and Codes Standards (SCS) program in particular, which has for several years supported hydrogen safety sensor research and development. The SCS hydrogen sensor programs are currently led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The current SCS sensor program encompasses the full range of issues related to safety sensors, including development of advance sensor platforms with exemplary performance, development of sensor-related code and standards, outreach to stakeholders on the role sensors play in facilitating deployment, technology evaluation, and support on the proper selection and use of sensors.« less

Applying usability heuristics to radiotherapy systems.

PubMed

Chan, Alvita J; Islam, Mohammad K; Rosewall, Tara; Jaffray, David A; Easty, Anthony C; Cafazzo, Joseph A

2012-01-01

Heuristic evaluations have been used to evaluate safety of medical devices by identifying and assessing usability issues. Since radiotherapy treatment delivery systems often consist of multiple complex user-interfaces, a heuristic evaluation was conducted to assess the potential safety issues of such a system. A heuristic evaluation was conducted to evaluate the treatment delivery system at Princess Margaret Hospital (Toronto, Canada). Two independent evaluators identified usability issues with the user-interfaces and rated the severity of each issue. The evaluators identified 75 usability issues in total. Eighteen of them were rated as high severity, indicating the potential to have a major impact on patient safety. A majority of issues were found on the record and verify system, and many were associated with the patient setup process. While the hospital has processes in place to ensure patient safety, recommendations were developed to further mitigate the risks of potential consequences. Heuristic evaluation is an efficient and inexpensive method that can be successfully applied to radiotherapy delivery systems to identify usability issues and improve patient safety. Although this study was conducted only at one site, the findings may have broad implications for the design of these systems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Challenges and strategies to facilitate formulation development of pediatric drug products: Safety qualification of excipients.

PubMed

Buckley, Lorrene A; Salunke, Smita; Thompson, Karen; Baer, Gerri; Fegley, Darren; Turner, Mark A

2018-02-05

A public workshop entitled "Challenges and strategies to facilitate formulation development of pediatric drug products" focused on current status and gaps as well as recommendations for risk-based strategies to support the development of pediatric age-appropriate drug products. Representatives from industry, academia, and regulatory agencies discussed the issues within plenary, panel, and case-study breakout sessions. By enabling practical and meaningful discussion between scientists representing the diversity of involved disciplines (formulators, nonclinical scientists, clinicians, and regulators) and geographies (eg, US, EU), the Excipients Safety workshop session was successful in providing specific and key recommendations for defining paths forward. Leveraging orthogonal sources of data (eg. food industry, agro science), collaborative data sharing, and increased awareness of the existing sources such as the Safety and Toxicity of Excipients for Paediatrics (STEP) database will be important to address the gap in excipients knowledge needed for risk assessment. The importance of defining risk-based approaches to safety assessments for excipients vital to pediatric formulations was emphasized, as was the need for meaningful stakeholder (eg, patient, caregiver) engagement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of Modern Tools and Techniques for Mine Safety & Disaster Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Dheeraj

2016-04-01

The implementation of novel systems and adoption of improvised equipment in mines help mining companies in two important ways: enhanced mine productivity and improved worker safety. There is a substantial need for adoption of state-of-the-art automation technologies in the mines to ensure the safety and to protect health of mine workers. With the advent of new autonomous equipment used in the mine, the inefficiencies are reduced by limiting human inconsistencies and error. The desired increase in productivity at a mine can sometimes be achieved by changing only a few simple variables. Significant developments have been made in the areas of surface and underground communication, robotics, smart sensors, tracking systems, mine gas monitoring systems and ground movements etc. Advancement in information technology in the form of internet, GIS, remote sensing, satellite communication, etc. have proved to be important tools for hazard reduction and disaster management. This paper is mainly focused on issues pertaining to mine safety and disaster management and some of the recent innovations in the mine automations that could be deployed in mines for safe mining operations and for avoiding any unforeseen mine disaster.

Clean air program : liquefied natural gas safety in transit operations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-03-31

The report examines the safety issues relating to the use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in transit service. The safety issues were determined by on-site surveys performed by Battelle of Columbus, Ohio, and Science Applications International Corp. (S...

Identification of serious and reportable events in home care: a Delphi survey to develop consensus.

PubMed

Doran, Diane M; Baker, G Ross; Szabo, Cathy; McShane, Julie; Carryer, Jennifer

2014-04-01

To assess which client events should be considered reportable and preventable in home care (HC) settings in the opinion of HC safety experts. Patient safety in acute care settings has been well documented; however, there are limited data about this issue in HC. While many organizations collect information about 'incidents', there are no standards for reporting and it is challenging to compare incident rates among organizations. A 29-item electronic survey that included potential HC safety issues was used in a two-round Delphi study. Twenty-four pan-Canadian HC safety experts participated in an electronic survey. Perceived reportability and preventability of patient safety events, HC. The events that were perceived as being most reportable and preventable included the following: a serious injury related to inappropriate client service plan (e.g. incomplete/inaccurate assessments, poor care plan design, flawed implementation); an adverse reaction requiring emergency room visit or hospitalization related to a medication-related event; a catheter-site infection (e.g. a new peritoneal dialysis infection or peritonitis); any serious event related to care or services that are contrary to current professional or other practice standards (e.g. incorrect treatment regimen, theft, retention of a foreign object in a wound, individual practicing outside scope or competence). These data represent an important step in the development and validation of standard metrics about client safety in HC. The results address an expanding area of health services where there is a need to improve standardization and reporting.

The Vaccine Safety Datalink: immunization research in health maintenance organizations in the USA.

PubMed Central

Chen, R. T.; DeStefano, F.; Davis, R. L.; Jackson, L. A.; Thompson, R. S.; Mullooly, J. P.; Black, S. B.; Shinefield, H. R.; Vadheim, C. M.; Ward, J. I.; Marcy, S. M.

2000-01-01

The Vaccine Safety Datalink is a collaborative project involving the National Immunization Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and several large health maintenance organizations in the USA. The project began in 1990 with the primary purpose of rigorously evaluating concerns about the safety of vaccines. Computerized data on vaccination, medical outcome (e.g. outpatient visits, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths) and covariates (e.g. birth certificates, census data) are prospectively collected and linked under joint protocol at multiple health maintenance organizations for analysis. Approximately 6 million persons (2% of the population of the USA) are now members of health maintenance organizations participating in the Vaccine Safety Datalink, which has proved to be a valuable resource providing important information on a number of vaccine safety issues. The databases and infrastructure created for the Vaccine Safety Datalink have also provided opportunities to address vaccination coverage, cost-effectiveness and other matters connected with immunization as well as matters outside this field. PMID:10743283

Characteristics of effective health and safety committees: survey results.

PubMed

Morse, Tim; Bracker, Anne; Warren, Nicholas; Goyzueta, Jeanette; Cook, Matthew

2013-02-01

Although perhaps the most common worker-management structure, there has been surprisingly little research on describing and evaluating the characteristics of health and safety committees. A survey of 380 health and safety committee members from 176 manufacturing workplaces was supplemented with administrative data and compared with reported workers' compensation rates. Survey respondents also reported perceptions of overall safety, committee, effectiveness, committee activities, and "best practices." Extensive descriptive data is presented, including a mean of 8.7 members per committee spending 1,167 hr per year on committee business for an estimate of $40,500 worth of time per committee. Higher speed to correct action items, a focus on ergonomics, and planning for safety training was associated with lower injury rates. The discrepancy between managers and hourly committee members in estimating overall safety was strongly positively associated with injury rates. Communications and worker involvement may be important to address discrepancy issues. Prospective studies are needed to distinguish directionality of associations. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Safety modelling and testing of lithium-ion batteries in electrified vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Jie; Bae, Chulheung; Marcicki, James; Masias, Alvaro; Miller, Theodore

2018-04-01

To optimize the safety of batteries, it is important to understand their behaviours when subjected to abuse conditions. Most early efforts in battery safety modelling focused on either one battery cell or a single field of interest such as mechanical or thermal failure. These efforts may not completely reflect the failure of batteries in automotive applications, where various physical processes can take place in a large number of cells simultaneously. In this Perspective, we review modelling and testing approaches for battery safety under abuse conditions. We then propose a general framework for large-scale multi-physics modelling and experimental work to address safety issues of automotive batteries in real-world applications. In particular, we consider modelling coupled mechanical, electrical, electrochemical and thermal behaviours of batteries, and explore strategies to extend simulations to the battery module and pack level. Moreover, we evaluate safety test approaches for an entire range of automotive hardware sets from cell to pack. We also discuss challenges in building this framework and directions for its future development.

School administrators' perceptions of factors that influence children's active travel to school.

PubMed

Price, Anna E; Pluto, Delores M; Ogoussan, Olga; Banda, Jorge A

2011-12-01

Increasing children's active travel to school may be 1 strategy for addressing the growing prevalence of obesity among school age children. Using the School Travel Survey, we examined South Carolina school district leaders' perceptions of factors that influence elementary and middle school students walking to school. Frequency distributions and chi-square tests were used to analyze the survey responses; open-ended questions were reviewed qualitatively for recurring topics and themes. School and district leaders (N = 314) most often reported street crossing safety (54.0%) and number of sidewalks (54.0%) as priority factors that should be addressed to increase students' active travel to school, followed by distance to school (46.0%), traffic volume (42.4%), parental attitudes (27.0%), traffic speed (26.7%), neighborhood condition (24.4%), and student attitudes (10.0%). Several respondents expressed concerns about liability issues related to students' active travel to school while others reported that schools are not responsible for students' safety once students leave school grounds. Independent of their comments about liability, respondents were concerned about the safety of students while walking to school. Those promoting active travel to school may benefit from addressing those factors perceived as most important by school and district leaders, including street crossing safety, number of sidewalks, and by educating school and district leaders about liability and safety issues related to students walking to school. © 2011, American School Health Association.

A Wicked Problem? Whistleblowing in Healthcare Organisations

PubMed Central

Hyde, Paula

2016-01-01

Mannion and Davies’ article recognises whistleblowing as an important means of identifying quality and safety issues in healthcare organisations. While ‘voice’ is a useful lens through which to examine whistleblowing, it also obscures a shifting pattern of uncertain ‘truths.’ By contextualising cultures which support or impede whislteblowing at an organisational level, two issues are overlooked; the power of wider institutional interests to silence those who might raise the alarm and changing ideas about what constitutes adequate care. A broader contextualisation of whistleblowing might illuminate further facets of this multi-dimensional problem. PMID:27239870

Life sciences - On the critical path for missions of exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sulzman, Frank M.; Connors, Mary M.; Gaiser, Karen

1988-01-01

Life sciences are important and critical to the safety and success of manned and long-duration space missions. The life science issues covered include gravitational physiology, space radiation, medical care delivery, environmental maintenance, bioregenerative systems, crew and human factors within and outside the spacecraft. The history of the role of life sciences in the space program is traced from the Apollo era, through the Skylab era to the Space Shuttle era. The life science issues of the space station program and manned missions to the moon and Mars are covered.

What about the dentist-patient relationship in dental tourism?

PubMed

Conti, Adelaide; Delbon, Paola; Laffranchi, Laura; Paganelli, Corrado

2014-03-01

Dental tourism is patients travelling across international borders with the intention of receiving dental care. It is a growing phenomenon that raises many ethical issues, particularly regarding the dentist-patient relationship. We discuss various issues related to this phenomenon, including patient autonomy over practitioner choice, patient safety, continuity of care, informed consent and doctor-patient communication, among other factors. In particular, patients partaking in medical tourism should be informed of its potential problems and the importance of proper planning and post-treatment care to guarantee high-quality treatment outcomes.

Surveillance of adverse effects following vaccination and safety of immunization programs.

PubMed

Waldman, Eliseu Alves; Luhm, Karin Regina; Monteiro, Sandra Aparecida Moreira Gomes; Freitas, Fabiana Ramos Martin de

2011-02-01

The aim of the review was to analyze conceptual and operational aspects of systems for surveillance of adverse events following immunization. Articles available in electronic format were included, published between 1985 and 2009, selected from the PubMed/Medline databases using the key words "adverse events following vaccine surveillance", "post-marketing surveillance", "safety vaccine" and "Phase IV clinical trials". Articles focusing on specific adverse events were excluded. The major aspects underlying the Public Health importance of adverse events following vaccination, the instruments aimed at ensuring vaccine safety, and the purpose, attributes, types, data interpretation issues, limitations, and further challenges in adverse events following immunization were describe, as well as strategies to improve sensitivity. The review was concluded by discussing the challenges to be faced in coming years with respect to ensuring the safety and reliability of vaccination programs.

Integrating Safety in the Aviation System: Interdepartmental Training for Pilots and Maintenance Technicians

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mattson, Marifran; Petrin, Donald A.; Young, John P.

2001-01-01

The study of human factors has had a decisive impact on the aviation industry. However, the entire aviation system often is not considered in researching, training, and evaluating human factors issues especially with regard to safety. In both conceptual and practical terms, we argue for the proactive management of human error from both an individual and organizational systems perspective. The results of a multidisciplinary research project incorporating survey data from professional pilots and maintenance technicians and an exploratory study integrating students from relevant disciplines are reported. Survey findings suggest that latent safety errors may occur during the maintenance discrepancy reporting process because pilots and maintenance technicians do not effectively interact with one another. The importance of interdepartmental or cross-disciplinary training for decreasing these errors and increasing safety is discussed as a primary implication.

Saudi Arabian ICU safety culture and nurses' attitudes.

PubMed

Alayed, Abdulrahman S; Lööf, Helena; Johansson, Unn-Britt

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine nurses' attitudes towards safety culture in six Saudi Arabian intensive care units (ICUs). The study is descriptive with a cross-sectional design. The Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ)-ICU version was distributed and 216 completed questionnaires were returned. The findings provide a basis for further research on Saudi Arabian ICU safety culture. This study showed that the SAQ-ICU can be used to measure safety climate to identify areas for improvement according to nurse attitudes and perceptions. Findings indicate that ICU safety culture is an important issue that hospital managers should prioritise. The SAQ-ICU questionnaire, used to measure safety climate in Saudi Arabian ICUs, identifies service strengths and improvement areas according to attitudes and perceptions. To the knowledge, this is the first study to use SAQ to examine nurses' safety culture attitudes in Saudi Arabian ICUs. The present findings provide a baseline and further details about Saudi Arabian ICU safety. Study participants represented nine nationalities, indicating the nursing workforce's diversity, which is expected to continue in the future. Such a nursing cultural heterogeneity calls for further studies to examine and evaluate attitudes and values to improve ICU safety culture.

Patient safety climate (PSC) perceptions of frontline staff in acute care hospitals: examining the role of ease of reporting, unit norms of openness, and participative leadership.

PubMed

Zaheer, Shahram; Ginsburg, Liane; Chuang, You-Ta; Grace, Sherry L

2015-01-01

Increased awareness regarding the importance of patient safety issues has led to the proliferation of theoretical conceptualizations, frameworks, and articles that apply safety experiences from high-reliability industries to medical settings. However, empirical research on patient safety and patient safety climate in medical settings still lags far behind the theoretical literature on these topics. The broader organizational literature suggests that ease of reporting, unit norms of openness, and participative leadership might be important variables for improving patient safety. The aim of this empirical study is to examine in detail how these three variables influence frontline staff perceptions of patient safety climate within health care organizations. A cross-sectional study design was used. Data were collected using a questionnaire composed of previously validated scales. The results of the study show that ease of reporting, unit norms of openness, and participative leadership are positively related to staff perceptions of patient safety climate. Health care management needs to involve frontline staff during the development and implementation stages of an error reporting system to ensure staff perceive error reporting to be easy and efficient. Senior and supervisory leaders at health care organizations must be provided with learning opportunities to improve their participative leadership skills so they can better integrate frontline staff ideas and concerns while making safety-related decisions. Finally, health care management must ensure that frontline staff are able to freely communicate safety concerns without fear of being punished or ridiculed by others.

Professional and interprofessional differences in electronic health records use and recognition of safety issues in critically ill patients

PubMed Central

Sakata, Knewton K.; Stephenson, Laurel S.; Mulanax, Ashley; Bierman, Jesse; Mcgrath, Karess; Scholl, Gretchen; McDougal, Adrienne; Bearden, David T.; Mohan, Vishnu; Gold, Jeffrey A.

2018-01-01

During interprofessional intensive care unit (ICU) rounds each member of the interprofessional team is responsible for gathering and interpreting information from the electronic health records (EHR) to facilitate effective team decision-making. This study was conducted to determine how each professional group reviews EHR data in preparation for rounds and their ability to identify patient safety issues. Twenty-five physicians, 29 nurses, and 20 pharmacists participated. Individual participants were given verbal and written sign-out and then asked to review a simulated record in our institution’s EHR, which contained 14 patient safety items. After reviewing the chart, subjects presented the patient and the number of safety items recognised was recorded. About 40%, 30%, and 26% of safety issues were recognised by physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, respectively (p = 0.0006) and no item recognised 100% of the time. There was little overlap between the three groups with only 50% of items predicted to be recognised 100% of the time by the team. Differential recognition was associated with marked differences in EHR use, with only 3/152 EHR screens utilised by all three groups and the majority of screens used exclusively only by one group. There were significant and non-overlapping differences in individual profession recognition of patient safety issues in the EHR. Preferential identification of safety issues by certain professional groups may be attributed to differences in EHR use. Future studies will be needed to determine if shared decision-making during rounds can improve recognition of safety issues. PMID:27341177

The Use of Digital Storytelling to Improve the Effectiveness of Social and Conflict Resolution Skill Training for Elementary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipschutz, Betsy D.

2010-01-01

School safety is one of the most important issues facing administrators, teachers, and parents. Several risk factors have been identified as antecedents to aggression including poor social skills, difficulty dealing with anger and frustration, and inadequate problem solving abilities. "No Child Left Behind" requires all schools receiving…

Science and Policy Issues: A Report of Citizen Concerns and Recommendations for American Agricultural Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Agricultural Research and Extension Users Advisory Board (USDA), Washington, DC.

Two areas which will have far reaching consequences for the future of United States agriculture are discussed: (1) biotechnology; and (2) critical economic research in world trade and commodity supply management. Topics in the first area include: controversies related to biotechnology; the relative importance of health, safety, and environmental…

Music through the Skin--Simple Demonstration of Human Electrical Conductivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vollmer, M.; Möllmann, K. P.

2016-01-01

The conduction of electricity is an important topic for any basic physics course. Issues of safety often results in teacher demonstration experiments in front of the class or in extremely simple though--for students--not really fascinating (not to say boring) hands on activities for everybody using 1.5 V batteries, cables and light bulbs etc. Here…

3 CFR 8432 - Proclamation 8432 of October 2, 2009. Fire Prevention Week, 2009

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... Fire Prevention Week is a time to learn about important fire safety issues and empower our communities... in their homes and workplaces. We can greatly reduce these tragedies by taking a few, very simple... of fire, we honor the brave men and women who protect us from it, and we recommit ourselves to its...

Disaster Preparedness Planning and Facility Contingency Operations for Public Works

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

Forces Reporting Disaster Preparedness and Logistical Support 20-37 General Concept Manpower Planning, Protection and Support Personal Protection...their military mission, economical importance, geographical location, and personal and public safety. The organization, preparedness plans and facility...for emergency medical support). (5) Issue personal protective gear and equipment, if necessary. (6) Determine existi- g contract outcome. All

Host specificity of microsporidia pathogenic to the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.): Field studies in Slovakia

Treesearch

Leellen F. Solter; Daniela K. Pilarska; Michael L. McManus; Milan Zubrik; Jan Patocka; Wei-Fone Huang; Julius Novotny

2010-01-01

Several species of microsporidia are important chronic pathogens of Lymantria dispar in Europe but have never been recovered from North American gypsy moth populations. The major issue for their introduction into North American L. dispar populations is concern about their safety to native non-target insects. In this study, we...

29 CFR 1952.325 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Indiana plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... safety and health standards which have been promulgated under section 6 of the Act do not apply with...

29 CFR 1952.375 - Level of Federal Enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Virginia plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... safety and health standards which have been promulgated under section 6 of the Act do not apply with...

77 FR 53164 - Railroad Workplace Safety; Adjacent-Track On-Track Safety for Roadway Workers

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-31

...-0059, Notice No. 6] RIN 2130-AC37 Railroad Workplace Safety; Adjacent-Track On-Track Safety for Roadway... complex issues raised in both the petitions for reconsideration of the final rule published November 30... issues. One of the Petitions included a request for a delay in the effective date of the final rule until...

The shutdown reactor: Optimizing spent fuel storage cost

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pennington, C.W.

1995-12-31

Several studies have indicated that the most prudent way to store fuel at a shutdown reactor site safely and economically is through the use of a dry storage facility licensed under 10CFR72. While such storage is certainly safe, is it true that the dry ISFSI represents the safest and most economical approach for the utility? While no one is really able to answer that question definitely, as yet, Holtec has studied this issue for some time and believes that both an economic and safety case can be made for an optimization strategy that calls for the use of both wetmore » and dry ISFSI storage of spent fuel at some plants. For the sake of brevity, this paper summarizes some of Holtec`s findings with respect to the economics of maintaining some fuel in wet storage at a shutdown reactor. The safety issue, or more importantly the perception of safety of spent fuel in wet storage, still varies too much with the eye of the beholder, and until a more rigorous presentation of safety analyses can be made in a regulatory setting, it is not practically useful to argue about how many angels can sit on the head of a safety-related pin. Holtec is prepared to present such analyses, but this does not appear to be the proper venue. Thus, this paper simply looks at certain economic elements of a wet ISFSI at a shutdown reactor to make a prima facie case that wet storage has some attractiveness at a shutdown reactor and should not be rejected out of hand. Indeed, an optimization study at certain plants may well show the economic vitality of keeping some fuel in the pool and converting the NRC licensing coverage from 10CFR50 to 10CFR72. If the economics look attractive, then the safety issue may be confronted with a compelling interest.« less

Picture perfect: benefits and risk of fetal 3D ultrasound.

PubMed

Wiseman, Claudia S; Kiehl, Ermalynn M

2007-01-01

The purpose of this literature review was to survey available information and research related to routine three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound technology in obstetrics, with an emphasis on current medical uses, safety, and availability issues. Several data bases, including Cochrane, WHO, NIH, CINALH, Blackwell Synergy, ERIC, PubMed, and Medline, were used along with information from Internet search engines. Although fetal 3D ultrasound is used in both medical and commercial settings, recent studies focus on its possible uses rather than the more difficult issues of safety and commercial applications. Professional organizations associated with ultrasound technology support limiting ultrasounds in pregnancy to medically necessary events, whereas commercial venues use "direct to consumer" marketing to promote this technology as a way to "see" the baby before it is born. How safe is routine or frequent use of 3D ultrasound? Further research is needed to address these important questions.

Determinants of Workplace Injuries and Violence Among Newly Licensed RNs.

PubMed

Unruh, Lynn; Asi, Yara

2018-06-01

Workplace injuries, such as musculoskeletal injuries, needlestick injuries, and emotional and physical violence, remain an issue in U.S. hospitals. To develop meaningful safety programs, it is important to identify workplace factors that contribute to injuries. This study explored factors that affect injuries in a sample of newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) in Florida. Regressions were run on models in which the dependent variable was the degree to which the respondent had experienced needlesticks, work-related musculoskeletal injuries, cuts or lacerations, contusions, verbal violence, physical violence, and other occupational injuries. A higher probability of these injuries was associated with greater length of employment, working evening or night shifts, working overtime, and reporting job difficulties and pressures. A lower probability was associated with working in a teaching hospital and working more hours. Study findings suggest that work environment issues must be addressed for safety programs to be effective.

INDUSTRIAL/MILITARY ACTIVITY-INITIATED ACCIDENT SCREENING ANALYSIS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D.A. Kalinich

1999-09-27

Impacts due to nearby installations and operations were determined in the Preliminary MGDS Hazards Analysis (CRWMS M&O 1996) to be potentially applicable to the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain. This determination was conservatively based on limited knowledge of the potential activities ongoing on or off the Nevada Test Site (NTS). It is intended that the Industrial/Military Activity-Initiated Accident Screening Analysis provided herein will meet the requirements of the ''Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants'' (NRC 1987) in establishing whether this external event can be screened from further consideration or must be includedmore » as a design basis event (DBE) in the development of accident scenarios for the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR). This analysis only considers issues related to preclosure radiological safety. Issues important to waste isolation as related to impact from nearby installations will be covered in the MGR performance assessment.« less

The Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health: Impact of Science on Regulatory Policy: An Update.

PubMed

Elahi, Merina; Eshera, Noha; Bambata, Nkosazana; Barr, Helen; Lyn-Cook, Beverly; Beitz, Julie; Rios, Maria; Taylor, Deborah R; Lightfoote, Marilyn; Hanafi, Nada; DeJager, Lowri; Wiesenfeld, Paddy; Scott, Pamela E; Fadiran, Emmanuel O; Henderson, Marsha B

2016-03-01

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health (FDA OWH) has supported women's health research for ∼20 years, funding more than 300 studies on women's health issues, including research on diseases/conditions that disproportionately affect women in addition to the evaluation of sex differences in the performance of and response to medical products. These important women's health issues are studied from a regulatory perspective, with a focus on improving and optimizing medical product development and the evaluation of product safety and efficacy in women. These findings have influenced industry direction, labeling, product discontinuation, safety notices, and clinical practice. In addition, OWH-funded research has addressed gaps in the knowledge about diseases and medical conditions that impact women across the life span such as cardiovascular disease, pregnancy, menopause, osteoporosis, and the safe use of numerous medical products.

The Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health: Impact of Science on Regulatory Policy: An Update

PubMed Central

Elahi, Merina; Eshera, Noha; Bambata, Nkosazana; Barr, Helen; Lyn-Cook, Beverly; Beitz, Julie; Rios, Maria; Taylor, Deborah R.; Lightfoote, Marilyn; Hanafi, Nada; DeJager, Lowri; Wiesenfeld, Paddy; Scott, Pamela E.; Henderson, Marsha B.

2016-01-01

Abstract The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health (FDA OWH) has supported women's health research for ∼20 years, funding more than 300 studies on women's health issues, including research on diseases/conditions that disproportionately affect women in addition to the evaluation of sex differences in the performance of and response to medical products. These important women's health issues are studied from a regulatory perspective, with a focus on improving and optimizing medical product development and the evaluation of product safety and efficacy in women. These findings have influenced industry direction, labeling, product discontinuation, safety notices, and clinical practice. In addition, OWH-funded research has addressed gaps in the knowledge about diseases and medical conditions that impact women across the life span such as cardiovascular disease, pregnancy, menopause, osteoporosis, and the safe use of numerous medical products. PMID:26871618

Hospital safety climate surveys: measurement issues.

PubMed

Jackson, Jeanette; Sarac, Cakil; Flin, Rhona

2010-12-01

Organizational safety culture relates to behavioural norms in the workplace and is usually assessed by safety climate surveys. These can be a diagnostic indicator on the state of safety in a hospital. This review examines recent studies using staff surveys of hospital safety climate, focussing on measurement issues. Four questionnaires (hospital survey on patient safety culture, safety attitudes questionnaire, patient safety climate in healthcare organizations, hospital safety climate scale), with acceptable psychometric properties, are now applied across countries and clinical settings. Comparisons for benchmarking must be made with caution in case of questionnaire modifications. Increasing attention is being paid to the unit and hospital level wherein distinct cultures may be located, as well as to associated measurement and study design issues. Predictive validity of safety climate is tested against safety behaviours/outcomes, with some relationships reported, although effects may be specific to professional groups/units. Few studies test the role of intervening variables that could influence the effect of climate on outcomes. Hospital climate studies are becoming a key component of healthcare safety management systems. Large datasets have established more reliable instruments that allow a more focussed investigation of the role of culture in the improvement and maintenance of staff's safety perceptions within units, as well as within hospitals.

Respiratory reviews in asthma 2013.

PubMed

Kim, Tae-Hyung

2014-03-01

From January 2012 up until March 2013, many articles with huge clinical importance in asthma were published based on large numbered clinical trials or meta-analysis. The main subjects of these studies were the new therapeutic plan based on the asthma phenotype or efficacy along with the safety issues regarding the current treatment guidelines. For efficacy and safety issues, inhaled corticosteroid tapering strategy or continued long-acting beta agonists use was the major concern. As new therapeutic trials, monoclonal antibodies or macrolide antibiotics based on inflammatory phenotypes have been under investigation, with promising preliminary results. There were other issues on the disease susceptibility or genetic background of asthma, particularly for the "severe asthma" phenotype. In the era of genome and pharmacogenetics, there have been extensive studies to identify susceptible candidate genes based on the results of genome wide association studies (GWAS). However, for severe asthma, which is where most of the mortality or medical costs develop, it is very unclear. Moreover, there have been some efforts to find important genetic information in order to predict the possible disease progression, but with few significant results up until now. In conclusion, there are new on-going aspects in the phenotypic classification of asthma and therapeutic strategy according to the phenotypic variations. With more pharmacogenomic information and clear identification of the "severe asthma" group even before disease progression from GWAS data, more adequate and individualized therapeutic strategy could be realized in the future.

The role of union democracy in the struggle for workers' health in Mexico.

PubMed

Laurell, A C

1989-01-01

In this article, the author analyzes the struggle for workers' health in Mexico, emphasizing the importance of the general and specific political context. In an overview of the legislation on industrial health and safety, the state institutions involved in the issue, and the characteristics of union organization in Mexico, the author shows that the limited activities related to workers' health have more to do with the relative political weakness of the Mexican working class than with the formal structures of legislation, state institutions, and unions. The second part of the article deals with the four most important struggles for health and safety in Mexico during the last ten years, which show some similarities. These struggles are consistently linked to processes of union democratization and tend to decline when union democracy is lost. The strategies of the companies show a common pattern: removing health issues from collective bargaining and putting them in the hands of state institutions. When workers have opposed this solution, management has used selective repression to solve the conflict. The state institutions subordinate their position to the companies' by postponing action or by doing a technically poor job. Changing the existing situation involves the social legitimation of the workers' health issue, since this would have an impact on the political processes involved, i.e., corporate control over workers, authoritarian labor relations and professionalism, and resources of the state institutions.

Integrated Safety Analysis Tiers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shackelford, Carla; McNairy, Lisa; Wetherholt, Jon

2009-01-01

Commercial partnerships and organizational constraints, combined with complex systems, may lead to division of hazard analysis across organizations. This division could cause important hazards to be overlooked, causes to be missed, controls for a hazard to be incomplete, or verifications to be inefficient. Each organization s team must understand at least one level beyond the interface sufficiently enough to comprehend integrated hazards. This paper will discuss various ways to properly divide analysis among organizations. The Ares I launch vehicle integrated safety analyses effort will be utilized to illustrate an approach that addresses the key issues and concerns arising from multiple analysis responsibilities.

29 CFR 1952.95 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... safety and health issues covered by the South Carolina plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues... Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... Carolina plan under section 18(e) of the Act, effective December 15, 1987, occupational safety and health...

49 CFR 192.933 - What actions must be taken to address integrity issues?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) PIPELINE SAFETY TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL AND OTHER GAS BY PIPELINE: MINIMUM FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS Gas Transmission Pipeline Integrity Management § 192.933 What actions must be taken to address integrity issues? (a...

29 CFR 1952.165 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Iowa plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues which... approval of the Iowa plan under section 18(e) of the Act, effective July 2, 1985, occupational safety and...

29 CFR 1952.165 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Iowa plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues which... approval of the Iowa plan under section 18(e) of the Act, effective July 2, 1985, occupational safety and...

Development of a large truck safety data needs study plan. Vol. 1, Summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-02-01

This report discusses the results of a study to determine the data needs necessary to address truck safety issues and to develop a data collection and analysis plan. Priority truck safety issues that are amenable to truck accident data analyses were ...

Biomedical surveillance: rights conflict with rights.

PubMed

Atherley, G; Johnston, N; Tennassee, M

1986-10-01

Medical screening and biomedical monitoring violate individual rights. Such conflicts of right with right are acted upon synergistically by uncertainty which, in some important respects, increases rather than decreases as a result of research. Issues of rightness and wrongness, ethical issues, arise because the human beings who are subjects of medical screening and biological monitoring often have little or no option whether to be subjected to them. We identify issues of rightness and wrongness of biomedical surveillance for various purposes of occupational health and safety. We distinguish between social validity and scientific validity. We observe that principles are well established for scientific validity, but not for social validity. We support guidelines as a way forward.

The effect of touch-key size on the usability of In-Vehicle Information Systems and driving safety during simulated driving.

PubMed

Kim, Heejin; Kwon, Sunghyuk; Heo, Jiyoon; Lee, Hojin; Chung, Min K

2014-05-01

Investigating the effect of touch-key size on usability of In-Vehicle Information Systems (IVISs) is one of the most important research issues since it is closely related to safety issues besides its usability. This study investigated the effects of the touch-key size of IVISs with respect to safety issues (the standard deviation of lane position, the speed variation, the total glance time, the mean glance time, the mean time between glances, and the mean number of glances) and the usability of IVISs (the task completion time, error rate, subjective preference, and NASA-TLX) through a driving simulation. A total of 30 drivers participated in the task of entering 5-digit numbers with various touch-key sizes while performing simulated driving. The size of the touch-key was 7.5 mm, 12.5 mm, 17.5 mm, 22.5 mm and 27.5 mm, and the speed of driving was set to 0 km/h (stationary state), 50 km/h and 100 km/h. As a result, both the driving safety and the usability of the IVISs increased as the touch-key size increased up to a certain size (17.5 mm in this study), at which they reached asymptotes. We performed Fitts' law analysis of our data, and this revealed that the data from the dual task experiment did not follow Fitts' law. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Biological preservation of plant derived animal feed with antifungal microorganisms: safety and formulation aspects.

PubMed

Melin, Petter; Sundh, Ingvar; Håkansson, Sebastian; Schnürer, Johan

2007-08-01

During storage of moist animal feed, growth of detrimental fungi causing spoilage, or being mycotoxigenic or pathogenic, is a severe problem. Addition of biopreservative yeasts or lactic acid bacteria can significantly reduce this problem. However, their use requires several careful considerations. One is the safety to the animal, humans and the environment, tightly connected to legal aspects and the need for pre-market authorisation when supplementing feed with microorganisms. Although both yeasts and lactic acid bacteria are considered comparatively safe organisms due to low production of toxic metabolites, it is of great importance to understand the mechanisms behind the biopreservative abilities. Another important issue concerns practical aspects, such as the economic production of large amounts of the organisms and the development of a suitable formulation giving the organisms a long shelf life. These aspects are discussed and a recommendation of this review is that both safety and formulation aspects of a specific microbe should be considered at an early stage in the selection of new organisms with biopreservation potential.

Physical design correlates of efficiency and safety in emergency departments: a qualitative examination.

PubMed

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

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore and identify physical design correlates of safety and efficiency in emergency department (ED) operations. This study adopted an exploratory, multimeasure approach to (1) examine the interactions between ED operations and physical design at 4 sites and (2) identify domains of physical design decision-making that potentially influence efficiency and safety. Multidisciplinary gaming and semistructured interviews were conducted with stakeholders at each site. Study data suggest that 16 domains of physical design decisions influence safety, efficiency, or both. These include (1) entrance and patient waiting, (2) traffic management, (3) subwaiting or internal waiting areas, (4) triage, (5) examination/treatment area configuration, (6) examination/treatment area centralization versus decentralization, (7) examination/treatment room standardization, (8) adequate space, (9) nurse work space, (10) physician work space, (11) adjacencies and access, (12) equipment room, (13) psych room, (14) staff de-stressing room, (15) hallway width, and (16) results waiting area. Safety and efficiency from a physical environment perspective in ED design are mutually reinforcing concepts--enhancing efficiency bears positive implications for safety. Furthermore, safety and security emerged as correlated concepts, with security issues bearing implications for safety, thereby suggesting important associations between safety, security, and efficiency.

Workplace bullying in risk and safety professionals.

PubMed

Brewer, Gayle; Holt, Barry; Malik, Shahzeb

2018-02-01

Previous research demonstrates that workplace bullying impacts the welfare of victimized employees, with further consequences for the organization and profession. There is, however, a paucity of information relating to the bullying directed at risk and safety professionals. The present study was conducted to address this issue. Risk and safety professionals (N=420) completed the Negative Acts Questionnaire - Revised and Brief Cope, and reported the extent to which they had been pressured to make or amend a risk or safety based decision. Those experiencing workplace bullying were more likely to engage in a range of coping behaviors, with exposure to work-related and personal bullying particularly influential. Workplace bullying also predicted pressure to make or change a risk or safety based decision. Work related and physically intimidating bullying were particularly important for this aspect of professional practice. Findings are discussed with regard to current practice and the support available to risk and safety professionals. Risk and safety professionals require additional support in relation to workplace bullying and specifically guidance to resist pressure to make or change a risk or safety based decision. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlled versus automatic processes: which is dominant to safety? The moderating effect of inhibitory control.

PubMed

Xu, Yaoshan; Li, Yongjuan; Ding, Weidong; Lu, Fan

2014-01-01

This study explores the precursors of employees' safety behaviors based on a dual-process model, which suggests that human behaviors are determined by both controlled and automatic cognitive processes. Employees' responses to a self-reported survey on safety attitudes capture their controlled cognitive process, while the automatic association concerning safety measured by an Implicit Association Test (IAT) reflects employees' automatic cognitive processes about safety. In addition, this study investigates the moderating effects of inhibition on the relationship between self-reported safety attitude and safety behavior, and that between automatic associations towards safety and safety behavior. The results suggest significant main effects of self-reported safety attitude and automatic association on safety behaviors. Further, the interaction between self-reported safety attitude and inhibition and that between automatic association and inhibition each predict unique variances in safety behavior. Specifically, the safety behaviors of employees with lower level of inhibitory control are influenced more by automatic association, whereas those of employees with higher level of inhibitory control are guided more by self-reported safety attitudes. These results suggest that safety behavior is the joint outcome of both controlled and automatic cognitive processes, and the relative importance of these cognitive processes depends on employees' individual differences in inhibitory control. The implications of these findings for theoretical and practical issues are discussed at the end.

Controlled versus Automatic Processes: Which Is Dominant to Safety? The Moderating Effect of Inhibitory Control

PubMed Central

Xu, Yaoshan; Li, Yongjuan; Ding, Weidong; Lu, Fan

2014-01-01

This study explores the precursors of employees' safety behaviors based on a dual-process model, which suggests that human behaviors are determined by both controlled and automatic cognitive processes. Employees' responses to a self-reported survey on safety attitudes capture their controlled cognitive process, while the automatic association concerning safety measured by an Implicit Association Test (IAT) reflects employees' automatic cognitive processes about safety. In addition, this study investigates the moderating effects of inhibition on the relationship between self-reported safety attitude and safety behavior, and that between automatic associations towards safety and safety behavior. The results suggest significant main effects of self-reported safety attitude and automatic association on safety behaviors. Further, the interaction between self-reported safety attitude and inhibition and that between automatic association and inhibition each predict unique variances in safety behavior. Specifically, the safety behaviors of employees with lower level of inhibitory control are influenced more by automatic association, whereas those of employees with higher level of inhibitory control are guided more by self-reported safety attitudes. These results suggest that safety behavior is the joint outcome of both controlled and automatic cognitive processes, and the relative importance of these cognitive processes depends on employees' individual differences in inhibitory control. The implications of these findings for theoretical and practical issues are discussed at the end. PMID:24520338

Hydrogen Safety Issues Compared to Safety Issues with Methane and Propane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, M. A.

2006-04-01

The hydrogen economy is not possible if the safety standards currently applied to liquid hydrogen and hydrogen gas by many laboratories are applied to devices that use either liquid or gaseous hydrogen. Methane and propane are commonly used by ordinary people without the special training. This report asks, "How is hydrogen different from flammable gasses that are commonly being used all over the world?" This report compares the properties of hydrogen, methane and propane and how these properties may relate to safety when they are used in both the liquid and gaseous state. Through such an analysis, sensible safety standards for the large-scale (or even small-scale) use of liquid and gaseous hydrogen systems can be developed. This paper is meant to promote discussion of issues related to hydrogen safety so that engineers designing equipment can factor sensible safety standards into their designs.

Hydrogen Safety Issues Compared to Safety Issues with Methane andPropane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Green, Michael A.

The hydrogen economy is not possible if the safety standards currently applied to liquid hydrogen and hydrogen gas by many laboratories are applied to devices that use either liquid or gaseous hydrogen. Methane and propane are commonly used by ordinary people without the special training. This report asks, 'How is hydrogen different from flammable gasses that are commonly being used all over the world?' This report compares the properties of hydrogen, methane and propane and how these properties may relate to safety when they are used in both the liquid and gaseous state. Through such an analysis, sensible safety standardsmore » for the large-scale (or even small-scale) use of liquid and gaseous hydrogen systems can be developed. This paper is meant to promote discussion of issues related to hydrogen safety so that engineers designing equipment can factor sensible safety standards into their designs.« less

Pipeline for contraceptive development.

PubMed

Blithe, Diana L

2016-11-01

The high rates of unplanned pregnancy reflect an unmet need for effective contraceptive methods for women, especially for individuals with health risks such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other conditions that may contraindicate use of an estrogen-containing product. Improvements in safety, user convenience, acceptability, and availability of products remain important goals of the contraceptive development program. Another important goal is to minimize the impact of the products on the environment. Development of new methods for male contraception has the potential to address many of these issues of safety for women who have contraindications to effective contraceptive methods but want to protect against pregnancy. It would also address a huge unmet need for men who want to control their fertility. Products under development for men would not introduce ecotoxic hormones into the water system. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Attitudes of Policy Makers in Hawaii toward Public Health and Related Issues before and after an Economic Recession in the United States.

PubMed

Maddock, Jay E; McGurk, Meghan; Lee, Thomas

2015-01-01

Legislation and regulation at the state and local level can often have a greater impact on the public's health than individual-based approaches. Elected and appointed officials have an essential role in protecting and improving public health. Despite this important role, little systematic research has been done to assess the relative importance of public health issues compared to other policy issues in times of economic hardship. This study assessed attitudes of elected and appointed decision makers in Hawaii in 2007 and 2013 to determine if priorities differed before and after the economic recession. Elected and appointed state and county officials were mailed surveys at both time points. Respondents rated the importance of 23 specified problems, of which 9 asked about specific public health issues. The survey was completed by 126 (70.4%) respondents in 2007 and 117 (60.9%) in 2013. Among the public health issues, five saw significant mean decreases. These variables included climate change, pedestrian safety, government response to natural disasters, access to healthcare, and pandemic influenza. Obesity was the only public health issue to increase in importance across the two time points. In terms of relative ranking across the time points, only drug abuse and obesity were among the top 10 priorities. Lack of public health training, pandemic influenza, and government response to natural disasters were among the bottom five priorities. After the economic recession, many public health issues have a lower priority among Hawaii's policy makers than before the downturn. Additional education and advocacy is needed to keep public health issues on the minds of decision makers during tough economic times.

Tank waste remediation system nuclear criticality safety program management review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BRADY RAAP, M.C.

1999-06-24

This document provides the results of an internal management review of the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) criticality safety program, performed in advance of the DOE/RL assessment for closure of the TWRS Nuclear Criticality Safety Issue, March 1994. Resolution of the safety issue was identified as Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-40-12, due September 1999.

Changing conversations: teaching safety and quality in residency training.

PubMed

Voss, John D; May, Natalie B; Schorling, John B; Lyman, Jason A; Schectman, Joel M; Wolf, Andrew M D; Nadkarni, Mohan M; Plews-Ogan, Margaret

2008-11-01

Improving patient safety and quality in health care is one of medicine's most pressing challenges. Residency training programs have a unique opportunity to meet this challenge by training physicians in the science and methods of patient safety and quality improvement (QI).With support from the Health Resources and Services Administration, the authors developed an innovative, longitudinal, experiential curriculum in patient safety and QI for internal medicine residents at the University of Virginia. This two-year curriculum teaches the critical concepts and skills of patient safety and QI: systems thinking and human factors analysis, root cause analysis (RCA), and process mapping. Residents apply these skills in a series of QI and patient safety projects. The constructivist educational model creates a learning environment that actively engages residents in improving the quality and safety of their medical practice.Between 2003 and 2005, 38 residents completed RCAs of adverse events. The RCAs identified causes and proposed useful interventions that have produced important care improvements. Qualitative analysis demonstrates that the curriculum shifted residents' thinking about patient safety to a systems-based approach. Residents completed 237 outcome assessments during three years. Results indicate that seminars met predefined learning objectives and were interactive and enjoyable. Residents strongly believe they gained important skills in all domains.The challenge to improve quality and safety in health care requires physicians to learn new knowledge and skills. Graduate medical education can equip new physicians with the skills necessary to lead the movement to safer and better quality of care for all patients.This article is part of a theme issue of Academic Medicine on the Title VII health professions training programs.

Autonomy Software: V&V Challenges and Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schumann, Johann; Visser, Willem

2006-01-01

The successful operation of unmanned air vehicles requires software with a high degree of autonomy. Only if high level functions can be carried out without human control and intervention, complex missions in a changing and potentially unknown environment can be carried out successfully. Autonomy software is highly mission and safety critical: failures, caused by flaws in the software cannot only jeopardize the mission, but could also endanger human life (e.g., a crash of an UAV in a densely populated area). Due to its large size, high complexity, and use of specialized algorithms (planner, constraint-solver, etc.), autonomy software poses specific challenges for its verification, validation, and certification. -- - we have carried out a survey among researchers aid scientists at NASA to study these issues. In this paper, we will present major results of this study, discussing the broad spectrum. of notions and characteristics of autonomy software and its challenges for design and development. A main focus of this survey was to evaluate verification and validation (V&V) issues and challenges, compared to the development of "traditional" safety-critical software. We will discuss important issues in V&V of autonomous software and advanced V&V tools which can help to mitigate software risks. Results of this survey will help to identify and understand safety concerns in autonomy software and will lead to improved strategies for mitigation of these risks.

Methodological approaches to evaluate the impact of FDA drug safety communications.

PubMed

Kesselheim, Aaron S; Campbell, Eric G; Schneeweiss, Sebastian; Rausch, Paula; Lappin, Brian M; Zhou, Esther H; Seeger, John D; Brownstein, John S; Woloshin, Steven; Schwartz, Lisa M; Toomey, Timothy; Dal Pan, Gerald J; Avorn, Jerry

2015-06-01

When the US FDA approves a new prescription drug there is still a great deal remaining to be learned about the safe and proper use of that product. When new information addressing these topics emerges post-approval, the FDA may issue a Drug Safety Communication (DSC) to alert patients and physicians. The effectiveness of the communication-how drug safety messaging conveyed in FDA DSCs changes patient or prescriber behavior-may depend on multiple factors, including the way physicians and patients learn about the information, their understanding of the issues conveyed, and their perception of the importance of the information. In 2013, the FDA issued two DSCs addressing critical new warnings related to products containing the sedative/hypnotic zolpidem. In this article, we describe a core set of research initiatives that can be used to study how zolpidem-related DSCs affected subsequent physician and patient decision making. These research initiatives include analyzing drug utilization patterns and related health outcomes; comparing zolpidem-containing products against a comparator with similar indications [eszopiclone (Lunesta)] not covered by the 2013 DSCs; and surveying patients and qualitatively evaluating the dissemination of information regarding these drugs in traditional and social-media channels. Using an integrated, multidisciplinary approach, we can obtain information that can be used to optimize regulatory communications by seeking to understand the impact of the information contained in FDA risk communications.

75 FR 45697 - Safety Advisory Notice: Personal Electronic Device Related Distractions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-03

... the Federal safety authority for the transportation of hazardous materials by air, rail, highway, and... transportation of hazardous materials. In light of PHMSA's vital safety mission, we issue this advisory bulletin... hazardous materials transportation. Issued in Washington, DC, on July 27, 2010. Magdy El-Sibaie, Associate...

Workplace Health and Safety.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massachusetts Career Development Inst., Springfield.

This booklet is one of six texts from a workplace literacy curriculum designed to assist learners in facing the increased demands of the workplace. It is a short guide to workplace health and safety issues, laws, and regulations, especially in Massachusetts. Topics covered include the following: (1) safety issues--workplace ergonomics, the…

Safety issues with herbal products.

PubMed

Marrone, C M

1999-12-01

To review safety issues associated with the use of herbal products. Literature accessed through MEDLINE and other Internet search engines. Key search terms included herbs, dietary supplements, and safety. A misconception exists among consumers that herbal remedies are safe because they are natural. In an effort to provide healthcare practitioners with information necessary for a patient discussion, a review of safety concerns with herbal products was conducted. Several safety concerns exist with herbal products including lack of safety data, absence of quality-control requirements for potency and purity, and lenient labeling standards.

International perspectives on food safety and regulations - a need for harmonized regulations: perspectives in China.

PubMed

Liu, Xiumei

2014-08-01

Food safety is a major livelihood issue and a priority concern in China. Since the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China was issued in 2009, the food safety control system has been strengthened through, inter alia, the Food Safety Risk Surveillance System, the Food Safety Risk Assessment System and the Food Safety Standards System. In accordance with the Food Safety Law and regulations for implementation, the Ministry of Health released the 'Twelfth Five-year Plan' of Food Safety Standards. The existing 5000 food-related standards will be integrated. Notwithstanding, the supervision system in China needs to be further improved and strengthened. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Student internships with unions and workers: building the occupational health and safety movement.

PubMed

Bateson, Gail

2013-01-01

One of the most successful programs to recruit young professionals to the occupational safety and health field was launched more than 35 years ago, in 1976. Created by the Montefiore Medical Center's Department of Social Medicine collaborating with Tony Mazzocchi of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union (OCAW), it placed medical, nursing, and public health students in summer internships with local unions to identify and solve health and safety problems in the workplace. The experience of working with and learning from workers about the complex interactions of political, economic, and scientific-technological issues surrounding workplace conditions inspired many students to enter and stay in our field. Many former interns went on to make important medical and scientific contributions directly linked to their union-based projects. Former interns are now among the leaders within the occupational health and safety community, holding key positions in leading academic institutions and governmental agencies.

Fatalism and its implications for risky road use and receptiveness to safety messages: a qualitative investigation in Pakistan.

PubMed

Kayani, A; King, M J; Fleiter, J J

2012-12-01

Given the increasing vehicle numbers and expanding road construction in developing countries, the importance of safe road user behaviour is critical. Road traffic crashes (RTCs) are a significant problem in Pakistan; however, the factors that contribute to RTCs in Pakistan are not well researched. Fatalistic beliefs are a potential barrier to the enhancement of road safety, especially participation in health-promoting and injury prevention behaviours, and also contribute to risk taking. Fatalistic beliefs relating to road safety have been found in some developing countries, although research is scarce and indicates that the nature and extent of fatalism differs in each country. Qualitative research was undertaken with a range of drivers, religious orators, police and policy makers to explore associations between fatalism, risky road use and associated issues. Findings indicate that fatalistic beliefs are pervasive in Pakistan, are strongly linked with religion, present a likely barrier to road safety messages and contribute to risky road use. Fatalism appears to be a default attribution of RTC and the intensity of belief in fate surpasses the kinds of fatalism noted in the limited existing literature. These findings have importance to developing road safety countermeasures in countries where fatalistic beliefs are strong.

Food safety issues associated with products from aquaculture. Report of a Joint FAO/NACA/WHO Study Group.

PubMed

1999-01-01

The past decade has seen rapid expansion in aquaculture production. In the fisheries sector, as in animal production, farming is replacing hunting as the primary food production strategy. In future, farmed fish will be an even more important source of protein foods than they are today, and the safety for human consumption of products from aquaculture is of public health significance. This is the report of a Study Group that considered food safety issues associated with farmed finfish and crustaceans. The principal conclusion was that an integrated approach--involving close collaboration between the aquaculture, agriculture, food safety, health and education sectors--is needed to identify and control hazards associated with products from aquaculture. Food safety assurance should be included in fish farm management and form an integral part of the farm-to-table food safety continuum. Where appropriate, measures should be based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) methods; however, difficulties in applying HACCP principles to small-scale farming systems were recognized. Food safety hazards associated with products from aquaculture differ according to region, habitat and environmental conditions, as well as methods of production and management. Lack of awareness of hazards can hinder risk assessment and the application of risk management strategies to aquaculture production, and education is therefore needed. Chemical and biological hazards that should to be taken into account in public health policies concerning products from aquaculture are discussed in this report, which should be of use to policy-makers and public health officials. The report will also assist fish farmers to identify hazards and develop appropriate hazard-control strategies.

School Safety Concerns All Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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)

Emerging food safety issues: An EU perspective.

PubMed

McEvoy, John D G

2016-05-01

Safe food is the right of every citizen of the European Union (EU). A comprehensive and dynamic framework of food and feed safety legislation has been put in place and the EU's executive arm - the European Commission - is responsible for ensuring that the EU member states apply food law consistently. Similarly, the Commission plays an important role in ensuring that imported food meets the EU's stringent food safety standards. Consumer perceptions of unsafe food tend to focus on acute outbreaks of bacterial or viral origin. In recent years there have been a number of diverse food crises associated with fraudulent activity which may (e.g. melamine in dairy products in China) or may not (e.g. the horse meat scandal in the EU) represent a genuine food safety risk. Well publicized incidents of chronic exposure to chemical contamination in the EU (e.g. dioxins in meat and mycotoxins in nuts) have required robust coordinated policy responses from the Commission. Despite the decreasing incidence of non-compliant residues of veterinary medicinal products and banned substances in animal products, EU consumers are increasingly concerned about the use of such products in food-producing animals, including in the context of the build-up of antimicrobial resistance in animals and transfer to humans. The Commission plays a key role in coordination of the EU member states' responses to such incidents, in risk management, and in preparation for emerging issues. This paper focuses on how the EU as a whole has dealt with a number of food crises, and what can be learned from past incidents. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Principles of Safety Pharmacology

PubMed Central

Pugsley, M K; Authier, S; Curtis, M J

2008-01-01

Safety Pharmacology is a rapidly developing discipline that uses the basic principles of pharmacology in a regulatory-driven process to generate data to inform risk/benefit assessment. The aim of Safety Pharmacology is to characterize the pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic (PK/PD) relationship of a drug's adverse effects using continuously evolving methodology. Unlike toxicology, Safety Pharmacology includes within its remit a regulatory requirement to predict the risk of rare lethal events. This gives Safety Pharmacology its unique character. The key issues for Safety Pharmacology are detection of an adverse effect liability, projection of the data into safety margin calculation and finally clinical safety monitoring. This article sets out to explain the drivers for Safety Pharmacology so that the wider pharmacology community is better placed to understand the discipline. It concludes with a summary of principles that may help inform future resolution of unmet needs (especially establishing model validation for accurate risk assessment). Subsequent articles in this issue of the journal address specific aspects of Safety Pharmacology to explore the issues of model choice, the burden of proof and to highlight areas of intensive activity (such as testing for drug-induced rare event liability, and the challenge of testing the safety of so-called biologics (antibodies, gene therapy and so on.). PMID:18604233

Refugee settlement workers' perspectives on home safety issues for people from refugee backgrounds.

PubMed

Campbell, Emma Jean; Turpin, Merrill June

2010-12-01

Refugees experience higher levels of emotional, psychological and physical distress than the general migrant population during settlement in a new country. Safety in the home can be a major concern and is an issue of which occupational therapists should be aware. Occupational therapists working with refugees in many contexts feel unprepared and overwhelmed. As refugee settlement workers attend to home safety of refugees during the settlement process, this study aimed to develop an in-depth understanding of their perceptions of this issue. Such information can contribute to occupational therapists' knowledge and practice when working with refugees. An exploratory qualitative case study approach used 16 semi-structured interviews and observation of a settlement worker assisting newly arrived refugees. Participants were settlement service staff (an occupational therapist, case coordinators and cultural support workers). Three themes are reported: considerations for safety in the homes of refugees; factors influencing home safety for refugees; and sensitivity to culture. Participants described tailoring home safety-related services to each individual based on factors that influence home safety and sensitivity to culture. Awareness of home safety issues can increase cultural competence and inform practice and policy. © 2010 The Authors. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2010 Australian Association of Occupational Therapists.

Occupational safety and health management among five ASEAN countries: Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore.

PubMed

Buranatrevedh, Surasak

2015-03-01

Occupational safety and health is one of important issues for workforce movement among ASEAN countries. The objective was to study laws, main agencies, and law enforcement regarding occupational safety and health in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore. This documentary research covered laws, main agencies' duties, and occupational safety and health law enforcement in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore. Thailand has its Occupational Safety, Health, and Work EnvironmentAct 2011. Its main agency was Department of Labor Protection and Welfare. Indonesia had WorkSafety Act (Law No. 1, 1970). Its main agency was Department of Manpower and Transmigration. Malaysia had Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994. Its main agency is the Department of Occupational Safety and Health. The Philippines has its Occupational Safety and Health Standards. Its main agency was Department ofLabor and Employment. Singapore has its Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006. Its main agency is Occupational Safety and Health Division. Occupational safety and health law enforcement among each county covers work environment surveillance, workers' health surveillance, advice about prevention and control of occupational health hazards, training and education of employers and employees, data systems, and research. Further in-depth surveys of occupational safety and health among each ASEAN county are needed to develop frameworks for occupational safety and health management for all ASEAN countries.

Laser hazards and safety in the military environment. Lecture series

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Lecture Series is intended to provide an understanding of the safety problems associated with the military use of lasers. The most important hazard is the inadvertent irradiation of the eye and so the series will include contributions from the physical and biological sciences, as well as from ophthalmologists. Those involved with laser safety come from many backgrounds -- from physics to engineering and from vision physiology to clinical ophthalmology and it is essential that each understands the contribution of the other. The lectures include an introductory part and from this, the more advanced aspects of each subject are covered,more » leading to the issues involved in the design of safety codes and the control of laser hazards. The final session deals with medical surveillance of laser personnel. The Series is of value to both military and civilian personnel involved with safety, whether they are concerned with land, sea or airborne laser systems. (GRA)« less

The US Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997: impact on consumers.

PubMed

Golodner, L F

1998-01-01

This paper provides a consumer's perspective on an important issue that has a profound impact on all of us: the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act of 1997. In addition, it provides some background information on the National Consumers League, an organization that promotes consumer safety and protection with the FDA and its predecessors.

A combined intervention to reduce interruptions during medication preparation and double-checking: a pilot-study evaluating the impact of staff training and safety vests.

PubMed

Huckels-Baumgart, Saskia; Niederberger, Milena; Manser, Tanja; Meier, Christoph R; Meyer-Massetti, Carla

2017-10-01

The aim was to evaluate the impact of staff training and wearing safety vests as a combined intervention on interruptions during medication preparation and double-checking. Interruptions and errors during the medication process are common and an important issue for patient safety in the hospital setting. We performed a pre- and post-intervention pilot-study using direct structured observation of 26 nurses preparing and double-checking 431 medication doses (225 pre-intervention and 206 post-intervention) for 36 patients (21 pre-intervention and 15 post-intervention). With staff training and the introduction of safety vests, the interruption rate during medication preparation was reduced from 36.8 to 28.3 interruptions per hour and during double-checking from 27.5 to 15 interruptions per hour. This pilot-study showed that the frequency of interruptions decreased during the critical tasks of medication preparation and double-checking after the introduction of staff training and wearing safety vests as part of a quality improvement process. Nursing management should acknowledge interruptions as an important factor potentially influencing medication safety. Unnecessary interruptions can be successfully reduced by considering human and system factors and increasing both staff and nursing managers' awareness of 'interruptive communication practices' and implementing physical barriers. This is the first pilot-study specifically evaluating the impact of staff training and wearing safety vests on the reduction of interruptions during medication preparation and double-checking. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Trends in technology, trade and consumption likely to impact on microbial food safety.

PubMed

Quested, T E; Cook, P E; Gorris, L G M; Cole, M B

2010-05-30

Current and potential future trends in technology, consumption and trade of food that may impact on food-borne disease are analysed and the key driving factors identified focusing on the European Union and, to a lesser extent, accounting for the United States and global issues. Understanding of factors is developed using system-based methods and their impact is discussed in relation to current events and predictions of future trends. These factors come from a wide range of spheres relevant to food and include political, economic, social, technological, regulatory and environmental drivers. The degree of certainty in assessing the impact of important driving factors is considered in relation to food-borne disease. The most important factors driving an increase in the burden of food-borne disease in the next few decades were found to be the anticipated doubling of the global demand for food and of the international trade in food next to a significantly increased consumption of certain high-value food commodities such as meat and poultry and fresh produce. A less important factor potentially increasing the food-borne disease burden would be the increased demand for convenience foods. Factors that may contribute to a reduction in the food-borne disease burden were identified as the ability of governments around the world to take effective regulatory measures as well as the development and use of new food safety technologies and detection methods. The most important factor in reducing the burden of food-borne disease was identified as our ability to first detect and investigate a food safety issue and then to develop effective control measures. Given the global scale of impact on food safety that current and potentially future trends have, either by potentially increasing or decreasing the food-borne disease burden, it is concluded that a key role is fulfilled by intergovernmental organisations and by international standard setting bodies in coordinating the establishment and rolling-out of effective measures that, on balance, help ensure long-term consumer protection and fair international trade. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A web-based tool for the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP).

PubMed

Pronovost, Peter J; King, Jay; Holzmueller, Christine G; Sawyer, Melinda; Bivens, Shauna; Michael, Michelle; Haig, Kathy; Paine, Lori; Moore, Dana; Miller, Marlene

2006-03-01

An organization's ability to change is driven by its culture, which in turn has a significant impact on safety. The six-step Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program (CUSP) is intended to improve local culture and safety. A Web-based project management tool for CUSP was developed and then pilot tested at two hospitals. HOW ECUSP WORKS: Once a patient safety concern is identified (step 3), a unit-level interdisciplinary safety committee determines issue criticality and starts up the projects (step 4), which are managed using project management tools within eCUSP (step 5). On a project's completion, the results are disseminated through a shared story (step 6). OSF St. Joseph's Medical Center-The Medical Birthing Center (Bloomington, Illinois), identified 11 safety issues, implemented 11 projects, and created 9 shared stories--including one for its Armband Project. The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore) Medical Progressive Care (MPC4) Unit identified 5 safety issues and implemented 4 ongoing projects, including the intravenous (IV) Tubing Compliance Project. The eCUSP tool's success depends on an organizational commitment to creating a culture of safety.

Non-English Speaking Background Workers' Literacies--a Health and Safety Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyatt-Smith, Claire; Castleton, Geraldine

1995-01-01

Summarizes the experiences of workers from non-English-speaking backgrounds (NESB) in accessing safety information. The article examines the issue through the workers' eyes and focuses on the potential relationships between language and literacy and workplace health and safety and a concern for the reasons why some NESB workers are losers in…

29 CFR 1952.240 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues as defined by the Secretary of Labor in § 1902.2(c)(1) of this chapter... standards and issue rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of the safety and health law. (d... Section 1952.240 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH...

29 CFR 1952.240 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues as defined by the Secretary of Labor in § 1902.2(c)(1) of this chapter... standards and issue rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of the safety and health law. (d... Section 1952.240 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH...

75 FR 33162 - Airworthiness Directives; Microturbo Saphir 20 Model 095 Auxiliary Power Units (APUs)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-11

... information (MCAI) issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to identify and correct an unsafe... States Code specifies the FAA's authority to issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106... the AD docket. List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety...

Space station crew safety: Human factors interaction model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, M. M.; Junge, M. K.

1985-01-01

A model of the various human factors issues and interactions that might affect crew safety is developed. The first step addressed systematically the central question: How is this space station different from all other spacecraft? A wide range of possible issue was identified and researched. Five major topics of human factors issues that interacted with crew safety resulted: Protocols, Critical Habitability, Work Related Issues, Crew Incapacitation and Personal Choice. Second, an interaction model was developed that would show some degree of cause and effect between objective environmental or operational conditions and the creation of potential safety hazards. The intermediary steps between these two extremes of causality were the effects on human performance and the results of degraded performance. The model contains three milestones: stressor, human performance (degraded) and safety hazard threshold. Between these milestones are two countermeasure intervention points. The first opportunity for intervention is the countermeasure against stress. If this countermeasure fails, performance degrades. The second opportunity for intervention is the countermeasure against error. If this second countermeasure fails, the threshold of a potential safety hazard may be crossed.

Food safety in Vietnam: where we are at and what we can learn from international experiences.

PubMed

Nguyen-Viet, Hung; Tuyet-Hanh, Tran Thi; Unger, Fred; Dang-Xuan, Sinh; Grace, Delia

2017-02-16

Food-borne diseases are attracting a lot of attention in Vietnam as a result of repeated episodes of adulterated and unsafe food. In this paper, we provide some perspectives on food safety in Vietnam from the point of view of an international research institution working on food safety with partners in the country. We argue that one of the key issues of food safety in Vietnam is that certain food value chain stakeholders lack ethics, which leads to the production and trading of unsafe foods in order to make profits irrespective of adverse health effects on consumers. In turn, the shortfall in ethical behaviours around food can be attributed to a lack of incentives or motivating factors.Although food safety causes panic in the population, it is unclear how much contaminated food contributes to the burden of food-borne diseases and food poisonings in Vietnam. However, globally, the biggest health problem associated with food are infections from consuming food contaminated with viruses, bacteria or parasites. A major food safety challenge is the inappropriate way of communicating food risks to the public. Another key constraint is the inherent difficulty in managing food in wet markets and from smallholder production. On the other hand, local foods, and local food production and processing are an important cultural asset as well as being essential to food safety, and these aspects can be put at risk if food safety concerns motivate consumers to purchase more imported foods.In this paper, we also discuss good experiences in food safety management from other countries and draw lessons learnt for Vietnam on how to better deal with the current food safety situation.

The perception of the patient safety climate by professionals of the emergency department.

PubMed

Rigobello, Mayara Carvalho Godinho; Carvalho, Rhanna Emanuela Fontenele Lima de; Guerreiro, Juliana Magalhães; Motta, Ana Paula Gobbo; Atila, Elizabeth; Gimenes, Fernanda Raphael Escobar

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to assess the patient safety climate from the perspective of healthcare professionals working in the emergency department of a hospital in Brazil. Emergency departments are complex and dynamic environments. They are prone to adverse events that compromise the quality of care provided and reveal the importance of patient safety culture and climate. This was a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) - Short Form 2006 was used for data collection, validated and adapted into Portuguese. The study sample consisted of 125 participants. Most of the participants were female (57.6%) and had worked in emergency department for more than 10years (56.8%). Sixty-two participants (49.6%) were nursing professionals. The participants demonstrated satisfaction with their jobs and dissatisfaction with the actions of management with regard to safety issues. Participants' perceptions about the patient safety climate were found to be negative. Knowledge of professionals' perceptions of patient safety climate in the context of emergency care helps with assessments of the safety culture, contributes to improvement of health care, reduces adverse events, and can focus efforts to improve the quality of care provided to patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Managing the transcription revolution. Industry forces shape future of field.

PubMed

Faulkner, Scott D

2003-01-01

You may be struggling with contract issues with a vendor. Or maybe you're contemplating the pros and cons of working with outsource, at-home, or overseas transcriptionists. It's a fact: if transcription processes aren't working efficiently, the entire HIM department may be adversely affected. Factor in additional concerns such as data capture for electronic health records, compliance, and patient safety, and the importance of ensuring quality and cost-efficient transcription becomes even more apparent. To help you answer some of these questions, the Journal of AHIMA is launching a four-part series dedicated to transcription issues from the HIM professional's point of view. In this issue, we begin with MTIA president Scott Faulkner's overview of the industry and where it's going next. In upcoming issues, other experts will look at controlling cost and monitoring quality, navigating new technologies, and dealing with contract-related issues.

Social and Economic Concern of Supply Chain Sustainability (SCS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faiz Mokhtar, Mohd; Omar, Badrul; Hisyamudin Muhd Nor, Nik; Fazlinda Mohd Pauzi, Nur; Hassan, Sulaiman; Mohamed, W. A. Wan

2016-11-01

Sustainability issues will provide impact on the environment, social and economy. The importance of these three aspects of sustainability must be look at in tandem. Some issues of these three pillars getting more attention by companies since they are more interested to identify issues that may affect performances related to their people or profit. Through CSRs report released by various international companies, this paper identified the value which companies place for social and economic sustainability. Result shows that human right and, occupational and safety have highest concern by companies while Product Utilities is less concern from other social issues. From an economic aspect, sales and net profit are the most influencing factors of sustainability while the raw material cost is shown as of the least concern. Based on the results, companies should consider the issues on social and economic aspects following these priorities.

Composition, labelling, and safety of food supplements based on bee products in the legislative framework of the European Union - Croatian experiences.

PubMed

Vujić, Mario; Pollak, Lea

2015-12-01

The European Union market is overflown by food supplements and an increasing number of consumers prefer those where bee products play an important part in their composition. This paper deals with complex European Union legislation concerning food supplements based on bee products, placing a special emphasis on their composition, labelling, and safety. Correct labelling of food supplements also represents a great challenge since, in spite of legal regulations in force, there are still open issues regarding the statements on the amount of propolis, which is not clearly defined by the legal framework. One of the key issues are the labels containing health claims from the EU positive list approved by the European Food Safety Authority. Emphasis will also be placed on informing consumers about food, as statements which imply the healing properties of food supplements and their capacity to cure diseases are forbidden. One of the key elements of product safety is HACCP based on the EU Regulations EC 178/02 and 852/2004. Health safety analyses of food supplements with bee products used as raw materials, which are standardised by legal regulations will also be discussed. In the future, attention should also be paid to establishing the European Union "nutrivigilance" system. Croatian experiences in addressing challenges faced by producers, supervisory entities, and regulatory and inspection bodies may serve as an example to countries aspiring to become part of the large European family.

Regulations as Prevention Strategies for Shiftwork Problems.

PubMed

Jeppesen; Bøggild; Larsen

1997-07-01

The study examines how the Danish system of regulations stemming from collective agreements and legislation and its associated participatory structures operate at the local level in relation to shiftwork and health and safety issues in a regional hospital system consisting of seven hospitals. The study analyzed ward reports of each employee's employment and working hours, local agreements about working time for deviations from legislation, and accounts from meetings in Co-operation Committees and Health and Safety Committees with respect to shiftwork issues from 1980 to 1994. The results showed that part-time employment, especially for those working on fixed evening and night shifts, was a dominant feature in the shiftwork arrangements. A majority of wards were found to have mixtures of employees working rotating or fixed shifts. Each hospital had local agreements that extended the number of work days between periods with days off and reduced the daily resting period to its minimum. None of the meetings of the Health and Safety Committees dealt with shiftwork, and when shiftwork and working time were on the agendas of the Co-operation Committees, health and safety aspects did not feature in the conclusions. The absence of consideration of health and safety aspects is discussed in relation to the uncertainty of the general regulatory principles for work organization and scheduling. The paper concludes that in order to utilize the potential af the participatory structures in developing prevention strategies for shiftwork problems, it is important to clarify responsibilities and cooperation between the two participatory committees.

Threats to patient safety in telenursing as revealed in Swedish telenurses' reflections on their dialogues.

PubMed

Röing, Marta; Rosenqvist, Urban; Holmström, Inger K

2013-12-01

Telenursing is a rapidly expanding actor in the Swedish healthcare system, as in other Western nations. Although rare, tragic events occur within this context, and are reminders of the importance of giving patient safety the highest priority. As telenurses' main sources of information are their dialogues with the callers, the provision of safe care can depend on the quality of this dialogue. The aim of this study was to identify issues that could threaten patient safety in telenurses' dialogues with callers. As part of an educational intervention, a researcher visited a sample of six telenurses five to six times at their workplace to listen to and discuss, together with the telenurses, their dialogues with callers in stimulated recall sessions. Each call and the following discussion between researcher and telenurse was tape-recorded and transcribed as text, resulting in a total of 121 calls. Qualitative content analysis of the reflections and following discussions revealed that threats to patient safety could be related to the surrounding society, to the organisation of telenursing, to the telenurse and to the caller. This study gives insight into significant problem areas that can affect patient safety in telenursing in Sweden. Issues that need to be focused on in telenursing educational programmes and future research are suggested, as well as the need for organisational development. © 2012 The Authors Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

FAA Airport Design Competition for Universities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandy, Mary

2008-01-01

Raise awareness of the importance of airports to the National Airspace System infrastructure. Increase the involvement of the academic community in addressing airport operations and infrastructure issues and needs. Engage U.S. students in the conceptualization of applications, systems and equipment capable of addressing related challenges in a robust, reliable and comprehensive manner. Encourage U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to contribute innovative ideas and solutions to airport and runway safety issues. Provide the framework and incentives for quality educational experiences for university students. d Develop an awareness of and an interest in airports as a vital and interesting area for engineering and technology careers.

Nuclear energy.

PubMed

Grandin, Karl; Jagers, Peter; Kullander, Sven

2010-01-01

Nuclear energy can play a role in carbon free production of electrical energy, thus making it interesting for tomorrow's energy mix. However, several issues have to be addressed. In fission technology, the design of so-called fourth generation reactors show great promise, in particular in addressing materials efficiency and safety issues. If successfully developed, such reactors may have an important and sustainable part in future energy production. Working fusion reactors may be even more materials efficient and environmental friendly, but also need more development and research. The roadmap for development of fourth generation fission and fusion reactors, therefore, asks for attention and research in these fields must be strengthened.

The ethics and economics of consuming Canadian drugs.

PubMed

Seaman, Rachel M H

2005-01-01

Many U.S. citizens are unable to afford prescription medication in their own country, so they purchase them from Canadian pharmacies. This paper examines the ethics of importing drugs from Canada, including economic implications and how physicians should respond to this dilemma. The four basic principles of ethics are balanced by examining financial incentives, current Canadian and U.S. law, safety issues, the burden of research and development, the impact on Canadian physicians, and issues of liability. The paper concludes that the principle of autonomy permits individuals to cross the border and purchase drugs for personal use; however, nonmaleficence prohibits the purchase of these drugs through third parties. In addition, the U.S. government has special obligations to justice and beneficence and may not ethically sponsor the importation of Canadian drugs. Finally, the paper shows that U.S. doctors must not recommend importation on the basis of beneficence and autonomy.

Providers' lack of knowledge about herpes zoster in HIV-infected patients is among barriers to herpes zoster vaccination.

PubMed

Aziz, M; Kessler, H; Huhn, G

2013-06-01

Identification of perceptions about herpes zoster (HZ) disease, vaccine effectiveness and safety, and vaccine recommendations may impact immunization practices of physicians for HIV-infected patients. A survey was used to quantify knowledge of HZ as well as determine physician immunization perceptions and practices. There were 272/1700 respondents (16%). Correct answers for the incidence of varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in adults and incidence of HZ in HIV-infected patients were recorded by 14% and 10% of providers, respectively. Providers reported poor knowledge of the incidence of disease recurrence in HIV-infected patients (41% correct), potency of HZ vaccine (47.5% correct) and mechanism of protection against reactivation of VZV (66% correct). Most (88%) agreed that HZ was a serious disease, and 73% believed that the burden of disease made vaccination important. A majority (75%) did not vaccinate HIV patients with HZ vaccine regardless of antiretroviral therapy status. Barriers to administration included safety concerns, concern that vaccine would not prevent HZ, risk of HZ dissemination, reimbursement issues and lack of Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines. Only 38% of providers agreed that CDC guidelines were clear and 50% believed that clinical trials were needed prior to use of HZ vaccine in HIV-infected patients. Education about HZ is needed among HIV providers. Providers perceived vaccination as important, but data on vaccine safety and clear guidance from the CDC on this issue are lacking.

Side effects as influencers of treatment outcome.

PubMed

Sharif, Zafar

2008-01-01

Research relative to the efficacy of a therapeutic agent commands a clinician's greatest interest, but treatment decisions are made based on optimizing efficacy and tolerability/safety considerations. Second-generation atypical antipsychotic drugs are a study in the importance of taking a careful look at the full benefit-risk profile of each drug. The disorders that atypical antipsychotics are approved to treat--schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder--are associated with an increased rate of certain medical comorbidities compared to the general population. Between-drug differences in efficacy are relatively modest for the atypicals, or between atypicals and conventionals, while differences in safety and tolerability are larger and more clinically relevant. The current article will provide a brief summary of safety-related issues that influence treatment outcome and choice of drug.

[Nursing students' point of view on biosecurity and patient safety].

PubMed

Cararro, Telma Elisa; Gelbcke, Francine Lima; Sebold, Luciara Fabiane; Kempfer, Silvana Silveira; Zapelini, Maria Christina; Waterkemper, Roberta

2012-09-01

This study is aimed at identifying the knowledge of nursing students about the subject area of patient safety and its relationship with the teaching of biosecurity. Exploratory qualitative study conducted at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Federal University of Santa Catarina), with 17 students in the third phase of the Undergraduate Nursing Program. Three categories emerged after an exhaustive reading of the responses caring for self and others; biosecurity and care for the environment; biosecurity: health education and continuing education in health services. The following issues were identified, students' concern about risk prevention, care and self care as prerogatives for patient's safety; and education as a proposal for the minimization of risks. The study of biosecurity is considered important in undergraduate studies, minimizing losses and mistakes in the undergraduate students' conduct.

Study of structural reliability of existing concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Druķis, P.; Gaile, L.; Valtere, K.; Pakrastiņš, L.; Goremikins, V.

2017-10-01

Structural reliability of buildings has become an important issue after the collapse of a shopping center in Riga 21.11.2013, caused the death of 54 people. The reliability of a building is the practice of designing, constructing, operating, maintaining and removing buildings in ways that ensure maintained health, ward suffered injuries or death due to use of the building. Evaluation and improvement of existing buildings is becoming more and more important. For a large part of existing buildings, the design life has been reached or will be reached in the near future. The structures of these buildings need to be reassessed in order to find out whether the safety requirements are met. The safety requirements provided by the Eurocodes are a starting point for the assessment of safety. However, it would be uneconomical to require all existing buildings and structures to comply fully with these new codes and corresponding safety levels, therefore the assessment of existing buildings differs with each design situation. This case study describes the simple and practical procedure of determination of minimal reliability index β of existing concrete structures designed by different codes than Eurocodes and allows to reassess the actual reliability level of different structural elements of existing buildings under design load.

Factors to consider in the introduction of huddles on clinical wards: perceptions of staff on the SAFE programme.

PubMed

Stapley, Emily; Sharples, Evelyn; Lachman, Peter; Lakhanpaul, Monica; Wolpert, Miranda; Deighton, Jessica

2018-02-01

To explore paediatric hospital staff members' perceptions of the emerging benefits and challenges of the huddle, a new safety improvement initiative, as well as the barriers and facilitators to its implementation. A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews to explore staff perspectives and experiences. Situation Awareness For Everyone (SAFE), a safety improvement programme, was implemented on a sample of National Health Service (NHS) paediatric wards from September 2014 to June 2016. Previously untested in England, the huddle was a central component of the programme. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 76 staff members on four wards ~4 months after the start of the programme. A thematic analysis showed that staff perceived the huddle as helping to increase their awareness of important issues, improve communication, facilitate teamwork, and encourage a culture of increased efficiency, anticipation and planning on the ward. Challenges of the huddle included added pressure on staff time and workload, and the potential for junior nurses to be excluded from involvement, thus perhaps inadvertently reinforcing medical hierarchies. Staff also identified several barriers and facilitators to the huddle process, including the importance of senior nursing and medical staff leadership and managing staff time and capacity issues. The findings point towards the potential efficacy of the huddle as a way of improving hospital staff members' working environments and clinical practice, with important implications for other sites seeking to implement such safety improvement initiatives. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Occupational Safety Review of High Technology Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee Cadwallader

2005-01-31

This report contains reviews of operating experiences, selected accident events, and industrial safety performance indicators that document the performance of the major US DOE magnetic fusion experiments and particle accelerators. These data are useful to form a basis for the occupational safety level at matured research facilities with known sets of safety rules and regulations. Some of the issues discussed are radiation safety, electromagnetic energy exposure events, and some of the more widespread issues of working at height, equipment fires, confined space work, electrical work, and other industrial hazards. Nuclear power plant industrial safety data are also included for comparison.

TeamSTEPPS Improves Operating Room Efficiency and Patient Safety.

PubMed

Weld, Lancaster R; Stringer, Matthew T; Ebertowski, James S; Baumgartner, Timothy S; Kasprenski, Matthew C; Kelley, Jeremy C; Cho, Doug S; Tieva, Erwin A; Novak, Thomas E

2016-09-01

The objective was to evaluate the effect of TeamSTEPPS on operating room efficiency and patient safety. TeamSTEPPS consisted of briefings attended by all health care personnel assigned to the specific operating room to discuss issues unique to each case scheduled for that day. The operative times, on-time start rates, and turnover times of all cases performed by the urology service during the initial year with TeamSTEPPS were compared to the prior year. Patient safety issues identified during postoperative briefings were analyzed. The mean case time was 12.7 minutes less with TeamSTEPPS (P < .001). The on-time first-start rate improved by 21% with TeamSTEPPS (P < .001). The mean room turnover time did not change. Patient safety issues declined from an initial rate of 16% to 6% at midyear and remained stable (P < 0.001). TeamSTEPPS was associated with improved operating room efficiency and diminished patient safety issues in the operating room. © The Author(s) 2015.

Quality and safety aspects in histopathology laboratory

PubMed Central

Adyanthaya, Soniya; Jose, Maji

2013-01-01

Histopathology is an art of analyzing and interpreting the shapes, sizes and architectural patterns of cells and tissues within a given specific clinical background and a science by which the image is placed in the context of knowledge of pathobiology, to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. To function effectively and safely, all the procedures and activities of histopathology laboratory should be evaluated and monitored accurately. In histopathology laboratory, the concept of quality control is applicable to pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical activities. Ensuring safety of working personnel as well as environment is also highly important. Safety issues that may come up in a histopathology lab are primarily those related to potentially hazardous chemicals, biohazardous materials, accidents linked to the equipment and instrumentation employed and general risks from electrical and fire hazards. This article discusses quality management system which can ensure quality performance in histopathology laboratory. The hazards in pathology laboratories and practical safety measures aimed at controlling the dangers are also discussed with the objective of promoting safety consciousness and the practice of laboratory safety. PMID:24574660

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Passerini, Stefano; Ponciroli, Roberto; Vilim, Richard B.

Here, the interaction of the active control system with passive safety behavior is investigated for sodium-cooled fast reactors. A claim often made of advanced reactors is that they are passively safe against unprotected upset events. In practice, such upset events are not analyzed in the context of the plant control system, but rather the analyses are performed without considering the normally programmed response of the control system (open-loop approach). This represents an oversimplification of the safety case. The issue of passive safety override arises since the control system commands actuators whose motions have safety consequences. Depending on the upset involvingmore » the control system ( operator error, active control system failure, or inadvertent control system override), an actuator does not necessarily go in the same direction as needed for safety. So neglecting to account for control system action during an unprotected upset is nonconservative from a safety standpoint. It is important then, during the design of the plant, to consider the potential for the control system to work against the inherent and safe regulating effects of purposefully engineered temperature feedbacks.« less

Parkinson's disease and issues related to driving.

PubMed

Uitti, Ryan J

2009-12-01

Driving a motor vehicle represents an important activity associated with personal independence and freedom. Being told that one can no longer drive is itself associated with loss of independence, depression, low self-esteem and reduced activities [1,2]. Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), therefore, understandably wish to continue to be able to maintain their ability to drive automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, and boats, etc. The ability to determine if and when a PD patient is no longer fit to drive a motor vehicle is important for maintaining safety for the PD patient and the public. There are numerous requirements for being able to drive a motor vehicle safely. When any of these capacities deteriorate, the ability to drive safely may be lost. This review will concentrate upon common issues that would be peculiar to patients with PD.

Addressing the human factors issues associated with control room modifications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O`Hara, J.; Stubler, W.; Kramer, J.

1998-03-01

Advanced human-system interface (HSI) technology is being integrated into existing nuclear plants as part of plant modifications and upgrades. The result of this trend is that hybrid HSIs are created, i.e., HSIs containing a mixture of conventional (analog) and advanced (digital) technology. The purpose of the present research is to define the potential effects of hybrid HSIs on personnel performance and plant safety and to develop human factors guidance for safety reviews of them where necessary. In support of this objective, human factors issues associated with hybrid HSIs were identified. The issues were evaluated for their potential significance to plantmore » safety, i.e., their human performance concerns have the potential to compromise plant safety. The issues were then prioritized and a subset was selected for design review guidance development.« less

Issues engulfed Saudi Arabia construction workers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Emad, N. H.; Rahman, I. A.

2018-04-01

This paper presents an exploratory study conducted in Makkah city to uncover issues faced by construction workers from the construction leaders’ perspective. Eleven construction leaders/experts were interviewed to unleash their experiences on handling the foreign workers working in Makkah construction projects. Most of the experts are senior management staffs with more than 10 years’ working experience in Saudi Arabia construction industry. The interviews were carried out in semi structured mode where all the information was captured manually and also electronically. The identified issues were sorted based on its commonality into 10 clusters. Hence in each cluster, the numbers of issue considered by the experts are reflecting the importance of that particular cluster. The result of the clusters according to the number of issues mentioned by the experts are safety issues, restricted government regulation, demotivated issues, lack of quality workers, poor living quality, communication barriers, adaption issues, poor attitudes, lack of logistical arrangements and lack of education. With these identified issues it will assist the construction players in the construction industry of Saudi Arabia in dealing with their workers.

An overview of the last 10 years of genetically engineered crop safety research.

PubMed

Nicolia, Alessandro; Manzo, Alberto; Veronesi, Fabio; Rosellini, Daniele

2014-03-01

The technology to produce genetically engineered (GE) plants is celebrating its 30th anniversary and one of the major achievements has been the development of GE crops. The safety of GE crops is crucial for their adoption and has been the object of intense research work often ignored in the public debate. We have reviewed the scientific literature on GE crop safety during the last 10 years, built a classified and manageable list of scientific papers, and analyzed the distribution and composition of the published literature. We selected original research papers, reviews, relevant opinions and reports addressing all the major issues that emerged in the debate on GE crops, trying to catch the scientific consensus that has matured since GE plants became widely cultivated worldwide. The scientific research conducted so far has not detected any significant hazards directly connected with the use of GE crops; however, the debate is still intense. An improvement in the efficacy of scientific communication could have a significant impact on the future of agricultural GE. Our collection of scientific records is available to researchers, communicators and teachers at all levels to help create an informed, balanced public perception on the important issue of GE use in agriculture.

Fire and worker health and safety: an introduction to the special issue.

PubMed

Campbell, Richard; Levenstein, Charles

2015-02-01

One century ago, the landmark fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City claimed the lives of 146 garment workers and helped spur the adoption of fire safety measures and laws targeting dangerous working conditions. Since that time, continuing advances have been made to address the threat of fire-in workplace fire safety practices and regulations, in training and safety requirements for firefighters and first responders, and in hazard communication laws that enhance disaster planning and response. Recent high profile events, including the West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion, derailments of fuel cargo trains, and garment factory fires in Bangladesh, have brought renewed attention to fire as a workplace health and safety issue and to the unevenness of safety standards and regulatory enforcement, in the United States as well as internationally. In this article, we provide an overview of fire as a workplace health and safety hazard and an introduction to the essays included in this special issue of New Solutions on fire and work. © 2015 SAGE Publications.

IRQN award paper: Operational rounds: a practical administrative process to improve safety and clinical services in radiology.

PubMed

Donnelly, Lane F; Dickerson, Julie M; Lehkamp, Todd W; Gessner, Kevin E; Moskovitz, Jay; Hutchinson, Sally

2008-11-01

As part of a patient safety program in the authors' department of radiology, operational rounds have been instituted. This process consists of radiology leaders' visiting imaging divisions at the site of imaging and discussing frontline employees' concerns about patient safety, the quality of care, and patient and family satisfaction. Operational rounds are executed at a time to optimize the number of attendees. Minutes that describe the issues identified, persons responsible for improvement, and updated improvement plan status are available to employees online. Via this process, multiple patient safety and other issues have been identified and remedied. The authors believe that the process has improved patient safety, the quality of care, and the efficiency of operations. Since the inception of the safety program, the mean number of days between serious safety events involving radiology has doubled. The authors review the background around such walk rounds, describe their particular program, and give multiple illustrative examples of issues identified and improvement plans put in place.

77 FR 45242 - Revisions to Safety Standards for Durable Infant or Toddler Products: Infant Bath Seats and Full...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-31

... direction in the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act to issue standards for durable infant or... not usually subject to CPSC's standards, such as child care facilities, family child care homes, and... standard issued under the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act was based, the revision...

Sovereignty and Protective Zones in Space and the Appropriate Command and Control of Assets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, Richard J.

2001-04-01

This paper examines two issues that are of vital importance to short and long term operations in space and the combat engagement of space borne assets. The first issue analyzed is the question of the establishment of sovereignty and protective zones for free passage in space. This paper will compare international law treaties and other historical analyses to current United States (US) war fighting doctrine on space and propose a United States Air Force (USAF) position on this issue. It will define and discuss the definition for two space protective zones. First and foremost, the immediate safety zone by the space object and secondly, the actual identification area around the object and its orbital track.

An improved network model for railway traffic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Keping; Ma, Xin; Shao, Fubo

In railway traffic, safety analysis is a key issue for controlling train operation. Here, the identification and order of key factors are very important. In this paper, a new network model is constructed for analyzing the railway safety, in which nodes are regarded as causation factors and links represent possible relationships among those factors. Our aim is to give all these nodes an importance order, and to find the in-depth relationship among these nodes including how failures spread among them. Based on the constructed network model, we propose a control method to ensure the safe state by setting each node a threshold. As the results, by protecting the Hub node of the constructed network, the spreading of railway accident can be controlled well. The efficiency of such a method is further tested with the help of numerical example.

Assessment of cognitive safety in clinical drug development

PubMed Central

Roiser, Jonathan P.; Nathan, Pradeep J.; Mander, Adrian P.; Adusei, Gabriel; Zavitz, Kenton H.; Blackwell, Andrew D.

2016-01-01

Cognitive impairment is increasingly recognised as an important potential adverse effect of medication. However, many drug development programmes do not incorporate sensitive cognitive measurements. Here, we review the rationale for cognitive safety assessment, and explain several basic methodological principles for measuring cognition during clinical drug development, including study design and statistical analysis, from Phase I through to postmarketing. The crucial issue of how cognition should be assessed is emphasized, especially the sensitivity of measurement. We also consider how best to interpret the magnitude of any identified effects, including comparison with benchmarks. We conclude by discussing strategies for the effective communication of cognitive risks. PMID:26610416

Kansas legislators prioritize obesity but overlook nutrition and physical activity issues.

PubMed

Heinrich, Katie M; Stephen, Mellina O; Vaughan, Katherine B; Kellogg, Melinda

2013-01-01

State-level policymakers play an important role in the fight against obesity because of their ability to create policies that influence opportunities for physical activity and nutrition. In 2011, we investigated how Kansas policymakers regarded obesity, nutrition, and physical activity in comparison to other issues. This study used a cross-sectional design. This study was conducted in Kansas, a predominately rural and Republican Midwestern state. All 181 state-level policymakers in Kansas were mailed a cover letter and survey. Policymakers were asked to identify and rate the importance of issues or problems in need of attention for Kansas. The 2011 state legislative report was content analyzed and coded to match the survey. Comparisons were made by political party. Of the 49 policymakers who completed a survey, 37 were Republicans and 43 were elected to their position. Although obesity-related issues were rated second highest after jobs, physical activity- and nutrition-related issues were not seen as important problems; moreover, little corresponding legislation was introduced. Other key issues identified by policymakers included budget/spending/taxes, education, jobs/economy, and drug abuse, with more legislation reflecting these problems. The Democrats ranked 11 issues as more significant problems than did the Republicans: quality of public education, poverty, access to health care, lack of affordable housing, ethics in government, lack of public health training, access to healthy groceries, lack of pedestrian walkways/crosswalks/sidewalks, pedestrian safety, air pollution, and global warming (P < .05). There is a need to provide more public health education on the relationship between nutrition and physical activity issues and obesity for Kansas policymakers. Issues identified may be similar for other predominately rural and Republican states.

Special issue : safety advancements

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-04-24

This issue of 'Status Report' focuses on some of the most recent key safety technology improvements. The crash protection in passenger vehicles is improving substantially; advanced frontal airbags will soon be available in a number of models and side...

Safety impact issues of job-associated sleep

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-09-01

This research investigated the safety impact issues of job-associated sleep in truck drivers. The research focused on the anonymous survey of professional truck drivers. Information was gathered regarding perception of driving performance and its rel...

Introduction to LNG vehicle safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bratvold, Delma; Friedman, David; Chernoff, Harry; Farkhondehpay, Dariush; Comay, Claudia

1994-03-01

Basic information on the characteristics of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is assembled to provide an overview of safety issues and practices for the use of LNG vehicles. This document is intended for those planning or considering the use of LNG vehicles, including vehicle fleet owners and operators, public transit officials and boards, local fire and safety officials, manufacturers and distributors, and gas industry officials. Safety issues and mitigation measures that should be considered for candidate LNG vehicle projects are addressed.

The use of biomarkers in occupational health research, practice, and policy.

PubMed

Schulte, P A; Hauser, J E

2012-08-13

Biomarkers are potentially useful tools for occupational health and safety research, practice, and policy. However, the full realization of this potential has not been achieved. In this paper, the progress made in these three usage areas is reviewed to identify what efforts can be taken to realize the full promise of biomarkers. Biomarker uses are described by a diverse taxonomy that builds on the categories of exposure, effect and susceptibility, and the continuum between exposure and disease prognosis. The most significant uses of biomarkers in occupational health have been in biological monitoring of workers. Other important uses have been in enhancing research and assessing mechanisms of action of occupational toxicants at low exposures. Seven critical areas will influence the extent to which the potential of biomarkers in occupational health and safety is realized. These include: (1) adequate investment in validation; (2) obtaining international agreement on exposure guidelines; (3) exploring the utility of biomarkers in regulation; (4) applying biomarkers to critical occupational safety and health questions; (5) developing the exposome; (6) utilizing biomarkers to address emerging occupational health issues; and (7) continuing to address the ethical and social justice issues related to biomarkers. Overall, if biomarkers are to make a major contribution to occupational health and safety then a more holistic approach to bringing them from the laboratory to practice will be needed. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Current global and Korean issues in radiation safety of nuclear medicine procedures.

PubMed

Song, H C

2016-06-01

In recent years, the management of patient doses in medical imaging has evolved as concern about radiation exposure has increased. Efforts and techniques to reduce radiation doses are focussed not only on the basis of patient safety, but also on the fundamentals of justification and optimisation in cooperation with international organisations such as the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the World Health Organization. The Image Gently campaign in children and Image Wisely campaign in adults to lower radiation doses have been initiated in the USA. The European Association of Nuclear Medicine paediatric dosage card, North American consensus guidelines, and Nuclear Medicine Global Initiative have recommended the activities of radiopharmaceuticals that should be administered in children. Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), developed predominantly in Europe, may be an important tool to manage patient doses. In Korea, overexposure to radiation, even from the use of medical imaging, has become a public issue, particularly since the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. As a result, the Korean Nuclear Safety and Security Commission revised the technical standards for radiation safety management in medical fields. In parallel, DRLs for nuclear medicine procedures have been collected on a nationwide scale. Notice of total effective dose from positron emission tomography-computed tomography for cancer screening has been mandatory since mid-November 2014. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.

Detection of medical errors in kidney transplantation: a pilot study comparing proactive clinician debriefings to a hospital-wide incident reporting system.

PubMed

McElroy, Lisa M; Daud, Amna; Lapin, Brittany; Ross, Olivia; Woods, Donna M; Skaro, Anton I; Holl, Jane L; Ladner, Daniela P

2014-11-01

Rates of medical errors and adverse events remain high for patients who undergo kidney transplantation; they are particularly vulnerable because of the complexity of their disease and the kidney transplantation procedure. Although institutional incident-reporting systems are used in hospitals around the country, they often fail to capture a substantial proportion of medical errors. The goal of this study was to assess the ability of a proactive, web-based clinician safety debriefing to augment the information about medical errors and adverse events obtained via traditional incident reporting systems. Debriefings were sent to all individuals listed on operating room personnel reports for kidney transplantation surgeries between April 2010 and April 2011, and incident reports were collected for the same time period. The World Health Organization International Classification for Patient Safety was used to classify all issues reported. A total of 270 debriefings reported 334 patient safety issues (179 safety incidents, 155 contributing factors), and 57 incident reports reported 92 patient safety issues (56 safety incidents, 36 contributing factors). Compared with incident reports, more attending physicians completed the debriefings (32.0 vs 3.5%). The use of a proactive, web-based debriefing to augment an incident reporting system in assessing safety risks in kidney transplantation demonstrated increased information, more perspectives of a single safety issue, and increased breadth of participants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patient Safety Executive Walkarounds

PubMed Central

Feitelberg, Steven P

2006-01-01

The KP Patient Safety Executive Walkarounds Program in the KP San Diego Service Area was developed to provide routine opportunities for senior KP leaders, staff, and clinicians to discuss patient safety concerns proactively, working closely with our labor partners to foster a culture of safety that supports our staff and physicians. Throughout the KP San Diego Service Area, the Walkarounds program plays a major part in promoting responsible identification and reporting of patient safety issues. Because each staff member has an equal voice in discussing patient safety concerns, the program enables all employees—union and nonunion alike—to engage directly in discussions about improving patient safety. The KPSC leadership has recognized this program as a major demonstration that the leadership supports patient safety and promotes reporting of safety issues in a “just culture.” PMID:21519438

Aviation Safety Reporting System: Process and Procedures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connell, Linda J.

1997-01-01

The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) was established in 1976 under an agreement between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This cooperative safety program invites pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, maintenance personnel, and others to voluntarily report to NASA any aviation incident or safety hazard. The FAA provides most of the program funding. NASA administers the program, sets its policies in consultation with the FAA and aviation community, and receives the reports submitted to the program. The FAA offers those who use the ASRS program two important reporting guarantees: confidentiality and limited immunity. Reports sent to ASRS are held in strict confidence. More than 350,000 reports have been submitted since the program's beginning without a single reporter's identity being revealed. ASRS removes all personal names and other potentially identifying information before entering reports into its database. This system is a very successful, proof-of-concept for gathering safety data in order to provide timely information about safety issues. The ASRS information is crucial to aviation safety efforts both nationally and internationally. It can be utilized as the first step in safety by providing the direction and content to informed policies, procedures, and research, especially human factors. The ASRS process and procedures will be presented as one model of safety reporting feedback systems.

Corporate financial decision makers' perceptions of their company's safety performance, programs and personnel: Do company size and industry injury risk matter?

PubMed

DeArmond, Sarah; Huang, Yueng-Hsiang; Chen, Peter Y; Courtney, Theodore K

2010-01-01

Top-level managers make important decisions about safety-related issues, yet little research has been done involving these individuals. The current study explored corporate financial decisions makers' perceptions of their company's safety and their justifications for these perceptions. This study also explored whether their perceptions and justifications varied as a function of company size or industry injury risk. A total of 404 individuals who were the most senior managers responsible for making decisions about property and casualty risk at their companies participated in this study. The participants took part in a telephone survey. The results suggest that corporate financial decision makers have positive views of safety at their companies relative to safety at other companies within their industries. Further, many believe their company's safety is influenced by the attention/emphasis placed on safety and the selection and training of safety personnel. Participants' perceptions varied somewhat based on the size of their company and the level of injury risk in their industry. While definitive conclusions about corporate financial decision makers' perceptions of safety cannot be reached as a result of this single study, this work does lay groundwork for future research aimed at better understanding the perceptions top-level managers.

Let's Resolve Conflicts Together: Elementary School Classroom Activities. Conflict Management Week, May 1-7, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management, Columbus.

With heightened awareness to issues of school safety, it is important for elementary schools to take an active role in promoting constructive responses to conflict. The week of May 1-7, 2000 has been designated as Conflict Management Week by the Governor of Ohio. Conflict is a natural and inevitable part of living; however, managing conflict is…

Granite Exfoliation, Cosumnes River Watershed, Somerset, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crockett, I. Q.; Neiss-Cortez, M.

2015-12-01

In the Sierra Nevada foothills of California there are many exposed granite plutons within the greater Sierra Nevada batholith. As with most exposed parts of the batholith, these granite slabs exfoliate. It is important to understand exfoliation for issues of public safety as it can cause rock slides near homes, roads, and recreation areas. Through observation, measuring, and mapping we characterize exfoliation in our Cosumnes River watershed community.

Let's Resolve Conflicts Together: High School Classroom Activities. Conflict Management Week, May 1-7, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management, Columbus.

The week of May 1-7, 2000 has been designated by the Governor of Ohio to be Conflict Management Week With heightened awareness to issues of school safety, it is important for high schools to take an active role in promoting constructive responses to conflict. Conflict is a natural and inevitable part of living, but managing conflict is difficult…

Space Station Initial Operational Concept (IOC) operations and safety view - Automation and robotics for Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bates, William V., Jr.

1989-01-01

The automation and robotics requirements for the Space Station Initial Operational Concept (IOC) are discussed. The amount of tasks to be performed by an eight-person crew, the need for an automated or directed fault analysis capability, and ground support requirements are considered. Issues important in determining the role of automation for the IOC are listed.

The Physician's Role in Assessing and Counseling Aging Drivers: A Training Session for Undergraduate Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rull, Gary; Rosher, Richard B.; Robinson, Sherry; McCann-Stone, Nancy

2008-01-01

The critical need for physicians to become entrenched in the issues of older drivers and public safety is the focus of a training initiative developed as a component of an innovative geriatrics curriculum, Aging (Couple) Across the Curriculum. As the number of aging drivers in the United States rises, physicians can play an important role in…

Quality of herbal medicines: challenges and solutions.

PubMed

Zhang, Junhua; Wider, Barbara; Shang, Hongcai; Li, Xuemei; Ernst, Edzard

2012-01-01

The popularity of herbal medicines has risen worldwide. This increase in usage renders safety issues important. Many adverse events of herbal medicines can be attributed to the poor quality of the raw materials or the finished products. Different types of herbal medicines are associated with different problems. Quality issues of herbal medicines can be classified into two categories: external and internal. In this review, external issues including contamination (e.g. toxic metals, pesticides residues and microbes), adulteration and misidentification are detailed. Complexity and non-uniformity of the ingredients in herbal medicines are the internal issues affecting the quality of herbal medicines. Solutions to the raised problems are discussed. The rigorous implementation of Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) would undoubtedly reduce the risk of external issues. Through the use of modern analytical methods and pharmaceutical techniques, previously unsolved internal issues have become solvable. Standard herbal products can be manufactured from the standard herbal extracts. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of Active Control on Passive Safety Response Characteristics of Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors: I - Theoretical background

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Passerini, Stefano; Ponciroli, Roberto; Vilim, Richard B.

Here, the interaction of the active control system with passive safety behavior is investigated for sodium-cooled fast reactors. A claim often made of advanced reactors is that they are passively safe against unprotected upset events. In practice, such upset events are not analyzed in the context of the plant control system, but rather the analyses are performed without considering the normally programmed response of the control system (open-loop approach). This represents an oversimplification of the safety case. The issue of passive safety override arises since the control system commands actuators whose motions have safety consequences. Depending on the upset involvingmore » the control system ( operator error, active control system failure, or inadvertent control system override), an actuator does not necessarily go in the same direction as needed for safety. So neglecting to account for control system action during an unprotected upset is nonconservative from a safety standpoint. It is important then, during the design of the plant, to consider the potential for the control system to work against the inherent and safe regulating effects of purposefully engineered temperature feedbacks.« less

Impact of Active Control on Passive Safety Response Characteristics of Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors: I - Theoretical background

DOE PAGES

Passerini, Stefano; Ponciroli, Roberto; Vilim, Richard B.

2017-06-21

Here, the interaction of the active control system with passive safety behavior is investigated for sodium-cooled fast reactors. A claim often made of advanced reactors is that they are passively safe against unprotected upset events. In practice, such upset events are not analyzed in the context of the plant control system, but rather the analyses are performed without considering the normally programmed response of the control system (open-loop approach). This represents an oversimplification of the safety case. The issue of passive safety override arises since the control system commands actuators whose motions have safety consequences. Depending on the upset involvingmore » the control system ( operator error, active control system failure, or inadvertent control system override), an actuator does not necessarily go in the same direction as needed for safety. So neglecting to account for control system action during an unprotected upset is nonconservative from a safety standpoint. It is important then, during the design of the plant, to consider the potential for the control system to work against the inherent and safe regulating effects of purposefully engineered temperature feedbacks.« less

Preventing occupational injury among police officers: does motivation matter?

PubMed

Chan, D K C; Webb, D; Ryan, R M; Tang, T C W; Yang, S X; Ntoumanis, N; Hagger, M S

2017-08-01

Injury prevention is an important issue for police officers, but the effectiveness of prevention initiatives is dependent on officers' motivation toward, and adherence to, recommended health and safety guidelines. To understand effects of police officers' motivation to prevent occupational injury on beliefs about safety and adherence to injury prevention behaviours. Full-time police officers completed a survey comprising validated psychometric scales to assess autonomous, controlled and amotivated forms of motivation (Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire), behavioural adherence (Self-reported Treatment Adherence Scale) and beliefs (Safety Attitude Questionnaire) with respect to injury prevention behaviours. There were 207 participants; response rate was 87%. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that autonomous motivation was positively related to behavioural adherence, commitment to safety and prioritizing injury prevention. Controlled motivation was a positive predictor of safety communication barriers. Amotivation was positively associated with fatalism regarding injury prevention, safety violation and worry. These findings are consistent with the tenets of self-determination theory in that autonomous motivation was a positive predictor of adaptive safety beliefs and adherence to injury prevention behaviours. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

NSPWG-recommended safety requirements and guidelines for SEI nuclear propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, Albert C.; Sawyer, J. C., Jr.; Bari, Robert A.; Brown, Neil W.; Cullingford, Hatice S.; Hardy, Alva C.; Lee, James H.; Mcculloch, William H.; Niederauer, George F.; Remp, Kerry

1992-01-01

An interagency Nuclear Safety Policy Working Group (NSPWG) was chartered to recommend nuclear safety policy, requirements, and guidelines for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) nuclear propulsion program to facilitate the implementation of mission planning and conceptual design studies. The NSPWG developed a top-level policy to provide the guiding principles for the development and implementation of the nuclear propulsion safety program and the development of safety functional requirements. In addition, the NSPWG reviewed safety issues for nuclear propulsion and recommended top-level safety requirements and guidelines to address these issues. Safety requirements were developed for reactor start-up, inadvertent criticality, radiological release and exposure, disposal, entry, and safeguards. Guidelines were recommended for risk/reliability, operational safety, flight trajectory and mission abort, space debris and meteoroids, and ground test safety. In this paper the specific requirements and guidelines will be discussed.

Communication elements supporting patient safety in psychiatric inpatient care.

PubMed

Kanerva, A; Kivinen, T; Lammintakanen, J

2015-06-01

Communication is important for safe and quality health care. The study provides needed insight on the communication elements that support patient safety from the psychiatric care view. Fluent information transfer between the health care professionals and care units is important for care planning and maintaining practices. Information should be documented and implemented accordingly. Communication should happen in an open communication culture that enables discussion, the opportunity to have debriefing discussions and the entire staff can feel they are heard. For effective communication, it is also important that staff are active themselves in information collecting about the essential information needed in patient care. In mental health nursing, it is important to pay attention to all elements of communication and to develop processes concerning communication in multidisciplinary teams and across unit boundaries. The study aims to describe which communication elements support patient safety in psychiatric inpatient care from the viewpoint of the nursing staff. Communication is an essential part of care and one of the core competencies of the psychiatric care. It enables safe and quality patient care. Errors in health care are often connected with poor communication. The study brings needed insight from the psychiatric care view to the topic. The data were gathered from semi-structured interviews in which 26 nurses were asked to describe the elements that constitute patient safety in psychiatric inpatient care. The data were analysed inductively from the viewpoint of communication. The descriptions connected with communication formed a main category of communication elements that support patient safety; this main category was made up of three subcategories: fluent information transfer, open communication culture and being active in information collecting. Fluent information transfer consists of the practical implementation of communication; open communication culture is connected with the cultural issues of communication; and being active in information collecting is related to a nurse's personal working style, which affects communication. It is important to pay attention to all the three areas and use this knowledge in developing patient safety practices and strategies where communication aspect and culture are noted and developed. In mental health nursing, it is important to develop processes concerning communication in multidisciplinary teams and across unit boundaries. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Factors Influencing Young Children's Risk of Unintentional Injury: Parenting Style and Strategies for Teaching about Home Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrongiello, Barbara A.; Corbett, Michael; Lasenby, Jennifer; Johnston, Natalie; McCourt, Meghan

2006-01-01

This study examined mothers' teaching about home-safety issues to 24-30 month and 36-42 month old children, explored the relationship of teaching strategies to parenting styles, and assessed how these factors are related to children's risk of unintentional injury. A structured interview assessed home-safety issues relevant to falls, burns, cuts,…

Preliminary Examination of Safety Issues on a University Campus: Personal Safety Practices, Beliefs & Attitudes of Female Faculty & Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Paula C.; Bryden, Pamela J.

2007-01-01

University and college campuses are not immune to acts of violence. Unfortunately there is limited information regarding violence in the academic setting among women employees. As such, the purpose of this exploratory research was to examine issues that female faculty and staff members have about safety on and around campus, including concerns…

Safety and capacity evaluation for interstates in Kentucky.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-04-01

This analysis and evaluation was directed toward assessing safety and capacity issues on interstates in Kentucky and, particularly, the manner in which commercial vehicle traffic affects these issues. Analyses was undertaken to show past trends and p...

Safety and Regulatory Issues of the Thorium Fuel Cycle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ade, Brian; Worrall, Andrew; Powers, Jeffrey

2014-02-01

Thorium has been widely considered an alternative to uranium fuel because of its relatively large natural abundance and its ability to breed fissile fuel (233U) from natural thorium (232Th). Possible scenarios for using thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle include use in different nuclear reactor types (light water, high temperature gas cooled, fast spectrum sodium, molten salt, etc.), advanced accelerator-driven systems, or even fission-fusion hybrid systems. The most likely near-term application of thorium in the United States is in currently operating light water reactors (LWRs). This use is primarily based on concepts that mix thorium with uranium (UO2 + ThO2),more » add fertile thorium (ThO2) fuel pins to LWR fuel assemblies, or use mixed plutonium and thorium (PuO2 + ThO2) fuel assemblies. The addition of thorium to currently operating LWRs would result in a number of different phenomenological impacts on the nuclear fuel. Thorium and its irradiation products have nuclear characteristics that are different from those of uranium. In addition, ThO2, alone or mixed with UO2 fuel, leads to different chemical and physical properties of the fuel. These aspects are key to reactor safety-related issues. The primary objectives of this report are to summarize historical, current, and proposed uses of thorium in nuclear reactors; provide some important properties of thorium fuel; perform qualitative and quantitative evaluations of both in-reactor and out-of-reactor safety issues and requirements specific to a thorium-based fuel cycle for current LWR reactor designs; and identify key knowledge gaps and technical issues that need to be addressed for the licensing of thorium LWR fuel in the United States.« less

Countermeasures to driver fatigue: a review of public awareness campaigns and legal approaches.

PubMed

Fletcher, A; McCulloch, K; Baulk, S D; Dawson, D

2005-10-01

Driver fatigue accounts for 10-40% of road crashes and is a critical area for public health. As other major road safety issues are more successfully managed, driver fatigue becomes proportionately more important. Both public awareness and legal developments have been slow to reach the same levels as for other road safety risks. The aim of this article is to review countermeasures for non-commercial drivers that are designed to reduce the likelihood of fatigue-related crashes through education and legislation. This review outlines information from a wide variety of sources including governments, road safety groups and the scientific literature. Educational and legislative approaches are discussed in terms of both their effectiveness and the associated implications for public health. Areas for improvement in education include personalising the risk to drivers and developing simple metrics for the self-assessment of fatigue. Legal implications should be more clearly defined and specific laws are needed to more effectively prosecute fatigued drivers who cause crashes. Additional research is needed to further investigate the efficacy of available countermeasures. Increasingly, road traffic injury is being discussed more broadly as a public health issue. However, the specific issue of driver fatigue still receives less attention than other main causes of road crashes, despite making a significant and comparable contribution to crash rates. Countries such as Australia and New Zealand have a responsibility to counter driver fatigue, as well as other causes of road crashes, and to further pursue improvements for the benefit of public health.

Nuclear safety policy working group recommendations on nuclear propulsion safety for the space exploration initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, Albert C.; Lee, James H.; Mcculloch, William H.; Sawyer, J. Charles, Jr.; Bari, Robert A.; Cullingford, Hatice S.; Hardy, Alva C.; Niederauer, George F.; Remp, Kerry; Rice, John W.

1993-01-01

An interagency Nuclear Safety Working Group (NSPWG) was chartered to recommend nuclear safety policy, requirements, and guidelines for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) nuclear propulsion program. These recommendations, which are contained in this report, should facilitate the implementation of mission planning and conceptual design studies. The NSPWG has recommended a top-level policy to provide the guiding principles for the development and implementation of the SEI nuclear propulsion safety program. In addition, the NSPWG has reviewed safety issues for nuclear propulsion and recommended top-level safety requirements and guidelines to address these issues. These recommendations should be useful for the development of the program's top-level requirements for safety functions (referred to as Safety Functional Requirements). The safety requirements and guidelines address the following topics: reactor start-up, inadvertent criticality, radiological release and exposure, disposal, entry, safeguards, risk/reliability, operational safety, ground testing, and other considerations.

Towards patient safety in anaesthesia.

PubMed

Cooper, J B

1994-07-01

The anaesthesia specialty has focused on the safety of the patient and examination of untoward outcomes. Serious injuries are now rare in medically advanced countries. Still, anaesthesia deaths and complications are important because the anaesthetic itself has no intended therapeutic effect. Safety is a never-ending battle that requires continued effort because many forces have the potential to diminish whatever progress is made. This paper describes the modern movement in anaesthesia patient safety--the reasons it started, the major foci and explanations for why anaesthesia seems now to be safer than at any time in history. The American legal system, critical incident studies, studies of malpractice claims and large-scale studies of anaesthesia outcomes played a role in increasing the awareness of the need to enhance anaesthesia safety. Many efforts are believed to have contributed to improvements in the safety of anaesthesia: improved training of anaesthesia clinicians, new pharmaceuticals, new technologies for monitoring (especially pulse oximetry and capnography), standards for monitoring and other aspects of anaesthesia care, safety enhancements in anaesthesia equipment and the implementation of quality assurance and risk management programmes. The creation of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation in the United States and a similar organization in Australia have helped to bring about awareness of safety issues and to support study of patient safety. Ultimately, the motto of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation should be the goal of all anaesthesia professionals: "That no patient shall be harmed by anaesthesia".

Putting the ‘patient’ in patient safety: a qualitative study of consumer experiences

PubMed Central

Rathert, Cheryl; Brandt, Julie; Williams, Eric S.

2011-01-01

Abstract Background  Although patient safety has been studied extensively, little research has directly examined patient and family (consumer) perceptions. Evidence suggests that clinicians define safety differently from consumers, e.g. clinicians focus more on outcomes, whereas consumers may focus more on processes. Consumer perceptions of patient safety are important for several reasons. First, health‐care policy leaders have been encouraging patients and families to take a proactive role in ensuring patient safety; therefore, an understanding of how patients define safety is needed. Second, consumer perceptions of safety could influence outcomes such as trust and satisfaction or compliance with treatment protocols. Finally, consumer perspectives could be an additional lens for viewing complex systems and processes for quality improvement efforts. Objectives  To qualitatively explore acute care consumer perceptions of patient safety. Design and methods  Thirty‐nine individuals with a recent overnight hospital visit participated in one of four group interviews. Analysis followed an interpretive analytical approach. Results  Three basic themes were identified: Communication, staffing issues and medication administration. Consumers associated care process problems, such as delays or lack of information, with safety rather than as service quality problems. Participants agreed that patients need family caregivers as advocates. Conclusions  Consumers seem acutely aware of care processes they believe pose risks to safety. Perceptual measures of patient safety and quality may help to identify areas where there are higher risks of preventable adverse events. PMID:21624026

Understanding safety and production risks in rail engineering planning and protection.

PubMed

Wilson, John R; Ryan, Brendan; Schock, Alex; Ferreira, Pedro; Smith, Stuart; Pitsopoulos, Julia

2009-07-01

Much of the published human factors work on risk is to do with safety and within this is concerned with prediction and analysis of human error and with human reliability assessment. Less has been published on human factors contributions to understanding and managing project, business, engineering and other forms of risk and still less jointly assessing risk to do with broad issues of 'safety' and broad issues of 'production' or 'performance'. This paper contains a general commentary on human factors and assessment of risk of various kinds, in the context of the aims of ergonomics and concerns about being too risk averse. The paper then describes a specific project, in rail engineering, where the notion of a human factors case has been employed to analyse engineering functions and related human factors issues. A human factors issues register for potential system disturbances has been developed, prior to a human factors risk assessment, which jointly covers safety and production (engineering delivery) concerns. The paper concludes with a commentary on the potential relevance of a resilience engineering perspective to understanding rail engineering systems risk. Design, planning and management of complex systems will increasingly have to address the issue of making trade-offs between safety and production, and ergonomics should be central to this. The paper addresses the relevant issues and does so in an under-published domain - rail systems engineering work.

Analysis of pharmaceutical safety-related regulatory actions in Japan: do tradeoffs exist between safer drugs and launch delay?

PubMed

Yamada, Toru; Kusama, Makiko; Hirai, Yuka; Arnold, Frank; Sugiyama, Yuichi; Ono, Shunsuke

2010-12-01

Prediction and management of drug safety is a global regulatory issue. Safety-related regulatory actions (SRRAs) are taken mostly when unexpected adverse drug reactions occur. Currently, Japan is reconciled to delayed access to new drugs (ie, launch delay compared to Western countries), but may have been benefiting by free-riding on safety data accumulated in other countries prior to Japanese launch. To identify factors that are significantly associated with SRRAs, and to discuss the challenges that Japan might have to face with increasing access to new drugs. The SRRAs of 135 new drugs approved from January 2000 to December 2005 were analyzed to investigate association with launch lag, company and drug characteristics, market size, submission data, and regulatory status. SRRAs were measured in terms of the number of emergency safety information notifications and official safety instructions issued by the Japanese regulatory agency within 3 years after approval. A negative binomial distribution model was used for regression analysis. Longer launch lags and presence of drugs with similar modes of action were associated with fewer SRRAs. Bridging strategy showed increased SRRAs. No significant association was observed between SRRAs and the subject number in clinical data packages. Occurrence of SRRAs was varied among development strategy, preceding products, and regional regulations. The occurrence of SRRAs was associated with the accumulation of both foreign and domestic postmarketing evidence rather than with clinical trial data upon launch. Considering the paradigm shift to simultaneous global drug development and filing for regulatory approval, this study indicates the importance of intensive data collection in the early postmarketing phase and use of safety information in early markets. However, even if we would be sufficiently cautious about safety risks of new drugs, a population that enjoys first-in-class drugs probably has to bear the risks.

The alcohol supply: its importance to public health and safety, and essential research questions.

PubMed

Edwards, G; Holder, H D

2000-12-01

This paper seeks to identify the main questions which have emerged from the preceding papers concerning the supply side of alcohol. On any rational analysis these issues are of thoroughly legitimate concern to public health researchers. We list them under seven headings: (1) what drives the alcohol supply side? (2) What is the impact of alcohol supply on demand? (3) What are the benefits and risks to health and safety stemming from deregulation and what are the possibilities to avoid negative effects? (4) What is the size and significance of the alcohol supply which may derive from other than the officially approved channels? (5) Who are the important actors in the alcohol supply system? (6) What are local influences on alcohol supply and its distribution throughout communities? (7) What is to be learned from tobacco and other risky commodities about the importance of supply? Finally, we outline a series of possible next steps for a supply side initiative.

Occupational health and safety aspects of animal handling in dairy production.

PubMed

Lindahl, Cecilia; Lundqvist, Peter; Hagevoort, G Robert; Lunner Kolstrup, Christina; Douphrate, David I; Pinzke, Stefan; Grandin, Temple

2013-01-01

Livestock handling in dairy production is associated with a number of health and safety issues. A large number of fatal and nonfatal injuries still occur when handling livestock. The many animal handling tasks on a dairy farm include moving cattle between different locations, vaccination, administration of medication, hoof care, artificial insemination, ear tagging, milking, and loading onto trucks. There are particular problems with bulls, which continue to cause considerable numbers of injuries and fatalities in dairy production. In order to reduce the number of injuries during animal handling on dairy farms, it is important to understand the key factors in human-animal interactions. These include handler attitudes and behavior, animal behavior, and fear in cows. Care when in close proximity to the animal is the key for safe handling, including knowledge of the flight zone, and use of the right types of tools and suitable restraint equipment. Thus, in order to create safe working conditions during livestock handling, it is important to provide handlers with adequate training and to establish sound safety management procedures on the farm.

Impact Assessment of Effective Parameters on Drivers' Attention Level to Urban Traffic Signs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazemi, Mojtaba; Rahimi, Amir Masoud; Roshankhah, Sheida

2016-03-01

Traffic signs are one of the oldest safety and traffic control equipments. Drivers' reaction to installed signs is an important issue that could be studied using statistical models developed for target groups. There are 527 questionnaires have been filled up randomly in 45 days, some by drivers passing two northern cities of Iran and some by e-mail. Therefore, minimum sample size of 384 is fulfilled. In addition, Cronbach Alpha of more than 90 % verifies the questionnaire's validity. Ordinal logistic regression is used for 5-level answer variables. This relatively novel method predicts probability of different cases' considering other effective independent variables. There are 18 parameters of factor, man, vehicle, and environment are assessed and 5 parameters of number of accidents in last 5 years, occupation, driving time, number of accidents per day, and driving speed are eventually found as the most important ones. Age and gender, that are considered as key factors in other safety and accident studies, are not recognized as effective ones in this paper. The results could be useful for safety planning programs.

Influence Map Methodology for Evaluating Systemic Safety Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

"Raising the bar" in safety performance is a critical challenge for many organizations, including Kennedy Space Center. Contributing-factor taxonomies organize information about the reasons accidents occur and therefore are essential elements of accident investigations and safety reporting systems. Organizations must balance efforts to identify causes of specific accidents with efforts to evaluate systemic safety issues in order to become more proactive about improving safety. This project successfully addressed the following two problems: (1) methods and metrics to support the design of effective taxonomies are limited and (2) influence relationships among contributing factors are not explicitly modeled within a taxonomy.

Commercial truck parking and other safety issues.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-10-01

Commercial truck parking is a safety issue, since trucks are involved in approximately 10% of all fatal accidents on interstates and : parkways in Kentucky. Drivers experience schedule demands and long hours on the road, yet they cannot easily determ...

Evaluation of pedestrian safety campaigns : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-02-01

The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy and success of SHAs public service campaign : regarding pedestrian safety. Data collection issues forced a change in this focus as the project progressed. : The study contains two issues tha...

77 FR 35844 - Safety Zone; Olde Ellison Bay Days Fireworks Display, Ellison Bay, WI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-15

... of Proposed Rulemaking A. Regulatory History and Information The Coast Guard is issuing this... of any grant or loan recipients, and will not raise any novel legal or policy issues. The safety zone...

Bus operator safety : critical issues examination and model practices.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

In this study, researchers at the National Center for Transit Research performed a multi-topic comprehensive : examination of bus operator-related critical safety and personal security issues. The goals of this research : effort were to: : 1. Identif...

A Secure ECC-based RFID Mutual Authentication Protocol to Enhance Patient Medication Safety.

PubMed

Jin, Chunhua; Xu, Chunxiang; Zhang, Xiaojun; Li, Fagen

2016-01-01

Patient medication safety is an important issue in patient medication systems. In order to prevent medication errors, integrating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology into automated patient medication systems is required in hospitals. Based on RFID technology, such systems can provide medical evidence for patients' prescriptions and medicine doses, etc. Due to the mutual authentication between the medication server and the tag, RFID authentication scheme is the best choice for automated patient medication systems. In this paper, we present a RFID mutual authentication scheme based on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) to enhance patient medication safety. Our scheme can achieve security requirements and overcome various attacks existing in other schemes. In addition, our scheme has better performance in terms of computational cost and communication overhead. Therefore, the proposed scheme is well suitable for patient medication systems.

A Biological Signal-Based Stress Monitoring Framework for Children Using Wearable Devices.

PubMed

Choi, Yerim; Jeon, Yu-Mi; Wang, Lin; Kim, Kwanho

2017-08-23

The safety of children has always been an important issue, and several studies have been conducted to determine the stress state of a child to ensure the safety. Audio signals and biological signals including heart rate are known to be effective for stress state detection. However, collecting those data requires specialized equipment, which is not appropriate for the constant monitoring of children, and advanced data analysis is required for accurate detection. In this regard, we propose a stress state detection framework which utilizes both audio signal and heart rate collected from wearable devices, and adopted machine learning methods for the detection. Experiments using real-world data were conducted to compare detection performances across various machine learning methods and noise levels of audio signal. Adopting the proposed framework in the real-world will contribute to the enhancement of child safety.

Antidepressant use in the elderly: the role of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in drug safety.

PubMed

Sultana, Janet; Spina, Edoardo; Trifirò, Gianluca

2015-06-01

Antidepressants (ADs) are widely used among elderly persons, making AD-related safety an important issue. This review highlights safety considerations related to AD use including risks associated with inappropriate and off-label use. The age-related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes underlying safety concerns connected to ADs are outlined. Drug-drug interactions as a cause of AD-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are also discussed. We reviewed scientific evidence concerning three important safety outcomes related to ADs in elderly persons: cardiac arrhythmias, hyponatraemia and falls/fractures. Several AD-related ADRs in elderly people are likely to be preventable. Current evidence suggests that selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are best avoided particularly in persons with kidney disease due to the risk of hyponatraemia. The use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) should be limited in the elderly due to anticholinergic adverse effects. TCAs should also be avoided in elderly persons at high risk of cardiovascular events due to a risk of cardiac arrhythmia. Emerging evidence suggests that SSRIs also have arrhythmogenic potential. Both TCAs and SSRIs should be used cautiously in elderly persons at risk of falls. Future research in this area should aim to investigate the lowest effective dose of AD possible, the relationship between AD dose and adverse effects, and which elderly subgroups are most prone to develop severe ADRs.

Occupational Health and Safety Issues among Vegetable Farmers in Trinidad and the Implications for Extension.

PubMed

Baksh, K S; Ganpat, W; Narine, L K

2015-07-01

Trinidad has an aged farming population. For a host of reasons, young persons are not entering the agricultural sector; therefore, these aged farmers will continue to be the backbone of the industry. Hence, there is much need for improving the health and safety of the workers within this sector. This first-time study assessed the prevalence of occupational health and safety disorders and discomforts among Trinidad's vegetable farmers in an attempt to understand the extent of the problem within the general farm population. The implications for extension are highlighted, and several recommendations are provided. Small-scale commercial-oriented vegetable farmers (n = 100) from ten of the most populated agricultural areas across Trinidad were surveyed. Results indicated that there was an overall moderate prevalence of occupational injuries among vegetable farmers. Most prevalent were musculoskeletal disorders of the lower back and upper body extremities, watery/burning eyes, skin rashes/itching, headaches, fatigue, dehydration, stress, and injuries attributed to slips and falls. Based on the evidence that a problem exists with health and safety, the extension service can now prepare and deliver programs to educate farmers on the actions necessary to improve their personal health and safety and that of their workers. This type of study has not been done before among farmers in Trinidad. It brings a very important and timely issue to the fore because of the aged farming population. Additionally, since the farmer profile and farming systems are similar in the wider Caribbean, policy makers can take note of the findings and recommendations and embrace actions.

Patient safety risks associated with telecare: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the literature.

PubMed

Guise, Veslemøy; Anderson, Janet; Wiig, Siri

2014-11-25

Patient safety risk in the homecare context and patient safety risk related to telecare are both emerging research areas. Patient safety issues associated with the use of telecare in homecare services are therefore not clearly understood. It is unclear what the patient safety risks are, how patient safety issues have been investigated, and what research is still needed to provide a comprehensive picture of risks, challenges and potential harm to patients due to the implementation and use of telecare services in the home. Furthermore, it is unclear how training for telecare users has addressed patient safety issues. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify patient safety risks associated with telecare use in homecare services and to investigate whether and how these patient safety risks have been addressed in telecare training. Six electronic databases were searched in addition to hand searches of key items, reference tracking and citation tracking. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were set. All included items were assessed according to set quality criteria and subjected to a narrative synthesis to organise and synthesize the findings. A human factors systems framework of patient safety was used to frame and analyse the results. 22 items were included in the review. 11 types of patient safety risks associated with telecare use in homecare services emerged. These are in the main related to the nature of homecare tasks and practices, and person-centred characteristics and capabilities, and to a lesser extent, problems with the technology and devices, organisational issues, and environmental factors. Training initiatives related to safe telecare use are not described in the literature. There is a need to better identify and describe patient safety risks related to telecare services to improve understandings of how to avoid and minimize potential harm to patients. This process can be aided by reframing known telecare implementation challenges and user experiences of telecare with the help of a human factors systems approach to patient safety.

Patient safety priorities in mental healthcare in Switzerland: a modified Delphi study.

PubMed

Mascherek, Anna C; Schwappach, David L B

2016-08-05

Identifying patient safety priorities in mental healthcare is an emerging issue. A variety of aspects of patient safety in medical care apply for patient safety in mental care as well. However, specific aspects may be different as a consequence of special characteristics of patients, setting and treatment. The aim of the present study was to combine knowledge from the field and research and bundle existing initiatives and projects to define patient safety priorities in mental healthcare in Switzerland. The present study draws on national expert panels, namely, round-table discussion and modified Delphi consensus method. As preparation for the modified Delphi questionnaire, two round-table discussions and one semistructured questionnaire were conducted. Preparative work was conducted between May 2015 and October 2015. The modified Delphi was conducted to gauge experts' opinion on priorities in patient safety in mental healthcare in Switzerland. In two independent rating rounds, experts made private ratings. The modified Delphi was conducted in winter 2015. Nine topics were defined along the treatment pathway: diagnostic errors, non-drug treatment errors, medication errors, errors related to coercive measures, errors related to aggression management against self and others, errors in treatment of suicidal patients, communication errors, errors at interfaces of care and structural errors. Patient safety is considered as an important topic of quality in mental healthcare among experts, but it has been seriously neglected up until now. Activities in research and in practice are needed. Structural errors and diagnostics were given highest priority. From the topics identified, some are overlapping with important aspects of patient safety in medical care; however, some core aspects are unique. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Patient safety priorities in mental healthcare in Switzerland: a modified Delphi study

PubMed Central

Mascherek, Anna C

2016-01-01

Objective Identifying patient safety priorities in mental healthcare is an emerging issue. A variety of aspects of patient safety in medical care apply for patient safety in mental care as well. However, specific aspects may be different as a consequence of special characteristics of patients, setting and treatment. The aim of the present study was to combine knowledge from the field and research and bundle existing initiatives and projects to define patient safety priorities in mental healthcare in Switzerland. The present study draws on national expert panels, namely, round-table discussion and modified Delphi consensus method. Design As preparation for the modified Delphi questionnaire, two round-table discussions and one semistructured questionnaire were conducted. Preparative work was conducted between May 2015 and October 2015. The modified Delphi was conducted to gauge experts' opinion on priorities in patient safety in mental healthcare in Switzerland. In two independent rating rounds, experts made private ratings. The modified Delphi was conducted in winter 2015. Results Nine topics were defined along the treatment pathway: diagnostic errors, non-drug treatment errors, medication errors, errors related to coercive measures, errors related to aggression management against self and others, errors in treatment of suicidal patients, communication errors, errors at interfaces of care and structural errors. Conclusions Patient safety is considered as an important topic of quality in mental healthcare among experts, but it has been seriously neglected up until now. Activities in research and in practice are needed. Structural errors and diagnostics were given highest priority. From the topics identified, some are overlapping with important aspects of patient safety in medical care; however, some core aspects are unique. PMID:27496233

Blood transfusion safety: a new philosophy.

PubMed

Franklin, I M

2012-12-01

Blood transfusion safety has had a chequered history, and there are current and future challenges. Internationally, there is no clear consensus for many aspects of the provision of safe blood, although pan-national legislation does provide a baseline framework in the European Union. Costs are rising, and new safety measures can appear expensive, especially when tested against some other medical interventions, such as cancer treatment and vaccination programmes. In this article, it is proposed that a comprehensive approach is taken to the issue of blood transfusion safety that considers all aspects of the process rather than considering only new measures. The need for an agreed level of safety for specified and unknown risks is also suggested. The importance of providing care and support for those inadvertently injured as a result of transfusion problems is also made. Given that the current blood safety decision process often uses a utilitarian principle for decision making--through the calculation of Quality Adjusted Life Years--an alternative philosophy is proposed. A social contract for blood safety, based on the principles of 'justice as fairness' developed by John Rawls, is recommended as a means of providing an agreed level of safety, containing costs and providing support for any adverse outcomes. © 2012 The Author. Transfusion Medicine © 2012 British Blood Transfusion Society.

Major food safety episodes in Taiwan: implications for the necessity of international collaboration on safety assessment and management.

PubMed

Li, Jih-Heng; Yu, Wen-Jing; Lai, Yuan-Hui; Ko, Ying-Chin

2012-07-01

The major food safety episodes that occurred in Taiwan during the past decade are briefly reviewed in this paper. Among the nine major episodes surveyed, with the exception of a U.S. beef (associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease)-related incident, all the others were associated with chemical toxicants. The general public, which has a layperson attitude of zero tolerance toward food safety, may panic over these food-safety-associated incidents. However, the health effects and impacts of most incidents, with the exception of the melamine incident, were essentially not fully evaluated. The mass media play an important role in determining whether a food safety concern becomes a major incident. A well-coordinated and harmonized system for domestic and international collaboration to set up standards and regulations is critical, as observed in the incidents of pork with ractopamine, Chinese hairy crab with nitrofuran antibiotics, and U.S. wheat with malathion. In the future, it can be anticipated that food safety issues will draw more attention from the general public. For unknown new toxicants or illicit adulteration of food, the establishment of a more proactive safety assessment system to monitor potential threats and provide real-time information exchange is imperative. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Commercial D-T FRC Power Plant Systems Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Canh; Santarius, John; Emmert, Gilbert; Steinhauer, Loren; Stubna, Michael

1998-11-01

Results of an engineering issues scoping study of a Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) burning D-T fuel will be presented. The study primarily focuses on engineering issues, such as tritium-breeding blanket design, radiation shielding, neutron damage, activation, safety, and environment. This presentation will concentrate on plasma physics, current drive, economics, and systems integration, which are important for the overall systems analysis. A systems code serves as the key tool in defining a reference point for detailed physics and engineering calculations plus parametric variations, and typical cases will be presented. Advantages of the cylindrical geometry and high beta (plasma pressure/magnetic-field pressure) are evident.

Ethical and medical dilemmas of space tourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsh, Melinda

Space tourism is an important new venture, however it raises several issues that must be addressed; namely, the medical implications associated with space flight and potential for ethical problems surrounding the safety of such travel. It seems highly likely that businesses involved in space tourism could find themselves liable for any passenger deaths or injuries, if they are found to have been negligent. This paper, therefore, discusses such issues as the medical facilities that need to be made available on board a space facility, and the companies' duty to disclose to potential passengers the risks associated with microgravity and the likelihood of space sickness, loss of bone density, disease, and pregnancy.

Safety culture in the maternity unit of hospitals in Ilam province, Iran: a census survey using HSOPSC tool.

PubMed

Akbari, Nahid; Malek, Marzieh; Ebrahimi, Parvin; Haghani, Hamid; Aazami, Sanaz

2017-01-01

Improving quality of maternal care as well as patients' safety are two important issues in health-care service. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the culture of patient safety at maternity units. This cross-sectional study was conducted among staffs working at maternity units in seven hospitals of Ilam city, Iran. The staffs included in this study were gynecologists and midwifes working in different positions including matron, supervisors, head of departments and staffs. Data were collected using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC). This study indicated that 59.1% of participants reported fair level of overall perceptions of safety and 67.1% declared that no event was reported during the past 12 months. The most positively perceived dimension of safety culture was teamwork within departments in view of managers (79.41) and personnel (81.10). However, the least positively perceived dimensions of safety culture was staffing levels. The current study revealed areas of strength (teamwork within departments) and weakness (staffing, punitive responses to error) among managers and personnel. In addition, we found that staffs in Ilam's hospitals accept the patient safety culture in maternity units, but, still are far away from excellent culture of patient safety. Therefore, it is necessary to promote culture of patient's safety among professions working in the maternity units of Ilam's hospitals.

Keeping nurse researchers safe: workplace health and safety issues.

PubMed

Barr, Jennieffer; Welch, Anthony

2012-07-01

This article is a report of a qualitative study of workplace health and safety issues in nursing research. Researcher health and safety have become increasing concerns as there is an increased amount of research undertaken in the community and yet there is a lack of appropriate guidelines on how to keep researchers safe when undertaking fieldwork. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, using different sources of data to find any references to researcher health and safety issues. A simple descriptive approach to inquiry was used for this study. Three approaches to data collection were used: interviews with 15 researchers, audits of 18 ethics applications, and exploration of the literature between 1992 and 2010 for examples of researcher safety issues. Data analysis from the three approaches identified participant comments, narrative descriptions or statements focused on researcher health and safety. Nurse researchers' health and safety may be at risk when conducting research in the community. Particular concern involves conducting sensitive research where researchers are physically at risk of being harmed, or being exposed to the development of somatic symptoms. Nurse researchers may perceive the level of risk of harm as lower than the actual or potential harm present in research. Nurse researchers do not consistently implement risk assessment before and during research. Researcher health and safety should be carefully considered at all stages of the research process. Research focusing on sensitive data and vulnerable populations need to consider risk minimization through strategies such as appropriate researcher preparation, safety during data collection, and debriefing if required. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

[Biosafety issues and public concerns on recombinant influenza viruses generated in the laboratories].

PubMed

Jia, Xiaojuan; Huang, Liqin; Liu, Wenjun

2013-12-01

Understanding inter-species transmission of influenza viruses is an important research topic. Scientists try to identify and evaluate the functional factors determining the host range of influenza viruses by generating the recombinant viruses through reverse genetics in laboratories, which reveals the viruses' molecular mechanisms of infection and transmission in different species. Therefore, the reverse genetic method is a very important tool for further understanding the biology of influenza viruses and will provide the insight for the prevention and treatment of infections and transmission. However, these recombinant influenza viruses generated in laboratories will become the potential threat to the public health and the environment. In this paper, we discussed the biological safety issues of recombinant influenza viruses and suggested we should set up protocols for risk management on research activities related to recombinant highly pathogenic influenza viruses.

2001 traffic safety issues opinion survey.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-02-01

As a means of determining public opinion on specific traffic safety issues, a public opinion survey was conducted. A total of 4,500 mail surveys were sent to a stratified sample of drivers selected from the drivers license file. The state was divided...

Occupant protection issues among older drivers and passengers. Volume 2, Appendices

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-04-01

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is concerned about highway safety issues for older adults and is interested in understanding what contributes to seat belt use or nonuse among people 65 and older. This background report details the ...

Indicators of safety compromise in gastrointestinal endoscopy.

PubMed

Borgaonkar, Mark Ram; Hookey, Lawrence; Hollingworth, Roger; Kuipers, Ernst J; Forster, Alan; Armstrong, David; Barkun, Alan; Bridges, Ron; Carter, Rose; de Gara, Chris; Dube, Catherine; Enns, Robert; Macintosh, Donald; Forget, Sylviane; Leontiadis, Grigorios; Meddings, Jonathan; Cotton, Peter; Valori, Roland

2012-02-01

The importance of quality indicators has become increasingly recognized in gastrointestinal endoscopy. Patient safety requires the identification and monitoring of occurrences associated with harm or the potential for harm. The identification of relevant indicators of safety compromise is, therefore, a critical element that is key to the effective implementation of endoscopy quality improvement programs. To identify key indicators of safety compromise in gastrointestinal endoscopy. The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Safety and Quality Indicators in Endoscopy Consensus Group was formed to address issues of quality in endoscopy. A subcommittee was formed to identify key safety indicators. A systematic literature review was undertaken, and articles pertinent to safety in endoscopy were identified and reviewed. All complications and measures used to document safety were recorded. From this, a preliminary list of 16 indicators was compiled and presented to the 35-person consensus group during a three-day meeting. A revised list of 20 items was subsequently put to the consensus group for vote for inclusion on the final list of safety indicators. Items were retained only if the consensus group highly agreed on their importance. A total of 19 indicators of safety compromise were retained and grouped into the three following categories: medication-related - the need for CPR, use of reversal agents, hypoxia, hypotension, hypertension, sedation doses in patients older than 70 years of age, allergic reactions and laryngospasm⁄bronchospasm; procedure-related early - perforation, immediate postpolypectomy bleeding, need for hospital admission or transfer to emergency department from the gastroenterology unit, instrument impaction, severe persistent abdominal pain requiring evaluation proven to not be perforation; and procedure-related delayed - death within 30 days of procedure, 14-day unplanned hospitalization, 14-day unplanned contact with a health provider, gastrointestinal bleeding within 14 days of procedure, infection or symptomatic metabolic complications. The 19 indicators of safety compromise in endoscopy, identified by a rigorous, evidence-based consensus process, provide clear outcomes to be recorded by all facilities as part of their continuing quality improvement programs.

Psychological Counseling of Female Fertility Preservation Patients

PubMed Central

Lawson, Angela K.; Klock, Susan C.; Pavone, Mary Ellen; Hirshfeld-Cytron, Jennifer; Smith, Kristin N.; Kazer, Ralph R.

2015-01-01

Young cancer patients are increasingly interested in preserving their fertility prior to undergoing gonadotoxic therapies. Although the medical safety and treatment protocols for fertility preservation have been well documented, limited research has addressed the emotional issues which arise in fertility preservation patients. We briefly review the literature on the psychosocial issues in adult female fertility preservation treatment and describe our experiences within this patient population patient. Our findings suggest that several important issues to be addressed during the psychological counseling of adult female fertility preservation patients include: 1) pre-existing psychological distress in patients undergoing treatment, 2) choice of fertility preservation strategy in the face of an uncertain relationship future, 3) decision making regarding use of third party reproduction (e.g., sperm/egg donation, gestational surrogacy), 4) treatment expectations regarding pregnancy and miscarriage, 5) ethical issues related to treatment including the creation, cryopreservation, and disposition of embryos/oocytes, and 6) decision regret from patients who declined fertility preservation. PMID:25996581

Perceptions of Supervision Among Injured and Non-Injured Teens Working in the Retail or Service Industry.

PubMed

Zierold, Kristina M

2016-04-01

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a teen is injured every 9 minutes at work. Workplace supervision may affect whether teens are injured on the job. Because research on workplace supervision among teens is limited, the objectives of this study were to characterize the perceptions of supervision among injured and non-injured teen workers and assess the characteristics and perceptions of supervisors that may be associated with work-related injuries. In 2011, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among high school students. Teens who worked in retail or service industries (n= 270) were included in the sample. Non-injured teens were more likely to have reported that their supervisors cared about their safety, were helpful, listened well, and ensured that teen workers understood workplace safety. Most teens (70%) did not feel comfortable talking about safety issues with their supervisors. The importance of supervision and how supervisors are perceived in the workplace may be significant in creating a safety culture that leaves a lasting impression. © 2015 The Author(s).

Democratic and Republican physicians provide different care on politicized health issues.

PubMed

Hersh, Eitan D; Goldenberg, Matthew N

2016-10-18

Physicians frequently interact with patients about politically salient health issues, such as drug use, firearm safety, and sexual behavior. We investigate whether physicians' own political views affect their treatment decisions on these issues. We linked the records of over 20,000 primary care physicians in 29 US states to a voter registration database, obtaining the physicians' political party affiliations. We then surveyed a sample of Democratic and Republican primary care physicians. Respondents evaluated nine patient vignettes, three of which addressed especially politicized health issues (marijuana, abortion, and firearm storage). Physicians rated the seriousness of the issue presented in each vignette and their likelihood of engaging in specific management options. On the politicized health issues-and only on such issues-Democratic and Republican physicians differed substantially in their expressed concern and their recommended treatment plan. We control for physician demographics (like age, gender, and religiosity), patient population, and geography. Physician partisan bias can lead to unwarranted variation in patient care. Awareness of how a physician's political attitudes might affect patient care is important to physicians and patients alike.

Clinically relevant safety issues associated with St. John's wort product labels.

PubMed

Clauson, Kevin A; Santamarina, Marile L; Rutledge, Jennifer C

2008-07-17

St. John's wort (SJW), used to treat depression, is popular in the USA, Canada, and parts of Europe. However, there are documented interactions between SJW and prescription medications including warfarin, cyclosporine, indinavir, and oral contraceptives. One source of information about these safety considerations is the product label. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinically relevant safety information included on labeling in a nationally representative sample of SJW products from the USA. Eight clinically relevant safety issues were identified: drug interactions (SJW-HIV medications, SJW-immunosupressants, SJW-oral contraceptives, and SJW-warfarin), contraindications (bipolar disorder), therapeutic duplication (antidepressants), and general considerations (phototoxicity and advice to consult a healthcare professional (HCP)). A list of SJW products was identified to assess their labels. Percentages and totals were used to present findings. Of the seventy-four products evaluated, no product label provided information for all 8 evaluation criteria. Three products (4.1%) provided information on 7 of the 8 criteria. Four products provided no safety information whatsoever. Percentage of products with label information was: SJW-HIV (8.1%), SJW-immunosupressants (5.4%), SJW-OCPs (8.1%), SJW-warfarin (5.4%), bipolar (1.4%), antidepressants (23.0%), phototoxicity (51.4%), and consult HCP (87.8%). Other safety-related information on labels included warnings about pregnancy (74.3%), lactation (64.9%), discontinue if adverse reaction (23.0%), and not for use in patients under 18 years old (13.5%). The average number of a priori safety issues included on a product label was 1.91 (range 0-8) for 23.9% completeness. The vast majority of SJW products fail to adequately address clinically relevant safety issues on their labeling. A few products do provide an acceptable amount of information on clinically relevant safety issues which could enhance the quality of counseling by HCPs and health store clerks. HCPs and consumers may benefit if the FDA re-examined labeling requirements for dietary supplements.

Clinically relevant safety issues associated with St. John's wort product labels

PubMed Central

Clauson, Kevin A; Santamarina, Marile L; Rutledge, Jennifer C

2008-01-01

Background St. John's wort (SJW), used to treat depression, is popular in the USA, Canada, and parts of Europe. However, there are documented interactions between SJW and prescription medications including warfarin, cyclosporine, indinavir, and oral contraceptives. One source of information about these safety considerations is the product label. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinically relevant safety information included on labeling in a nationally representative sample of SJW products from the USA. Methods Eight clinically relevant safety issues were identified: drug interactions (SJW-HIV medications, SJW-immunosupressants, SJW-oral contraceptives, and SJW-warfarin), contraindications (bipolar disorder), therapeutic duplication (antidepressants), and general considerations (phototoxicity and advice to consult a healthcare professional (HCP)). A list of SJW products was identified to assess their labels. Percentages and totals were used to present findings. Results Of the seventy-four products evaluated, no product label provided information for all 8 evaluation criteria. Three products (4.1%) provided information on 7 of the 8 criteria. Four products provided no safety information whatsoever. Percentage of products with label information was: SJW-HIV (8.1%), SJW-immunosupressants (5.4%), SJW-OCPs (8.1%), SJW-warfarin (5.4%), bipolar (1.4%), antidepressants (23.0%), phototoxicity (51.4%), and consult HCP (87.8%). Other safety-related information on labels included warnings about pregnancy (74.3%), lactation (64.9%), discontinue if adverse reaction (23.0%), and not for use in patients under 18 years old (13.5%). The average number of a priori safety issues included on a product label was 1.91 (range 0–8) for 23.9% completeness. Conclusion The vast majority of SJW products fail to adequately address clinically relevant safety issues on their labeling. A few products do provide an acceptable amount of information on clinically relevant safety issues which could enhance the quality of counseling by HCPs and health store clerks. HCPs and consumers may benefit if the FDA re-examined labeling requirements for dietary supplements. PMID:18637192

Issues of Food Chain Security and Case Studies in the Czech Army

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komar, Ales; Vasicka, Pavlina

Food supply system is fundamental extremely open complex. Global challenge is acknowledged and must be considered because food is important source of existence and can be used as a desirable terrorist vehicle. Raw material and food featured intentional versus accidental contamination. Manifestation of global challenges, aspiration for sustainable development and appearance of terrorism create the new paradigm for threats to food safety and defence management.

Pharmacogenomics of CYP2C9: Functional and Clinical Considerations†

PubMed Central

Rettie, Allan E.; Fowler, Douglas M.; Miners, John O.

2017-01-01

CYP2C9 is the most abundant CYP2C subfamily enzyme in human liver and the most important contributor from this subfamily to drug metabolism. Polymorphisms resulting in decreased enzyme activity are common in the CYP2C9 gene and this, combined with narrow therapeutic indices for several key drug substrates, results in some important issues relating to drug safety and efficacy. CYP2C9 substrate selectivity is detailed and, based on crystal structures for the enzyme, we describe how CYP2C9 catalyzes these reactions. Factors relevant to clinical response to CYP2C9 substrates including inhibition, induction and genetic polymorphism are discussed in detail. In particular, we consider the issue of ethnic variation in pattern and frequency of genetic polymorphisms and clinical implications. Warfarin is the most well studied CYP2C9 substrate; recent work on use of dosing algorithms that include CYP2C9 genotype to improve patient safety during initiation of warfarin dosing are reviewed and prospects for their clinical implementation considered. Finally, we discuss a novel approach to cataloging the functional capabilities of rare ‘variants of uncertain significance’, which are increasingly detected as more exome and genome sequencing of diverse populations is conducted. PMID:29283396

Practical management of chemicals and hazardous wastes: An environmental and safety professional`s guide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuhre, W.L.

This book was written to help the environmental and safety student learn about the field and to help the working professional manage hazardous material and waste issues. For example, one issue that will impact virtually all of these people mentioned is the upcoming environmental standardization movement. The International Standards Organization (ISO) is in the process of adding comprehensive environmental and hazardous waste management systems to their future certification requirements. Most industries worldwide will be working hard to achieve this new level of environmental management. This book presents many of the systems needed to receive certification. In order to properly managemore » hazardous waste, it is important to consider the entire life cycle, including when the waste was a useful chemical or hazardous material. Waste minimization is built upon this concept. Understanding the entire life cycle is also important in terms of liability, since many regulations hold generators responsible from cradle to grave. This book takes the life-cycle concept even further, in order to provide additional insight. The discussion starts with the conception of the chemical and traces its evolution into a waste and even past disposal. At this point the story continues into the afterlife, where responsibility still remains.« less

Emotional Issues and Bathroom Problems

MedlinePlus

... Healthy Living Healthy Living Healthy Living Nutrition Fitness Sports Oral Health Emotional Wellness Growing Healthy Sleep Safety & Prevention Safety & Prevention Safety and Prevention Immunizations ...

A decade of safety-related regulatory action in the Netherlands: a retrospective analysis of direct healthcare professional communications from 1999 to 2009.

PubMed

Mol, Peter G M; Straus, Sabine M J M; Piening, Sigrid; de Vries, Jonie T N; de Graeff, Pieter A; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M

2010-06-01

As pre-approval trials are inherently limited in assessing the complete benefit-risk profile of a new drug, serious safety issues may emerge once a drug gains widespread use after approval. Regulators face the dilemma of balancing timely market access with the need for complete data on risks. This challenge has led to a life-cycle approach but, so far, few data are available on post-approval safety issues requiring regulatory action. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency, timing and nature of safety issues that necessitated safety-related regulatory action in the form of a Direct Healthcare Professional Communication (DHPC) issued by pharmaceutical companies in collaboration with the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board during the past decade. All DHPCs issued in the Netherlands from 1 January 1999 to 1 January 2009 were retrospectively collected from the national regulatory authorities. Elapsed time between the approval date and the issue of the DHPC was determined. Characteristics of the action including the nature of the safety issue (according to Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities [MedDRA] terminology), type of drug and procedural aspects of the regulatory action taken were reviewed. DHPC characteristics were tabulated and explorative non-parametric tests were performed to study the effect of safety issue, drug class, drug type, orphan drug and first-in-class status on elapsed time from approval to the DHPC. 157 DHPCs were issued concerning 112 different active substances, approximately 9% (112/1200) of active substances available in the Netherlands in 2007. The number of DHPCs issued increased by 2.1 (95% CI 1.2, 3.1; p < 0.001) DHPCs per year over the past decade, reaching a total of 25 in 2008. The median time between approval and DHPC was 5.3 years (range 0.13-48 years). No significant trend in elapsed time to DHPC was observed in relation to the studied years (p = 0.06). One-third of all DHPCs were issued in the first 3 years after approval, but 27% (n = 43/157) of the DHPCs were issued 10 or more years after approval. Timing of DHPCs differed depending on safety issue, drug class, drug type and orphan drug status. DHPCs mostly concerned adverse events in the system organ class of 'cardiac disorders' (15%), 'injury, poisoning and procedural complications' (13%) and 'general disorders and administration site conditions' (10%). In ten cases the drug was eventually withdrawn. Withdrawal occurred a median duration of 2.4 years after registration (range of 1.5-48 years) and was most frequently due to cardiac disorders (including QT interval prolongation; four occasions) and hepatobiliary disorders (two occasions). In the past decade, the number of DHPCs has increased over time. This is likely caused by a multitude of factors: increased risk awareness by the public, media, regulators and other stakeholders; the type of drugs approved, such as orphan drugs and biologicals; and the regulatory process, including conditional approvals. The number of DHPCs may in the future increase further with the possibility of screening large epidemiological databases proactively for adverse drug events. Nine percent of all marketed drugs required a safety-related action. Regulatory action is taken shortly (<3 years) after market approval nearly as often as after intermediate (3-10 years) and long-term (>10 years) market exposure. These findings underline the need for risk management during the whole life cycle of a drug.

En route care patient safety: thoughts from the field.

PubMed

McNeill, Margaret M; Pierce, Penny; Dukes, Susan; Bridges, Elizabeth J

2014-08-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the patient safety culture of en route care in the United States Air Force aeromedical evacuation system. Almost 100,000 patients have been transported since 2001. Safety concerns in this unique environment are complex because of the extraordinary demands of multitasking, time urgency, long duty hours, complex handoffs, and multiple stressors of flight. An internet-based survey explored the perceptions and experiences of safety issues among nursing personnel involved throughout the continuum of aeromedical evacuation care. A convenience sample of 236 nurses and medical technicians from settings representing the continuum was studied. Descriptive and nonparametric statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data, and thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data. Results indicate that over 90% of respondents agree or strongly agree safety is a priority in their unit and that their unit is responsive to patient safety initiatives. Many respondents described safety incidents or near misses, and these have been categorized as personnel physical capability limitations, environmental threats, medication and equipment issues, and care process problems. Results suggest the care of patients during transport is influenced by the safety culture, human factors, training, experience, and communication. Suggestions to address safety issues emerged from the survey data. Reprint & Copyright © 2014 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Pre- and postharvest preventive measures and intervention strategies to control microbial food safety hazards of fresh leafy vegetables.

PubMed

Gil, Maria I; Selma, Maria V; Suslow, Trevor; Jacxsens, Liesbeth; Uyttendaele, Mieke; Allende, Ana

2015-01-01

This review includes an overview of the most important preventive measures along the farm to fork chain to prevent microbial contamination of leafy greens. It also includes the technological and managerial interventions related to primary production, postharvest handling, processing practices, distribution, and consumer handling to eliminate pathogens in leafy greens. When the microbiological risk is already present, preventive measures to limit actual contamination events or pathogen survival are considered intervention strategies. In codes of practice the focus is mainly put on explaining preventive measures. However, it is also important to establish more focused intervention strategies. This review is centered mainly on leafy vegetables as the commodity identified as the highest priority in terms of fresh produce microbial safety from a global perspective. There is no unique preventive measure or intervention strategy that could be applied at one point of the food chain. We should encourage growers of leafy greens to establish procedures based on the HACCP principles at the level of primary production. The traceability of leafy vegetables along the chain is an essential element in ensuring food safety. Thus, in dealing with the food safety issues associated with fresh produce it is clear that a multidisciplinary farm to fork strategy is required.

Highway safety data : costs, quality, and strategies for improvement, final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

The goal of this project was to analyze the collection and management of highway safety data by identifying issues and costs, and proposing means of resolving those issues and reducing the costs. Initial emphasis addressed known elements of the highw...

Highway Safety Data : costs, quality, and strategies for improvement : research report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

The goal of this project was to analyze the collection and management of highway safety data by identifying issues and costs, and proposing means of resolving those issues and reducing the costs. Initial emphasis addressed known elements of the highw...

Occupant protection issues among older drivers and passengers. Volume 1, Final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-04-01

With the older adult population of the United States growing at a rapid pace, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned with highway safety issues affecting this age group. NHTSA initiated a three-stage research study in...

77 FR 38495 - Safety Zone; Village of Sodus Point Fireworks Display, Sodus Bay, Sodus Point, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-28

.... Regulatory History and Information The Coast Guard is issuing this temporary final rule without prior notice... of any grant or loan recipients, and will not raise any novel legal or policy issues. The safety zone...

Misinformation contributing to safety issues in vehicle restraints for children : a rural/urban comparison.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

This study sought to determine current knowledge-levels of health care providers regarding child passenger safety issues and frequency of counseling on this topic. In addition, this study explored the differences in child restraint knowledge levels a...

Role of the nurse immuniser in implementing and maintaining the National Human Papillomavirus 'Cervical Cancer' Vaccine rollout through a school-based program in Victoria.

PubMed

Kent, Helen; Heffernan, Margaret E; Silvers, Julie; Moore, Elya; Garland, Suzanne M

2010-09-01

In an effort to understand the strengths and limitations of current approaches to human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) delivery in schools, we conducted an audit of nurse immunisers (NI). In this survey of 159 Victorian NI, the NI perceived that knowledge, safety and side effects were among the most important issues raised by parents, schoolgirls, and teachers in the school setting. The most common concern identified by NIs was the physical layout of the vaccination setting (41%), followed by safety, then knowledge of the vaccine. There is a need for ongoing assessment of factors that improve or impede the delivery of HPV vaccines.

[Clinical safety data management in company non-sponsored trials].

PubMed

Saito, Akiko; Sakai, Junko; Kurihara, Masaaki; Kami, Masahiro; Kanda, Yoshinobu; Mori, Shin-ichiro; Takaue, Yoichi; Ohashi, Yasuo

2003-09-01

There is currently no harmonized way in Japan to manage safety data which are obtained during clinical trials supported by Government funds. There are two types of clinical trials, 'sponsored trials(sponsored by industrial companies)' and 'non-sponsored trials(funded by the Government, etc.)'. The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare has issued many of pharmaceutical laws(GCP, GPMSP etc.) for the regulation of sponsored trials, while none has ever established for non-sponsored trials, thus leaving the most important quality control/assurance unregulated. In this manuscript we discuss that the simple application of pharmaceutical laws to government-sponsored trials can not be a proper answer because of the different nature of the two types of trials.

Necessity of Mutual Understandings in Supply Chain Management of Lithium-Ion Battery for Space Vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiyokawa, T.; Nakajima, M.; Mori, Y.

2012-01-01

Application of Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) is getting growth these days in space industry. Through the supply chain of LIB, it is very important to establish deepen mutual understandings between space industry people and non-space industry people in order to meet requirements of space grade quality control. Furthermore, this approach has positive effects for safety handling and safety transportation. This paper explains necessity of mutual understandings based on the analysis of aviation incident report. The study is focused on its background and issues on each related industry. These contents are studied and discussed in the New Work Item Proposal of the International Standard of LIB for space vehicle.

Progress in Fire Detection and Suppression Technology for Future Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert; Urban, David L.

2000-01-01

Fire intervention technology (detection and suppression) is a critical part of the strategy of spacecraft fire safety. This paper reviews the status, trends, and issues in fire intervention, particularly the technology applied to the protection of the International Space Station and future missions beyond Earth orbit. An important contribution to improvements in spacecraft fire safety is the understanding of the behavior of fires in the non-convective (microgravity) environment of Earth-orbiting and planetary-transit spacecraft. A key finding is the strong influence of ventilation flow on flame characteristics, flammability limits and flame suppression in microgravity. Knowledge of these flow effects will aid the development of effective processes for fire response and technology for fire suppression.

Patient and nurse safety: how information technology makes a difference.

PubMed

Simpson, Roy L

2005-01-01

The Institute of Medicine's landmark report asserted medical error is seldom the fault of individuals, but the result of faulty healthcare policy/procedure systems. Numerous studies have shown that information technology can shore up weak systems. For nursing, information technology plays a key role in protecting patients by eliminating nursing mistakes and protecting nurses by reducing their negative exposure. However, managing information technology is a function of managing the people who use it. This article examines critical issues that impact patient and nurse safety, both physical and professional. It discusses the importance of eliminating the culture of blame, the requirements of process change, how to implement technology in harmony with the organization and the significance of vision.

Measure Guideline: Guidance on Taped Insulating Sheathing Drainage Planes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grin, A.; Lstiburek, J.

This guide provides information and recommendations to the following groups: insulation contractors; general contractors; builders; home remodelers; mechanical contractors; and homeowners, as a guide to the work that needs to be done. The order of work completed during home construction and retrofit improvements is important. Health and safety issues must be addressed first and are more important than durability issues. And durability issues are more important than saving energy. Not all techniques can apply to all houses. Special conditions will require special action. Some builders or homeowners will wish to do more than the important but basic retrofit strategies outlinedmore » by this guide. The following are best practice and product recommendations from the interviewed contractors and homebuilders who collectively have a vast amount of experience. Three significant items were discussed with the group which are required to make taped insulating sheathing a simple, long term, and durable drainage plane: 1. Horizontal joints should be limited or eliminated wherever possible; 2. Where a horizontal joint exists use superior materials; 3. Frequent installation inspection and regular trade training are required to maintain proper installation. Section 5 of this measure guideline contains the detailed construction procedure for the three recommended methods to effectively seal the joints in exterior insulating sheathing to create a simple, long term, and durable drainage plane.« less

Focusing on flu: Parent perspectives on school-located immunization programs for influenza vaccine.

PubMed

Middleman, Amy B; Short, Mary B; Doak, Jean S

2012-10-01

School-located immunization programs (SLIP) will only be successful if parents consent to their children's participation. It is critical to understand parent perspectives regarding the factors that make them more or less likely to provide that consent. Organizations creating SLIPs will be able to capitalize on the aspects of SLIPs that parents appreciate, and address and correct issues that may give rise to parent concerns. This study involved five focus groups among the parents of school students in a large, urban school district. Findings highlight the broad range of concepts important to parents when considering participation in a SLIP. The safety and trust issues regarding vaccines in general that are so important to parents are also important to parents when considering participation in a SLIP. Effective communication strategies that include assurances regarding tracking of information and the competence and experience of immunizers will be helpful when addressing parents regarding SLIPs. In addition, parents were very cognizant of and positive regarding the public health benefits associated with SLIPs. Further study among larger populations of parents will further refine these ideas and aid in the development of successful influenza vaccine SLIPs that directly address and communicate with parents about the issues most important to them.

Collegiate Aviation Research and Education Solutions to Critical Safety Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowen, Brent (Editor)

2002-01-01

This Conference Proceedings is a collection of 6 abstracts and 3 papers presented April 19-20, 2001 in Denver, CO. The conference focus was "Best Practices and Benchmarking in Collegiate and Industry Programs". Topics covered include: satellite-based aviation navigation; weather safety training; human-behavior and aircraft maintenance issues; disaster preparedness; the collegiate aviation emergency response checklist; aviation safety research; and regulatory status of maintenance resource management.

A Review of Safety and Design Requirements of the Artificial Pancreas.

PubMed

Blauw, Helga; Keith-Hynes, Patrick; Koops, Robin; DeVries, J Hans

2016-11-01

As clinical studies with artificial pancreas systems for automated blood glucose control in patients with type 1 diabetes move to unsupervised real-life settings, product development will be a focus of companies over the coming years. Directions or requirements regarding safety in the design of an artificial pancreas are, however, lacking. This review aims to provide an overview and discussion of safety and design requirements of the artificial pancreas. We performed a structured literature search based on three search components-type 1 diabetes, artificial pancreas, and safety or design-and extended the discussion with our own experiences in developing artificial pancreas systems. The main hazards of the artificial pancreas are over- and under-dosing of insulin and, in case of a bi-hormonal system, of glucagon or other hormones. For each component of an artificial pancreas and for the complete system we identified safety issues related to these hazards and proposed control measures. Prerequisites that enable the control algorithms to provide safe closed-loop control are accurate and reliable input of glucose values, assured hormone delivery and an efficient user interface. In addition, the system configuration has important implications for safety, as close cooperation and data exchange between the different components is essential.

Patient safety in the care of mentally ill people in Switzerland: Action plan 2016

PubMed

Richard, Aline; Mascherek, Anna C; Schwappach, David L B

2017-01-01

Background: Patient safety in mental healthcare has not attracted great attention yet, although the burden and the prevalence of mental diseases are high. The risk of errors with potential for harm of patients, such as aggression against self and others or non-drug treatment errors is particularly high in this vulnerable group. Aim: To develop priority topics and strategies for action to foster patient safety in mental healthcare. Method: The Swiss patient safety foundation together with experts conducted round table discussions and a Delphi questionnaire to define topics along the treatment pathway, and to prioritise these topics. Finally, fields of action were developed. Results: An action plan was developed including the definition and prioritization of 9 topics where errors may occur. A global rating task revealed errors concerning diagnostics and structural errors as most important. This led to the development of 4 fields of action (awareness raising, research, implementation, and education and training) including practice-oriented potential starting points to enhance patient safety. Conclusions: The action plan highlights issues of high concern for patient safety in mental healthcare. It serves as a starting point for the development of strategies for action as well as of concrete activities.

Socio-Technical Considerations for the Use of Blockchain Technology in Healthcare.

PubMed

Wong, Ming Chao; Yee, Kwang Chien; Nøhr, Christian

2018-01-01

Blockchain technology is often considered as the fourth industrial revolution that will change the world. The enthusiasm of the transformative nature of blockchain technology has infiltrated healthcare. Blockchain is often seen as the much needed and perfect technology for healthcare, addressing the difficult and complex issues of security and inter-operability. More importantly, the "value" and trust-based system can deliver automated action and response via its smart contract mechanism. Healthcare, however, is a complex system. Health information technology (HIT) so far, has not delivered its promise of transforming healthcare due to its complex socio-technical and context sensitive interaction. The introduction of blockchain technology will need to consider a whole range of socio-technical issues in order to improve the quality and safety of patient care. This paper presents a discussion on these socio-technical issues. More importantly, this paper argues that in order to achieve the best outcome from blockchain technology, there is a need to consider a clinical transformation from "information" to "value " and trust. This paper argues that urgent research is needed to address these socio-technical issues in order to facilitate best outcomes for blockchain in healthcare. These socio-technical issues must then be further evaluated by means of working prototypes in the medical domain in coming years.

Identifying the science and technology dimensions of emerging public policy issues through horizon scanning.

PubMed

Parker, Miles; Acland, Andrew; Armstrong, Harry J; Bellingham, Jim R; Bland, Jessica; Bodmer, Helen C; Burall, Simon; Castell, Sarah; Chilvers, Jason; Cleevely, David D; Cope, David; Costanzo, Lucia; Dolan, James A; Doubleday, Robert; Feng, Wai Yi; Godfray, H Charles J; Good, David A; Grant, Jonathan; Green, Nick; Groen, Arnoud J; Guilliams, Tim T; Gupta, Sunjai; Hall, Amanda C; Heathfield, Adam; Hotopp, Ulrike; Kass, Gary; Leeder, Tim; Lickorish, Fiona A; Lueshi, Leila M; Magee, Chris; Mata, Tiago; McBride, Tony; McCarthy, Natasha; Mercer, Alan; Neilson, Ross; Ouchikh, Jackie; Oughton, Edward J; Oxenham, David; Pallett, Helen; Palmer, James; Patmore, Jeff; Petts, Judith; Pinkerton, Jan; Ploszek, Richard; Pratt, Alan; Rocks, Sophie A; Stansfield, Neil; Surkovic, Elizabeth; Tyler, Christopher P; Watkinson, Andrew R; Wentworth, Jonny; Willis, Rebecca; Wollner, Patrick K A; Worts, Kim; Sutherland, William J

2014-01-01

Public policy requires public support, which in turn implies a need to enable the public not just to understand policy but also to be engaged in its development. Where complex science and technology issues are involved in policy making, this takes time, so it is important to identify emerging issues of this type and prepare engagement plans. In our horizon scanning exercise, we used a modified Delphi technique. A wide group of people with interests in the science and policy interface (drawn from policy makers, policy adviser, practitioners, the private sector and academics) elicited a long list of emergent policy issues in which science and technology would feature strongly and which would also necessitate public engagement as policies are developed. This was then refined to a short list of top priorities for policy makers. Thirty issues were identified within broad areas of business and technology; energy and environment; government, politics and education; health, healthcare, population and aging; information, communication, infrastructure and transport; and public safety and national security.

From the school of nursing quality and safety officer: nursing students' use of safety reporting tools and their perception of safety issues in clinical settings.

PubMed

Cooper, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

Improved patient safety and quality are priority goals for nurses and schools of nursing. This article describes the innovative new role of quality and safety officer (QSO) developed by one university in response to the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses challenge to increase quality and safety education for prelicensure nursing students. The article also describes the results of a study conducted by the QSO, obtaining information from prelicensure nursing students about the use of safety tools and identifying the students' perceptions of safety issues, communication, and safety reporting in the clinical setting. Responses of 145 prelicensure nursing students suggest that it is difficult to get all errors and near-miss events reported. Barriers for nursing students are similar to the barriers nurses and physicians identify in reporting errors and near-miss events. The survey reveals that safety for the patient is the primary concern of the student nurse. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wood, Richard Thomas; Ewing, Paul D.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) regulations in Part 50, “Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities,” of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 50) state that structures, systems, and components important to safety in a nuclear power plant are to be designed to accommodate the effects of environmental conditions (i.e., remain functional under all postulated service conditions) and that design control measures such as testing are to be used to check the adequacy of design. Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.180 was developed to provide guidance to licensees and applicants on methods acceptable to the NRCmore » staff for complying with the NRC’s regulations on design, installation, and testing practices for addressing the effects of electromagnetic and radio-frequency interference (EMI/RFI) and power surges on safety-related instrumentation and control (I&C) systems. The first revision of RG 1.180 was issued in January 2000 and a second revision was issued in October 2003*. The second revision differed from the first revision in endorsing Military Standard (MIL-STD)-461E and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard (Std) 61000 series of EMI/RFI test methods, extending the guidance to cover signal line testing, incorporating frequency ranges where portable communications devices are experiencing increasing use, and relaxing the operating envelopes (test levels) when experience and confirmatory research warranted. It also offered exemptions from specific test criteria based on technical considerations such as plant conditions and the intended location of the safety-related I&C equipment. Since the last revision, new requirements have been identified, associated RGs have been created and updated, and additional industry guidance has been developed. Additionally, the operational environment has changed with the increase in wireless communication technology for both personal (smartphone) and industrial (remote I&C) purposes. Also, specific concerns and issues with testing methods and methodologies have been identified that must be addressed. Further, most of the standards that serve as the basis for the RG have been revised. Therefore, the NRC’s Office of Regulatory Research has contracted with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to incorporate new information and resolve the identified issues under NRC-HQ-60-14-D-0015, “Update to RG 1.180, Revision 2, Guidelines for Evaluating Electromagnetic and Radio-Frequency Interference in Safety-Related Instrumentation and Control Systems.” The ultimate goal of this project is to provide NRC the technical basis for developing and publishing a new revision of the RG. The focus of Task 4 was for ORNL to identify and address any new or additional EMI/RFI issues that could potentially impact the EMC of I&C systems. More specifically, ORNL was to evaluate the impact of any new issue on safety equipment in their local environments and then determine whether the issues should be included and discussed in the revision to RG 1.180 that is currently under way.« less

Risks and issues in fire safety on the Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert

1993-01-01

A fire in the inhabited portion of a spacecraft is a greatly feared hazard, but fire protection in space operations is complicated by two factors. First, the spacecraft cabin is an enclosed volume, which limits the resources for fire fighting and the options for crew escape. Second, an orbiting spacecraft experiences a balance of forces, creating a near-zero-gravity (microgravity) environment that profoundly affects the characteristics of fire initiation, spread, and suppression. The current Shuttle Orbiter is protected by a fire-detection and suppression system whose requirements are derived of necessity from accepted terrestrial and aircraft standards. While experience has shown that Shuttle fire safety is adequate, designers recognize that improved systems to respond specifically to microgravity fire characteristics are highly desirable. Innovative technology is particularly advisable for the Space Station, a forthcoming space community with a complex configuration and long-duration orbital missions, in which the effectiveness of current fire-protection systems is unpredictable. The development of risk assessments to evaluate the probabilities and consequences of fire incidents in spacecraft are briefly reviewed. It further discusses the important unresolved issues and needs for improved fire safety in the Space Station, including those of material selection, spacecraft atmospheres, fire detection, fire suppression, and post-fire restoration.

The use of sibutramine in the management of obesity and related disorders: an update.

PubMed

Tziomalos, Konstantinos; Krassas, Gerasimos E; Tzotzas, Themistoklis

2009-01-01

To review the major trials that evaluated the efficacy and safety of the use of sibutramine for weight loss and the impact of this agent on obesity-related disorders. The most important articles on sibutramine up to January 2009 were located by a PubMed and Medline search. Sibutramine reduces food intake and body weight more than placebo and has positive effects on the lipid profile (mainly triglycerides and high density lipoprotein cholesterol), glycemic control and inflammatory markers in studies for up to one year. Preliminary studies showed that sibutramine may also improve other obesity-associated disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome, left ventricular hypertrophy, binge eating disorder and adolescent obesity. The high discontinuation rates and some safety issues mainly due to the increase in blood pressure and pulse rate have to be considered. Additionally, it has not yet been established that treatment with sibutramine will reduce cardiovascular events and total mortality. Sibutramine, in conjunction with lifestyle measures, is a useful drug for reducing body weight and improving associated cardiometabolic risk factors and obesity-related disorders. Studies of longer duration are required to determine the precise indications of the drug, to evaluate safety issues and to assess its efficacy on cardiovascular mortality.

The use of sibutramine in the management of obesity and related disorders: An update

PubMed Central

Tziomalos, Konstantinos; Krassas, Gerasimos E; Tzotzas, Themistoklis

2009-01-01

Aims: To review the major trials that evaluated the efficacy and safety of the use of sibutramine for weight loss and the impact of this agent on obesity-related disorders. Methods and results: The most important articles on sibutramine up to January 2009 were located by a PubMed and Medline search. Sibutramine reduces food intake and body weight more than placebo and has positive effects on the lipid profile (mainly triglycerides and high density lipoprotein cholesterol), glycemic control and inflammatory markers in studies for up to one year. Preliminary studies showed that sibutramine may also improve other obesity-associated disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome, left ventricular hypertrophy, binge eating disorder and adolescent obesity. The high discontinuation rates and some safety issues mainly due to the increase in blood pressure and pulse rate have to be considered. Additionally, it has not yet been established that treatment with sibutramine will reduce cardiovascular events and total mortality. Conclusions: Sibutramine, in conjunction with lifestyle measures, is a useful drug for reducing body weight and improving associated cardiometabolic risk factors and obesity-related disorders. Studies of longer duration are required to determine the precise indications of the drug, to evaluate safety issues and to assess its efficacy on cardiovascular mortality. PMID:19475780

Methodological development for selection of significant predictors explaining fatal road accidents.

PubMed

Dadashova, Bahar; Arenas-Ramírez, Blanca; Mira-McWilliams, José; Aparicio-Izquierdo, Francisco

2016-05-01

Identification of the most relevant factors for explaining road accident occurrence is an important issue in road safety research, particularly for future decision-making processes in transport policy. However model selection for this particular purpose is still an ongoing research. In this paper we propose a methodological development for model selection which addresses both explanatory variable and adequate model selection issues. A variable selection procedure, TIM (two-input model) method is carried out by combining neural network design and statistical approaches. The error structure of the fitted model is assumed to follow an autoregressive process. All models are estimated using Markov Chain Monte Carlo method where the model parameters are assigned non-informative prior distributions. The final model is built using the results of the variable selection. For the application of the proposed methodology the number of fatal accidents in Spain during 2000-2011 was used. This indicator has experienced the maximum reduction internationally during the indicated years thus making it an interesting time series from a road safety policy perspective. Hence the identification of the variables that have affected this reduction is of particular interest for future decision making. The results of the variable selection process show that the selected variables are main subjects of road safety policy measures. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

29 CFR 1952.215 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Maryland plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... and health standards which have been promulgated under section 6 of the Act do not apply with respect...

29 CFR 1952.355 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Arizona plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... and health standards which have been promulgated under section 6 of the Act do not apply with respect...

29 CFR 1952.205 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Minnesota plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... and health standards which have been promulgated under section 6 of the Act do not apply with respect...

29 CFR 1952.345 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Wyoming plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... and health standards which have been promulgated under section 6 of the Act do not apply with respect...

29 CFR 1952.225 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Tennessee plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... and health standards which have been promulgated under section 6 of the Act do not apply with respect...

29 CFR 1952.235 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Kentucky plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... and health standards which have been promulgated under section 6 of the Act do not apply with respect...

Schoolyard Ponds: Safety and Liability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danks, Sharon Gamson

2001-01-01

Engaging, attractive schoolyard ponds provide habitat for wildlife and hold great educational promise. Reviews water safety and liability issues including mud, stagnant pond water that serves as mosquito breeding grounds, and drowning. Offers ideas for creatively addressing those issues through site planning, shallow water depth, signage and…

School Safety: A Collaborative Effort.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Review, 2000

2000-01-01

The "ERIC Review" announces research results, publications, and new programs relevant to each issue's theme topic. This issue focuses on school safety and violence prevention. An introductory section includes two articles: "How Safe Is My Child's School?" (Kevin Mitchell) and "Making America's Schools Safer" (U.S.…

Socio-technical issues and challenges in implementing safe patient handovers: insights from ethnographic case studies.

PubMed

Balka, Ellen; Tolar, Marianne; Coates, Shannon; Whitehouse, Sandra

2013-12-01

Ineffective handovers in patient care, including those where information loss occurs between care providers, have been identified as a risk to patient safety. Computerization of health information is often offered as a solution to improve the quality of care handovers and decrease adverse events related to patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to broaden our understanding of clinical handover as a patient safety issue, and to identify socio-technical issues which may come to bear on the success of computer based handover tools. Three in depth ethnographic case studies were undertaken. Field notes were transcribed and analyzed with the aid of qualitative data analysis software. Within case analysis was performed on each case, and subsequently, cross case analyses were performed. We identified five types of socio-technical issues which must be addressed if electronic handover tools are to succeed. The inter-dependencies of these issues are addressed in relation to arenas in which health care work takes place. We suggest that the contextual nature of information, ethical and medico-legal issues arising in relation to information handover, and issues related to data standards and system interoperability must be addressed if computerized health information systems are to achieve improvements in patient safety related to handovers in care. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The carrier safety measurement system (CSMS) effectiveness test by behavior analysis and safety improvement categories (BASICs)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-24

The Carrier Safety Measurement System (CSMS) is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations (FMCSA's) workload prioritization tool. This tool is used to identify carriers with potential safety issues so that they are subject to interventions ...

Survey of current practice in clinical transvaginal ultrasound scanning in the UK

PubMed Central

Shaw, Adam; Lees, Christoph

2015-01-01

During transvaginal ultrasound scanning, the fetus and other sensitive tissues are placed close to the transducer. Heating of these tissues occurs by direct conduction from the transducer and by absorption of ultrasound in the tissue. The extent of any heating will depend on the equipment and settings used, the duration of the scan, imaging modes and other aspects of scanning practice. To ensure that scans are performed with minimum risk, staff should have an appropriate knowledge of safety and follow guidelines issued by professional bodies. An online survey aiming to document current practice in transvaginal ultrasound in the UK was created and distributed to individuals performing this type of scanning. The survey posed questions about the respondents, the departments where scans were performed, the equipment used, knowledge of ultrasound safety, scanning practice and the frequency, duration and mode of transvaginal ultrasound scans for gynaecology, obstetrics and fertility applications. In all, 294 responses were obtained, mostly from sonographers (94%). From the analysis of the responses, it was clear that there was a good understanding of the general meaning of thermal and mechanical index and high awareness of guidelines issued by professional bodies. However, 40% of respondents stated that they rarely or never monitor Thermal or Mechanical indices during scanning. Scanning practice was consistent in terms of the duration of scans, scan protocols followed and use of imaging modes. The results highlight the importance of continued ultrasound safety training and promotion of safety guidelines to users. PMID:27433250

Lost in hospital: a qualitative interview study that explores the perceptions of NHS inpatients who spent time on clinically inappropriate hospital wards.

PubMed

Goulding, Lucy; Adamson, Joy; Watt, Ian; Wright, John

2015-10-01

Prior research suggests that the placement of patients on clinically inappropriate hospital wards may increase the risk of experiencing patient safety issues. To explore patients' perspectives of the quality and safety of the care received during their inpatient stay on a clinically inappropriate hospital ward. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Nineteen patients who had spent time on at least one clinically inappropriate ward during their hospital stay at a large NHS teaching hospital in England. Patients would prefer to be treated on the correct specialty ward, but it is generally accepted that this may not be possible. When patients are placed on inappropriate wards, they may lack a sense of belonging. Participants commented on potential failings in communication, medical staff availability, nurses' knowledge and the resources available, each of which may contribute to unsafe care. Patients generally acknowledge the need for placement on inappropriate wards due to demand for inpatient beds, but may report dissatisfaction in terms of preference and belonging. Importantly, patients recount issues resulting from this placement that may compromise their safety. Hospital managers should be encouraged to appreciate this insight and potential threat to safe practice and where possible avoid inappropriate ward transfers and admissions. Where such admissions are unavoidable, staff should take action to address the gaps in safety of care that have been identified. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Safety considerations in the pharmacological management of atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Camm, A John

2008-07-21

The pharmacological management of atrial fibrillation (AF) requires careful consideration from a safety perspective. This article focuses primarily on maintenance therapy using antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs). The foremost safety issue for AADs is the propensity of class IA and III agents to cause torsade de pointes arrhythmias. Class IA drugs, particularly quinidine, can induce torsade de pointes at low or subtherapeutic doses, but higher doses are not necessarily associated with an increased incidence. 'Pure' class III drugs such as dofetilide induce torsade de pointes in a dose-related manner, but some class III agents with more complex actions such as amiodarone have a markedly lower potential to cause this arrhythmia. The risk of torsade de pointes precludes the use of class IA and 'pure' class III agents in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and bradycardia. Class IC agents may cause sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardias and are generally precluded in ischaemic and structural heart disease. Advanced heart failure patients may be treated with amiodarone or dofetilide, but most other AADs are unsuitable. The most important extracardiac toxicities occurring with AADs are those of amiodarone. Drug interactions are a significant safety issue in the management of AF, including pharmacokinetic interactions in which plasma levels of the AAD are raised - increasing the risk of proarrhythmia - and concomitant use of drugs that prolong the QT interval. Notwithstanding these considerations, most patients with AF can be considered for rhythm control, provided there is adequate pre-treatment assessment and protocols for initiation, dosing and monitoring are followed with care.

Survey of public perceptions of prion disease risks in Canada: what does the public care about?

PubMed

Lemyre, L; Gibson, S; Markon, M P L; Lee, J E C; Brazeau, I; Carroll, A; Boutette, P; Krewski, D

2009-01-01

A national public survey on public perceptions of prion disease risk in Canada was conducted from October to December 2007. The survey aimed at documenting the public's perceptions of prion diseases, within the broader context of food safety, in establishing parameters of risk acceptability. It also documented the public's perceptions of prion diseases in delineating social values and ethics that can guide Canada's future policies on prion disease risk management. In addition, the survey served to establish baseline data against which to monitor the evolution of the public's views on and understanding of this important risk issue. In total, 1517 Canadians were randomly selected to be representative of the adult population by region, age, and gender, as per the 2001 Census. This study presents descriptive findings from the survey regarding perceived risk, perceived control, uncertainty, sources of information, trust and knowledge, and beliefs pertaining to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The survey data reveal that Canadians do not perceive mad cow disease as a salient risk but consider it more of an economic, political, social, and foreign trade issue than a public health one. Canadians are somewhat prepared to pay a premium to have a safer food supply, but not to the same extent that they desire extra measures pertaining to BSE risk management. In the context of increasing accountability in risk management decisions about food safety and population health issues, it is important to understand the way Canadians perceive such matters and identify their information needs and the factors that influence the acceptability of risks and of risk management policies.

Evaluation of Pre-marketing Factors to Predict Post-marketing Boxed Warnings and Safety Withdrawals.

PubMed

Schick, Andreas; Miller, Kathleen L; Lanthier, Michael; Dal Pan, Gerald; Nardinelli, Clark

2017-06-01

An important goal in drug regulation is understanding serious safety issues with new drugs as soon as possible. Achieving this goal requires us to understand whether information provided during the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug review can predict serious safety issues that are usually identified after the product is approved. However, research on this topic remains understudied. In this paper, we examine whether any pre-marketing drug characteristics are associated with serious post-marketing safety actions. We study this question using an internal FDA database containing every new small molecule drug submitted to the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) on or after November 21, 1997, and approved and commercially launched before December 31, 2009. Serious post-marketing safety actions include whether these drugs ever experienced either a post-marketing boxed warning or a withdrawal from the market due to safety concerns. A random effects logistic regression model was used to test whether any pre-marketing characteristics were associated with either post-marketing safety action. A total of 219 new molecular entities were analyzed. Among these drugs, 11 experienced a safety withdrawal and 30 received boxed warnings by July 31, 2016. Contrary to prevailing hypotheses, we find that neither clinical trial sample sizes nor review time windows are associated with the addition of a post-marketing boxed warning or safety withdrawal. However, we do find that new drugs approved with either a boxed warning or priority review are more likely to experience post-marketing boxed warnings. Furthermore, drugs approved with boxed warnings tend to receive post-marketing boxed warnings resulting from new safety information that are unrelated to the original warning. Drugs approved with a boxed warning are 3.88 times more likely to receive a post-marketing boxed warning, while drugs approved with a priority review are 3.51 times more likely to receive a post-marketing boxed warning. Although drugs approved with a boxed warning or priority review are more likely to experience serious post-marketing safety events, other information provided during the FDA drug review that is easy to quantify is generally not associated with post-marketing safety events. It appears that these post-marketing events are not discernible during a pre-marketing review and therefore might not be avoidable using current review data.

Patient safety initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe: A mixed methods approach by the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care

PubMed Central

Godycki-Cwirko, Maciek; Esmail, Aneez; Dovey, Susan; Wensing, Michel; Parker, Dianne; Kowalczyk, Anna; Błaszczyk, Honorata; Kosiek, Katarzyna

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Despite patient safety being recognized as an important healthcare issue in the European Union, there has been variable implementation of patient safety initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Objective: To assess the status of patient safety initiatives in countries in CEE; to describe a process of engagement in Poland, which can serve as a template for the implementation of patient safety initiatives in primary care. Methods: A mixed methods design was used. We conducted a review of literature focusing on publications from CEE, an inventory of patient safety initiatives in CEE countries, interviews with key informants, international survey, review of national reporting systems, and pilot demonstrator project in Poland with implementation of patient safety toolkits assessment. Results: There was no published patient safety research from Albania, Belarus, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, or Russia. Nine papers were found from Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia, and Slovenia. In most of the CEE countries, patient safety had been addressed at the policy level although the focus was mainly in hospital care. There was a dearth of activity in primary care. The use of patient improvement strategies was low. Conclusion: International cooperation as exemplified in the demonstrator project can help in the development and implementation of patient safety initiatives in primary care in changing the emphasis away from a blame culture to one where greater emphasis is placed on improvement and learning. PMID:26339839

Blame the Patient, Blame the Doctor or Blame the System? A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies of Patient Safety in Primary Care

PubMed Central

Daker-White, Gavin; Hays, Rebecca; McSharry, Jennifer; Giles, Sally; Cheraghi-Sohi, Sudeh; Rhodes, Penny; Sanders, Caroline

2015-01-01

Objective Studies of patient safety in health care have traditionally focused on hospital medicine. However, recent years have seen more research located in primary care settings which have different features compared to secondary care. This study set out to synthesize published qualitative research concerning patient safety in primary care in order to build a conceptual model. Method Meta-ethnography, an interpretive synthesis method whereby third order interpretations are produced that best describe the groups of findings contained in the reports of primary studies. Results Forty-eight studies were included as 5 discrete subsets where the findings were translated into one another: patients’ perspectives of safety, staff perspectives of safety, medication safety, systems or organisational issues and the primary/secondary care interface. The studies were focused predominantly on issues seen to either improve or compromise patient safety. These issues related to the characteristics or behaviour of patients, staff or clinical systems and interactions between staff, patients and staff, or people and systems. Electronic health records, protocols and guidelines could be seen to both degrade and improve patient safety in different circumstances. A conceptual reading of the studies pointed to patient safety as a subjective feeling or judgement grounded in moral views and with potentially hidden psychological consequences affecting care processes and relationships. The main threats to safety appeared to derive from ‘grand’ systems issues, for example involving service accessibility, resources or working hours which may not be amenable to effective intervention by individual practices or health workers, especially in the context of a public health system. Conclusion Overall, the findings underline the human elements in patient safety primary health care. The key to patient safety lies in effective face-to-face communication between patients and health care staff or between the different staff involved in the care of an individual patient. Electronic systems can compromise safety when they override the opportunities for face-to-face communication. The circumstances under which guidelines or protocols are seen to either compromise or improve patient safety needs further investigation. PMID:26244494

From Here to There: Lessons from an Integrative Patient Safety Project in Rural Health Care Settings

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-05-01

errors and patient falls. The medication errors generally involved one of three issues: incorrect dose, time, or port. Although most of the health...statistics about trends; and the summary of events related to patient safety and medical errors.12 The interplay among factors These three domains...the medical staff. We explored these issues further when administering a staff-wide Patient Safety Survey. Responses mirrored the findings that

Development and Execution of the RUNSAFE Runway Safety Bayesian Belief Network Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Lawrence L.

2015-01-01

One focus area of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is to improve aviation safety. Runway safety is one such thrust of investigation and research. The two primary components of this runway safety research are in runway incursion (RI) and runway excursion (RE) events. These are adverse ground-based aviation incidents that endanger crew, passengers, aircraft and perhaps other nearby people or property. A runway incursion is the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft; one class of RI events simultaneously involves two aircraft, such as one aircraft incorrectly landing on a runway while another aircraft is taking off from the same runway. A runway excursion is an incident involving only a single aircraft defined as a veer-off or overrun off the runway surface. Within the scope of this effort at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), generic RI, RE and combined (RI plus RE, or RUNSAFE) event models have each been developed and implemented as a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN). Descriptions of runway safety issues from the literature searches have been used to develop the BBN models. Numerous considerations surrounding the process of developing the event models have been documented in this report. The event models were then thoroughly reviewed by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel through multiple knowledge elicitation sessions. Numerous improvements to the model structure (definitions, node names, node states and the connecting link topology) were made by the SME panel. Sample executions of the final RUNSAFE model have been presented herein for baseline and worst-case scenarios. Finally, a parameter sensitivity analysis for a given scenario was performed to show the risk drivers. The NASA and LaRC research in runway safety event modeling through the use of BBN technology is important for several reasons. These include: 1) providing a means to clearly understand the cause and effect patterns leading to safety issues, incidents and accidents, 2) enabling the prioritization of specialty areas needing more attention to improve aviation safety, and 3) enabling the identification of gaps within NASA's Aviation Safety funding portfolio

Safety considerations for outpatient electroconvulsive therapy.

PubMed

Reti, Irving M; Walker, Melinda; Pulia, Kathy; Gallegos, Jesus; Jayaram, Geetha; Vaidya, Punit

2012-03-01

As electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) requires general anesthesia and is associated with both cognitive and non-cognitive side effects, careful consideration must be given to the safety aspects of providing ECT on an outpatient basis. Drawing upon published literature and their clinical experience administering outpatient ECT, the authors propose best practices for safely providing ECT to outpatients. They review criteria for selecting patients for outpatient ECT as well as treatment and programmatic issues. The authors highlight the importance of educating referring clinicians as well as patients and their families about factors involved in the safe delivery of ECT for outpatients. Fiscal considerations and the drive toward reduced length of stay are prompting insurers and caregivers to choose outpatient over inpatient ECT. For each patient, such a choice merits a careful analysis of the risks of outpatient ECT, as well as the implementation of measures to ensure patient safety.

New York State's COSH Movement: A Brief History.

PubMed

Lax, Michael

2018-01-01

Unions, health and safety activists, and professionals came together to create Coalitions for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH groups) in a number of cities across the United States beginning in the 1970s. The COSHes have played an important and unique role in advocating worker health and safety since that time, through activities including technical assistance, training and education, and campaigns on workplace and public policies. In New York State, activist coalitions created eight COSH groups distributed around the state. This paper presents a history of New York's COSHes based on interviews with key participants. The interviews shed light on the origins of the COSH movement in New York, the development and activities of the COSHes, and the organizational trajectory of individual New York COSHes in response to both extra and intraorganizational challenges. Participants' accounts of these issues may be useful for those seeking to sustain the COSH movement.

Quality and safety attributes of afghan raisins before and after processing

PubMed Central

McCoy, Stacy; Chang, Jun Won; McNamara, Kevin T; Oliver, Haley F; Deering, Amanda J

2015-01-01

Raisins are an important export commodity for Afghanistan; however, Afghan packers are unable to export to markets seeking high-quality products due to limited knowledge regarding their quality and safety. To evaluate this, Afghan raisin samples from pre-, semi-, and postprocessed raisins were obtained from a raisin packer in Kabul, Afghanistan. The raisins were analyzed and compared to U.S. standards for processed raisins. The samples tested did not meet U.S. industry standards for embedded sand and pieces of stem, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity. The Afghan raisins did meet or exceed U.S. Grade A standard for the number of cap-stems, percent damaged, crystallization levels, moisture content, and color. Following processing, the number of total aerobic bacteria, yeasts, molds, and total coliforms were within the acceptable limits. Although quality issues are present in the Afghan raisins, the process used to clean the raisins is suitable to maintain food safety standards. PMID:25650241

Unconventional oil and gas extraction and animal health.

PubMed

Bamberger, M; Oswald, R E

2014-08-01

The extraction of hydrocarbons from shale formations using horizontal drilling with high volume hydraulic fracturing (unconventional shale gas and tight oil extraction), while derived from methods that have been used for decades, is a relatively new innovation that was introduced first in the United States and has more recently spread worldwide. Although this has led to the availability of new sources of fossil fuels for domestic consumption and export, important issues have been raised concerning the safety of the process relative to public health, animal health, and our food supply. Because of the multiple toxicants used and generated, and because of the complexity of the drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and completion processes including associated infrastructure such as pipelines, compressor stations and processing plants, impacts on the health of humans and animals are difficult to assess definitively. We discuss here findings concerning the safety of unconventional oil and gas extraction from the perspectives of public health, veterinary medicine, and food safety.

Eighteen years of recommendations to prevent industrial chemical incidents: results and lessons learned of the US Chemical Safety Board.

PubMed

Tinney, V A; Anenberg, S C; Kaszniak, M; Robinson, B

2016-10-01

The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB), a federal agency that investigates significant chemical incidents and hazards, is interested in determining the impact of the recommendations resulting from its investigations, and how to better more effective recommendations to prevent chemical incidents. This is a descriptive study of the US Chemical Safety Board's safety recommendations. The CSB coded and analysed its safety recommendations according to potential impact on reducing incidents, implementation status, purpose and recipient type. As of March 31, 2015, the CSB has issued 733 recommendations, 75% (548) of which are closed and 25% (185) of which remain open. For recommendations categorised as having high, medium, and low impact, 38% (78), 76% (160), and 78% (245) were implemented, respectively. CSB recommendations have led to important and lasting safety changes through regulations, industry guidance and voluntary consensus standards, and individual companies; however, coding recommendations by potential impact do not fully capture the influence of CSB recommendations. While this methodology serves as a preliminary way to determine the effect of recommendations, further data are needed to determine the extent to which these safety changes have reduced the frequency or severity of industrial accidents. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. All rights reserved.

A systematic review of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE)-based healthcare system redesign for quality of care and patient safety

PubMed Central

Xie, Anping; Carayon, Pascale

2014-01-01

Healthcare systems need to be redesigned to provide care that is safe, effective and efficient, and meets the multiple needs of patients. This systematic review examines how Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) is applied to redesign healthcare work systems and processes and improve quality and safety of care. We identified twelve projects representing 23 studies and addressing different physical, cognitive and organizational HFE issues in a variety of healthcare systems and care settings. Some evidence exists for the effectiveness of HFE-based healthcare system redesign in improving process and outcome measures of quality and safety of care. We assessed risk of bias in 16 studies reporting the impact of HFE-based healthcare system redesign and found varying quality across studies. Future research should further assess the impact of HFE on quality and safety of care, and clearly define the mechanisms by which HFE-based system redesign can improve quality and safety of care. Practitioner Summary Existing evidence shows that HFE-based healthcare system redesign has the potential to improve quality of care and patient safety. Healthcare organizations need to recognize the importance of HFE-based healthcare system redesign to quality of care and patient safety, and invest resources to integrate HFE in healthcare improvement activities. PMID:25323570

Analysis of governmental Web sites on food safety issues: a global perspective.

PubMed

Namkung, Young; Almanza, Barbara A

2006-10-01

Despite a growing concern over food safety issues, as well as a growing dependence on the Internet as a source of information, little research has been done to examine the presence and relevance of food safety-related information on Web sites. The study reported here conducted Web site analysis in order to examine the current operational status of governmental Web sites on food safety issues. The study also evaluated Web site usability, especially information dimensionalities such as utility, currency, and relevance of content, from the perspective of the English-speaking consumer. Results showed that out of 192 World Health Organization members, 111 countries operated governmental Web sites that provide information about food safety issues. Among 171 searchable Web sites from the 111 countries, 123 Web sites (71.9 percent) were accessible, and 81 of those 123 (65.9 percent) were available in English. The majority of Web sites offered search engine tools and related links for more information, but their availability and utility was limited. In terms of content, 69.9 percent of Web sites offered information on foodborne-disease outbreaks, compared with 31.5 percent that had travel- and health-related information.

29 CFR 1952.115 - Level of Federal enforcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... occupational safety and health issues covered by the Utah plan. OSHA retains full authority over issues which... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... health standards which have been promulgated under section 6 of the Act do not apply with respect to...

North Carolina school bush crash data and issues related to seat belts on large school buses

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-04-01

School bus transportation and safety is a very serious and sometimes controversial and : emotional issue. Although school buses have been shown to be a very safe form of : transportation, many parents and safety advocates question the absence of seat...

ERCMExpress. Volume 2, Issue 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2006

2006-01-01

This issue of the Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) Technical Assistance Center's "ERCMExpress" promotes emergency exercises as an effective way to validate school safety plans. Simulations of emergency situations, or emergency exercises, are integral to a sound school safety plan. They offer opportunities for district and schools to…