Implementation Of Safety Measures Research Articles

Model-based Application of ISO 26262: The Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment

New drive concepts as well as advanced driver assistance systems and revised basic functions belong to the main innovation areas in today's automotive industry. Since thereby more and more electric / electronic components are integrated in modern passenger cars, the complexity is steadily increasing. Additionally, a crucial part of the innovations focuses on active and passive safety. Together, this creates tough demands on systems reliability and functionality which influence the development. Addressing the development process of electric / electronic components for passenger cars, the ISO 26262 Road vehicles - Functional came into effect in November 2011 ([1]). This standard introduces a safety lifecycle which encompasses the principal safety activities during the concept phase, product development, production, operation, service and decommissioning ([1], part 2, p.3) and which can be seen as a guideline that demands a risk-based development approach with seamless traceability. Already in the beginning of this safety lifecycle, in particular during the concept phase (cf. [1], part 3), a hazard analysis and risk assessment needs to be performed for the item under development. Within this process, hazards are identified, combined with possible operational situations for the car, and relevant outcomes of these combinations, namely the hazardous events, are classified to determine the automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) for the item. In this paper we address this hazard analysis and risk assessment. We developed a formalized hazard description language that enables a precise formulation of hazardous events based on four potential contributing factors. Moreover, it is shown how safety goals can be derived from these formalized hazardous events. In a further step it is described how the concepts presented in the paper on the one hand permit checking the implemented safety measures with respect to the risk mitigation which is achieved and on the other hand enables the application of model-based safety analyses in order to verify safety characteristics. Language: en

Not all foreign bodies are created equal

Foreign body ingestions in children and adolescents can pose significant challenge both in terms of diagnosis and treatment. The pediatric scientific literature is relatively scarce and consists mostly of case reports and small case series, therefore making firm guidelines and management recommendations rather difficult. The type of ingestions seen may vary in different countries and it changes over time depending on implementation of safety measures, or introduction of new products. Lately, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of high-powered multiple magnet, and large disc battery ingestions. Both of these are associated with potentially serious complications including fatal outcomes. This paper briefly discusses some of the important aspects of critical foreign body ingestions, proposed management algorithms, and efforts necessary to increase public awareness in order to minimize complications and improve prevention.

What goes up must come down! A primary care approach to preventing injuries amongst highflying cheerleaders

This article provides information regarding the most common nonlife-threatening and catastrophic injuries that occur during cheerleading, and describes the role of the nurse practitioner (NP) in managing patients who participate in cheerleading. Literature review of evidence-based research articles, epidemiological reports, and current guidelines. Cheerleading is one of the most popular sports among adolescent females, and participation has increased rapidly in recent years. Rates of injury have also increased as the difficulty of this activity reaches new heights. Several factors such as body changes during puberty, societal pressures affecting nutrition, and lack of safety regulations place cheerleaders at risk for injury. Sprains/strains are the most common injury, and concussions are the most common traumatic injury. Injuries occur as a result of tumbling, stunting, falling, spotting, and unsafe practice surfaces. The role of the NP in injury prevention is to identify risk factors during preparticipation physicals, initiate conditioning and strength training routines, and implement safety measures during practices and competitions. The NP should also provide education and guidance to cheerleaders, parents, and coaches.

The Evaluation of Traffic Accident Deaths in Corum Province

Injuries and deaths related to traffic accidents play an important role in daily works of forensic medicine. For this reason, forensic experts need to have enough knowledge about the deaths caused by traffic accidents. Autopsy and dead examinations were retrospectively evaluated in patients who died due to traffic accidents in a 5 years period between 01.01.2005 and 31.12.2009 in the province of Corum. Cases were evaluated according to their age, sex, cause of death, and death place. It was emphasized to detect the socio-demographic characteristics of the patients who died as a result of traffic accidents and compared with similar studies in the literature. There were 141 cases traffic accident deaths, 98(%69.5) were male and 43 (30.5%) were female, age ranged between 7 months and 81 years and the average age was found to be 34.4. Male / female ratio was calculated to be 2.3. The largest group was pedestrians deaths 59 (41.8%), 32 deaths were between the ages of 21-30, 29 cases were between the ages of 0-10, 96 (68.1%) of the cases died in the hospital.Prevention from traffic accidents which is a major public health problem as well as in the world and in our country. We should educate the pedestrians and drivers, and ensure the compliance of the roads and vehicles for traffic and get full implementation of safety measures.

Development of an Empirical Model for Selecting Accident Prevention Measures for Construction Managers

This paper investigates the association between the mindsets of construction managers on the acceptance of accident causation theories and the vigour of implementing safety measures on accident prevention in the Hong Kong construction industry. A questionnaire survey is conducted. The vigour of implementing each accident prevention measure is predicted by a combination of accident causation theories. Each measure is associated with a unique set of predictors revealing management mindsets in pursuit of accident prevention. A new model for decision making of implementing accident prevention measures is then developed and its application is also demonstrated in this paper. This paper found that Hong Kong construction managers have exhibited their commitment to safety by implementing all the accident prevention measures with above average vigour levels. Referring to the results of the correlation and linear regression between the accident causation theories and the accident prevention measures, the extent of construction managers’ acceptance of the accident causation theories do not reflect any linear correlation on their vigour of implementing the accident prevention measures for Safety pre-task planning (M5), Employee pre-qualification (M6), Safety training (M8), Smoking, alcohol and drug ban program (M10), and Safety meetings (M13). The systematic and logical based approach in mapping out the specific accident prevention measures can be adopted by the construction managers so that they can implement appropriate measures for safety performance improvement.

Keynote

It is well documented that regular physical activity can improve health and quality of life. There is however, a cost to physical activity–namely the burden of injury. Injuries resulting from sports and physical activities are a significant health problem in many countries, including Canada. After recognising the scale of the problem, in 1979, the government of Quèbec adopted the Act Respecting Safety in Sports to significantly contribute to the establishment of safe environments. Through its mission that is to “foster the development of recreation and sport in a safe and healthy environment and promote an active lifestyle for all Quebecers”, the Quèbec Ministry of Education, Leisure, and Sport (QMELS) supervises the execution of this act. In accordance with it, one of the QMELS's directives is to “ensure that the safety and physical security and well-being of participants are provided for during sports and physical activities”. To realise its mission, the QMELS developed and implemented safety measures based on the 3 E's of injury prevention: Education, Enforcement, and Engineering. The aim of this presentation is to show how different and combined safety measures based on the 3 E's of injury prevention were developed and implemented to reduce the incidence of injuries in alpine skiers, snowboarders, and ice hockey players in Quèbec. More specifically, strategies such as the promotion of personal protective equipment use, regulations, and environmental modifications will be discussed. The importance of having access to well-documented facts on the injury problem at hand, as well as on the effects of the potential safety measures will be addressed. Based on our Quèbec experience and from published literature in the field of injury prevention and safety promotion, some factors influencing the adoption of healthy public policy will be presented. Finally, an answer to the question “Do the 3 E's of injury prevention work?” will be suggested. It is well documented that regular physical activity can improve health and quality of life. There is however, a cost to physical activity–namely the burden of injury. Injuries resulting from sports and physical activities are a significant health problem in many countries, including Canada. After recognising the scale of the problem, in 1979, the government of Quèbec adopted the Act Respecting Safety in Sports to significantly contribute to the establishment of safe environments. Through its mission that is to “foster the development of recreation and sport in a safe and healthy environment and promote an active lifestyle for all Quebecers”, the Quèbec Ministry of Education, Leisure, and Sport (QMELS) supervises the execution of this act. In accordance with it, one of the QMELS's directives is to “ensure that the safety and physical security and well-being of participants are provided for during sports and physical activities”. To realise its mission, the QMELS developed and implemented safety measures based on the 3 E's of injury prevention: Education, Enforcement, and Engineering. The aim of this presentation is to show how different and combined safety measures based on the 3 E's of injury prevention were developed and implemented to reduce the incidence of injuries in alpine skiers, snowboarders, and ice hockey players in Quèbec. More specifically, strategies such as the promotion of personal protective equipment use, regulations, and environmental modifications will be discussed. The importance of having access to well-documented facts on the injury problem at hand, as well as on the effects of the potential safety measures will be addressed. Based on our Quèbec experience and from published literature in the field of injury prevention and safety promotion, some factors influencing the adoption of healthy public policy will be presented. Finally, an answer to the question “Do the 3 E's of injury prevention work?” will be suggested.

Trampoline Safety in Childhood and Adolescence

Despite previous recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics discouraging home use of trampolines, recreational use of trampolines in the home setting continues to be a popular activity among children and adolescents. This policy statement is an update to previous statements, reflecting the current literature on prevalence, patterns, and mechanisms of trampoline-related injuries. Most trampoline injuries occur with multiple simultaneous users on the mat. Cervical spine injuries often occur with falls off the trampoline or with attempts at somersaults or flips. Studies on the efficacy of trampoline safety measures are reviewed, and although there is a paucity of data, current implementation of safety measures have not appeared to mitigate risk substantially. Therefore, the home use of trampolines is strongly discouraged. The role of trampoline as a competitive sport and in structured training settings is reviewed, and recommendations for enhancing safety in these environments are made.

Spatio-temporal patterns ofCampylobactercolonization in Danish broilers

Despite a number of risk-factor studies in different countries, the epidemiology of Campylobacter colonization in broilers, particularly spatial dependencies, is still not well understood. A series of analyses (visualization and exploratory) were therefore conducted in order to obtain a better understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of Campylobacter in the Danish broiler population. In this study, we observed a non-random temporal occurrence of Campylobacter, with high prevalence during summer and low during winter. Significant spatio-temporal clusters were identified in the same areas in the summer months from 2007 to 2009. Range of influence between broiler farms were estimated at distances of 9.6 km and 13.5 km in different years. Identification of areas and time with greater risk indicates variable presence of risk factors with space and time. Implementation of safety measures on farms within high-risk clusters during summer could have an impact in reducing prevalence.

A Change in Culture

A multilayered implementation of safety measures in an inpatient psychiatric facility created a sustained change in culture related to patient and staff safety. The model was developed over a 5-year period in a freestanding 80-bed behavioral health facility that is part of a Level II trauma center in the Midwest. The model has nine components that the nursing leadership team saw as integral to maintaining a safe environment. The nine elements include trauma-informed care principles, aggression management, code event review, leadership involvement, quality feedback, recovery orientation, patient assessment, education, and collaboration. The metrics collected to determine the effectiveness of the model included patient violence events and staff injuries. This article describes the development of this model and its impact on the reduction of patient violence events and staff injuries at this facility. The recommendations include considerations for the replication of this model at other facilities.

Application of the accident consequence analysis in the emergency system design of an SI cycle hydrogen production plant

Currently, the Sulphur–Iodine thermochemical cycle, used in the hydrogen production process, is receiving increased research and development focus. The operating conditions of this process are generally hazardous by virtue of the intrinsic chemical properties of the materials used in the process. Of particular concern, is their operating temperature, pressure, or a combination of these. In order to determine the possible areas affected due to a hazardous release, simulations were performed using the Phast computer program. In particular, release scenarios of sulphuric acid, sulphur dioxide, sulphur trioxide, iodine, and hydriodic acid were studied in order to design and implement safety measures to protect the facility, the environment, and the population. Also contained within this study are recommendations for the locations of gas sensors for emergency systems, as well as suggested methods to determine plant layout design and exclusion zones.

Determination of Quartz and Its Abundance in Respirable Airborne Dust in Both Coal and Metal Mines in India

The WHO/ILO international program (1995) on the global elimination of silicosis, aiming inter alia at characterization of dust and its sources, monitoring and evaluation of the results for health risk, has put a premium on the determination of quartz in respirable air borne dust, which is known to cause irreversible lung diseases, such as silicosis and cancer. The work presented herein is a study of the quartz content in airborne respirable dust (ARD) generated in coal and metal mines (zinc and manganese) with a view to evaluate the health risk of miners as per mines regulations. Implementation of safety measures to reduce/eliminate risk to contract silicosis in any mine requires monitoring of the emission of quartz in various locations in addition to the ARD concentration for computation of Maximum Exposure Limit (MEL).The direct on-filter method using an FTIR spectrometer has been adopted for the determination of quartz in ARD. Personal air samplers were used to collect ARD from different locations in mines on GLA-5000 PVC membrane filters. The air samplers were either attached with different workers engaged in the shift or placed in a position near to the dust generation source in the mines to collect suitable amount of dust for analysis. Each dust-loaded filter was then directly scanned by the spectrometer to give the spectrum of quartz, from which the proportion of quartz in the dust was determined from an estimation of the intensity of the doublet at 800cm-1 using standard procedure.It has been found that the percentage of quartz in ARD of coal mines, especially in coking coal mines situated in Jharia coalfield, is less than 1% in almost all the workings, barring a few cases where it has exceeded this value. MEL for workers is, therefore, equal to 3mg/m3 in almost all the working places sampled in coal mines. In contrast, for metal mines the situation is different. Quartz determined in ARD exceeds 5% in many workings. Further, the percentage of quartz is also found to vary from location to location inside the mine, which is a reflection of the compositional variation of the rock strata in different working zones of the mines. Monitoring of the emission of quartz is essential for identifying potentially dangerous silicosis-prone areas and working out strategies to mitigate health-related problems of the miners. It has been found that wet drilling and good ventilation systems help to effectively control dust problems at some locations, whereas rotation of workers may be needed in some places where it is difficult to suppress dust to a safe level.

OH&S Small and Medium-Size Enterprises and the Issue of Cultural Diversity: Ongoing Research in the Construction Industry

This paper reports on the findings from stage one of a collaborative New Zealand and French research project on the construction industry and in particular the link between occupational health and safety (OHS), subcontracting and cultural diversity. The construction sector in France, New Zealand and elsewhere has not only one of the highest injury, illness and fatality rates but the sector also has a prevalence of small subcontracting firms and a substantial migrant labour force (CNAM, 2008; Department of Labour, 2009). The practice of outsourcing in this industry has created a complex web of sub­contracting with an international dimension and resultant confusion over regulatory responsibilities for the health and safety of workers. Thus, those in the industry are grappling with challenges of managing a culturally diverse workforce within a hazardous working environment. Hiring poorly paid migrant labours in the construction industry, however, is not a recent phenomenon in either France or New Zealand. This in turn has created a melting pot where diversity can be both an advantage and a weaknesses in terms of safety. One the on hand the enormous variability of demographic and social status (Jounin, 2009) and cultures (a term which here encompass personal, collective and professional elements) can lead to dissonance on construction site and yet on the other hand diversity can stimulate innovative ways of implementing safety measures more effectively (Mearns and Yule, 2009). Given that the international subcontracting process and migrant labour are central to the construction industry, the aim of this qualitative research is to identify and explain the sources of OHS failure and suggest adjustments that need to be made.

Preventing Heat-Related Illness Among Agricultural Workers

ABSTRACT Hyperthermia from exertion and environmental conditions during agricultural work manifests itself by various symptoms and may lead to death. From 1992 through 2006, 68 workers employed in crop production and related services died from heat-related illness. The crop worker fatality rate averaged 4 heat-related deaths per one million workers per year—20 times higher than the 0.2 rate for US civilian workers overall. Many of the agricultural workers who died were foreign-born. Foreign-born workers tend to have limited English language skills and often are not acclimatized to exertion in hot weather when beginning seasonal jobs. Increased recognition of heat hazards to agricultural workers, in particular, has stimulated concern among employers, workers, and public policy makers. California and Washington have led the nation in adopting workplace safety standards designed to prevent heat-related illnesses. These state regulations include new specific requirements for employer provision of drinking water, shade for rest or other sufficient means to recover from heat, worker and supervisor training, and written heat safety plans. Agricultural employers face practical challenges in fulfilling the purpose and complying with these standards. By their very nature the standards impose generic requirements in a broad range of circumstances and may not be equally protective in all agricultural work settings. It is vital that employers and supervisors have a thorough knowledge of heat illness prevention to devise and implement safety measures that suit local conditions. Ongoing risk-based assessment of current heat conditions by employers is important to this safety effort. Workers need training to avoid heat illness and recognize the symptoms in themselves and coworkers. Innovative management practices are joining time-honored approaches to controlling heat stress and strain. Research targeted to answer questions about heat accumulation and dissipation during agricultural work and audience-sensitive education to promote understanding of basic physiology and recognition of hyperthermia symptoms can aid in heat illness prevention. This review was prepared for the Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America/ National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conference, “Be Safe, Be Profitable: Protecting Workers in Agriculture,” Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, January 27–28, 2010.

Trastorno psicótico inducido por alcohol: criminalidad y tratamiento ambulatorio involuntario

Alcohol consumption determines different degrees of behavior disturbances, it is worldwide recognized as a first-order criminal factor and carries medico-legal repercussions, aggravated if associated with psychotic symptoms. In the present case report, the implication of alcohol in the genesis of the criminal behavior, the juridical repercussion of the clinical condition associated with the consumption and the medicolegal complications of its clinical management are analyzed. We emphasize the need to improve the organization of emergency services, as well as to implement safety measures, both active and passive, in order to prevent suicidal behaviors, addressing the potential institutional responsibility. In patients with behavior disorders and social dangerousness associated with alcohol consumption, the forensic and juridical intervention is especially relevant, in order to prevent future criminal behavior, analyzing the advantages that would result from the implementation of security measures or an assertive community treatment.

Is Human Herpesvirus-8 Transmitted by Transfusion?

Studies of human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) transmission through transfusion have produced contradictory results. In North America-a region with a low prevalence of HHV-8 infection-3 studies that tested specimens from linked positive-donor/negative-recipient pairs collected before the introduction of white blood cell (WBC) reduction and the extension of red blood cell (RBC) storage found no case of transmission of HHV-8 to 151 transfusion recipients who were HHV-8-seronegative before the transfusion and received components from HHV-8-seropositive donors. In Uganda, a prospective cohort study of pediatric transfusion recipients observed a small (<or=2.8%/U) increase in the risk of HHV-8 seroconversion over 6 months of follow-up among children who received HHV-8-seropositive (compared with seronegative) transfusion. This excess risk may be due either to the transfusion of non-WBC-reduced and fresh RBC units from donors experiencing a high incidence of HHV-8 primary infection or virus reactivation, or to the acquisition of HHV-8 from other background sources in such a high-prevalence geographic area. Although no adequate explanation exists for the difference, transmission routes of HHV-8 differ strikingly between high- and low-prevalence areas, so that findings of studies from Africa should not be generalized to the situation in North America. Even if fresh and non-WBC-reduced units collected from donors with unusually high viremia were capable of transmitting HHV-8 to transfusion recipients in the United States, such a transmission risk would represent a rare event that does not warrant implementation of safety measures specifically for its prevention.

Strict versus Negligence Software Product Liability

The law of products liability in tort is designed to maintain a reasonable balance between the inevitable social costs and the benefits of innovative product technologies. Technological development must be supported not only for the best interests of the public but also the side effect namely product defect into one of the following: (1) manufacturing defect; failures to correctly implement safety measures from the design; and (2) design defects: failures of the design itself to exhibit socially acceptable levels of safety. Software has been described as an artifact with fundamentally different properties than other engineered artifacts. This article will discuss several issues such as identifying the features of high technology products which lead to difficulties in applying traditional tort notions to them.

The characteristics of elderly burns in Shanghai

Objective This study aims to analyse the epidemiologic characteristics of severe burn in the elderly in Shanghai and to discusses a possible prevention programme for this population. Methods A retrospective review of all medical records of elderly patients (aged 60 and older) admitted with acute burns to the Burn Center of the RuiJin Hospital between January 1996 and December 2004 was carried out. Patient demographics, etiology of burn, mechanism of injury, burn extent, anatomical areas burned, number of operations, and outcomes were reviewed. Results A total of 201 (5.8% of hospitalised patients) elderly patients (mean age (±SD) of 69.3 ± 7.1 years (range 60–90 years)) were admitted. Majority of the patients were men (62.2%) and the most common etiologies were flames (52.7%) and scalds (39.8%). The majority of burns occurred at home (73.6%), followed by burns at workplace (15.9%) and public areas (10.5%). The median total body area burned was 11.7% (range 0–84%), and the majority of burns were classified as mild (60.2%) and moderate (32.8%). Predominant anatomical areas involved were the legs (76.1%), arms (67.2%), head and neck (49.8%) and hands (49.3%). The most common pre-injury conditions were cardiovascular diseases (25.9%), diabetes (8.5%) and neurological diseases (6%). Eighty-seven patients (43.3%) required surgical treatment. The most common complications were multiple organ failure (2%), pneumonia (1%) and wound infection (1%). Sixteen patients (8%) died: half of them in hospital, and the rest at home. There was a significant correlation between post-injury complications and death ( r = 0.69, p < 0.001). The mean total hospitalisation cost was ¥22993.09 (US$ 3381.34). Conclusions Domestic and workplace burns with devastating consequences are very common in the elderly population in Shanghai. Burn prevention education and implementation of safety measures at home and at workplace would help reduce such incidences.

In-practice and Field Techniques for the Investigation of Parasitic Infections

Abstract Diagnostic investigations and tests play a key part in the detection, identification, and study of parasites, and in the determination of their role in disease. Although some require the expertise and facilities of a specialist laboratory, many others can be performed easily, competently, and at low cost in the clinic. The veterinarian may also need to perform laboratory tests away from home and at times in the field (e.g., client's house, zoo, wildlife park, rehabilitation center). Under such circumstances, a range of portable, usually lightweight equipment may be used, including battery- and solar-powered products. When investigating any parasite disease problem, the use of properly formulated and updated protocols is essential, including those needed to implement safety measures.

Compound depressed skull fracture caused by a flying model helicopter

Compound depressed skull fractures are usually caused by high‐energy direct blows with sharp or blunt objects. A clear mechanism of injury is crucial in evaluating the degree of damage and formulating a management plan. We report an unusual cause of such a condition in this study. The patient, a 45‐year‐old male, suffered from head injury by a flying model helicopter. The flying of model helicopters is forbidden in the area where the incident occurred. He was confused on site and was found to be hemiplegic. Emergency wound debridement, craniectomy and external ventricular catheterization were done. Six months after the operation, the patient could walk with the assistance of a stick and cranioplasty has been planned for him. The potential dangers of flying model helicopters are well presented in this study. The authors strongly recommend implementation of safety measures to minimize the potential risk of the game or other similar games.

From Traditional Inpatient to Trauma-Informed Treatment: Transferring Control From Staff to Patient

Mental health professionals worldwide realize the imperative for reducing inpatient restraints and seclusion. The high incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder for inpatients and the resulting symptoms support the creation of a trauma-informed approach. The objective of the current article is to describe the experience of staff in a 20-bed unit transitioning from traditional inpatient care to a trauma-informed approach. The study comprised a qualitative design using content analysis (n = 10). The patterns clustered into the following categories: changing perspective, developing collaborative relationships, implementing safety measures, and prescribing educational resources. Staff underwent a deep cultural change that subsequently won state recognition for the reduction of seclusion and restraints.