Inspection Survey Research Articles

Healthy eating and the UK's major food retailers: a case study in corporate social responsibility

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a preliminary case study exploration of the ways in which the UK's top ten food retailers are addressing healthy eating agendas as part of their CSR agendas and how these agendas are being promoted within their stores.Design/methodology/approachThe paper begins with a short discussion of the healthy eating of CSR and a brief outline of food retailing within the UK. The paper draws its empirical material from the CSR reports and information posted on the world wide web by the UK's top ten food retailers and from a simple inspection and information collection survey conducted in the largest store in Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK operated by each of these ten retailers.FindingsThe findings reveal that there are considerable variations in the extent to which healthy eating is addressed in the CSR information posted on the world wide web by the top ten food retailers and how healthy eating is promoted within stores. The paper concludes that the leading food retailers could do more to address healthy eating agendas within stores.Research limitations/implicationsThe current case is a preliminary exploration of the ways in which the leading UK food retailers are addressing healthy eating issues as part of their CSR agendas and while it raises a number of interesting issues, more work will be needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.Originality/valueThe paper provides an accessible review of the ways the UK's leading food retailers are addressing healthy eating issues as part of their CSR agendas and as such it will interest academics and practitioners working in and on both this sector of the retail marketplace and health promotion.

Microbiological risk assessment of Agios Georgios source supplies in Northwestern Greece based on faecal coliforms determination and sanitary inspection survey

The assessment of potential risks from microbiological contamination of drinking water supplies is of greatest concern to human health. The study involves the examination of water samples from Agios Georgios source that supplies the capitals, the major towns and several villages of Arta, Preveza and Lefkada prefectures, in Northwestern Greece. The study includes the sanitary inspection survey of the source and the microbiological examination of water samples on a monthly basis during the period February 1996–June 1999 except of Augusts ( n = 38). The microbiological risk assessment (MRA) approach of World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines was applied to enhance the source protection. The faecal contamination of the source water was quantified using faecal coliforms ( FC) as indicator bacteria. Microbiological analyses indicate that of the 38 samples analyzed the FC failure rate (positive samples) was 63.2% according to the limit set by the 98/83 directive of the European Union. The 36.8% of the source water samples was found in conformity with WHO guidelines, 42.1% of low risk, 21.1% of intermediate risk while there was not found samples of high or very high risk. Failure rates displayed a seasonal trend being greater during the winter, decreased during spring and autumn and lower during summer. This observation was explained partially by a significant positive relationship with the rainfall amount ( r Spearmann = 0.890, P = 0.001). The sanitary inspection score was found 5/10 during the whole survey period that corresponds to an intermediate risk of source contamination. The color-code classification for FC contamination was found 36.8% A (blue, no risk), 42.1% B (green, low risk) and 21.1% C (yellow, intermediate risk). The previous risks were combined for the assessment of waterborne risk, which was determined as intermediate to high; therefore there is a need for high action priority. The potential remedial actions were also suggested in order to improve the source protection of such supplies.

Effectiveness of Ground Penetrating Radar in Predicting Deck Repair Quantities

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) was examined as an alternative or supplement to visual inspection methods for predicting reinforced concrete bridge deck repairs. Visual inspection has frequently resulted in grossly inaccurate estimates of repairs causing large maintenance cost overruns. GPR-predicted deteriorations were compared to deterioration detected using the chain drag and half-cell potential methods on 24 asphalt covered reinforced concrete decks exhibiting a broad spectrum of deterioration levels. The differences among the deterioration quantities resulting from these surveys were normalized for comparison with respect to the deterioration area and deck size. Large proportions of all decks surveyed containing less than 10% and more than 50% deterioration of the total deck surface area (as measured by chain drag) exhibited significant differences between the GPR and both ground-truth survey quantities. Insignificant differences between GPR predictions and the ground-truth results were observed for six out of seven decks exhibiting deterioration levels between 10 and 50% (by chain drag). It is concluded from this investigation that a combination of visual inspection and GPR inspection surveys for all decks can improve repair estimates and reduce the occurrence of gross underestimates of repair quantities.

Indoor airborne fungal spores and home characteristics in asthmatic children from Edirne region of Turkey

BackgroundThe contribution of indoor fungal exposure to childhood asthma is not completely clear ObjectiveTo investigate airborne fungal flora within the homes of asthmatic and control children, and to assess the influence of housing characteristics regarding indoor fungi MethodsForty-seven atopic asthmatic and 23 nonatopic control children were studied. Allergen sensitivity was determined by skin prick tests. A thorough assessment, using a questionnaire and inspection surveys, was carried out. Home visits were made between October 2000 and February 2001. Samples of airborne fungal spores were collected from four rooms by the “open Petri dish” method. Indoor temperature and humidity were measured ResultsThe total indoor fungal colony counts from the living rooms and bedrooms were significantly higher in the asthma group than in controls (p = .012 and p = .003, respectively). The most commonly isolated genus was Cladosporium. Twelve of the asthmatic patients (25.53 %) were found to be sensitive to fungal allergens. The factors found to be associated with indoor fungal growth in logistic regression were visible fungal patches in the bathrooms [(odds ratio (OR) = 5.75; 95 % CI 1.19 to 27.70)], and the age of the house [OR = 4.24; 95% CI 1.34 to 13.45]. Total fungal colony numbers did not correlate with indoor temperature or humidity ConclusionFungal colony numbers were higher in the homes of asthmatic children than in those of controls. Therefore, indoor fungal exposure may contribute to childhood asthma. Bathrooms were the main source of fungal propagules. Old houses were more prone to fungal growth

Long term compliance with California’s Smoke-Free Workplace Law among bars and restaurants in Los Angeles County

Objective: To assess long term compliance with the California Smoke-Free Workplace Law in Los Angeles County freestanding bars and bar/restaurants. Design: Population based annual site inspection survey of a random...

A comparison of nondestructive evaluation methods for bridge deck assessment

Concrete bridge deck deterioration is a significant problem that must be addressed to preserve highway infrastructure investments in bridges around the world. Reducing the cost of bridge deck maintenance is critical to government and private agencies responsible for maintenance of bridges. Maintenance challenges increase as many bridges begin to approach the end of their design life and traffic loads continue to increase. One means of reducing the cost of bridge deck maintenance is to accurately evaluate the condition of the structure and its constituent materials. Current methods used to evaluate deterioration of bridge decks include acoustic, electrochemical, electromagnetic, and visual inspection techniques. The purpose of this study was to assess the advantages and limitations of three available evaluation methods. The evaluation techniques included in this study were ground penetrating radar, the chain drag method, and IE. These techniques represent an important group of inspection methods currently used to evaluate in-service bridge decks. The bridge deck used in the study contains significant delaminations but exhibits virtually no outwardly visible signs of these deficiencies, so a detailed visual inspection survey of the deck was not included. Cores were taken from the bridge deck at selected locations to confirm the accuracy of the results obtained through each evaluation method. This paper presents the findings from each method and describes their respective advantages and limitations.

JCAHO Reforms Surveys To Focus on Patient Safety

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Professional NewsFull AccessJCAHO Reforms Surveys To Focus on Patient SafetyKen HausmanKen HausmanSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:15 Nov 2002https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.37.22.0017The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has unveiled a “new, improved” accreditation process that focuses more on patient safety and quality of care and less on the paperwork burden of the traditional survey process.Titled “Shared Pathways, New Visions,” the restyled process “shifts the paradigm from a focus on survey preparation to one of continuous operational improvement,” said JCAHO’s Russ Massaro, M.D. “In so doing, it enables the accreditation process to become more of a service than a commodity.”Massaro is the JCAHO’s executive vice president for accreditation operations.One major goal of the new system, he added, is to “provide a continuous picture of an organization’s performance” in part by shifting the focus of JCAHO accreditation criteria to the way in which a facility delivers clinical care.According to the JCAHO publication Perspectives, the organization hopes the revised program will boost facilities’ satisfaction with the accreditation process and decrease the costs they expend in conjunction with JCAHO surveys. Another key goal is to “increase the public’s confidence” that hospitals and other facilities that treat their medical problems are focused on patient-safety and quality-of-care standards.The review, begun in October 2000, focuses on the standards that have the most direct impact on patient safety and quality of care. The team that conducted the review searched for standards that have become redundant, since they “are now common practice in the industry and no longer need to be assessed,” according to the Perspectives article.Joseph T. English, M.D., a JCAHO commissioner and former president of APA, described the revised review procedure as “a stage in the evolution of the accreditation process, and not the end point.” What JCAHO envisions, he told Psychiatric News, is “a time when the relationship between a hospital and the commission is one of continuous information flow, and site visits would be triggered only when information suggests that an institution needs help.”The JCAHO would then intervene in a “consultative” rather than punitive role, he pointed out. He expects the new process to reverse the current situation from one in which hospitals are “often hesitant to share information to one in which they are eager to do so.” Frequently, he noted, hospitals view JCAHO reviews as “much ado about trivia” and too wrapped up in the superficial.The new standards will go into effect in January 2004 and will apply to ambulatory care, behavioral health care, and long-term-care facilities, as well as to hospitals, laboratories, and home care.For psychiatric facilities the changes should be especially important, English suggested, because the revised procedures will focus much more “on what psychiatric care is all about.” Psychiatric hospital administrators and staff will be able “to engage more effectively [with the new process] than by relating to a book of procedures and policies.”To allay concerns of facility administrators, JCAHO officials emphasize that the restyled survey process will not be adding new requirements. “The modifications are mostly deletions, consolidations, or clarifications of existing standards.”The new review procedure will also introduce a self-assessment process, which facilities will complete at the 18-month mark in their three-year accreditation cycle. Facility administrators will be able to complete this via computer, and there will be no accompanying on-site inspection survey. When a facility identifies during the self-assessment review corrective actions it must take, it will be responsible for implementing them prior to the three-year on-site survey. The facility will submit its plan for correcting its compliance problems to the JCAHO central office, where staff will either accept the proposed actions or suggest ways in which the facility can improve on its corrective plan. Identifying areas in which corrective action is needed does not come with any penalty or threat to accreditation status.The press release announcing the new accreditation process is posted at www.jcaho.org/news+room/latest+news+release/svnp_nr.htm. ▪ ISSUES NewArchived

Damages to residential buildings related to pyritic rockfills: field results of an investigation on the south shore of Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Numerous cases of garage and basement concrete slab distress at various levels of heaving and deterioration were noticed early after construction in the Montreal south-shore area (Canada). The use of clayey sedimentary rock containing pyrite as aggregates for granular subbase is responsible for most of the observed distress. The heaving of the slabs is related to the oxidation process of the pyrite, followed by sulphate crystallization causing the swelling of the compacted granular subbase. A first inspection survey was carried out in the summer of 1999 in an attempt to assess the extent and magnitude of the damage caused by pyritic rockfills. More than 200 houses showing distress associated with pyrite were investigated in three localities. Damage of the garage floor slab seems to occur earlier after construction and to be more severe likely due to the subbase thickness and to the lower quality of the rockfill. Five houses at various stages of reaction process were monitored. The results suggest that the rockfill swelling is quite fast and continuous. The heaving rate of some garage slabs might be as high as 1.2 mm/month.Key words: pyrite, shales, swelling rockfill, oxidation, sulphate attack, damage.

Geo-Referenced Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Urban Citrus Canker Epidemic in Florida

ABSTRACT Five areas in urban Miami were identified to study the spread of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri to determine if the practice of removing exposed citrus trees within 38.1 m of trees affected by citrus canker was adequate to curtail further bacterial spread. To accomplish this, 18,769 trees in dooryards were surveyed, geo-referenced by differential global positioning systems (GPS), and assayed for disease severity, age of infection, citrus cultivar, location of infection in tree, and canopy size. For each tree, the date the tree became infected was estimated and used to separate trees into contiguous 30-day categories. For each area studied, distance measurements between focal trees and newly infected trees were calculated for various temporal periods of 30, 60, 90, and 120 days in duration, corresponding to intervals of inspection survey. A visual basic application was used to calculate the distances between each newly diseased tree and all prior focal trees. The nearest distance was used because it was considered the most conservative estimate possible. It is therefore likely to be an underestimate of spread but is a good estimate of the minimum possible distances of spread. For the first four 30-day periods among the five study areas, calculated maximum distances of spread ranged from 12 to 3,474 m, indicating a broad continuum of distance for bacterial spread was possible. Disease increased during the first two-thirds of the time studied and reached an asymptote due to dry conditions in the final one-third of the duration of the study. Cross correlation analysis indicated that disease was best visualized 107 days following rainstorms with wind. Analysis of regional spatial point patterns was performed temporally for each 30-day period via a modified Ripley's K-function. Spatiotemporal analyses between periods over areas larger than previously examined were accomplished via spatiotemporal semivariogram analysis. These methods in combination demonstrated rapid increases in range of spatial dependency and range of spatiotemporal dependency for all study sites. This corresponded to rapid spread of disease across the regions studied in response to rainstorms with wind followed by a "filling in" of disease on remaining noninfected susceptible trees through time by less intense rain events. A stochastic quadratization technique demonstrated that disease incidence and disease severity were not greatly affected by urban host density but were positively correlated to host susceptibility within local 0.25-km(2) quadrats.

Indoor airborne fungal spores and home characteristics in asthmatic children from edirne region of turkey

ABSTRACT Background: The contribution of indoor fungal ex-posure to childhood asthma is not completely clear. Objective: To investigate airborne fungal flora with-in the homes of asthmatic and control children, andto assess the influence of housing characteristics re-garding indoor fungi. Methods: Forty-seven atopic asthmatic and 23nonatopic control children were studied. Allergensensitivity was determined by skin prick tests. A thor-ough assessment, using a questionnaire and inspec-tion surveys, was carried out. Home visits were madebetween October 2000 and February 2001. Samplesof airborne fungal spores were collected from fourrooms by the “open Petri dish” method. Indoor tem-perature and humidity were measured. Results: The total indoor fungal colony countsfrom the living rooms and bedrooms were signifi-cantly higher in the asthma group than in controls(p = .012 and p = .003, respectively). The most com-monly isolated genus was Cladosporium . Twelve ofthe asthmatic patients (25.53%) were found to besensitive to fungal allergens. The factors found to beassociated with indoor fungal growth in logistic re-gression were visible fungal patches in the bath-rooms [(odds ratio (OR)= 5.75; 95% CI 1.19 to27.70)], and the age of the house [OR = 4.24; 95%CI 1.34 to 13.45]. Total fungal colony numbers did notcorrelate with indoor temperature or humidity.

Automated vision metrology: A mature technology for industrial inspection and engineering surveys

Abstract Developments in automated off-line and on-line digital close-range photogrammetry systems have effectively rendered the technology mature. A broadening of the range of measurement tasks undertaken has accompanied the transfer of technology of automated vision metrology from the R&D environment to an end-user community focussed upon high-precision dimensional inspection for industrial manufacturing and large-scale engineering. This paper highlights the significant advances made in system productivity and accuracy by way of a description of selected measurement projects conducted by the Vision Metrology Services Unit of The University of Melbourne. These include multi-epoch deformation surveys of a trainer aircraft, of the world's largest electric ring motor and of a military vehicle, and the dimensional characterisation of both abalone shells and the hull of a submarine. The relevance of industial measurement to modern surveying is highlighted by the awarding of the 1998 Robert Hoddle Prize for Ex...

Automated Vision Metrology:A Mature Technology for Industrial Inspection and Engineering Surveys

Automated Vision Metrology:A Mature Technology for Industrial Inspection and Engineering Surveys

An encompassing life cycle centric survey of software inspection

This paper contributes an integrated survey of the work in the area of software inspection. It consists of two main sections. The first one introduces a detailed description of the core concepts and relationships that together define the field of software inspection. The second one elaborates a taxonomy that uses a generic development life-cycle to contextualize software inspection in detail. After Fagan's seminal work presented in 1976, the body of work in software inspection has greatly increased and reached measured maturity. Yet, there is still no encompassing and systematic view of this research body driven from a life-cycle perspective. This perspective is important since inspection methods and refinements are most often aligned to particular life-cycle artifacts. It also provides practitioners with a roadmap available in their terms. To provide a systematic and encompassing view of the research and practice body in software inspection, the contribution of this survey is, in a first step, to introduce in detail the core concepts and relationships that together embody the field of software inspection. This lays out the field key ideas and benefits and elicits a common vocabulary. There, we make a strong effort to unify the relevant vocabulary used in available literature sources. In a second step, we use this vocabulary to build a contextual map of the field in the form of a taxonomy indexed by the different development stages of a generic process. This contextual map can guide practitioners and focus their attention on the inspection work most relevant to the introduction or development of inspections at the level of their particular development stage; or to help motivate the use of software inspection earlier in their development cycle. Our work provides three distinct, practical benefits: First, the index taxonomy can help practitioners identify inspection experience directly related to a particular life-cycle stage. Second, our work allows structuring of the large amount of published inspection work. Third, such taxonomy can help researchers compare and assess existing inspection methods and refinements to identify fruitful areas of future work.

Factors affecting motorcycle helmet use in the population of Greater Athens, Greece

Objectives—Helmet use is the best preventive measure available against two wheel motorized vehicle (TWMV) related head injuries. In some countries, however, helmets are used only by a minority of TWMV...

Effectiveness of a comprehensive multisector campaign to increase seat belt use in the greater Athens area, Greece. Hellenic Road Traffic Police Department.

This study assessed the effectiveness of a comprehensive campaign to increase seat belt use in Athens. In 1996 a survey focusing on seat belt use was undertaken among occupants of 1400 passenger cars. From October 1997 to June 1998 the campaign was implemented; during the campaign, seat belt law enforcement was not intensified. In 1998 another inspection survey of 2250 cars was undertaken. The program brought only a 6% increase in compliance, but there was an estimated gain of about 50 averted deaths and 1500 averted injuries. An intensive campaign to increase seat belt use, conducted in the absence of increased law enforcement, resulted in moderate gains.

Indoor airborne fungal spores, house dampness and associations with environmental factors and respiratory health in children.

Children living in a damp house are more likely to suffer from respiratory symptoms and it has been suggested that exposure to fungi is an important contributing factor. However, more knowledge about underlying mechanisms for the association are needed. To identify associations between measures of house dampness, levels of airborne fungal spores, housing factors and health outcomes in children. Eighty households with 148 children between 7 and 14 years of age were recruited in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria, Australia. Some 36% of participating children were asthmatic. Six sampling visits were made to each house between March 1994 and February 1995 on a 2-monthly cycle. Samples for airborne total and viable fungal spores were collected from bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and outdoors. A detailed dwelling characterization, using a questionnaire and inspection surveys, was carried out. Skin-prick tests were performed with extracts of common aeroallergens and a respiratory questionnaire was completed for each child. Large airborne fungal spore concentrations were recorded in association with: musty odour, water intrusion, high indoor humidity, limited ventilation through open windows, few extractor fans and failure to remove indoor mould growth. Visible mould growth or condensation evidence was associated with large concentrations of Cladosporium spores, but not with large total spore concentrations. Penicillium exposure was a risk factor for asthma, while Aspergillus exposure was a risk factor for atopy. Fungal allergies were more common among children exposed to Cladosporium or Penicillium in winter or to musty odour. Respiratory symptoms were marginally more common with exposure to Cladosporium or total spores in winter. Indoor exposure to certain fungal genera in winter was a risk factor for asthma, atopy and respiratory symptoms in children. On the other hand, no significant associations were seen between average viable or total spore concentrations and child health. Actual measurements of fungal spores predict health outcomes better than reported dampness.

Car restraints and seating position for prevention of motor vehicle injuries in Greece

The protective effect of child restraint and the relative safety of front and rear seating in a population where children often travel unrestrained was assessed in a population based case-control...

Flowline corrosion problems: a case study of Shell Petroleum Development Company, Nigeria

Describes flowline problems inherent in the land and swamp fields. Non‐destructive testing ‐ general visual inspection and ultrasonic thickness survey based on the nominal diameter sizes, age category and location of flowlines ‐ was carried out. The readings obtained were used to calculate the percentage weight loss of pipe per metre and deduce the flowline sections that need to be replaced to avoid rupture of the steel pipe or fitting in service, using residual life estimates. The reduction of the wall thickness of the pipes/ fittings is caused by a combination of corrosion initiated by physical deformation anomalies and the presence of corrosive media along the flowline tracks (inside and outside the pipes). Offers new measures to help the company mitigate the various flowline problems.

UNHCR INSPECTION AND EVALUATION ACTIVITIES CORRIGENDUM

UNHCR INSPECTION AND EVALUATION ACTIVITIES CORRIGENDUM Refugee Survey Quarterly, Volume 15, Issue 4, 1996, Page 63, https://doi.org/10.1093/rsq/15.4.63 Published: 01 December 1996

OSHA TB Inspection Survey

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted a training seminar in Chicago last December to prepare their staff for enforcement of the recently released Enforcement Policy and Procedures for Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis (TB).1,2 Included among the materials distributed at that training session was an inspection survey form to be used by OSHA staff when conducting a TB inspection survey. The contents of that form appear below; readers may find it useful when conducting their own mock compliance surveys.