US Safety Research Articles

Lessons Learned Following Macondo - Safety Enhancement

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 23436, ’Lessons Learned Following Macondo - Safety Enhancement on the US Outer Continental Shelf,’ by J.G. Lantz, P.E. Little, J.P. Nadeau, and J.D. Reynolds, US Coast Guard, prepared for the 2012 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 30 April-3 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The US Coast Guard is responsible for protecting the marine environment, promoting the safety of life and property, and ensuring security on the US outer continental shelf (OCS). Though the Macondo incident was not initiated by failures within areas of US Coast Guard jurisdiction and safety systems regulated by the US Coast Guard generally performed well under the extreme conditions, the US Coast Guard is reviewing its regulatory construct and seeking “lessons learned” from this tragic incident. Authority and Regulatory Construct The US Coast Guard, within the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has broad authority under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to regulate the safety of life and property on facilities and vessels engaged in US OCS activities and the safety of navigation. The US Coast Guard also is responsible for promoting workplace safety and health by enforcing requirements related to personnel, workplace activities, and conditions and equipment on the US OCS. A US OCS activity is any activity on the US OCS associated with exploration, development, production, transportation by pipeline, storage, or processing of mineral resources, including hydrocarbons. A US OCS facility is any artificial island, installation, pipeline, or other device permanently or temporarily attached to the seabed, erected for the purpose of exploring for, developing, producing, transporting by pipeline, storing, or processing mineral resources from the US OCS. This term does not include ships or vessels for transporting produced hydrocarbons. Lessons Learned From Macondo The Deepwater Horizon accident was a catastrophic event initiated by failure of well containment, an area that falls under the jurisdiction of the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Volume 1 of the report of the US Department of Interior and DHS joint-investigation team (JIT) revealed that, in general, the safety systems aboard the Deepwater Horizon regulated by the US Coast Guard had a beneficial effect, despite the extreme nature of the event. Of the 126 people onboard, 115 survived the explosions and subsequent fire. All survivors were able to evacuate the mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) by way of the installed life-saving equipment, except for at least six who jumped from the rig into the water. Even though significantly damaged by explosions and initial effects of the fire, the Deepwater Horizon was able to stay afloat for more than 48 hours while engulfed in a major fire, fed by an uncontrolled fuel source.

Safety of seasonal influenza and influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccines in pregnancy

Inactivated influenza vaccines have been given to pregnant women since 1964. Since 2004, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that pregnant women receive trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine at any time during pregnancy. Studies conducted before 2009 did not identify any safety concerns after trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in mothers or their infants. During the 2009–2010 influenza A (H1N1) influenza vaccination program, several monitoring systems were established or enhanced to assess whether adverse events were associated with H1N1 2009 monovalent vaccines (2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines). Data from these systems did not identify any safety concerns in pregnant women who received 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines or their infants. Although live attenuated influenza vaccines are not recommended in pregnant women, a small number of studies have not shown any safety concern among pregnant women or their infants who were inadvertently exposed to these vaccines. This review summarizes US and international safety data for influenza vaccines in pregnant women with an emphasis on 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines.

US safety commission tries to stop sales of Buckyballs

US safety commission tries to stop sales of Buckyballs

Analysis of children's textiles and apparel product safety issues using recall data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission

Given the heightened concerns and awareness among US consumers regarding imported product safety issues, as well as today's businesses' strong involvement with product safety assurance, it is imperative for family and consumer science educators to understand issues surrounding the safety of consumer products. This study analysed product recall data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) specific to infant and children's products. The results indicated a high proportion of recalls from China as well as a high number of deaths/injuries related to strangulation, lead paint or falls. Commonly recalled products included hooded sweatshirts with drawstrings, baby cribs and children's jewellery. Educators in the textile and apparel field may want to incorporate information on the US CPSC, safety standards and various hazard types into their curriculum. Knowledge of potential hazards of these products would help students be better prepared for the future workforce.

Second interim analysis of GIDEON (Global Investigation of Therapeutic Decisions in Unresectable HCC and of Its Treatment with Sorafenib): U.S. versus global perspective on patient and disease characteristics, treatment history, and sorafenib use.

278 Background: GIDEON is a global, prospective, noninterventional study of patients (pts) treated with sorafenib (SOR) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Regions evaluated included US, Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Detailed regional data were presented by Kudo et al (ILCA 2011, abstr 0-030). Data from the second US interim analysis are compared to global results. Methods: Eligible pts had uHCC and were treated with SOR. Demographics, disease etiology, treatment history, and SOR dosing were compared in a descriptive, preplanned subgroup analysis. Results: Global and US safety populations comprised 1571 and 313 pts, respectively. In the US, hepatitis B was less common (18% vs 37% global) whereas hepatitis C was more frequent (53% vs 32% global). Alcoholic liver disease etiology was higher in US pts (41% vs 29% global). US pts were diagnosed with later-stage disease, but fewer US pts had documented BCLC and Child-Pugh status. Fewer US pts had an ECOG PS 0 at start of SOR (28% vs 40% global). Rates of prior surgery and locoregional treatment were similar in US (11% and 49%, respectively) and global pts (19% and 55%, respectively). US pts treated with TACE (n = 116) underwent fewer TACE procedures (≥3: 13.8% vs 38.9% global); most (59%) TACE-treated pts in the US received 1 treatment. In US vs global pts, median time from prior surgery to start of SOR was 10 months (range 1-61) vs 14 months (range 1-181) and median time from last TACE to start of SOR was 3.2 months vs 3.1 months. Conclusions: Disease characteristics and treatment patterns for pts with uHCC in the US differ from those in the global population. US pts enrolled in GIDEON (ie, receiving SOR) have differing etiologies of liver disease and have a greater proportion of hepatic dysfunction, likely accounting for worse performance status. [Table: see text]

Negotiating the 'Trading Zone'. Creating a Shared Information Infrastructure in the Dutch Public Safety Sector .

Abstract Our main concern in this article is whether nation-wide information technology (IT) infrastructures or systems in emergency response and disaster management are the solution to the communication problems the safety sector suffers from. It has been argued that implementing nation-wide IT systems will help to create shared cognition and situational awareness among relief workers. We put this claim to the test by presenting a case study on the introduction of ‘netcentric work’, an IT system-based platform aiming at the creation of situational awareness for professionals in the safety sector in the Netherlands. The outcome of our research is that the negotiation with relevant stakeholders by the Dutch government has lead to the emergence of several fragmented IT systems. It becomes clear that a top-down implementation strategy for a single nation-wide information system will fail because of the fragmentation of the Dutch safety sector it is supposed to be a solution to. As the US safety sector is at least as fragmented as its Dutch counterpart, this may serve as a caveat for the introduction of similar IT systems in the US.

The Influence of Dust Standards on the Prevalence and Severity of Coal Worker's Pneumoconiosis at Autopsy in the United States of America

Coal worker's pneumoconiosis is a major occupational lung disease in the United States. The disease is primarily controlled through reducing dust exposure in coal mines using technological improvements and through the establishment of dust standards by regulatory means. To determine if dust standards established in the US Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 have reduced the prevalence and severity of coal worker's pneumoconiosis. The study population included materials from 6103 deceased coal miners submitted to the National Coal Workers' Autopsy Study from 1971 through 1996. Type and severity of coal worker's pneumoconiosis were classified using standardized diagnostic criteria. Among miners who worked exclusively prior to the 1969 dust standard, 82.6% had coal macules, 46.3% coal nodules, 28.2% silicotic nodules, and 10.3% progressive massive fibrosis. Lower prevalences were noted among miners exposed exclusively to post-1970 dust levels: 58.8% had coal macules, 15.0% coal nodules, 8.0% silicotic nodules, and 1.2% progressive massive fibrosis. The differences in prevalence were highly significant (P < .001) for all types of pneumoconiosis, including progressive massive fibrosis, after adjustment for age, years of mining, and smoking status. The study confirms a beneficial impact of the first 25 years of the dust standard established by the 1969 act on the prevalence and severity of coal worker's pneumoconiosis in US coal miners. However, pneumoconiosis continues to occur among miners who have worked entirely within the contemporary standard, suggesting a need for further reductions in exposure to respirable coal mine dust.

Comparison of typical regulatory mechanisms for improving global mine safety and health

A comparative study on the typical regulatory mechanisms of the USA, South Africa and China. This paper makes a comparative analysis of the institutional and regulatory framework in mine safety and health among the three nations. The study highlights the positive role of the current US safety framework, which results in a mutually supportive triangle consisting in law enforcement, technology, and education/training. South Africa mine safety regulatory framework is based on a tripartite framework, state, employer, and employee. A new safety policy approach through multi-stakeholders has been proposed in China to continually improve their mine safety and health performance.

Helicopter Accidents at Night

Night conditions constrain the operations of a helicopter. Helicopter crews that fly at night have limited landing possibilities in times of emergency and suffer from limited visual cues during operations. This study compares the underlying causes and factors that differentiate daytime and nighttime helicopter accidents. From the US National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) online database, 4,755 helicopter accidents were selected for which the characteristics of day and night flights were compared. The number of fatal accidents occurring at night was significantly higher than during the daytime (χ2 = 95.04, df = 1, p &lt; .001). Helicopter accidents that occur at night also show significantly fewer engine failures and autorotations but significantly more weather-related causes. The relative absence of engine failures at night is partly explained by the absence of specific helicopter operations. The combination of night flights and adverse weather conditions is shown to be particularly fatal in accidents. It is concluded that pilots require more conservative planning particularly in the vicinity of adverse weather systems.

Planned adaptation in risk regulation: An initial survey of US environmental, health, and safety regulation

In principle, we want regulatory programs to be based on current realities, as reflected for example in the best knowledge of relevant experts. That would imply that old rules now on the books should be consistent with today's knowledge base, not just what was known when a rule or standard was originally set. This paper reports on a survey of US programs, examining how often existing rules are actually updated in light of better knowledge, and identifies five programs that attempt to make policy routinely adaptive. These programs exhibit what we term Planned Adaptation: they both revise rules when relevant new knowledge appears, and take steps to produce such improved knowledge. While Planned Adaptation is rare, it is used in several nationally prominent programs, including air pollution, airplane safety, and drug safety. Planned Adaptation is a policy tool that deserves more attention.

Mitigating airport terrorism tort liabilities through the US SAFETY Act

The SAFETY Act 2002 is a landmark federal statute that substantially mitigates or eliminates catastrophic tort liability in lawsuits filed in the USA arising out of terrorist attacks. Such liability is real: the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey was recently found 68 per cent liable for the injuries to and death of individuals arising out of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing for failing to implement recommendations on how to lessen the impact of a terrorist attack in the World Trade Center's underground garage. SAFETY Act coverage awards and recent pronouncements by the Department of Homeland Security, which implements the SAFETY Act, signal that such protection should be available for airports and other similarly situated quasi-governmental entities. This paper examines the potential opportunity for airport authorities and owners to obtain significant tort liability protection under the SAFETY Act, to the extent they would otherwise be liable for catastrophic damages arising out of a terrorist attack.

Future U.S. ITER Safety Studies

With the US re-entering the ITER project, the US safety program has been tasked to address safety issues left unresolved during the US absence over the past five years. As a consequence our current and future US ITER safety studies will focus on validating US safety analysis tools that underpin the ITER safety analysis, refining in-vessel dust and tritium inventory safety limits and developing corresponding dust and tritium removal strategies that will demonstrate compliance with ITER limits without hampering operational flexibility of the machine.

US safety experts launch £4m project

US safety experts launch £4m project

Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Transcatheter Occlusion for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Unable to Take Warfarin

Anticoagulation with warfarin for atrial fibrillation is frequently difficult. A transcatheter method to exclude the left atrial appendage from the circulation could be an advantage for selected patients. Percutaneous left atrial appendage transcatheter occlusion is a catheter-based delivery of an occlusive nitinol cage to the neck of the left atrial appendage. The device obliterates the left atrial appendage, eliminating a major source of thromboembolism. Animal studies have confirmed device coverage with an endocardial layer within 6 months and distal atrial appendage fibrosis. A standard transseptal approach from the right femoral vein is used. Patients leave the hospital within 1 day. Six-month follow-up of European and US safety and efficacy trials has shown favorable outcomes in minimizing thromboembolic events and few complications related to placement or healing of the device. Further clinical studies will be needed to establish which patients will be best treated with this device.

Study of the effectiveness of the US safety standard for child resistant cigarette lighters

Objective: The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Safety Standard for Cigarette Lighters, which requires that disposable cigarette lighters...

Gastrointestinal safety of an extended-release, nondeformable, oral dosage form (OROS: a retrospective study.

The OROS osmotic (OSM) dosage form optimises extended-release oral administration by controlling the rate of drug release for a predetermined time, providing constant, patterned, or pulsed delivery profiles. OSM products include prescription medications for urology, CNS, and cardiovascular indications, as well as over-the-counter nasal/sinus congestion medications. This retrospective study examines US gastrointestinal (GI) safety data for the OROS dosage form following nearly two decades of use. Although GI injury and obstruction are known effects of oral medications, some reports have suggested that extended-release products pose a greater risk of GI injury and obstruction than other oral dosage forms. Products incorporating OROS technology are being prescribed to an expanding range of patients; a review of the GI safety data for this dosage form thus seemed timely and appropriate. US safety information was obtained from three sources: English language literature published from 1982 until June 1, 2000 from five major biomedical databases;postmarketing safety reports from January 1, 1983 until June 1, 2000 available through the Freedom of Information Act; andcommercial safety information obtained directly from ALZA Corporation's in-house safety database for those OSM products for which ALZA has reporting responsibility. US distribution data from IMS National Prescription Audit trade mark Plus data were used to estimate cumulative product distribution totals. These totals were combined with numbers of unique GI events to determine the estimated frequency of events. Nearly 13 billion OSM tablets are estimated to have been distributed in the US. The incidence of all clinically significant GI adverse events for OSM products (including intestinal, gastric, and oesophageal irritation, injury, and obstruction) reported in the US was approximately one case in >76 million tablets distributed. The majority (78%; estimated incidence: one case in 29 million tablets) of cases were reported in patients taking Procardia XL (nifedipine). Oesophageal and lower GI obstruction were reported primarily in patients with pre-existing abnormalities or disease of the GI tract. Among paediatric patients, one obstruction was reported in an estimated 37.7 million tablets distributed. Reports of GI irritation associated with OSM products were consistent with known effects of the same drug substances in other dosage forms. A review of long-term safety experience with products using OSM controlled-release technology yields a low incidence of clinically significant GI events. Properly prescribed, extended-release products provide substantial therapeutic and convenience benefits without additional risk.

Test and Evaluation of Four Fire Resistant Booms at OHMSETT

During the period of 22 August–12 October 1998, seven commercial fire booms were involved in burn testing at the US Coast Guard Fire and Safety Test Detachment Facility in Mobile, Alabama in accordance with the proposed protocol, American Society for Testing and Materials-F20. Four of the seven booms survived the test sequence and were shipped from Mobile, Alabama to the Minerals Management Service’s OHMSETT facility for additional tests including first loss, gross loss, tow speed, oil loss rate, and critical tow speed. The four booms showed the same trend in response to various wave conditions; the long sinusoidal waves improved containment performance and the short choppy waves degraded performance. One of the four booms achieved slightly higher first and gross oil loss rate tests. One boom demonstrated superior stability at high tow speeds. The results of this test report are consistent with the evaluation of fire booms that had been previously tested at OHMSETT, but also show a slight increase in performance. The tests indicate that the existing fire booms can contain oil in currents up to 1 knot and in various wave conditions after being exposed to multiple burns. This information will be used by the Coast Guard to develop policies and procedures for the in situ burning (ISB) of oil during a spill.

Public Policy in Nutrition: Us Nutrition Safety Net Past, Present, and Future

The paper reviews the history leading to the creation of the US Safety Net as well as synthesis and critique of evaluation research for the three major programmes: Food Stamps, School Feeding, and WIC. the effects of the cadre of safety net programmes on household income are examined. the recent Welfare Reform Legislation changed the nature and scope of the nutrition safety net. the implications of these changes for income, diet, and nutritional status are discussed as well as critical issues for maintaining the effectiveness of the nutrition safety net in the future.

Radiological Properties of Heavy Liquid Metal Targets of Accelerator Driven Systems

AbstractThe long-lived radioactivity of lead-bismuth coolant (LBC) inside the targets of the accelerator driven systems (ADS) is estimated. It is determined by both spallation and fission products of lead and bismuth nuclides. Based on US safety standards the radiotoxicity of targets was calculated for different cooling down periods. In order to estimate the total radioactivity of 1-MW power target circuit (TC), which is developing now at IPPE, the contribution of its main components are preliminarily analyzed.

A case-control study of risk factors for playground injuries among children in Kingston and area

Objective—To determine the risk for injury associated with environmental hazards in public playgrounds. Setting—One hundred and seventeen playgrounds operated by municipalities or school boards in and around Kingston, Ontario, Canada....