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Existing Regulations (existing + regulation)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	50%

Selected Abstracts

Transfer of occupational health problems from a developed to a developing country: Lessons from the Japan,South Korea experience,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 8 2009
Jungsun Park MD
Abstract Many corporations move their manufacturing facilities or technologies from developed to developing countries. Stringent regulations have made it costly for industries to operate in developed, industrialized countries. In addition, labor costs are high in these countries, and there is increasing awareness among the general public of the health risks associated with industry. The relocation of hazardous industries to developing countries is driven by economic considerations: high unemployment, a cheaper labor force, lack of regulation, and poor enforcement of any existing regulations make certain countries attractive to business. The transfer of certain industries from Japan to Korea has also brought both documented occupational diseases and a new occupational disease caused by chemicals without established toxicities. Typical examples of documented occupational diseases are carbon disulfide poisoning in the rayon manufacturing industry, bladder cancer in the benzidine industry, and mesothelioma in the asbestos industry. A new occupational disease due to a chemical without established toxicities is 2-bromopropane poisoning. These examples suggest that counter-measures are needed to prevent the transfer of occupational health problems from a developed to a developing country. Corporate social responsibility should be emphasized, close inter-governmental collaboration is necessary and cooperation among non-governmental organizations is helpful. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:625,632, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Flexible enforcement and fine adjustment

REGULATION & GOVERNANCE, Issue 4 2007
Christopher S. Decker
Abstract This paper considers the level of, and changes in, optimal noncompliance penalties under the following conditions: (i) where the regulator responsible for setting policy parameters, such as a penalty, is different from (and thus may have a different objective from) the regulator responsible for enforcing existing regulations; and (ii) where enforcement behavior changes from one in which enforcers are unresponsive to overtures on the part of firms to increase compliance to one in which enforcers are responsive to such overtures. The model developed shows that when enforcers "switch" from unresponsive to responsive enforcement, the optimal penalties for noncompliance need to be reduced. The analysis also gives insights as to what variables dictate the degree of penalty reduction. [source]

Western Australian recreational scuba diving fatalities, 1992 to 2005

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2009
Peter Buzzacott
Abstract Objective: To investigate recreational scuba diving fatalities within Western Australia (WA) between 1992 and 2005. Methods: Coroners reports for 24 diving fatalities were reviewed to determine anthropometry, certification status and breaches of safe practices for each. Results: Certification status was known for 20 divers and of these six (30%) were uncertified. Certified divers breached significantly fewer safe diving practices than uncertified divers (p<0.01). Existing regulatory mechanisms require training certification only for dives made from commercial dive boats, yet the number of deaths involving shore dives or private craft (n=15) were triple the number diving from commercial boats (n=5). Conclusion: Uncertified divers are less regulated and breach more safe practices than certified divers. Implications: We recommend changes to existing regulations governing dives made from shore and private craft in WA, requiring that all divers be certified. [source]

Bauwerks-Management-System (BMS) , Werkzeug zur Substanzerhaltung für Verkehrsbauwerke

BAUTECHNIK, Issue 10 2004
Peter Haardt Dr.-Ing.
Das Bundesfernstraßennetz beinhaltet eine große Anzahl von Brücken und anderen Ingenieurbauwerken, wie Tunnel, Lärmschutzeinrichtungen und Stützwände. Die für diese Bauwerke aufzustellenden Erhaltungsprogramme erfordern nicht nur erhebliche Geldmittel, sondern beeinflussen auch Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft insgesamt. Neben den ständig wachsenden Verkehrsbeanspruchungen zwingen die ungünstiger werdende Altersstruktur und der wirtschaftliche Einsatz der zur Verfügung stehenden Haushaltsmittel alle Beteiligten dazu, die Erhaltung der Bundesfernstraßen zu systematisieren, um auch zukünftig den Verkehrsteilnehmern eine ausreichende Qualität der Verkehrswege zu sichern. Diese Aufgabe wird durch die Anwendung eines umfassenden Management Systems (Bauwerks-Management-System, BMS) unterstützt und erleichtert. Das BMVBW realisiert ein umfassendes Bauwerks-Management-System mit Teil modulen für Bundes- und Länderverwaltungen, welches als Hilfsmittel für die Erstellung von Erhaltungsplanungen dient und als Controlling-Instrument die Realisierung von Zielen und Strategien ermöglicht. Angestrebt werden damit eine bundesweite Vereinheitlichung von Planungsverfahren sowie die Verbesserung der Wirtschaftlichkeit im Rahmen der Erhaltung der Bauwerke des Bundesfernstraßennetzes. Der Beitrag beschreibt neben den bereits existierenden Regelungen und Verfahren die aktuellen Entwicklungen von Verfahren zur Unterstützung der Erhaltungsplanungen, die derzeit für Computeranwendungen bereitgestellt werden. Wesentliche Einzelthemen sind Informationsbereitstellung, Entwicklung von Erhaltungsstrategien und Bewertungsverfahren auf Objekt- und Netzebene. Bridge Management System (BMS) , a tool for maintenance of highway structures. The federal road network of Germany contains a large number of highway structures like bridges, tunnels, retaining walls and others. The maintenance programs to be prepared for this purpose not only require a high budget, but also influence the economy and society as a whole. Due to growing volumes of traffic and higher weights of trucks, bridges are subjected to increasing loads which implies that maintenance costs will be rising in the future. Considering the fact that financial resources become continuously tighter, the maintenance costs have to be spent in a way to obtain the greatest possible benefits. This task will in the future be supported by the application of individual computer programs in the frame of a comprehensive Management System (Bridge Management System, BMS). Firstly, the BMS is to provide the Federal Ministry with an overview of the current situation at the overall network level, and allow it to come to financial requirements as well as strategies for realising long-term objectives. Secondly, the states and authorities are to be supplied with recommendations for performing improvements at the object level and the state network level in compliance with given strategies and budgetary restrictions. The paper describes the existing regulations as well as procedures for the support of maintenance planning which are currently being developed for computer application. Important topics are information technology, development of maintenance strategies and assessment procedures on object and network level. [source]