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Safety Standards (safety + standards)
Selected AbstractsFluoride content of powdered infant formula meets Australian Food Safety StandardsAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 6 2009Helen Clifford Abstract Objectives: To identify the fluoride content of powdered formula for infants 0-12 months in products available from Brisbane stores in 2006/07 and compare this with the fluoride content of infant formula products available in Australia 10 years earlier. Methods: A range of available infant formula powders were collected from major supermarkets and chemists in Brisbane, Queensland. The fluoride levels in infant formula powder samples were determined using a modification of the micro-diffusion method of Silva and Reynolds1 utilising perchloric acid and silver sulphate and measured with an ion selective (fluoride) electrode/meter. Fluoride content both prior to and after reconstitution, as well as estimated daily intake according to age was calculated. Results: Formula samples contained an average of 0.49 ,g F/g of powder (range 0.24,0.92 ,g F/g). After reconstitution with water containing 0mg/L fluoride, the fluoride content averaged 7.09,g F/100mL (range 3.367,22.72 ,g F/100mL). Estimated infant fluoride intakes ranged from 0.0039 mg/kg/day for a 6-12 month old infant when reconstituting milk-based formula with non-fluoridated water (0 mg/L), to 0.1735 mg/kg/day for a 0-3 month old infant when reconstituting soy-based formula with fluoridated water (1.0 mg/L). Conclusions: Infant formula powders contain lower levels of fluoride than previously found in Australia in 1996. Implications: This confirms that infants consume only a small amount of fluoride from milk-based powdered infant formula. Although soy-based infant formulas contain more fluoride than milk-based products, the levels still comply with national food standards. [source] The Rise of Supermarkets in Africa: Implications for Agrifood Systems and the Rural PoorDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 3 2003Dave D. Weatherspoon The rise of supermarkets in Africa since the mid-1990s is transforming the food retail sector. Supermarkets have spread fast in Southern and Eastern Africa, already proliferating beyond middle-class big-city markets into smaller towns and poorer areas. Supplying supermarkets presents both potentially large opportunities and big challenges for producers. Supermarkets' procurement systems involve purchase consolidation, a shift to specialised wholesalers, and tough quality and safety standards. To meet these requirements, producers have to make investments and adopt new practices. This is hardest for small producers, who risk exclusion from dynamic urban markets increasingly dominated by supermarkets. There is thus an urgent need for development programmes and policies to assist them in adopting the new practices that these procurement systems demand. [source] ISO 14001 EMS standard registration decisions among Canadian organizationsAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2003Emmanuel K. Yiridoe This study characterized the costs and benefits associated with adopting ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS) standard, based on a survey of ISO 14001-registered organizations in Canada. Decision makers are contemplating whether it is necessary to register to one or more of the ISO and other international standards and, if so, which ones. Furthermore, an organization that has registered separate departments to different standards and contemplates integrating such standards across the different units may be interested in attributes of particular units that will facilitate integration. Discriminant analysis was conducted to characterize the factors that distinguish between organizations that adopted ISO 14001 alone (single standard), versus those that registered to ISO 14001 along with other quality, health, and safety standards (i.e., multiple standards). The most important factor that motivated adoption to ISO 14001 was to establish a positive environmental profile, thereby promoting goodwill and integrity. Internal factors tended to dominate the motivations for adopting ISO 14001, supporting the hypothesis that external benefits may not be fully realized due to market and policy failure. Internal costs associated with registration depended on the size of the organization and ranged, on average, from CND$17,000 (for organizations with less than 100 employees), to CND$42,000 (for organizations with more than 500 employees). External costs depended more on the type (i.e., sector of the Canadian economy) than on size of the organization. The most important variable that distinguished between Canadian organizations that adopted ISO 14001 alone versus those that adopted ISO 14001 and other standards was whether the organization had an international orientation, that is, those with more than 50% of services or exports to other countries. [EconLit citations: L150, L200, Q290]. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 19: 439,457, 2003. [source] Serious injuries from dishwasher powder ingestions in small childrenJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 3 2006Amy Bertinelli Aims: To describe patterns and severity of caustic injuries sustained from dishwasher powder ingestion and highlight need for national safety standards. Methods: Retrospective chart review of admissions for caustic ingestion to Starship Children's Hospital from January 2003 to January 2005 and review of New Zealand National Poisons Centre data. Results: Between January 2003 and January 2005, the National Poisons Centre recorded 610 dishwashing powder ingestions, with 88% of children less than 2 years old. Twenty-three children were admitted to Starship Children's Hospital following caustic ingestion, of whom 11 were identified as having ingested dishwasher powder (9 boys and 2 girls) and were aged 11 to 30 months (mean 17.5). Five children (45%) were admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit over 4 months (October 2004 to January 2005), requiring intubation for airway control. Two children needed tracheostomy. Three of the 11 children (27%) required repeated oesophageal dilatation, and two underwent gastrostomy formation. One brand of dishwasher detergent and container type was implicated in over half of the cases. Conclusions: Dishwasher detergents are highly corrosive substances that cause potentially life-threatening injuries and ongoing morbidity. The recent surge of incidents may be related to change in product constituents or non-compliance with New Zealand safety standards. Efforts to limit product alkalinity, legislative requirement of Child-Resistant Packaging and public education may reduce injuries from these common household substances. [source] Assessing OSHA Performance: New Evidence from the Construction IndustryJOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2001David Weil The determinants of OSHA performance can be examined by breaking the regulatory process into three elements relating to enforcement, compliance behavior, and the adequacy of standards in addressing safety outcomes. This paper develops and applies this framework to the U.S. construction industry during the period 1987 to 1993. Enforcement activity among the firms in the sample was substantial, with firms facing a high probability of annual inspection. But, despite this significant enforcement effort, inspections have a modest effect on firm compliance with OSHA standards. Finally, the health and safety standards cited most frequently diverge from the major sources of fatalities and injuries on construction projects. These results suggest that historic enforcement policies toward construction make less sense as OSHA moves into its fourth decade of operation. More generally, the paper illustrates the problem of focusing enforcement resources on large, high‐profile companies even though they often are not the major source of regulatory problems in an established area of public policy intervention. © 2001 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. [source] The Impact of Regulations on Firms: A Case Study of the Biotech Industry,LAW & POLICY, Issue 3 2005FILIPPA CORNELIUSSEN Drawing on semi-structured interviews carried out with founders, managers, and senior scientists in start-up biotech firms, this paper illustrates that the socio-legal literature's characterization of small firms as less compliance oriented is too neat. Small firms do not necessarily have a limited knowledge and comprehension of the law. Nor do they necessarily have low levels of motivation to improve and maintain health and safety standards. In fact, the opposite may be true. Small firms may approach the regulatory ideal where the routines, procedures, and precautionary measures prescribed by regulations permeate the organizations. [source] The stone forum: Implementing a consensus building methodology to address impacts associated with small mining and quarry operationsNATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 1 2000C. Peiter Abstract Small-scale mining, including quarry operations, continues to play an important social and economic role in hundreds of communities throughout Brazil. Often operating outside the formal economy, conflicts between the owners of small-scale mining operations, the mineworkers, various government agencies, and other stakeholders have contributed to the progressive degradation of the environment, poor health and safety standards, and low productivity. The Centre for Mineral Technology (CETEM) of Brazil is implementing a consensus building methodology in order to produce dimension stone by small-scale miners on a more sustainable basis in the Pádua region, located in the northwest of the State of Rio de Janeiro. The approach being used by CETEM is based on its own experience in working with gold prospectors in the Amazon, and lessons and experiences learned from Canadian officials and industry representatives. The lessons and insights gained from this project may prove to be useful to those involved in addressing similar problems elsewhere in Brazil, South America and around the world. [source] An assessment of the effects of increased regulatory enforcement and legislative reform on occupational hearing loss workers' compensation claims: Oregon 1984,1998AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2004Brian P. McCall PhD Abstract Background Hearing loss from occupational exposures is a serious and widespread problem. This study measured the outcomes that increased enforcement of regulations and legislative interventions had on hearing loss workers' compensation claims. Methods Workers' compensation claim data from Oregon was analyzed for the period of 1984,1998 to examine trends and severity of hearing loss claims. In 1987 and 1990, Oregon enacted legislative reforms to improve enforcement and promulgation of safety standards in the state. This study examined hearing loss claims between the periods of pre- and post-legislative reforms. Results It was found that hearing loss claims decreased significantly following the legislative reforms, although the average cost per claim increased. Age and tenure effects, and evidence of moral hazard were also discovered. Conclusions Increased enforcement of regulations and legislative interventions by Oregon improved working conditions leading to occupational hearing loss. Nevertheless, hearing loss remains problematic, and continued efforts are required to improve worker safety. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:417,427, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Effective Safety Management: a Case Study in the Chemical IndustryQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2004P. J. M. Sonnemans Abstract A major non-trivial problem within the area of industrial safety management today is to analyse, next to the safety impact of the technical equipment, the safety impact of a ,business process' as currently required by regulation and safety standards. This paper describes a case study of a pesticide company struggling with the question of how to improve the safety of their operational process further and at the same time also improve the reliability of their operational process. According to the literature ,control of the business process' is the keyword to improve the safety and reliability ,performance' of a company. A formal control model is proposed together with a classification system (using maturity levels) to analyse and qualify business processes with respect to their impact on process safety. This method has been applied in a case study where it resulted in a model of a business process. Using the model it was possible to classify the business process control system used and to identify related improvement opportunities. The proposed method showed that, in contrast to the company's perception, it was not the production department that was responsible for most of the problems but the peripheral processes relating to the production department. The interaction between departments caused not only potential safety problems, but also caused system reliability problems. For the company it was demonstrated that the interdependency of the (different activities in the-) operational process is an essential element preventing further improvement if not addressed properly. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Markets, torts, and social inefficiencyTHE RAND JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2006Andrew F. Daughety We provide a model wherein oligopolists produce differentiated products that also have a safety attribute. Consumption of these products may lead to harm (to consumers and/or third parties), lawsuits, and compensation, either via settlement or trial. Firm-level costs reflect both safety investment and production activities, as well as liability-related costs. Compensation is incomplete, both because of inefficiencies in the bargaining process and (possibly) because of statutorily established limits on awards. We compare the market equilibrium safety effort and output levels to what a planner who is able to set safety standards, but takes the market equilibrium output as given, would choose. [source] Pediatric Tree House,Related Injuries Treated in Emergency Departments in the United States: 1990,2006ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2009Charles Randazzo Abstract Objectives:, The objective was to describe the epidemiology of tree house,related injuries in the United States among children and adolescents. Methods:, The authors conducted a retrospective analysis using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for patients ,19 years who were treated in an emergency department (ED) for a tree house,related injury from 1990 through 2006. Results:, An estimated 47,351 patients ,19 years of age were treated in EDs for tree house,related injuries over the 17-year study period. Fractures were the most common diagnosis (36.6%), and the upper extremities were the most commonly injured body part (38.8%). The odds of sustaining a head injury were increased for children aged <5 years. Falls were the most common injury mechanism (78.6%) and increased the odds of sustaining a fracture. Falls or jumps from a height ,10 feet occurred in 29.3% of cases for which height of the fall/jump was recorded. Boys had significantly higher odds of falling or jumping from a height of ,10 ft than girls, and children 10 to 19 years old also had significantly higher odds of falling or jumping from a height of ,10 feet, compared to those 9 years old and younger. The odds of hospitalization were tripled if the patient fell or jumped from ,10 feet and nearly tripled if the patient sustained a fracture. Conclusions:, This study examined tree house,related injuries on a national level. Tree house safety deserves special attention because of the potential for serious injury or death due to falls from great heights, as well as the absence of national or regional safety standards. The authors provide safety and prevention recommendations based on the successful standards developed for playground equipment. [source] Product Safety Provision and Consumers' InformationAUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC PAPERS, Issue 4 2000Stephan Marette Economic mechanisms related to the provision of product safety are explored, with particular attention paid to the structure of consumers' information. The case of perfect information, of experience goods (for which consumers detect product safety after consumption) and of credence goods (where consumers cannot link a disease to a particular product consumed in the past) are explored. Imperfect competition is assumed in the supply sector. In the case of both perfect information and experience goods, market equilibrium is characterised by a less-than-socially optimal provision of safety, when the safety effort is costly. With credence goods, imperfect information leads to the absence of safety effort and to a market closure. Different types of public regulation aiming at increasing consumer protection and circumventing market failures are explored. Particular attention is paid to minimum safety standards, labels and liability enforcement. The relative efficiency of these instruments depends on the information structure. In the cases of perfect information and experience goods, a minimum safety standard can be an efficient instrument. Regulation is necessary but not sufficient to avoid market failure in the case of credence goods. [source] Comment: A biological guide for electromagnetic safety: the stress responseBIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 8 2004Martin Blank Abstract Questions of safety of electromagnetic (EM) fields should be based on relevant biological properties, i.e., specific cellular reactions to potentially harmful stimuli. The stress response is a well documented protective reaction of plant and animal cells to a variety of environmental threats, and it is stimulated by both extremely low frequency (ELF) and radio frequency (RF) EM fields. It involves activation of DNA to initiate synthesis of stress proteins. Thermal and non-thermal stimuli affect different segments of DNA and utilize different biochemical pathways. However, both ELF and RF stimulate the same non-thermal pathway. Since the same biochemical reactions are stimulated in different frequency ranges with very different specific absorption rates (SARs), SAR level is not a valid basis for safety standards. Studies of EM field interactions with DNA and with model systems provide insight into a plausible mechanism that can be effective in ELF and RF ranges. Bioelectromagnetics 25:642,646, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Current density threshold for the stimulation of neurons in the motor cortex areaBIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 6 2002T. Kowalski Abstract The aim of this study was to determine a current density threshold for exciting the motor cortex area of the brain. The current density threshold for excitation of nerve fibres (20 ,m in diameter) found in the literature is approximately 1 A/m2 at frequencies lower than 1 kHz. In consideration of a safety factor of 100, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) recommends to restrict the exposure to 0.01 A/m2. The electromagnetic stimulation of neurons in the motor cortex is used in the clinical diagnosis of nerve lesions and neuropathy by means of magnetic or electrical transcranial stimulation. Combining medical data from clinical studies and technical specifications of the Magstim® Model 200 stimulator, we were able to compute the current density threshold for the excitation of the human motor cortex by means of the finite element method (FEM). A 3D-CAD head model was built on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) slices and segmented into four anatomical structures (scalp, skull, brain, and ventricular system) with different conductivities. A current density threshold for the stimulation of the motor cortex area of the upper limbs of 6 and 2.5 A/m2 at 2.44 kHz and 50 Hz, respectively, was calculated. As these values lie above the recommended ICNIRP values by two orders of magnitude there is no need for lower safety standards with regard to stimulation of the brain. Bioelectromagnetics 23:421,428, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Engineering and biotechnological aspects for the manufacturing of high quality fried potato productsBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 4 2006Ernst H. Reimerdes Abstract Fried potato products have become very popular foods over the last decades. High quality standards have been established for these products by the food industry including uniform brown color and crispness. During frying, Maillard reactions takes place which contribute to color and taste development in these products. However, safety aspects are also influenced by these reactions, e.g., acrylamide formation. Maintaining high safety standards as well as the expected quality requires systematic research based on an integrated approach including all relevant variables, e.g., raw material properties, processing conditions and equipment concepts. Selected results of these investigations are presented and discussed, regarding influence of composition, e.g., precursor levels for Maillard reactions, treatment of raw materials and addition of reactants to frying fat. It has been demonstrated that a combined treatment of the potato sticks by coating of product surfaces and partial pre-drying can be successfully applied to produce well-browned French fries with lower acrylamide contents. Reductions up to 75% could be reached compared to samples without treatment. Furthermore, addition of a water/oil emulsion containing glutamine in the aqueous phase has been shown to influence Maillard reactions at the product surface, resulting in lower acrylamide contents at the same state of browning. [source] Commercializing air traffic control: Have the reforms worked?CANADIAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION/ADMINISTRATION PUBLIQUE DU CANADA, Issue 1 2008Glen McDougall Many countries have restructured their ANSPs by granting managerial and financial autonomy and creating new mechanisms for regulation and accountability to major consumers of air navigation services. These reforms have exemplified principles often associated with the New Public Management. The United States is the major exception to this international trend. Commercialization has allowed significant improvements in service quality without substantial increases in cost of service or erosion of safety standards. Other public interest considerations have also been protected. These performance benefits can be attributed to key decisions on the governance of new air navigation service organizations. Sommaire: Les fournisseurs de services de navigation aérienne jouent un rôle crucial dans le fonctionnement d'une économie moderne. De nombreux pays ont restructuré leurs fournisseurs de services en leur accordant une autonomie financière et de gestion, et en créant de nouveaux mécanismes de réglementation et d'imputabilité envers les principaux consommateurs de services de navigation aérienne. Ces réformes ont illustré les principes souvent associés à la Nouvelle gestion publique. Les États-Unis sont la principale exception à cette tendance internationale. La commercialisation a permis d'apporter d'importantes améliorations à la qualité des services sans entraîner pour autant d'augmentations substantielles des coûts de services, ou une érosion des normes de sécurité. D'autres considérations d'intérêt public ont également été protégées. Ces avantages en termes de performance peuvent être attribués à des décisions clés en matière de gouvernance des nouveaux organismes de services de navigation aérienne. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||