1,721,282 research outputs found
Strategic choices in safety systems of complex public institutions: from setting the risk analysis techniques to conservative and ameliorative quality management
No full textOS&H appears to be particularly complex in the case of large public facilities (Ministries, public offices, ...) open to the patrons, due to a number of typical characteristics, such as the often very large number of workers and patrons and the wide range of patrons’ typologies, the age and historical/artistic value of many Italian settlements, the common possibility of internal/external interference of functional volumes. As a consequence, the usual approaches to the OH&S problems in industrial activities or secondary educational institutions can prove quite inadequate in many cases.
The task of Occupational Risk Assessment and Management analysts becomes even more demanding where the attention is focused on activities which are institutionally involved in both high degree university education and in advanced research, the latter carried on in laboratories where also special devices, often of original or somehow modified design, are used. On the basis of literature findings, no very helpful suggestion based on real case histories are available, and in many cases the approach is limited to general purpose references on a limited number of Hazard Factors, integrated with spots on demand interventions, whilst both Prevention through Design general approaches to the OS&H problems, and quality approaches (e.g. according to OHSAS 18000) in the Residual Risk Assessment and Management are not common.
The present thesis discusses with particular reference to Universities in general and to the Italian situation in particular, the results achieved in a multidisciplinary work -made exhaustive thanks to the presence of highly qualified experts among the staff- carried out in cooperation by Politecnico di Torino and Università degli Studi di Torino. The most important outcome was the definition of a Guideline for the Occupational Risk Assessment and Management of workers and users of large public facilities, specially conceived to provide for each involved person an effective evaluation of the actual residual exposure to the total number of Hazard Factors, systematically identified by means of a consistent Job Analysis. The Guideline, focalized in particular on the universities, stresses the paramount importance of a detailed and unambiguous definition, since the very first step of the study, of the Line and Staff Organization, upon which to base the discussion of the three basic Occupational Safety topics in the following hierarchic order: a) the workplace general safety characteristics, b) the workers OS&H along their activity in terms of involved residual risks, taking into account the available equipment (tools, machines and fittings), and c) the quality management of the OS&H system.
The technique, carefully tested both in its general approach and in a number of sub-applications for special aspects, can moreover play an effective role in the continuous process of assisted training of the subjects operating in the various Areas (Departments, Services, ... ) who, thanks to the detailed knowledge of their area, will be able to provide a capillary contribution in the phases of Hazards Factors Identification, and of suitable OH&S conditions -as defined in the Risk Management process- conservation and improvement.
This PhD thesis, analyzes in depth the applicative phases and sub-phases of the proposed model with some examples of real cases. In particular, the thesis stresses the essential need of following the hierarchical phases of approach to provide an exhaustive management tool for Occupational Risk Assessment and Management
Re: Dutheil et al. Prostate Cancer and Asbestos: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
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Anti-Collision Systems in Tunnelling: some Preliminary Tests Outcome on Effectiveness and OS&H in a System Quality Approach
No full textUnderground works are generally characterised by the presence of narrow operating spaces, high concentrations of high-power
equipment, use of iterative work cycles and haste in the excavation phases. These characteristics can cause interferences with a negative impact
on production efficiency and can cause accidents and harmful pollution. As shown by the statistics on work-related accidents, one of the main
causes of accidents is related to collisions between vehicles or between vehicles/pedestrians or structural elements.
From the design phase, the use of the functional volumes method, together with representation techniques (e.g., Gantt, PERT, Time-location
diagram) is a valuable aid in planning operations, within a Prevention through Design approach. In the construction phase, the technological
innovation of the anti-collision systems currently available is important for risk reduction.
Eight types of systems were analysed: radar, radio frequency (RFID/RF), ultrasound, Bluetooth beacon, video cameras, infra-red cameras/rays,
GPS and laser; also considering two "zero" systems, that are checking of the rear-view mirrors by the driver and the leaky feeder-based
communication systems.
This paper discusses the results of the introduction of some anti-collision systems at TELT construction sites, in terms of system efficiency
and quality, and OS&H improvements
Exposure to glyphosate and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: an updated meta-analysis
Full text linkObjective: We updated a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies to help clarifying the association between exposure to glyphosate and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Methods: We conducted an updated search of the literature, and identified a total of 15 relevant publications, from which we extracted results from six non-overlapping studies. We performed random-effects meta-analyses for ever-exposure to glyphosate, dose-response, and risk of specific NHL subtypes Results: The meta-RR for ever-exposure to glyphosate was 1.05 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90-1.24; I-2 = 0%). The meta-RR for the highest category of exposure was 1.15 (95% CI 0.72-1.83; 3 studies). The meta-RR for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was 1.29 (95% CI 1.02-1.63; 4 studies), that for follicular lymphoma was 0.84 (95% CI 0.61-1.17), and that for chronic lymphocytic leukemia/ small lymphocytic lymphoma was 1.33 (95% CI 0.65-2.70). There was indication of publication bias. Conclusions: This updated meta-analysis reinforces our previous conclusion of a lack of an association between exposure to glyphosate and risk of NHL overall, although an association with DLBCL cannot be ruled out
Aspetti di valutazione e gestione del rischio associato alle fasi di generazione e riutilizzo del marino di galleria
Full text linkOccupational S&H in the case of large public facilities: A specially designed and well tested approach
Full text linkOccupational Safety and Health (OS&H) appears to be a particularly complex topic in the case of large public facilities open to the patrons (Ministries, public offices) due to a number of quite typical characteristics that, consequently in many cases, can make inadequate the usual approaches to the OS&H problems suitable to the industrial activities or secondary educational institutions. The paper discusses the results of a multidisciplinary work -made exhaustive thanks to the presence of highly qualified experts in the staff- carried out in cooperation by Italian Universities for the definition of a Guideline for the Occupational Risk Assessment and Management of employees and students in the Italian Universities. The Guideline was specially conceived to substantially improve the continuous effort towards the OS&H management in a sound quality approach, and provide for each person the actual residual exposure to Hazard Factors, resulting from a consistent and undoubtedly updated System and Job analysis. The Guideline, since the very first step of the study, stresses the paramount importance of a detailed and unambiguous definition of the Line and Staff Organization upon which to base the approach composed by 3 basic hierarchical phases. The Guideline was carefully tested both in terms of general approach and in some sub-applications to special critical topics. The importance of the presence, among the Universities teaching and research staff, of resources qualified on OS&H aspects should not be underestimated. Their deep knowledge of the local situation can be, in fact, a precious help both in the Occupational Risk Assessment and Management for complex problems, and in organization of Information, Formation and Training -IFT
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Results of the implementation of a virtual control approach to improve the effectiveness and quality of Safety and Health inspections at workplaces
No full textDuring the last years, a significant technological and organisational evolution is taking place in the industrial activities, thanks to Advanced Manufacturing together with a more and more widespread use of Cloud Big Data Analytics. With special reference to the OSH (Occupational Safety and Health), these changes involve a new attention, both to the technological and employee's level. The paper discusses the characteristics, and the possible original use of a new methodology, based on virtual reality and digital checklist. This methodology can be used both to easily carry out surveillance activities and checks at workplaces, and to create a virtual itinerary of the area under investigation, in which checks and operative instructions can be virtually introduced for workers in charge of particular machinery or operations. The main results obtained thanks to the implementation of the methodology are: a reduction of the remedial actions' duration on non-compliances brought into evidence, and the deriving possible increase in the frequency and efficiency of inspections. Moreover, this approach intrinsically favors the involvement of workers and staff in charge of activities related to Prevention and Protection, supporting a process of continuous improvement and of general spread of the Culture of Safety in the Company
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