A coherent framework for non-ionizing radiation protection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Tinker ◽  
Jacques Abramowicz ◽  
Efthymios Karabetsos ◽  
Sigurður Magnússon ◽  
Rüdiger Matthes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ionizing Radiation ◽  
Radiation Protection ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
World Health ◽  
Common Language ◽  
Effective Protection ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Ionizing Radiation Exposure

Abstract A coherent and overarching framework for health protection from non-ionizing radiation does not currently exist. Instead, many governments maintain different compliance needs targeting only some non-ionizing radiation exposure situations. An international framework developed by the World Health Organization would promote a globally consistent approach for the protection of people from non-ionizing radiation. Designed based on decades of practical experience the framework provides guidance on establishing clear national health and safety objectives and how they should be achieved. It supports multisectoral action and engagement by providing a common language and systematic approach for managing non-ionizing radiation. The framework should allow governments to respond to policy challenges on how to achieve effective protection of people, especially in a world that is rapidly deploying new non-ionizing radiation technologies. In this paper the concepts and key features are presented that underpin the framework for non-ionizing radiation protection, including examples of implementation.

scholarly journals Can Communication Strategies Combat COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy with Trade-Off between Public Service Messages and Public Skepticism? Experimental Evidence from Pakistan

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 757
Author(s):  
Qiang Jin ◽  
Syed Hassan Raza ◽  
Muhammad Yousaf ◽  
Umer Zaman ◽  
Jenny Marisa Lim Dao Siang
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Media Type ◽  
Downward Spiral ◽  
Media Types ◽  
Health Organization

The COVID-19 pandemic may have reached a turning point as the World Health Organization and the global community of nations step up plans for mass vaccination campaigns. However, the COVID-19 vaccine-related conspiracy theories (e.g., falsehoods about birth control, women infertility, surveillance, and microchip humanity, etc.) have built new momentum for vaccine hesitancy. To this end, several nations worldwide, including Pakistan, are struggling to boost public trust and enthusiasm to get vaccinated, especially in an anxious and complicated atmosphere propelled by multiple, new and the deadliest variants of COVID-19. To address this critical research gap during these intensifying conditions of vaccine hesitancy, the present study makes the first attempt to explore the potential effects of various communication strategies, including public service message (safety benefits versus fear appraisals), media types (i.e., traditional versus digital), self-efficacy, perceived benefits and threats (susceptibility and severity), on the willingness to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Importantly, the underlying effects of public skepticism (in a moderating role) on these relationships were empirically examined. Using four fictitious COVID-19 immunization campaigns in a series of experiments with 2 (media type: traditional vs. digital) X 2 (service attribute: health and safety benefits vs. fear) message frames (represented as Group one to Group four), the findings identified fear appraisal as the most viable communication strategy in combating vaccine hesitancy. Moreover, public skepticism negatively moderated the effects of media types and public service message attributes on willingness to get vaccinated in relatively high (i.e., Group two), moderate (i.e., Group one and four), and low intensities (i.e., Group three). The pioneering findings of this research offer new strategic insights for the global health authorities and vaccine promoters to proactively address the downward spiral of people’s willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Functional Assessment of Persons with Motor Limitations

2014 ◽  
pp. 43-74
Author(s):  
Kaliopi Lappas
Keyword(s):  
Functional Assessment ◽  
World Health ◽  
International Classification Of Functioning ◽  
Common Language ◽  
Reference Guide ◽  
The World ◽  
Examination Methods ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Function

In this chapter a referral is made to the most known examination methods and tools for evaluating persons with motor limitations. Since there are many methods and tools, standardized or not, describing each of them by the area of evaluation and forming a quick reference guide seem to be helpful. Furthermore referrals are made to some special evaluation forms regarding special conditions, like stoke, which appear to have multiple problems influencing function. Finally, in the last section of this chapter a referral is made to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health scale (ICF), which has been developed the past few years by the World Health Organization (WHO), in an effort to have and apply a universal way of assessing people with disabilities. This scale aims to give to all the health professional and researchers a “common language” when “measuring” disability and function.

Functional Assessment of Persons With Motor Limitations

2019 ◽  
pp. 896-933
Author(s):  
Kaliopi Lappas
Keyword(s):  
Functional Assessment ◽  
World Health ◽  
International Classification Of Functioning ◽  
Common Language ◽  
Reference Guide ◽  
The World ◽  
Examination Methods ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Function

In this chapter a referral is made to the most known examination methods and tools for evaluating persons with motor limitations. Since there are many methods and tools, standardized or not, describing each of them by the area of evaluation and forming a quick reference guide seem to be helpful. Furthermore referrals are made to some special evaluation forms regarding special conditions, like stoke, which appear to have multiple problems influencing function. Finally, in the last section of this chapter a referral is made to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health scale (ICF), which has been developed the past few years by the World Health Organization (WHO), in an effort to have and apply a universal way of assessing people with disabilities. This scale aims to give to all the health professional and researchers a “common language” when “measuring” disability and function.

scholarly journals Measuring Industrial Health Using a Diminished Quality of Life Instrument

Safety ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzhen Ji ◽  
Dirk Pons ◽  
John Pearse
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
World Health ◽  
Workplace Health ◽  
Monitoring And Surveillance ◽  
Industrial Health ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Protective Systems

Historically, the focus of industrial health and safety (H&S) has been on safety and accident avoidance with relatively less attention to long-term occupational health other than via health monitoring and surveillance. The difficulty is the multiple overlapping health consequences that are difficult to separate, measure, and attribute to a source. Furthermore, many health problems occur later, not immediately on exposure, and may be cumulative. Consequently, it is difficult to conclusively identify the cause. Workers may lack knowledge of long-term consequences, and thus not use protective systems effectively. Compounding this is the lack of instruments and methodologies to measure exposure to harm. Historically, the existing risk methodologies for calculating safety risk are based on the construct of consequence and likelihood. However, this may not be appropriate for health, especially for the long-term harm, as both the consequence and likelihood may be indeterminate. This paper develops an instrument to measure the health component of workplace H&S. This is achieved by adapting the established World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) quality of life score to workplace health. Specifically, the method is to identify the likelihood of an exposure incident arising (as estimated by engineering technologists and H&S officers), followed by evaluation of the biological harm consequences. Those consequences are then scored by using the WHODAS 12-item inventory. The result is an assessment of the Diminished Quality of Life (DQL) associated with a workplace hazard. This may then be used to manage the minimization of harm, exposure monitoring, and the design of safe systems of work.

scholarly journals Airborne or Droplet Precautions for Health Workers Treating Coronavirus Disease 2019?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prateek Bahl ◽  
Con Doolan ◽  
Charitha de Silva ◽  
Abrar Ahmad Chughtai ◽  
Lydia Bourouiba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Workers ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Spatial Separation ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Horizontal Distance ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported in more than 200 countries. Thousands of health workers have been infected, and outbreaks have occurred in hospitals, aged care facilities, and prisons. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines for contact and droplet precautions for healthcare workers caring for suspected COVID-19 patients, whereas the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has initially recommended airborne precautions. The 1- to 2-meter (≈3–6 feet) rule of spatial separation is central to droplet precautions and assumes that large droplets do not travel further than 2 meters (≈6 feet). We aimed to review the evidence for horizontal distance traveled by droplets and the guidelines issued by the WHO, CDC, and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on respiratory protection for COVID-19. We found that the evidence base for current guidelines is sparse, and the available data do not support the 1- to 2-meter (≈3–6 feet) rule of spatial separation. Of 10 studies on horizontal droplet distance, 8 showed droplets travel more than 2 meters (≈6 feet), in some cases up to 8 meters (≈26 feet). Several studies of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) support aerosol transmission, and 1 study documented virus at a distance of 4 meters (≈13 feet) from the patient. Moreover, evidence suggests that infections cannot neatly be separated into the dichotomy of droplet versus airborne transmission routes. Available studies also show that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the air, and remain viable 3 hours after aerosolization. The weight of combined evidence supports airborne precautions for the occupational health and safety of health workers treating patients with COVID-19.

The Attack on Health and Science Institutions

2021 ◽  
pp. 303-332
Author(s):  
Sara E. Gorman ◽  
Jack M. Gorman
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
World Health ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Impossible Task ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
High Level ◽  
Federal Administration ◽  
Very High

One of our most trusted sources of accurate scientific information has always been the federal and international scientific regulatory agencies charged with protecting and improving our health and safety. These include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). After being chronically underfunded for many years, these agencies have been assaulted by anti-science forces within the previous United States federal administration. Today, many people have lost what was once a very high level of confidence in these agencies. It will be a difficult, but far from impossible, task for a new federal administration to restore them to the positions of trust they once held.

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