Identification and assessment risks in maintenance operations

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 384-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.M.P.U. Wijeratne ◽  
B.A.K.S. Perera ◽  
L. De Silva

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the risks and methods for their assessment in the case of maintenance activities in Sri Lanka. The main objectives were to identify the occupational risks in maintenance work and the risk assessment methods in place and their drawbacks in the Sri Lankan context. Design/methodology/approach – The identification and assessment of risks were undertaken through a study of three fast-moving consumer products manufacturing organisations. The relevant data were collected through personal interviews and site visits. Findings – Most typical risks associated with maintenance are cuts, slips and falls, with severe or fatal injuries as the result of negligence of SOP and failure to use the PPE. Checklists, brainstorming and decomposition techniques were identified as the preferred methods in maintenance for risk identification while a risk rating matrix is used for risk analysis. Lack of awareness and indifference towards risk assessment; make effective risk assessment very difficult. These drawbacks can be minimised by education, systematic training and enforcing rules, regulations and procedures for controlling risks. Originality/value – Studies on maintenance worldwide have identified several maintenance-specific risks such as working at heights, the pressure of time, etc. However, there is a dearth of published research on risks and risk assessment methods in maintenance in Sri Lankan context. The findings highlighted the safety risks and risk assessment tools entailed in the maintenance operations of manufacturing organisations. The findings will be useful for those in maintenance operations in managing risks effectively through designing work environments that are risk-free.

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Fournier ◽  
Lindsey Sikora

Purpose Though we live in a digital era, libraries offer significant hours of in-person reference services, in combination with online reference services. Nevertheless, an increase in requests for in-person, individualized research consultations (IRCs) over the last few years has been observed. IRCs between librarians and students are common practice in academic institutions. While these sessions can be deemed useful for patrons, as they are tailored to their specific needs, however, they can also be time consuming for the librarians. Therefore, it is important to evaluate this service, and assess its impact in order to ensure that the users are getting the most out of their sessions. The purpose of this paper is to gather information on the evaluation and assessment tools that Canadian institutions are using to obtain feedback, measure their impact and improve their consultation services. Design/methodology/approach A bilingual (French and English) web-based questionnaire was issued, with a generic definition of IRCs provided. The questionnaire included general demographics and background information on IRC practices among Canadian academic librarians, followed by reflective questions on the assessment process of such practices. The questionnaire was sent to Canadian academic librarians via e-mail, using professional librarian associations’ listservs, and Twitter was used for dissemination as well. Findings Major findings of the survey concluded that the disciplines of health sciences and medicine, as well as the arts and humanities are the heaviest users of the IRC service model. On average, these sessions are one hour in length, provided by librarians who often require advanced preparation time to adequately help the user, with infrequent follow-up appointments. It was not surprising that a lack of assessment methods for IRCs was identified among Canadian academic libraries. Most libraries have either no assessment in place for IRCs, or they rely heavily on informal feedback from users, comments from faculty members and so on. A small portion of libraries use usage statistics to assess their IRCs service, but other means of assessment are practically non-existent. Research limitations/implications The survey conducted was only distributed to Canadian academic libraries. Institutions across the USA and other countries that also perform IRCs may have methods for evaluating and assessing these sessions which the authors did not gather; therefore, the evidence is biased. As well, each discipline approaches IRCs very differently; therefore, it is challenging to compare the evaluation and assessment methods between each discipline. Furthermore, the study’s population is unknown, as the authors did not know the exact number of librarians or library staff providing IRCs by appointment in academic Canadian institution. While the response rate was reasonably good, it is impossible to know if the sample is representative of the population. Also, it needs to be acknowledged that the study is exploratory in nature as this is the first study solely dedicated at examining academic librarians’ IRC practices. Further research is needed. As future research is needed to evaluate and assess IRCs with an evidence-based approach, the authors will be conducting a pre-test and post-test to assess the impact of IRC on students’ search techniques. Originality/value Evidence-based practice for IRCs is limited. Very few studies have been conducted examining the evaluation and assessment methods of these sessions; therefore, it was believed that a “lay of the land,” so to speak, was needed. The study is exploratory in nature, as this is the first study solely dedicated at examining the evaluation and assessment methods of academic librarians’ IRC practices.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 226-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Michael Brunner-Kirchmair ◽  
Melanie Wiener

Purpose Inspired by new findings on and perceptions of risk governance, such as the necessity of taking a broader perspective in coping with risks in companies and working together in interactive groups with various stakeholders to deal with complex risks in the modern world, the purpose of this paper is looking for new ways to deal with financial risks. Current methods dealing with those risks are confronted with the problems of being primarily based on past data and experience, neglecting the need for objectivity, focusing on the short-term future and disregarding the interconnectedness of different financial risk categories. Design/methodology/approach A literature review of risk governance, financial risk management and open foresight was executed to conceptualize solutions to the mentioned-above problems. Findings Collaborative financial risk assessment (CFRA) is a promising approach in financial risk governance with respect to overcoming said problems. It is a method of risk identification and assessment, which combines aspects of “open foresight” and the financial risk management and governance literature. CFRA is characterized as bringing together members of different companies in trying to detect weak signals and trends to gain knowledge about the future, which helps companies to reduce financial risks and increase the chance of gaining economic value. By overcoming organizational boundaries, individual companies may gain the knowledge they would probably not have without CFRA and achieve a competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications A conceptual paper like the one at hand wants empirical proof. Therefore, the authors developed a research agenda in the form of five propositions for further research. Originality/value This paper discusses the existing problems of financial risk identification and assessment methods. It contributes to the existing literature by proposing CFRA as a solution to those problems and adding a new perspective to financial risk governance.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Jane Stansfield ◽  
Alwyn Kam ◽  
Tara Baddams ◽  
Bethany Woodrow ◽  
Emma Roberts ◽  
...  

Purpose Leeds autism diagnostic service is an adult autism diagnostic service for people of any intellectual ability which also offers consultancy to service users/carers or professionals, as well as a wide range of autism training. The service was set up as a pilot in 2011 and a paper describing the service development was published in this journal in November 2015. The purpose of this paper is to describe the approach taken to measure the quality of the service the authors provide and accurately assess risk in adults with autism. Design/methodology/approach The process of evaluating appropriate outcome measures is described, along with considering appropriate risk assessment tools for use in the community. Over 200 people each year complete the autism diagnostic pathway, and 164 patients were invited to respond to service evaluation questionnaires in 2014. Findings To date, the most useful outcome measures for this group include a prospective service user questionnaire which enables service user opinion to influence service development. In the absence of any appropriate autism-specific risk assessment tools, the service has developed one which it is currently piloting. This has proved particularly useful in the consultancy setting Originality/value This paper is a follow-up paper looking at the day-to-day issues that the team have had to grapple with – how do you assess whether what you are doing is providing the best possible service for the people that you serve and how do you accurately assess risk in this population?


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein ◽  
David H. Cloud ◽  
Chelsea Davis ◽  
Nickolas Zaller ◽  
Ayesha Delany-Brumsey ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss overdose among those with criminal justice experience and recommend harm reduction strategies to lessen overdose risk among this vulnerable population. Design/methodology/approach Strategies are needed to reduce overdose deaths among those with recent incarceration. Jails and prisons are at the epicenter of the opioid epidemic but are a largely untapped setting for implementing overdose education, risk assessment, medication assisted treatment, and naloxone distribution programs. Federal, state, and local plans commonly lack corrections as an ingredient in combating overdose. Harm reduction strategies are vital for reducing the risk of overdose in the post-release community. Findings Therefore, the authors recommend that the following be implemented in correctional settings: expansion of overdose education and naloxone programs; establishment of comprehensive medication assisted treatment programs as standard of care; development of corrections-specific overdose risk assessment tools; and increased collaboration between corrections entities and community-based organizations. Originality/value In this policy brief the authors provide recommendations for implementing harm reduction approaches in criminal justice settings. Adoption of these strategies could reduce the number of overdoses among those with recent criminal justice involvement.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramesh KT ◽  
Sarada Prasad Sarmah

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to study and examine the influence of systematic supply risk management (SRM) on the buyer's firm performance, mainly focussing on the Indian electronics industry.Design/methodology/approachThe study has framed a set of hypotheses on the risk management model. A thorough literature review and experts' opinion were considered in framing constructs and hypothesis for the model. We adopted self-administration questionnaires mainly focusing on the Indian electronics industry. The derived hypothesis is tested using partial least squares (PLS) method from 140 survey data pertaining to small, medium and large scale industries.FindingsStudy justify that constructs with high loadings for risk identification, risk assessment, risk reduction, and risk monitoring supports all hypothesized relation to better risk management. The model captures superior risk identification, risk control and risk monitoring for overall firm performance, but fails to justify with organization supply risk assessment process on overall firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe study mainly focused on SRM process on firm performance. Study mainly focused on single survey responses and expert's perceptions on SRM practices in Indian electronics industry.Practical implicationsResearch empirically justifies the effects of SRM process on organization performance. Furthermore, effective SRM practices assist decision makers framing corrective strategies to mitigate risk occurrences and their negative impact.Originality/valueThis empirical work provides a deep understanding of SRM process on the Indian electronics industry and their perception towards firm performance. Moreover, this is one of the few empirical studies addressing SRM practices in the Indian electronics industry.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-246
Author(s):  
Anat Glass ◽  
Gad Mendelson ◽  
Merav Ben Natan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the ability of the Morse Fall Scale (MFS) and Farmer's fall-risk assessment tool (FFAT) to identify correlations between risk factors and falls among older adult long-term care (LTC) facility residents.Design/methodology/approachThis was a correlational retrospective study. 200 medical records of older adults hospitalized in a LTC facility in central Israel, from January 2017 to January 2018, were examined.FindingsOf all the residents, 75% and 99.5% of the residents were identified as having a high fall risk according to the MFS and FFAT, respectively. Only 12.5% of residents actually fell. MFS score was weakly correlated with actual falls (odds ratio = 1.035). It was also found that all fallers fell during their first week at the facility.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should explore the ability of the tools to capture changes in the fall risk by repeat assessments, as this has not been examined in the present study.Practical implicationsThe MFS and FFAT tool may have little value in assessing fall risk in older adult LTC facility residents. Therefore, nurses should perform a clinical evaluation of each individual patient. In addition, nurses should place a particular emphasis on fall risk and prevention during the first week following admission.Originality/valueThe findings of the present study raise doubts regarding the utility of the common practice of assessing fall risk in older adult LTC facility residents using the tools MFS and the FFAT, thus emphasizing the need to adopt a different approach.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Garrington ◽  
Peter Chamberlain ◽  
Debra Rickwood ◽  
Douglas P. Boer

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to summarise the available risk and assessment tools for child abuse material (CAM) offenders. Noting the rise of internet-based offences surrounding CAM, it has been proposed that there may be substantial differences between internet only (IO) offenders, contact only and mixed profile sexual offenders. Design/methodology/approach Through online searches, risk assessment tools for sexual offenders were identified. Scoring manuals were consulted for applicability to IO offenders. Findings Nine risk assessment tools for sexual offenders were included. Risk assessment tools for sexual offenders use cautionary language regarding the application of sexual offence risk assessment tools to IO offenders. An additional five tools were identified specifically addressing IO offenders. Three of these tools address risk assessment and two assess cognitions and behaviours. Research limitations/implications Limitations include the identification of static and dynamic risk factors and the application of structured professional judgement. Practical implications By drawing together existing tools and recommendations for use with the IO offender population, a gap is identified for CAM specific risk assessment tools. Originality/value Appropriate risk assessment, case planning and treatment will contribute to the appropriate management and treatment of the IO offender population.


Author(s):  
Robert E. Worden ◽  
Christopher Harris ◽  
Sarah J. McLean

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critique contemporary tools for assessing and managing the risk of police misconduct and suggest directions for their improvement. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on extant literature, synthesizing several lines of inquiry to summarize what the authors know about patterns of police misconduct, and what the authors know about assessing and managing police misconduct. Then the paper draws from the literature on offender risk assessment in criminal justice to draw lessons for assessing and managing the risk of police misconduct. Findings – The authors found that there is good reason to believe that the tools used to assess the risk of misconduct make suboptimal predictions about officer performance because they rely on limited information of dubious value, but also that the predictive models on which the tools are based could be improved by better emulating procedures for assessing offenders’ risk of recidivism. Research limitations/implications – Future research should examine cross-sectional and longitudinal patterns of misconduct and associations between risk-related outputs and enforcement activity, develop better measures of criterion variables, and evaluate the predictive accuracy of risk assessment tools. Practical implications – Police managers should make better use of the information available to them, improve the quantity and quality of information if feasible, and cooperate in the necessary research. Originality/value – This paper offers a new synthesis of extant research to demonstrate the limitations of contemporary provisions for assessing the risk of police misconduct, and potential avenues for useful research and improved practice.


Author(s):  
V.I. MORGACHOVA

 In the course of work it was demonstrated that occupational risk is considered to be the probability of harm to health as a result of exposure to harmful and / or dangerous production factors during the labor process. A prerequisite for occupational safety in production activities is knowledge and assessment of the activities of sources of danger, risk assessment tools, the degree of impact of hazards on people and taking the necessary measures. Risk management is carried out in the performance of each production operation performed by employees of the enterprise, and is aimed at eliminating or reducing unacceptable risks through the implementation of appropriate protective measures. Without the analysis and management of occupational risks, it is impossible to create safe conditions, as well as reduce injuries and reduce occupational diseases. One of the main methods of occupational risk analysis that gives the best results is the method of analysis of causation using a dynamic model. In order to identify hazards, assess risks and implement protective measures that can ensure the acceptable level of risks of future work, it is necessary to consider the production task and visit the work site. Work is allowed if there are no additional hazards and protective measures of the Risk Assessment Map are actually implemented. It is forbidden to perform the work when identifying additional hazards that require reducing the risks of additional resources and the decision of management. It is strictly forbidden to perform the work until the rapid reduction of the level of risk to an acceptable level begins − with the identification of additional hazards that require the development and implementation of protective measures at the expense of personal resources.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Garrington ◽  
Debra Rickwood ◽  
Peter Chamberlain ◽  
Douglas P. Boer

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to collate the available research into the characteristics of child abuse material (CAM) offenders to inform future assessment and treatment options. This systematic review collates the contribution and directionality of variables from existing research assessing an offenders’ use of CAM. Design/methodology/approach Background and definitions of terminology are reviewed, and a summary of sexual reoffending rates provided. Articles were then identified for inclusion through a systematic review using online searches, EBSCOHost and other databases. Articles were also identified from reference lists. After exclusions, the final sample (n=17) were reviewed for identified variables and their directional contribution to risk. Findings Internet only (IO) offenders present with a range of similarities and differences. The demographic, psychological and offence-specific risk variables identified suggest IO offenders differ from other types of sexual offenders. Using the collated variables, IO offender profiles are suggested. Research limitations/implications Limitations have been identified in the availability of research in this area, the variety of terminology and the definitions in common usage. Additionally, there are challenges in ascertaining the truthfulness of self-reported data. Practical implications Development of IO offender-specific risk assessment tools would contribute to advances in targeted supervision and treatment. In turn, this contributes to community safety by protecting children from online sexual victimisation. Originality/value Based on identified gaps, this review contributes to ongoing research by signalling future pathways for IO offender-specific risk assessment.


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