Don’t Miss “Obvious” Hazards: Lessons Learned From Chemical Safety Board Investigations

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Equipment Failure ◽  
Industrial Accidents ◽  
Chemical Safety ◽  
Actual Case ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Critical Phases

The United States Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) was conceived by Congress following a series of catastrophic industrial accidents in the mid to late 1980s. This federal agency is charged with investigating incidents at chemical and manufacturing facilities, determining the causes, and making recommendations to prevent future accidents. This paper focuses on the findings from several CSB investigations related to equipment failure. Numerous codes, standards, and good practice guidelines are in place to govern the design, maintenance, and operation of vessels. However, the CSB has found that serious accidents continue to occur because of poor implementation of established guidance. This paper uses actual case studies to illustrate problems with equipment that ultimately led to catastrophes. Lessons learned from these incidents include designing equipment with adequate overpressure protection, adjusting inspection frequencies based on actual observations, and requiring written procedures for critical phases such as startup. Additional good practices and recommendations from the CSB are discussed with each of the case studies.

Mainstreaming DEWATS and the Subsequent Need to Introduce a Quality Management System

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Fladerer
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Quality Management System ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Certification System ◽  
Main Components

Numerous pilot- and demonstration projects for appropriate waste water management solutions for the urban poor in developing countries have been conducted and can be considered as good practices. In order to have a chance to achieve the MDGs it is urgently necessary to scale those pilot implementations up and reach a mass dissemination. However, the task to multiply those pilots and mainstream the “good practice” to become mass dissemination is a challenge where most approaches have failed so far. The paper reflects on the experiences gained in Indonesia during the up-scaling of DEWATS implementation by a community of practitioners. It shows the process of the development of “good practices” from a small number of applications to a “Quality Management System with internal certification” for large numbers of implementation packages. The main components of the system are:The Quality Management System for technical aspects of DEWATS planning and implementationThe Certification system for Human resources who occupy key positions in the implementation process of DEWATSThe Certification system for the implemented DEWATS service packagesThe organizational setup to maintain such a system. The paper describes each of those components as well as the challenges and lessons learned during its application.

Driving Water and Wastewater Utilities to More Sustainable Energy Management

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Liner ◽  
Christopher Stacklin
Keyword(s):  
Smart Grid ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
Energy Sustainability

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) and industry leaders have identified the need for an energy roadmap to guide utilities of all sizes down the road to overall sustainable energy management through increased renewable energy production and energy conservation. This roadmap leverages a framework developed by the electric power sector. Known as the The Smart Grid Maturity Model (SGMM), the framework moved the industry toward “Smart Grid” technology. The basis of the Energy Roadmap originated at a workshop of water and power industry leaders convened by WEF in North Carolina in March 2012. Case studies were analyzed from successful utilities in Austria, Holland, Australia, and the United States. High level, strategic best practices were identified and organized into topic areas, which define the level of progression (enable, integrate and optimize) towards achieving energy sustainability. As a living document, the roadmap is always under review by dedicated groups within the industry. A number of utilities worldwide have already taken the leap and begun this transformation towards resource recovery and many more are peering over the edge. The WEF Energy Roadmap is intended to guide utilities of all sizes as they progress toward becoming treatment plants of the future. While it is not practical for all wastewater treatment plants to become energy positive or neutral, all can take steps towards increasing energy sustainability. A key component of the WEF Energy Roadmap is collaboration between water/wastewater utilities and electric utilities. This paper focuses on lessons learned and case studies about energy and water utilities working together to address energy-water nexus challenges. This paper examines perspectives both from energy use at water sector facilities and water use at energy sector facilities.

Noteworthy Rail Accidents

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Schlesinger
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Rail Transit ◽  
Detailed Case ◽  
Rare Occasion ◽  
The 1960S

Travel by rail in the United States is one of the safest modes of transportation available. On the rare occasion that major accidents do occur, they represent an opportunity for railroads to learn what has happened and what needs to be done to prevent reoccurrence. This paper provides several, detailed case studies of noteworthy passenger and rail transit accidents that have occurred in the United States, from the 1960s to the present. It discusses the outcome of these accidents, including changes that were implemented due to lessons learned. It also discusses unique and/or noteworthy aspects of each accident.

scholarly journals Good practices in honors education with examples to follow

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Pierre Van Eijl ◽  
Albert Pilot
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Educational Innovation ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Honors Education ◽  
Introductory Paper

Honors education offers students challenging experiences and teachers a laboratory for educational innovation. Successful innovations can stimulate other teachers to experiment and improve their educational practice. This requires that innovations become known to other teachers. For this reason, a project on good practices in honors education has been started in The Netherlands, where good practices in honors education of universities were described and published on a website of the Dutch Honors Network. Until now, 19 good practices are described, 17 from The Netherlands and two from the United States. Nine are selected for this issue. In this introductory paper, the good practice project and research about good practices are described. Different views and principles about honors education are discussed. A series of keywords to bridge the different views and the principles with the nine good practices published in this issue are presented. An analysis of the collected data of the good practices is carried out, followed by conclusions, discussions, and reflections. It appears that six good practices already led to innovations elsewhere in curricula.

scholarly journals Social Factors Key to Landscape-Scale Coastal Restoration: Lessons Learned from Three U.S. Case Studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan DeAngelis ◽  
Ariana Sutton-Grier ◽  
Allison Colden ◽  
Katie Arkema ◽  
Christopher Baillie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Coastal Restoration ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Restoration Effort

In the United States, extensive investments have been made to restore the ecological function and services of coastal marine habitats. Despite a growing body of science supporting coastal restoration, few studies have addressed the suite of societally enabling conditions that helped facilitate successful restoration and recovery efforts that occurred at meaningful ecological (i.e., ecosystem) scales, and where restoration efforts were sustained for longer (i.e., several years to decades) periods. Here, we examined three case studies involving large-scale and long-term restoration efforts including the seagrass restoration effort in Tampa Bay, Florida, the oyster restoration effort in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia, and the tidal marsh restoration effort in San Francisco Bay, California. The ecological systems and the specifics of the ecological restoration were not the focus of our study. Rather, we focused on the underlying social and political contexts of each case study and found common themes of the factors of restoration which appear to be important for maintaining support for large-scale restoration efforts. Four critical elements for sustaining public and/or political support for large-scale restoration include: (1) resources should be invested in building public support prior to significant investments into ecological restoration; (2) building political support provides a level of significance to the recovery planning efforts and creates motivation to set and achieve meaningful recovery goals; (3) recovery plans need to be science-based with clear, measurable goals that resonate with the public; and (4) the accountability of progress toward reaching goals needs to be communicated frequently and in a way that the general public comprehends. These conclusions may help other communities move away from repetitive, single, and seemingly unconnected restoration projects towards more large-scale, bigger impact, and coordinated restoration efforts.

scholarly journals Collecting case studies / exemplars of good practice to enrich The National Information Literacy Framework (Scotland)

2010 ◽  
Vol 33 (105) ◽  
pp. 10-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Margaret Irving
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Literacy Framework ◽  
The Individual ◽  
National Information ◽  
National Framework

This paper discusses the challenges, process and reasons for collecting case studies / exemplars of good practice from practitioners to enrich The National Information Literacy Framework (Scotland). The lessons learned show that there is a tendency for people to think they are not doing anything special and therefore do not respond to emails for exemplars of good practice. They are however once contacted happy to share their practice. It is therefore essential to use networks of contacts, leave plenty of time to talk, visit and work with people on submitting their work as a case study / exemplar. Sharing practice also contributes to professional development both for the individual and their community and to the field of research. Background information is provided on the national framework, the project funding, the project partners and the range of examples collected for different sectors. Plus use of templates and Web 2 tools.

scholarly journals A Necessary Partnership: Study Abroad and Sustainability in Higher Education

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea M.W. Dvorak ◽  
Lars D. Christiansen ◽  
Nancy L. Fischer ◽  
Joseph B. Underhill
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
International Education ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Higher Education Administrators ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Learning ◽  
Education Administrators

In this article, we will explore two case studies of programs abroad that seriously engaged both the contradictions and opportunities inherent in the idea of sustainable international education. The first examines environmental politics and ecology in New Zealand and the Cook Islands and the second compares sustainable urban practices in Canada and the United States. Based on the lessons learned from these case studies, we will argue that partnership between internationalization and sustainability efforts is necessary to help institutions of higher learning become both global and “green.” To that effect, we discuss specific and concrete ways to “green” study abroad courses throughout this paper, particularly within the two case studies and in our concluding discussion of strategies for international educators, faculty, and higher education administrators.

scholarly journals Perchloroethylene and Dry Cleaning: It's Time to Move the Industry to Safer Alternatives

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana M. Ceballos ◽  
Katie M. Fellows ◽  
Ashley E. Evans ◽  
Patricia A. Janulewicz ◽  
Eun Gyung Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Environmental Pollutant ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Chemical Safety ◽  
Dry Cleaning ◽  
The People

Perchloroethylene (PERC) is the most common solvent used for dry cleaning in the United States. PERC is a reproductive toxicant, neurotoxicant, potential human carcinogen, and a persistent environmental pollutant. The Environmental Protection Agency is evaluating PERC under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (amended TSCA), and has mandated that PERC dry cleaning machines be removed from residential buildings. Some local and state programs are also requiring or facilitating transitions to alternative cleaning technologies. However, the potential for these alternatives to harm human health and the environment is not well-understood. This review describes the issues surrounding the use of PERC and alternative solvents for dry cleaning while highlighting the lessons learned from a local government program that transitioned PERC dry cleaners to the safest current alternative: professional wet cleaning. Implications for future public health research and policy are discussed: (1) we must move away from PERC, (2) any transition must account for the economic instability and cultural aspects of the people who work in the industry, (3) legacy contamination must be addressed even after safer alternatives are adopted, and (4) evaluations of PERC alternatives are needed to determine their implications for the long-term health and sustainability of the people who work in the industry.

scholarly journals Indigenous Water Governance in Australia: Comparisons with the United States and Canada

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Tsatsaros ◽  
Jennifer Wellman ◽  
Iris Bohnet ◽  
Jon Brodie ◽  
Peter Valentine
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Water Resources Management ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Indigenous Participation

Aboriginal participation in water resources decision making in Australia is similar when compared with Indigenous peoples’ experiences in other common law countries such as the United States and Canada; however, this process has taken different paths. This paper provides a review of the literature detailing current legislative policies and practices and offers case studies to highlight and contrast Indigenous peoples’ involvement in water resources planning and management in Australia and North America. Progress towards Aboriginal governance in water resources management in Australia has been slow and patchy. The U.S. and Canada have not developed consistent approaches in honoring water resources agreements or resolving Indigenous water rights issues either. Improving co-management opportunities may advance approaches to improve interjurisdictional watershed management and honor Indigenous participation. Lessons learned from this review and from case studies presented provide useful guidance for environmental managers aiming to develop collaborative approaches and co-management opportunities with Indigenous people for effective water resources management.

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