scholarly journals Investigating and enhancing the safety culture from the perspective of the PDCA audit process

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parvin SEPEHR
Keyword(s):  
Safety Culture ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Employee Attitudes ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Safety Interventions ◽  
Good Score ◽  
Safety Priority

Background and Aim: Regarding the industrialization process, many accident control strategies have been proposed. One of the best solutions to control accidents is to improve the organizations' safety culture. The present study investigated the safety culture among profiling factory workers and implemented the Plan-Do-Check –Act (PDCA) approach to promote the safety culture. Method: The present study was conducted over three years from 2016 to 2019. In the first step, the safety culture of the organization was measured and then the control measures were taken with a view to the Deming Cycle and the audit process approach. In the final year, the safety culture of the organization was reevaluated. The effectiveness of interventions was evaluated by statistical tests such as paired t-test and SPSS 19 software. Results: The safety culture mean score was negative before intervention (±18433.62), which changed into the positive value of 279± 25.38 after implementing the control measures. Considering 10 dimensions of the safetyculture, dimensions of training, employee attitudes, participation and communication, and product safety priority did not received a good score. Statistical tests showed a positive effect of control interventions (P = 0.001). Conclusion: In recent years, existence of a safety management system has dramatically improved the rate of accidents and loss of time. Safety interventions in engineering design and operational processes lead to thepromotion of the safety culture.

scholarly journals Factors Related to Safety Climate in Production Line Workers of Food Manufacturing

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.24) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Abdullbasis Yangok ◽  
Thitiworn Choosong
Keyword(s):  
Safety Culture ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Safety Climate ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Food Manufacturing ◽  
The Status ◽  
Safety Priority ◽  
Safety Systems

Developing and encouraging a safety culture is an important factor to achieve a safe workplace with low injury rates. Safety climate can be an indicator of the status of an occupational health and safety management system in an organization. It can provide a snapshot of the safety culture. The Thai version of Nordic Occupational Safety Climate Questionnaire is used to evaluate the safety climate in the food manufacturing industry in Songkhla, Thailand. The results can also be used as a guideline in the development and safety management in the future. The response rate was great. The employees who participated were 14.7% male and 85.3% were female. Most subjects were 41-50 years-old and most had a 1- to 5-year working experience. The highest safety climate score of the workers was the dimension of “workers’ trust in the efficacy of safety systems” (3.29) while the lowest score was the dimension of “workers' safety priority and risk non-acceptance” (2.89). For the leaders, the highest safety climate score was the dimension of “workers’ safety commitment” (3.44) and the lowest score was the dimension of “management safety empowerment” (3.10). The factors related to accident occurrence were the differences in the organizations and the mean score of the safety climate dimension of “worker’s safety priority and risk non-acceptance”.  

Integrating Performance Indicator Into the Audit Process Safety Management System

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
C. R. Che Hassan ◽  
M. J. Pitt ◽  
A. J. Wilday
Keyword(s):  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Management System ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Process Safety ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Safety Management System ◽  
Audit System ◽  
Similar Elements

The development of the audit method has included the identification of possible performance indicators at each level of the sociotechnical pyramid for a range of areas of work in which accidents have been shown to occur most frequently. The measurementof performance indicators is part of a feedback loop which causes safety improvements. Integration of performance indicators into the audit system has been tested at three operating chemical industries in Terengganu and Selangor in Malaysia. A summary of the weaknesses of the similar elements identified in the three audited plants is presented. Analysis on the approach used enables the identification of deficiencies in safety management aspects. Keywords: Accidents, audit, deficiencies, performance indicators, safety management, and sociotechnical pyramid.

Pooling Raw Shell Eggs: Salmonella Contamination and High Risk Practices in the United Kingdom Food Service Sector

2010 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 574-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. GORMLEY ◽  
C. L. LITTLE ◽  
N. MURPHY ◽  
E. de PINNA ◽  
J. MCLAUCHLIN
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Risk Practices ◽  
Handling Practices

Salmonella contamination of pooled raw shelled egg mix (RSEM) used as an ingredient in lightly cooked or uncooked foods and high-risk kitchen hygiene practices in United Kingdom food service establishments using RSEM were investigated. Samples were collected from 934 premises. Salmonella was found in 1 (0.13%) of 764 RSEM samples, 2 (0.3%) of 726 samples from surfaces where ready-to-eat foods were prepared, and 7 (1.3%) of 550 cleaning cloths. Poor RSEM storage and handling practices were highlighted. Workers in 40% of the premises sampled failed to use designated utensils when RSEM was added to other ingredients, workers in 17% of the premises did not clean surfaces and utensils thoroughly after use with RSEM and before preparing other foods, only 42% of workers washed and dried their hands after handling eggs or RSEM, workers in 41% of the premises did not store RSEM at refrigeration temperature before use, and workers in 8% of the premises added RSEM to cooked rice at the end of cooking when preparing egg fried rice. Take-away premises, especially those serving Chinese cuisine, were least likely to have a documented food safety management system and awareness of the key food safety points concerning the use of RSEM compared with other food service premises (P < 0.0001). Food service businesses using RSEM must be aware of the continuing hazard from Salmonella, must adopt appropriate control measures, and must follow advice provided by national food agencies to reduce the risk of Salmonella infection.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic Complexity of Morphologically Identified Anopheles squamosus in Southern Zambia

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 146
Author(s):  
Jordan Hoffman ◽  
Ilinca Ciubotariu ◽  
Limonty Simubali ◽  
Twig Mudenda ◽  
William Moss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Catchment Area ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Light Trap ◽  
Current Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Morphological Identification ◽  
The Past ◽  
Blood Meal Source ◽  
Residual Malaria Transmission

Despite dramatic reductions in malaria cases in the catchment area of Macha Hospital, Choma District, Southern Province in Zambia, prevalence has remained near 1–2% by RDT for the past several years. To investigate residual malaria transmission in the area, this study focuses on the relative abundance, foraging behavior, and phylogenetic relationships of Anopheles squamosus specimens. In 2011, higher than expected rates of anthropophily were observed among “zoophilic” An. squamosus, a species that had sporadically been found to contain Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. The importance of An. squamosus in the region was reaffirmed in 2016 when P. falciparum sporozoites were detected in numerous An. squamosus specimens. This study analyzed Centers for Disease Control (CDC) light trap collections of adult mosquitoes from two collection schemes: one performed as part of a reactive-test-and-treat program and the second performed along a geographical transect. Morphological identification, molecular verification of anopheline species, and blood meal source were determined on individual samples. Data from these collections supported earlier studies demonstrating An. squamosus to be primarily exophagic and zoophilic, allowing them to evade current control measures. The phylogenetic relationships generated from the specimens in this study illustrate the existence of well supported clade structure among An. squamosus specimens, which further emphasizes the importance of molecular identification of vectors. The primarily exophagic behavior of An. squamosus in these collections also highlights that indoor vector control strategies will not be sufficient for elimination of malaria in southern Zambia.

scholarly journals The Interplay between Campylobacter and the Caecal Microbial Community of Commercial Broiler Chickens over Time

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 221
Author(s):  
Ilaria Patuzzi ◽  
Massimiliano Orsini ◽  
Veronica Cibin ◽  
Sara Petrin ◽  
Eleonora Mastrorilli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Campylobacter Jejuni ◽  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Chicken Meat ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Microbial Network ◽  
Gut Colonization ◽  
Commercial Broiler ◽  
Zoonotic Bacteria ◽  
Human Infections

Campylobacter is the most frequent foodborne zoonotic bacteria worldwide, with chicken meat being overwhelmingly the most important reservoir for human infections. Control measures implemented at the farm level (i.e., biosecurity or vaccination), which have been successfully applied to limit other pathogens, such as Salmonella, have not been effective in reducing Campylobacter occurrence. Thus, new approaches are needed to fully understand the ecological interactions of Campylobacter with host animals to effectively comprehend its epidemiology. The objective of this study was to analyse longitudinally the gut microbiota composition of Campylobacter-infected and non-infected farms to identify any difference that could potentially be indicative of gut colonization by Campylobacter spp. Differences in the colonization rate and timing were observed at the farms that became positive for Campylobacter jejuni over the investigated time points, even though in positive tests, the occurrence of Campylobacter jejuni gut colonization was not observed before the second week of the life of the birds. Significant differences were observed in the abundances of specific bacterial taxa between the microbiota of individuals belonging to farms that became Campylobacter positive during the study and those who remained negative with particular reference to Bacteroidales and Clostridiales, respectively. Moreover, Campylobacter colonization dramatically influenced the microbiota richness, although to a different extent depending on the infection timing. Finally, a key role of Faecalibacterium and Lactobacillus genera on the Campylobacter microbial network was observed. Understanding the ecology of the Campylobacter interaction with host microbiota during infection could support novel approaches for broiler microbial barrier restoration. Therefore, evidence obtained through this study can be used to identify options to reduce the incidence of infection at a primary production level based on the targeted influence of the intestinal microbiota, thus helping develop new control strategies in order to mitigate the risk of human exposure to Campylobacter by chicken meat consumption.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of SOx, NOx, and Primary Particulate Matter Control Strategies in the Improvement of Ambient PM Concentration in Taiwan

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 460
Author(s):  
Jiun-Horng Tsai ◽  
Ming-Ye Lee ◽  
Hung-Lung Chiang
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Clean Air Act ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Control Plan ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
Pm2.5 Concentration

The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) measurement was employed for evaluating the effectiveness of fine particulate matter control strategies in Taiwan. There are three scenarios as follows: (I) the 2014 baseline year emission, (II) 2020 emissions reduced via the Clean Air Act (CAA), and (III) other emissions reduced stringently via the Clean Air Act. Based on the Taiwan Emission Data System (TEDs) 8.1, established in 2014, the emission of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) was 73.5 thousand tons y−1, that of SOx was 121.3 thousand tons y−1, and that of NOx was 404.4 thousand tons y−1 in Taiwan. The CMAQ model simulation indicated that the PM2.5 concentration was 21.9 μg m−3. This could be underestimated by 24% in comparison with data from the ambient air quality monitoring stations of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TEPA). The results of the simulation of the PM2.5 concentration showed high PM2.5 concentrations in central and southwestern Taiwan, especially in Taichung and Kaohsiung. Compared to scenario I, the average annual concentrations of PM2.5 for scenario II and scenario III showed reductions of 20.1% and 28.8%, respectively. From the results derived from the simulation, it can be seen that control of NOx emissions may improve daily airborne PM2.5 concentrations in Taiwan significantly and control of directly emitted PM2.5 emissions may improve airborne PM2.5 concentrations each month. Nevertheless, the results reveal that the preliminary control plan could not achievethe air quality standard. Therefore, the efficacy and effectiveness of the control measures must be considered to better reduce emissions in the future.

scholarly journals Controlling the Spatial Spread of a Xylella Epidemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Aniţa ◽  
Vincenzo Capasso ◽  
Simone Scacchi
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Xylella Fastidiosa ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Olive Tree ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Spatial Spread ◽  
Olive Trees

AbstractIn a recent paper by one of the authors and collaborators, motivated by the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS) outbreak, which has been ongoing in Southern Italy since 2013, a simple epidemiological model describing this epidemic was presented. Beside the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, the main players considered in the model are its insect vectors, Philaenus spumarius, and the host plants (olive trees and weeds) of the insects and of the bacterium. The model was based on a system of ordinary differential equations, the analysis of which provided interesting results about possible equilibria of the epidemic system and guidelines for its numerical simulations. Although the model presented there was mathematically rather simplified, its analysis has highlighted threshold parameters that could be the target of control strategies within an integrated pest management framework, not requiring the removal of the productive resource represented by the olive trees. Indeed, numerical simulations support the outcomes of the mathematical analysis, according to which the removal of a suitable amount of weed biomass (reservoir of Xylella fastidiosa) from olive orchards and surrounding areas resulted in the most efficient strategy to control the spread of the OQDS. In addition, as expected, the adoption of more resistant olive tree cultivars has been shown to be a good strategy, though less cost-effective, in controlling the pathogen. In this paper for a more realistic description and a clearer interpretation of the proposed control measures, a spatial structure of the epidemic system has been included, but, in order to keep mathematical technicalities to a minimum, only two players have been described in a dynamical way, trees and insects, while the weed biomass is taken to be a given quantity. The control measures have been introduced only on a subregion of the whole habitat, in order to contain costs of intervention. We show that such a practice can lead to the eradication of an epidemic outbreak. Numerical simulations confirm both the results of the previous paper and the theoretical results of the model with a spatial structure, though subject to regional control only.

scholarly journals High insecticide resistance mediated by different mechanisms in Culex quinquefasciatus populations from the city of Yaoundé, Cameroon

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdou Talipouo ◽  
Konstantinos Mavridis ◽  
Elysée Nchoutpouen ◽  
Borel Djiappi-Tchamen ◽  
Emmanouil Alexandros Fotakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insecticide Resistance ◽  
Vector Control ◽  
High Resistance ◽  
Culex Quinquefasciatus ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
High Frequencies ◽  
The City ◽  
Integrated Vector Control

AbstractCulex mosquitoes particularly Culex quinquefasciatus are important arboviral and filariasis vectors, however despite this important epidemiological role, there is still a paucity of data on their bionomics. The present study was undertaken to assess the insecticide resistance status of Cx. quinquefasciatus populations from four districts of Yaoundé (Cameroon). All Culex quinquefasciatus populations except one displayed high resistance to bendiocarb and malathion with mortalities ranging from 0 to 89% while high resistance intensity against both permethrin and deltamethrin was recorded. Molecular analyses revealed high frequencies of the ACE-1 G119S mutation (ranging from 0 to 33%) and kdr L1014F allele (ranging from 55 to 74%) in all Cx. quinquefasciatus populations. Significant overexpression was detected for cytochrome P450s genes CYP6AA7 and CYP6Z10, as well as for Esterase A and Esterase B genes. The total cuticular hydrocarbon content, a proxy of cuticular resistance, was significantly increased (compared to the S-lab strain) in one population. The study confirms strong insecticide resistance mediated by different mechanisms in Cx. quinquefasciatus populations from the city of Yaoundé. The expansion of insecticide resistance in Culex populations could affect the effectiveness of current vector control measures and stress the need for the implementation of integrated vector control strategies in urban settings.

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