Occupational health and safety risk assessment in hospitals: A case study using two-stage fuzzy multi-criteria approach

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is a basis to reduce occupational accidents in an acceptable level, and it covers employee health, safety, and welfare in the workplaces. Hospitals as the largest employer group in healthcare industry in Turkey face major hazards categorized as chemical, biological, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial risks. Although Turkey demonstrates rapid economic growth, OHS practices have not been fully put into practice, and necessary attention has not been paid to the health industry. For this reason, this paper aims to assess risks for health staff, contribute for planning of health services, and enhance regulations. A case study was carried out in a leading hospital in Turkey using a two-stage fuzzy multi-criteria approach, which provides more consistency in decision-making process and gives an appropriate final rank of hazard types. Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is used in weighing five risk parameters, which are severity, occurrence, undetectability, sensitivity to maintenance non-execution, and sensitivity to personal protective equipment (PPE) non-utilization. The fuzzy VIKOR (FVIKOR) approach is then applied for prioritization of hazard types in each department of the hospital. On conclusion of the hazard control hierarchy, measures are overtaken for the hazards, and areas open for improvement are presented.     

The role of human factor in maritime environment risk assessment: A practical application on Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) system in ship

The role of human factor plays a critical role in the safe and clean operation of maritime industry. Human error prediction can be beneficial to assess risk in maritime industry since shipping activities can pose potential hazards to human life and maritime ecology. The aim of this paper is to propose a risk assessment tool by considering the role of human factor. Hence, the desired safety control level in maritime transportation activities can be ascertained. In the proposed approach, a Success Likelihood Index Method (SLIM) extended with fuzzy logic is used to calculate human error probability (HEP). Severity of consequences are adopted in the proposed approach to assess risk. The quantitative risk assessment approach under fuzzy SLIM methodology will be applied to a very specific case on-board ship: Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) system. In order to improve consistency of research and minimize subjectivity of experts' judgments, the paper adopts the dominance factor which is used to adjust the impact level of experts' judgments in the aggregation stage of the methodology. The paper aims at not only highlighting the importance of human factor in maritime risk assessment but also enhancing safety control level and minimizing potential environmental impacts to marine ecology.     

A new approach for environmental risk assessment

Environmental problems, such as global warming, the limited supply of sustainable energy, the depletion of natural resources, hazardous emissions released into the atmosphere and waste, are increasing global concerns. Therefore, individuals, communities, and businesses need to address environmental protection and sustainability. Environmental impact assessments are needed to identify, mitigate, and control aspects that affect the environment or a company's products, services, or activities. In this study, a general environmental aspect and impact assessment approach, which can be applied to any company that is involved in the production or service sector, is created. An environmental impact pattern that consists of 10 main and 32 sub-categories was formed based on the ISO 14001, environmental studies and field applications. The developed approach was applied to the dyeing units of a manufacturing firm. Sixteen environmental aspects were identified and assessed using the environmental impact template via the environmental failure mode and effect analysis (E-FMEA) method. The developed-approach can be applied to each sector, which will enable us to perform a detailed analysis of the environmental aspects in the environmental impact category. This approach provides a checklist for the environmental impact studies of businesses and has been pioneered as an effective method for company resources to improve their environmental performance.     

基于空间扩张互侵过程的土地生态安全动态评价——以(中国)苏锡常地区为例

从景观单元水平过程出发,通过采用生态用地和建设用地两种不同源空间扩张互侵过程的方法,提出了以分区形式的土地生态安全动态评价方法。以快速城市化苏锡常地区为研究区域,分别以生态系统服务价值高的水域和林地及建设用地现状为扩张源,生态系统服务价值和生态风险值为阻力赋值依据,在模拟不同生态安全格局水平和城市发展模式的基础上测算互侵结果并进行区划。结果表明:1)不同城市发展模式下建设用地空间扩张随生态用地从底线到满意到理想水平变化呈空间集聚收敛趋势;生态用地呈似圈层状空间集聚趋势。2)城市发展模式对土地生态安全水平具有显著影响;高等级源优先发展模式下土地资源利用更集约。3)将研究区划分为生态核心区(面积占比35.27%)、生态安全区(29.07%)、缓冲区(7.76%)及建设区(27.90%),提出相应土地用途管制措施。探讨了新方法不足和未来研究方向。     

The Expansion of and Changes to the National Coast Guards in East Asia

Abstract

East Asian countries have vigorously engaged in a buildup of the capabilities of their coast guards. This has been driven in part by the need to protect their maritime jurisdiction in the face of numerous maritime disputes. The coast guards in East Asia serve as the front-line defender of sovereignty and maritime claims.     

Assessing the Consequences from Marine Accidents: Introduction to a Risk Acceptance Criterion for Greece

The aim of this article is to shed some light on an appropriate criterion for assessing risk/consequences in the maritime transport industry, with respect to the view of society. A major problem is how to derive credible and exploitable data from/for the society and try to understand how it reacts to accidents (i.e., misfortunes) of different scale. Therefore the set problem is the assessment of the maximum risk that the society will tolerate for a specific activity. In the shipping industry, the problem is complicated due to the fact that a single maritime incident can produce consequences of different types, for example, both human losses and oil spillage can result from the same accident. In effect, this article focuses on the integration of different consequences of an accident into one metric that will allow the direct and exploitable comparison of accidents of different scales and characteristics and therefore present a clearer picture of the risks that the society takes and/or is willing to accept. Hence, a new framework for marine risk assessment is introduced, which is able to project the risk that a group of people (i.e., the society) can accept for accidents of different size or type.     

The Concept of Data Utility in Health Risk Assessment: A Multi-Disciplinary Perspective

Human and ecological health risk assessments and the decisions that stem from them require the acquisition and analysis of data. In agencies that are responsible for health risk decision-making, data (and/or opinions/judgments) are obtained from sources such as scientific literature, analytical and process measurements, expert elicitation, inspection findings, and public and private research institutions. Although the particulars of conducting health risk assessments of given disciplines may be dramatically different, a common concern is the subjective nature of judging data utility. Often risk assessors are limited to available data that may not be completely appropriate to address the question being asked. Data utility refers to the ability of available data to support a risk-based decision for a particular risk assessment. This article familiarizes the audience with the concept of data utility and is intended to raise the awareness of data collectors (e.g., researchers), risk assessors, and risk managers to data utility issues in health risk assessments so data collection and use will be improved. In order to emphasize the cross-cutting nature of data utility, the discussion has not been organized into a classical partitioning of risk assessment concerns as being either human health- or ecological health-oriented, as per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund Program.     

Ecological risk assessment of metals in roadside agricultural soils: A modified approach

The threat of metal contamination of roadside agricultural soils poses severe ecological risks throughout the globe due to dual contamination by intensive agriculture and traffic-related activities. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess ecological risks posed by metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn) in intensively cultivated roadside agricultural soils of Punjab, India. The results of the contamination assessment factors i.e. Contamination Factor (CF) and Enrichment Factor (EF) indicated that the studied soils were moderately to highly contaminated with metals. It was observed that the Modified Risk Index (MRI), which is based upon EF, indicated the ecological risks of metals more efficiently than the traditional Ecological Risk Index (RI), which is based upon CF in the present study. The MRI values indicated that the metals posed considerable to high risk in 67.86% samples as compared to only 7.14% samples based upon RI values. Thus, MRI can be considered as a more efficient risk indicator in comparison to RI. Spatial distribution maps of MRI indicated to higher metal contamination in inner urban parts of study area due to higher traffic and industrial activities.     

A HIVE model for regional integrated environmental risk assessment: A case study in China

Regional environmental risk assessment has been a significant means of environmental management and decision-making. To assess the regional integrated environmental risk at a nationwide scale, a new index system named the Hazard, Intensity, Vulnerability, and Effectiveness (HIVE) model was designed and evolved from previous researches. The HIVE model consisted of a relatively complete framework with accessible indexes related to environment and social economy, and it considered different risk sources, pathways, and receptors as well as the influence of the risk control. As an important segment of the assessment process, a simple gridding information diffusion method was also proposed to assess the diffusion effect of risk factors in nationwide rivers. Taking China as a case study, this study calculated the environmental risk value of every sub-unit. Through the clustering function of Statistical Package for Social Sciences and the visual representation of a geographic information system, the study area was divided into nine zones that were visualized on maps according to their different risk levels and risk characteristics. This study also identified the dominant factors of each zone, which could provide the foundation for regional environmental management. Moreover, the results implied some significant correlations between risk system components and the regional social economy in China.     

Unraveling the Chimera: A Corporate View of the Precautionary Principle

Current controversy regarding how and when the precautionary principle should be applied to the introduction of new technology has created a false dichotomy, a dichotomy between conventional, risk-based decision making and an alternative paradigm that seemingly denounces risk assessment. As we compare views of the precautionary principle relative to our own operating standards for ensuring human and environmental safety, we perceive no irreconcilable conflict. Due precaution is entirely consistent with sound, cost-effective management of the risks and uncertainties inherent in new technologies. The principle guides prudent risk management actions under a prescribed set of circumstances, i.e., potentially serious or irreversible risks, or incomplete characterization (high uncertainty). In order to enable technological innovation toward a more sustainable future, it is critical that any preventative measures taken under these circumstances be provisional in nature, pending adequate risk characterization. As with all risk management decisions, we contend that the principle requires consideration of a suite of factors beyond risk assessment, including political, social, legal and cultural considerations to tailor the measures proportionately to the risk at hand. Overall, we are encouraged to find relatively broad agreement in this interpretation with a number of key multinational governmental and trade institutions.     

Genetically engineered trees for plantation forests: key considerations for environmental risk assessment

Forests are vital to the world's ecological, social, cultural and economic well‐being yet sustainable provision of goods and services from forests is increasingly challenged by pressures such as growing demand for wood and other forest products, land conversion and degradation, and climate change. Intensively managed, highly productive forestry incorporating the most advanced methods for tree breeding, including the application of genetic engineering (GE), has tremendous potential for producing more wood on less land. However, the deployment of GE trees in plantation forests is a controversial topic and concerns have been particularly expressed about potential harms to the environment. This paper, prepared by an international group of experts in silviculture, forest tree breeding, forest biotechnology and environmental risk assessment (ERA) that met in April 2012, examines how the ERA paradigm used for GE crop plants may be applied to GE trees for use in plantation forests. It emphasizes the importance of differentiating between ERA for confined field trials of GE trees, and ERA for unconfined or commercial‐scale releases. In the case of the latter, particular attention is paid to characteristics of forest trees that distinguish them from shorter‐lived plant species, the temporal and spatial scale of forests, and the biodiversity of the plantation forest as a receiving environment.     

Application of a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Ranking Environmental Risks Caused by Petrochemical Industries: A Case Study of a Sodium Carbonate Production Unit

The occurrence of accidents in petrochemical industries that cause environmental catastrophes has persuaded experts to use risk-oriented approaches. The approach is to rank the key elements of risk assessment by which the priority of each risk is specified compared to the other ones. The present study was performed to test the applicability of a multi-criteria decision-making approach for prioritizing environmental risks of a petrochemical complex in southwestern Iran. Accordingly, all risky activities of the Sodium Carbonate Production Unit (SCPU) were identified initially. Afterward, the relevant environmental components affected by the risky activities were specified. According to the specification, the most significant risks were shortlisted using experts’ judgment based on three criteria: “impact intensity,” “occurrence probability,” and the “extent of contamination dispersion in the environment.” The shortlisted environmental risks were then prioritized by the Method “Elimination et Choice Translating Reality (Elimination and Choice Expressing Reality)” abbreviated as ELECTRE. Based on the obtained results, “decreased air quality” and “manpower health threatening” are the top-priority risks while “poor quality of groundwater” was identified as the least priority risk. In a general conclusion, a multi-criteria decision-making approach is quite useful for assessing environmental risks of petrochemical industries.     

A risk assessment approach for fresh fruits

Aims:  To describe the approach used in conducting a fit‐for‐purpose risk assessment of microbiological human pathogens associated with fresh fruit and the risk management recommendations made. Methods and Results:  A qualitative risk assessment for microbiological hazards in fresh fruit was carried out based on the Codex Alimentarius (Codex) framework, modified to consider multiple hazards and all fresh (whole) fruits. The assessment determines 14 significant bacterial, viral, protozoal and nematodal hazards associated with fresh produce, assesses the probable level of exposure from fresh fruit, concludes on the risk from each hazard, and considers and recommends risk management actions. A review of potential risk management options allowed the comparison of effectiveness with the potential exposure to each hazard. Conclusions:  Washing to a recommended protocol is an appropriate risk management action for the vast majority of consumption events, particularly when good agricultural and hygienic practices are followed and with the addition of refrigerated storage for low acid fruit. Additional safeguards are recommended for aggregate fruits with respect to the risk from protozoa. Significance and Impact of the Study:  The potentially complex process of assessing the risks of multiple hazards in multiple but similar commodities can be simplified in a qualitative assessment approach that employs the Codex methodology.     

A Study of Safety Factors for Risk Assessment of Drugs Used for Treatment of Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder in Sensitive Populations

The aim of this study was to search the literature through the library and Internet resources from pharmaceutical companies and associations to obtain pharmacoki-netic and pharmacodynamic data for six of the most used drugs for treatment of Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The drugs included meth-ylphenidate, pemoline, haloperidol, bupropion, imipramine, and desipramine. The data collected allowed the evaluation of the 10X uncertainty factor, which was related to healthy adults and sensitive populations (children, elderly and health affected). Once the extensive database review was completed, the data were used to calculate a composite factor (kinetics x dynamics) for each drug. Ten of the 12 data-derived composite factors were less than 10. Therefore, incorporation of human kinetic and dynamic data into risk assessment can help to reduce the uncertainties associated with sensitive subgroups.     

Toward a social–ecological approach to ecological restoration: a look back at three decades of maritime clifftop restoration

The sharp increase in the touristic use of the maritime clifftops in western France after WWII resulted in a concentration of activities that generated ecosystem degradation in many sites (e.g. touristic infrastructure, human trampling). Consideration of the ecological value of these sites over the past three decades has led to a shift in maritime clifftop management and consequently to numerous planning and restoration projects. Using inventories of maritime clifftop restoration projects conducted in 2007 and 2016, we identified 76 restoration projects, which allowed us to study the active and passive restoration methods used. In addition, we collected and analyzed 465 vegetation monitoring plots with an average duration of 5.6 years to understand how they were used by both scientists and nonscientists. First, we describe the social–ecological systems of these restoration projects through an analysis of their social contexts, ecological stakes, and restoration goals based on 19 semistructured interviews with restoration stakeholders. Comparing our research with similar studies in the literature reveals that the main strength of maritime clifftop restorations is a strong network between scientist and nonscientist stakeholders combined with high‐level monitoring. Finally, we underline the main challenges for the future of maritime clifftop ecological restoration: (1) the need for further study of this ecological database (e.g. to study the medium‐term effect of active restoration, continue current monitoring); and (2) the need to develop sociological studies of human uses and perceptions to improve the long‐term management of restored ecosystems.     

A comprehensive approach for drug safety assessment

A comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach is proposed here for the development of a drug with an acceptable safety profile. Key parameters to be considered for drug safety evaluation based on this comprehensive approach include the following: (1) Pharmacology: Possible toxicity due to drug-target interactions, including interactions with unintended molecular targets, or with molecular targets in unintended organs. (2) Chemistry: Chemical scaffolding and side-chains with safety concerns. (3) Toxicology: Toxicity in animals in vivo, and in relevant animal and human cells in culture. (4) Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics: Safety concerns due to toxification or detoxification, organ distribution, clearance and pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions. (5) Risk factors: Physiological, environmental and genetic factors that may enhance a patient's susceptibility. It is proposed that this integrated, multidisciplinary approach to safety evaluation may enhance the accuracy of the prediction of drug safety and thereby the efficiency of drug development.     

Evaluation of PAHs concentration and cancer risk assessment on human health in a roadside soil: A case study

Abstract

An explanatory study was carried out to divulge the sources, contamination level of different classes of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) distribution and the impact of vehicular traffic on the roadside soil by assessing incremental lifetime cancer risk at each site to understand the potential health risk of nearby residents along the National Highway-2 Delhi–Kolkata India. Comparison of the cancer risk assessment was performed using Monte Carlo simulation for the entire study area. The results revealed 90% cancer risk value of 6.40?×?10^?5 and 6.5?×?10^?5 for children and adults, respectively, whereas, without simulation the Total Cancer Risk (TCR) for adults was 6.925?×?10^?5 and 6.220?×?10^?5 for children, observed maximum at the location (S5). The dilemma of risk assessment indicating profoundly contaminated soil. Comparison of PAHs concentration with the background values of PAHs ranged from 1.478 to 27.493?mg kg^?1. The (IP/BgP) ratio specified that the PAHs content of the highway roadside sample is preponderate by diesel vehicle emission, biomass combustion and coal combustion. The study clearly revealed and advocated the influence of organic and inorganic pollution, which aggravates and causes health issues to the nearby inhabitants. This study could also be advantageous to similar consequences seen elsewhere in the world.     

区域综合生态风险评价框架——以雄安新区为例

构建区域生态风险评价框架有助于清晰地识别、评估、模拟、预测与管理区域生态风险,进而为区域生态安全网络构建和生态安全格局保障提供支撑。雄安新区的建设,使该区域面临巨大的土地利用变化,对区域生态系统的结构和功能产生不可忽视的影响,洪涝和干旱灾害对雄安新区及其周边区域生态系统具有显著的威胁。以雄安新区为例,构建包含暴露-响应关系、人为源和自然源相结合的区域综合生态风险评价框架,分别对城市化和气候变化背景下的雄安新区土地利用变化、洪涝灾害、干旱灾害三类胁迫引起的区域生态风险进行了评价和预测,确定其生态风险空间分布特征及变化趋势。结果表明：(1)从时间序列上来看,由于气候变化导致洪涝、干旱等自然灾害的影响,加上雄安新区的土地利用变化,雄安新区的生态风险在2025年后有所上升,但有序的规划和良好的地类配置使得雄安新区起步区在2025年后生态风险程度下降;(2)从空间上看,雄安新区风险高值区主要集中在白洋淀区以西和以南,以及新区东北部部分区域。最后,从土地利用管理、洪涝和干旱灾害预防等角度提出了生态风险防控对策：(1)雄安新区应坚持对土地利用的合理规划和严格管理,切实防止土地的无序利用,密切关注景观...