Search results for: perception of safety
4863 Exploring Strategies Used by Victims of Intimate Partner Violence to Increase Sense of Safety: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Study
Authors: Thomas Nally, Jane Ireland, Roxanne Khan, Philip Birch
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Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), a significant societal problem, affects individuals worldwide. However, the strategies victims use to keep safe are under-researched. IPV is significantly under-reported, and services often are not able to be accessed by all victims. Thus they are likely to use their own strategies to manage their victimization before being able to seek support. Two studies were completed to understand these strategies. A systematic review of the literature and study completed with professionals who work with victims was undertaken to understand this area. In study one, a systematic review of the literature (n=61 papers), were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. The results indicated that victims use a large array of behaviors to increase their sense of safety and coping with emotions but also experience significant barriers to help-seeking. In study 2, sixty-nine professionals completed a measure exploring the likelihood and effectiveness of various victim strategies regarding increasing their sense of safety. Strategies included in the measure were obtained from those identified in study 1. Findings indicated that professionals perceived victims of IPV to be more likely to employ safety strategies and coping behaviors that may be ineffective but not help-seeking behaviors. Further, the responses were analyzed using Cluster Analysis. Safety strategies resulted in five clusters; perpetrator-directed strategies, prevention strategies, cognitive reappraisal, safety planning and avoidance strategies. Help-Seeking resulted in six clusters; information or practical support, abuse-related support, emotional support, secondary support and informal support. Finally, coping resulted in four clusters; emotional coping, self-directed coping, thought recording/change and cognitive coping. Both studies indicate that victims may use a variety of strategies to manage their safety besides seeking help. Professionals working with victims, using a strength-based approach, should understand what is used and is effective for victims who are unable to leave the relationships or access external support.Keywords: intimate partner violence, help-seeking, professional support, victims, victim coping, victim safety
Procedia PDF Downloads 1864862 Perception of Neighbourhood-Level Built Environment in Relation to Youth Physical Activity in Malaysia
Authors: A. Abdullah, N. Faghih Mirzaei, S. Hany Haron
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Neighbourhood environment walkability on reported physical activity (PA) levels of students of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Malaysia. Compared with previous generations, today’s young people spend less time playing outdoors and have lower participation rates in PA. Research suggests that negative perceptions of neighbourhood walkability may be a potential barrier to adolescents’ PA. The sample consisted of 200 USM students (to 24 years old) who live outside of the main campus and engage in PA in sport halls and sport fields of USM. The data were analysed using the t-test, binary logistic regression, and discriminant analysis techniques. The present study found that youth PA was affected by neighbourhood environment walkability factors, including neighbourhood infrastructures, neighbourhood safety (crime), and recreation facilities, as well as street characteristics and neighbourhood design variables such as facades of sidewalks, roadside trees, green spaces, and aesthetics. The finding also illustrated that active students were influenced by street connectivity, neighbourhood infrastructures, recreation facilities, facades of sidewalks, and aesthetics, whereas students in the less active group were affected by access to destinations, neighbourhood safety (crime), and roadside trees and green spaces for their PAs. These results report which factors of built environments have more effect on youth PA and they message to the public to create more awareness about the benefits of PA on youth health.Keywords: fear of crime, neighbourhood built environment, physical activities, street characteristics design
Procedia PDF Downloads 3534861 'Wandering Uterus': An Analogy of Perception of Women in Hippocratic Corpus and Post-Modern Times
Authors: Ankita Sharma
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The study proposes to review the perception of women in the Classical Age (500-336 BC) when Greek Philosophy was in bloom. It was observed that women had very few rights and were still under the control of men. One of the possible reasons for this exclusion was woman’s biology that had a huge influence on her being seen as inferior to men. The text ‘Hippocratic Corpus’ focuses on the biological construct of the female body in classical Greek science that perpetuated the idea of women as second-class citizens and were considered inherently weaker than men. The research highlights the significance of the text that was used to encourage women of that time to get married and produce children and how till today the perception remains the same. The Greek belief of need for confinement and control of 'wandering uterus' has led to superior understanding of men. The pivotal emphasis of this research is to women and their bodies that are depicted in a misogynistic way which paved the way for Hippocratic writers to influence the society’s attitude towards women in their writings. It is intended to draw attention to the prevailing cultural assumptions and preconceived notions about female anatomy that had a pervasive influence in the following centuries with its roots being in ancient science.Keywords: classical Greek theory, women, wandering womb, modern ideology
Procedia PDF Downloads 1954860 Influence of Different Sports on the Taste Perception and Acceptability of a Commercial Sports Drink among University Student-Athletes
Authors: Jana Daher, Ammar Olabi, Elie-Jacques Fares, Samer Kharrroubi, Tarek Gherbal
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It has been previously suggested that the perception and acceptability of fluids significantly varies between exercise and non-exercise situations. The study investigates the influence of different types of sports on the taste perception and acceptability of a commercial sports drink. A sample of Gatorade – red orange flavor was evaluated pre and post exercise by 34 male university athletes (20 weightlifters, 14 runners) recruited from the American University of Beirut. Urine samples were collected from the participants to test for hydration. Sensory testing examined the change in the intensity of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and the thirst-quenching ability of the drink as well as its acceptability with respect to the type of sport practiced. Results indicated that the acceptability of the drink increased as the hydration status of the athletes decreased (p<0.01). No significant change was found in the perception of the sensory attributes between exercise and non-exercise conditions. However, there were significant differences between the two sports groups in the ratings of the thirst-quenching ability of the drink where runners’ ratings increased after exercise while weightlifters’ ratings decreased after exercise (p<0.01). These findings suggest that exercise has a larger effect on the acceptability and overall liking of the beverage compared to other sensory attributes. An enhanced liking of the beverage is key for optimal replenishment of lost fluids and electrolytes after exercise.Keywords: hedonic, liking, sweetness, thirst-quenching
Procedia PDF Downloads 1334859 Lightweight Synergy IoT Framework for Smart Home Healthcare for the Elderly
Authors: Huawei Ma, Wencai Du, Shengbin Liang
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Smart Home Healthcare technologies for the elderly represent a transformative paradigm that leverages emerging technologies to provide the elderly’ health indicators and daily life monitoring, emergency calls, environmental monitoring, behavior perception, and other services to ensure the health and safety of the elderly who are aging in their own home. However, the excessive complexity in the main adopted framework has affected the acceptance and adoption of the elderly. Therefore, this paper proposes a lightweight synergy architecture of IoT data and service for elderly home smart health environment. It includes the modeling of IoT applications and their workflows, data interoperability, interaction, and storage paradigms to meet the growing needs of older people so that they can lead an active, fulfilling, and quality life.Keywords: smart home healthcare, IoT, independent living, lightweight framework
Procedia PDF Downloads 534858 Social and Economic Challenges of Adopting Sustainable Urban Development in Developing Economy: A Stakeholder's Perception
Authors: Raed Fawzi Mohammed Ameen, Haider I. Alyasari, Maryam Altaweel
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Due to rapid urbanization, developing countries faced significant urban challenges that accompanied the population growth such as the inability to provide adequate housing; sustain human and community's health and wellbeing; ensure the safety in urban areas; the prevalence corruption; lack of jobs; and a shortage of investment. The destruction, degradation, and lack of planning are acute in countries such as Iraq that have suffered for more than four decades because of war and international sanctions, resulting in severe damages to the ecology sector, social utilities, housing, infrastructure, as well as the disruption of the economic sector. Many of significant urban development, housing, and regeneration projects are currently underway in different regions in Iraq, labelled as a means to reform the environmental, social, and economic sectors. However, most often with absence of public participation. Hence, there is an urgent need for understanding public perception, especially of urban socio-economic challenges, which represents a crucial concern for many planners, designers, and policy-makers in order to develop effective policies in addition to increasing their participation. The aim of this study is to investigate stakeholder perceptions of the socio-economic challenges of urban development and their priorities in the all Iraqi provinces. A nationwide questionnaire has been conducted (N = 643) across Iraq, using 19- item structured questionnaire where the stakeholder’s perspectives were collected on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The indicators were identified through deep investigation in previous studies. Principal component analysis (PCA) and statistical tests were utilized to the collected responses in order to investigate the linkage between the perceptions of socio- economic challenges and demographic factors. A high value of internal consistency and reliability of the instrument has been achieved (Cronbach’s alpha= 0.867). Five principal components have been identified, namely: economic, cultural aspects, design context, employment, security and housing demands. The item ‘safety of public places' was ranked as the most important, followed by the items 'minimize unplanned housing', and ‘provision of affordable housing’, respectively. Promote high-rise housing from the housing demands group, was ranked the lowest component between all indicators. 'Using sustainable local materials in construction' item had the second lowest mean score. The results also illustrate a link between deficiencies in the social and economic infrastructure because of the destruction and degradation caused by political instability in Iraq in the last few decades.Keywords: public participation in development, socio-economic challenges, urban development, urban sustainability
Procedia PDF Downloads 1354857 Concerns, Attitudes and Perceptions of Mothers about Child Vulnerability for Sexual Abuse
Authors: Rukhsana Kausar, Khadija Rasheed
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This research explored general concerns, attitudes and perceptions of Pakistani mothers about their children’s vulnerability for sexual abuse and it also examined the effect of education and work status of mothers on their concerns and attitudes about the safety of their children. The sample consisted of 166 mothers comprising of 4 groups i.e. educated-working mothers, uneducated working mothers, educated non-working mothers and uneducated non-working mothers. This research comprised of two studies. Study 1 was carried out to construct two separate scales namely Maternal Concerns and Attitudes Scale for safety of Daughters (MCA-SD) and Maternal Concerns and Attitudes Scale for safety of Sons (MCA-SS) for assessing maternal concerns and attitudes about safety and protection of daughters and sons. These scales were used in study 2 with the objective to explore mothers’ general concerns, attitudes and perceptions of about child vulnerability for sexual abuse. Data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance and independent-samples t-test. Educated mothers had more sense of responsibility, ensured more safety and provide more information about self-protection to their children as compared to uneducated mothers. Similarly non-working mothers showed more sense of responsibility and provided more information on self-protection to their children as compared to working mothers. Moreover, mothers living in nuclear family system trusted more on their relatives and other people for the protection of their children and ensured more safety of children than those living in joint family system. Findings have very important implications for protecting children from likely sexual abuse.Keywords: mothers’ concerns, attitudes, perceptions, child vulnerability, child sexual abuse
Procedia PDF Downloads 4414856 Perception of Nurses and Caregivers on Fall Preventive Management for Hospitalized Children Based on Ecological Model
Authors: Mirim Kim, Won-Oak Oh
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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify hospitalized children's fall risk factors, fall prevention status and fall prevention strategies recognized by nurses and caregivers of hospitalized children and present an ecological model for fall preventive management in hospitalized children. Method: The participants of this study were 14 nurses working in medical institutions and having more than one year of child care experience and 14 adult caregivers of children under 6 years of age receiving inpatient treatment at a medical institution. One to one interview was attempted to identify their perception of fall preventive management. Transcribed data were analyzed through latent content analysis method. Results: Fall risk factors in hospitalized children were 'unpredictable behavior', 'instability', 'lack of awareness about danger', 'lack of awareness about falls', 'lack of child control ability', 'lack of awareness about the importance of fall prevention', 'lack of sensitivity to children', 'untidy environment around children', 'lack of personalized facilities for children', 'unsafe facility', 'lack of partnership between healthcare provider and caregiver', 'lack of human resources', 'inadequate fall prevention policy', 'lack of promotion about fall prevention', 'a performanceism oriented culture'. Fall preventive management status of hospitalized children were 'absence of fall prevention capability', 'efforts not to fall', 'blocking fall risk situation', 'limit the scope of children's activity when there is no caregiver', 'encourage caregivers' fall prevention activities', 'creating a safe environment surrounding hospitalized children', 'special management for fall high risk children', 'mutual cooperation between healthcare providers and caregivers', 'implementation of fall prevention policy', 'providing guide signs about fall risk'. Fall preventive management strategies of hospitalized children were 'restrain dangerous behavior', 'inspiring awareness about fall', 'providing fall preventive education considering the child's eye level', 'efforts to become an active subject of fall prevention activities', 'providing customed fall prevention education', 'open communication between healthcare providers and caregivers', 'infrastructure and personnel management to create safe hospital environment', 'expansion fall prevention campaign', 'development and application of a valid fall assessment instrument', 'conversion of awareness about safety'. Conclusion: In this study, the ecological model of fall preventive management for hospitalized children reflects various factors that directly or indirectly affect the fall prevention of hospitalized children. Therefore, these results can be considered as useful baseline data for developing systematic fall prevention programs and hospital policies to prevent fall accident in hospitalized children. Funding: This study was funded by the National Research Foundation of South Korea (grant number NRF-2016R1A2B1015455).Keywords: fall down, safety culture, hospitalized children, risk factors
Procedia PDF Downloads 1644855 Health and Safety of Red Cross Workers in Long-Term Homes during Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Human Performance Perspective
Authors: Douglas J. Kube
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At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Red Cross deployed workers into long-term care homes across Canada to support our most vulnerable citizens. It began by recruiting and training small teams of workers to provide non-clinical services for facilities in outbreak. Deployed workers were trained on an approach based on successful Red Cross deployments used with Ebola in which zones were established, levels of protection used, and strict protocols followed to prevent exposure. This paper addresses aspects of human performance through a safety culture lens. The Red Cross deployments highlight valuable insights and are an excellent case study in the principles of human performance and organizational culture. This paper looks at human performance principles, including human fallibility, predictability of error-likely situations, avoiding events by understanding reasons mistakes occur, and the influence on behaviour by organizational factors. This study demonstrates how the Red Cross’s organizational culture and work design positively influenced performance to protect workers and residents/clients. Lastly, this paper shares lessons that can be applied in many workplaces to improve worker health and safety and safety culture. This critical examination is based on the author’s experience as a Senior Occupational Health and Safety Advisor with the Red Cross during the pandemic as part of the team responsible for developing and implementing biological safety practices in long-term care deployments.Keywords: COVID, human performance, organizational culture, work design
Procedia PDF Downloads 584854 Characterizing Multivariate Thresholds in Industrial Engineering
Authors: Ali E. Abbas
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This paper highlights some of the normative issues that might result by setting independent thresholds in risk analyses and particularly with safety regions. A second objective is to explain how such regions can be specified appropriately in a meaningful way. We start with a review of the importance of setting deterministic trade-offs among target requirements. We then show how to determine safety regions for risk analysis appropriately using utility functions.Keywords: decision analysis, thresholds, risk, reliability
Procedia PDF Downloads 3124853 High School Students’ Seismic Risk Perception and Preparedness in Shavar, Dhaka
Authors: Mohammad Lutfur Rahman
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School students of Dhaka are in extreme risk of natural disasters. However, the study on assessment of the real scenario of high school students about perceptions of earthquake is very little. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to assess the seismic risk perception and preparedness levels about earthquake among high school students in Shavar, Dhaka. A questionnaire was developed, and data collection was done about a group of high school students in seven classrooms. The author uses a method of surveying high school students to identify and describe the factors that influence their knowledge and perceptions about earthquake. This study examines gender and grade differences in perceived risk and communication behavior in response to the earthquake. Female students’ preparation, participation, and communication with family are more frequent than that of male students. Female students have been found to be more likely to learn about a disaster than male students. Higher grade students have more awareness but less preparedness about earthquake than that of the younger one. This research concludes that irrespective of grades, high school students are vulnerable to earthquake due to the lack of a seismic education program.Keywords: awareness, earthquake, risk perception, seismic
Procedia PDF Downloads 2484852 A Review of Process Safety Management for Small and Medium Business in Malaysia
Authors: Muhammad Afiq Anaqi Bin Baharudin, Muhammad Izamuddin Bin Mohd Nasir, Syarifuddin Bin Sujuanda, Muhammad Syahmi Rusyaidi Bin Sham Suddin, Danish Hakimi Bin kamaruzaman, Muhammad Haqimi Nazim Bin Hasmanizam, Mohammad Akmal Zakwan Bin Amran, Muhammad Alparizi Bin Latif
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In particular, for small and medium enterprises (SMBs) in Malaysia, process safety management (PSM) is a crucial component of industrial safety. Limited resources, a lack of technical know-how, and linguistic and cultural obstacles are just a few of the difficulties SMBs in Malaysia encounter while putting PSM programmes into practice. A number of studies have emphasised the significance of leadership commitment, hazard identification and assessment, and employee involvement in the execution of effective PSM programmes, which are crucial for preventing accidents and incidents. In the literature, there has been a lot of discussion on the creation of specialised PSM frameworks for SMBs in Malaysia. Several studies have proposed implementation frameworks for PSM programmes that are based on recognised worldwide standards. Despite the significance of PSM in ensuring industrial safety, there are still a number of gaps in the literature on PSM in Malaysian SMBs. These gaps include the need for additional research on the efficiency of PSM programmes in reducing accidents and incidents in SMBs as well as the development of more specialised approaches to implementing PSM programmes in SMBs with limited resources and technical expertise. The goal of this review is to give a thorough overview of the body of research on PSM in Malaysian SMBs while highlighting important findings, points of contention, and knowledge gaps that need to be filled in.Keywords: process safety management, occupational safety and health (OSH), small businesses, medium businesses, malaysia
Procedia PDF Downloads 1254851 safeRoute: Information Safety System for Professional Road Driving
Authors: Francisco Toledo-Castillo, Pilar Peiró-Torres, María Josefa Sospedra-Baeza, Sergio Hidalgo-Fuentes
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The communication presented is about tasks that are been developed in the research project “safeRoute”, “Information safety system for professional road driving” (IPT-2012-110-370000). This R&D project was proposed by the consortium formed by Fagor Electronica la SEU 3 and the University of Valencia to the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, which approved it inside the INNPACTO subprogramme grants. Through this type of calls, the Ministry promote the innovative capacity of the Spanish companies and turn on the mechanism for competing internationally. With this kind of calls, private investments for technological and industrial development join their R & D resources with public entities to implement innovative project that could have an international exposure. Thus INNPACTO subprogramme promotes the creation of research projects with public-private partnerships that create exploitable final products. The “safeRoute” Project pretends develop a tool to help to make more safety the travels of commercial transport vehicles of goods and passengers. To achieve its objectives, the project is focused in three main lines of research: vehicle safety, the safety of the roads that they are using, and the safety which drivers do their job, their behaviour while they are driving. To improve safety, the project gives information about these three factors to all people that are involved in the safety of the professional transport. These three factors have influence to the occurrence of traffic accidents, thanks to the information provided and treated about these factors, we can achieve a significant reduction in occupational accidents in the transport sector. SafeRoute provide information about routes, vehicles, and driver behaviours, and in this manner pretends provide to transport companies a tool which could result in a safer driving results and could reduce their costs related to traffic accidents of their vehicles, in that way, this tool could help them to be more competitive, and give a more reliable service. This paper will focus mainly on the information about routes that drivers use to travel in their professional work, and how the researchers of this project have catalogued and evaluated these routes, and finally how that information will be provided to users.Keywords: driver support systems, professional drivers, road safety, safeRoute
Procedia PDF Downloads 4034850 Structural Reliability of Existing Structures: A Case Study
Authors: Z. Sakka, I. Assakkaf, T. Al-Yaqoub, J. Parol
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A reliability-based methodology for the analysis assessment and evaluation of reinforced concrete structural elements of concrete structures is presented herein. The results of the reliability analysis and assessment for structural elements are verified by the results obtained from the deterministic methods. The analysis outcomes of reliability-based analysis are compared against the safety limits of the required reliability index β according to international standards and codes. The methodology is based on probabilistic analysis using reliability concepts and statistics of the main random variables that are relevant to the subject matter, and for which they are to be used in the performance-function equation(s) related to the structural elements under study. These methodology techniques can result in reliability index β, which is commonly known as the reliability index or reliability measure value that can be utilized to assess and evaluate the safety, human risk, and functionality of the structural component. Also, these methods can result in revised partial safety factor values for certain target reliability indices that can be used for the purpose of redesigning the reinforced concrete elements of the building and in which they could assist in considering some other remedial actions to improve the safety and functionality of the member.Keywords: structural reliability, concrete structures, FORM, Monte Carlo simulation
Procedia PDF Downloads 5184849 Impact of Ventilation Systems on Indoor Air Quality in Swedish Primary School Classrooms
Authors: Sarka Langer, Despoina Teli, Blanka Cabovska, Jan-Olof Dalenbäck, Lars Ekberg, Gabriel Bekö, Pawel Wargocki, Natalia Giraldo Vasquez
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The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of various ventilation systems on indoor climate, air pollution, chemistry, and perception. Measurements of thermal environment and indoor air quality were performed in 45 primary school classrooms in Gothenburg, Sweden. The classrooms were grouped into three categories according to their ventilation system: category A) natural or exhaust ventilation or automated window opening; category B) balanced mechanical ventilation systems with constant air volume (CAV); and category C) balanced mechanical ventilation systems with variable air volume (VAV). A questionnaire survey about indoor air quality, perception of temperature, odour, noise and light, and sensation of well-being, alertness focus, etc., was distributed among the 10-12 years old children attending the classrooms. The results (medians) showed statistically significant differences between ventilation category A and categories B and C, but not between categories B and C in air change rates, median concentrations of carbon dioxide, individual volatile organic compounds formaldehyde and isoprene, in-door-to-outdoor ozone ratios and products of ozonolysis of squalene, a constituent of human skin oils, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one and decanal. Median ozone concentration, ozone loss -a difference between outdoor and indoor ozone concentrations- were different only between categories A and C. Median concentration of total VOCs and a perception index based on survey responses on perceptions and sensations indoors were not significantly different. In conclusion, ventilation systems have an impact on air change rates, indoor air quality, and chemistry, but the Swedish primary school children’s perception did not differ with the ventilation systems of the classrooms.Keywords: indoor air pollutants, indoor climate, indoor chemistry, air change rate, perception
Procedia PDF Downloads 624848 Lessons from Implementation of a Network-Wide Safety Huddle in Behavioral Health
Authors: Deborah Weidner, Melissa Morgera
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The model of care delivery in the Behavioral Health Network (BHN) is integrated across all five regions of Hartford Healthcare and thus spans the entirety of the state of Connecticut, with care provided in seven inpatient settings and over 30 ambulatory outpatient locations. While safety has been a core priority of the BHN in alignment with High Reliability practices, safety initiatives have historically been facilitated locally in each region or within each entity, with interventions implemented locally as opposed to throughout the network. To address this, the BHN introduced a network wide Safety Huddle during 2022. Launched in January, the BHN Safety Huddle brought together internal stakeholders, including medical and administrative leaders, along with executive institute leadership, quality, and risk management. By bringing leaders together and introducing a network-wide safety huddle into the way we work, the benefit has been an increase in awareness of safety events occurring in behavioral health areas as well as increased systemization of countermeasures to prevent future events. One significant discussion topic presented in huddles has pertained to environmental design and patient access to potentially dangerous items, addressing some of the most relevant factors resulting in harm to patients in inpatient and emergency settings for behavioral health patients. The safety huddle has improved visibility of potential environmental safety risks through the generation of over 15 safety alerts cascaded throughout the BHN and also spurred a rapid improvement project focused on standardization of patient belonging searches to reduce patient access to potentially dangerous items on inpatient units. Safety events pertaining to potentially dangerous items decreased by 31% as a result of standardized interventions implemented across the network and as a result of increased awareness. A second positive outcome originating from the BHN Safety Huddle was implementation of a recommendation to increase the emergency Narcan®(naloxone) supply on hand in ambulatory settings of the BHN after incidents involving accidental overdose resulted in higher doses of naloxone administration. By increasing the emergency supply of naloxone on hand in all ambulatory and residential settings, colleagues are better prepared to respond in an emergency situation should a patient experience an overdose while on site. Lastly, discussions in safety huddle spurred a new initiative within the BHN to improve responsiveness to assaultive incidents through a consultation service. This consult service, aligned with one of the network’s improvement priorities to reduce harm events related to assaultive incidents, was borne out of discussion in huddle in which it was identified that additional interventions may be needed in providing clinical care to patients who are experiencing multiple and/ or frequent safety events.Keywords: quality, safety, behavioral health, risk management
Procedia PDF Downloads 834847 Analysis of Human Mental and Behavioral Models for Development of an Electroencephalography-Based Human Performance Management System
Authors: John Gaber, Youssef Ahmed, Hossam A. Gabbar, Jing Ren
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Accidents at Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) occur due to various factors, notable among them being poor safety management and poor safety culture. During abnormal situations, the likelihood of human error is many-fold higher due to the higher cognitive workload. The most common cause of human error and high cognitive workload is mental fatigue. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method of gathering the electromagnetic waves emitted by a human brain. We propose a safety system by monitoring brainwaves for signs of mental fatigue using an EEG system. This requires an analysis of the mental model of the NPP operator, changes in brain wave power in response to certain stimuli, and the risk factors on mental fatigue and attention that NPP operators face when performing their tasks. We analyzed these factors and developed an EEG-based monitoring system, which aims to alert NPP operators when levels of mental fatigue and attention hinders their ability to maintain safety.Keywords: brain imaging, EEG, power plant operator, psychology
Procedia PDF Downloads 1014846 Analysis of Economic Order Quantity, Safety Stock, Maximum Inventory Control, Lot Size and Reorder Point for Engro Polymers and Chemicals
Authors: Ali Akber Jaffri, Asad Naseem, Javeria Khan, Zubair Hamza, Ishtiaq
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The purpose of this study is to determine safety stock, maximum inventory level, reordering point, and reordering quantity by rearranging lot sizes for supplier and customer in MRO (maintenance repair operations) warehouse of Engro Polymers & Chemicals. To achieve the aim, physical analysis method and excel commands were carried out to elicit the customer and supplier data provided by the company. Initially, we rearranged the current lot sizes and MOUs (measure of units) in SAP software. Due to change in lot sizes, we have to determine the new quantities for safety stock, maximum inventory, reordering point and reordering quantity as per company's demand. By proposed system, we saved extra cost in terms of reducing time of receiving from vendor and in issuance to customer, ease of material handling in MRO warehouse and also reduce human efforts.Keywords: maintenance repair operation, maximum inventory, reorder quantity, safety stock
Procedia PDF Downloads 2764845 Facility Layout Improvement: Based on Safety and Health at Work and Standards of Food Production Facility
Authors: Asifa Fitriani, Galih Prakoso
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This study aims to improve the design layout of a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to minimize material handling and redesigning the layout of production facilities based on the safety and health and standards of food production facilities. Problems layout in the one of chip making industry mushrooms in Indonesia is cross movement between work stations, work accidents, and the standard of facilities that do not conform with the standards of the food industry. Improvement layout design using CORELAP and 5S method to give recommendation and implementation of occupational health and safety standards of food production facilities. From the analysis, improved layout using CORELAP provide a smaller displacement distance is 155.84 meters from the initial displacement distance of 335.9 meters, and providing a shorter processing time than the original 112.726 seconds to 102.831 seconds. 5S method also has recommended the completion of occupational health and safety issues as well as the standard means of food production by changing the working environment better.Keywords: Layout Design, Corelap, 5S
Procedia PDF Downloads 5334844 Second Language Perception of Japanese /Cju/ and /Cjo/ Sequences by Mandarin-Speaking Learners of Japanese
Authors: Yili Liu, Honghao Ren, Mariko Kondo
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In the field of second language (L2) speech learning, it is well-known that that learner’s first language (L1) phonetic and phonological characteristics will be transferred into their L2 production and perception, which lead to foreign accent. For L1 Mandarin learners of Japanese, the confusion of /u/ and /o/ in /CjV/ sequences has been observed in their utterance frequently. L1 transfer is considered to be the cause of this issue, however, other factors which influence the identification of /Cju/ and /Cjo/ sequences still under investigation. This study investigates the perception of Japanese /Cju/ and /Cjo/ units by L1 Mandarin learners of Japanese. It further examined whether learners’ proficiency, syllable position, phonetic features of preceding consonants and background noise affect learners’ performance in perception. Fifty-two Mandarin-speaking learners of Japanese and nine native Japanese speakers were recruited to participate in an identification task. Learners were divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced level according to their Japanese proficiency. The average correct rate was used to evaluate learners’ perceptual performance. Furthermore, the comparison of the correct rate between learners’ groups and the control group was conducted as well to examine learners’ nativelikeness. Results showed that background noise tends to pose an adverse effect on distinguishing /u/ and /o/ in /CjV/ sequences. Secondly, Japanese proficiency has no influence on learners’ perceptual performance in the quiet and in background noise. Then all learners did not reach a native-like level without the distraction of noise. Beginner level learners performed less native-like, although higher level learners appeared to have achieved nativelikeness in the multi-talker babble noise. Finally, syllable position tends to affect distinguishing /Cju/ and /Cjo/ only under the noisy condition. Phonetic features of preceding consonants did not impact learners’ perception in any listening conditions. Findings in this study can give an insight into a further understanding of Japanese vowel acquisition by L1 Mandarin learners of Japanese. In addition, this study indicates that L1 transfer is not the only explanation for the confusion of /u/ and /o/ in /CjV/ sequences, factors such as listening condition and syllable position are also needed to take into consideration in future research. It also suggests the importance of perceiving speech in a noisy environment, which is close to the actual conversation required more attention to pedagogy.Keywords: background noise, Chinese learners of Japanese, /Cju/ and /Cjo/ sequences, second language perception
Procedia PDF Downloads 1604843 The Ontology of Assurance
Authors: Odd Ivar Haugen
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This paper explores the ontology of assurance in safety-critical systems, emphasising the importance of knowledge and confidence in system behaviour. Assurance is defined as providing grounds for justified confidence in system properties, such as safety and security. The paper discusses the main concepts of assurance, including system requirements, confidence, and justification. It discusses the CESM metamodel for understanding system behaviour and emergent properties. The paper also highlights the importance of objectivity in assessing the strength of knowledge and the role of verification in generating evidence as a part of the argumentation. The assurance case is presented as a systematic way to represent knowledge and support decision-making.Keywords: assurance, CESM metamodel, confidence, emergent properties, knowledge, objectivity, risk, system behaviour, system safety
Procedia PDF Downloads 64842 Reliability-Based Method for Assessing Liquefaction Potential of Soils
Authors: Mehran Naghizaderokni, Asscar Janalizadechobbasty
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This paper explores probabilistic method for assessing the liquefaction potential of sandy soils. The current simplified methods for assessing soil liquefaction potential use a deterministic safety factor in order to determine whether liquefaction will occur or not. However, these methods are unable to determine the liquefaction probability related to a safety factor. A solution to this problem can be found by reliability analysis.This paper presents a reliability analysis method based on the popular certain liquefaction analysis method. The proposed probabilistic method is formulated based on the results of reliability analyses of 190 field records and observations of soil performance against liquefaction. The results of the present study show that confidence coefficient greater and smaller than 1 does not mean safety and/or liquefaction in cadence for liquefaction, and for assuring liquefaction probability, reliability based method analysis should be used. This reliability method uses the empirical acceleration attenuation law in the Chalos area to derive the probability density distribution function and the statistics for the earthquake-induced cyclic shear stress ratio (CSR). The CSR and CRR statistics are used in continuity with the first order and second moment method to calculate the relation between the liquefaction probability, the safety factor and the reliability index. Based on the proposed method, the liquefaction probability related to a safety factor can be easily calculated. The influence of some of the soil parameters on the liquefaction probability can be quantitatively evaluated.Keywords: liquefaction, reliability analysis, chalos area, civil and structural engineering
Procedia PDF Downloads 4704841 Cross-Cultural Variations in Creative Perception Modulate Creative Performance
Authors: Anatoliy Kharkhurin
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The study argues that variations in creative performance may be stipulated by cross-cultural differences in perception of the creativity construct. In Experiment 1, 50 Russian and 50 Emirati college students received structured imagination test that requires producing a drawing of an alien creature. In Experiment 2, 53 Russian and 53 Emirati college students (different from Experiment 1) on 5-point Likert-type scale evaluated the level of creativity of the drawings produced in the Experiment I. Repeated-measure ANOVA revealed an interaction between the country where the drawings were produced and the country where they were evaluated. Russians evaluated their country mates’ drawings as more creative than the Emiratis evaluated their country mates’ drawings. Regression analysis revealed that the creativity level of the drawings was positively predicted by the Russians’ evaluation and negatively predicted by the Emiratis’ evaluation. Finally, the evaluation of the drawings by the Russians predicted divergent thinking performance.Keywords: creativity, culture, cross-cultural, perception, production
Procedia PDF Downloads 3314840 An Investigation of Customers’ Perception and Attitude towards Krung Thai Bank in Thailand
Authors: Phatthanan Chaiyabut
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The purposes of this research were to identify the perception of customers towards Krung Thai Bank’s image and to understand the customer attitude towards Krung Thai Bank’s image in Bangkok, Thailand. This research utilized quantitative approach and used questionnaire as data collection tool. A sample size of 420 respondents was selected by simple random sampling. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents received information, news, and feeds concerning the bank through televisions the most. This information channel had significantly influenced on the customers and their decisions to utilize the bank’s products and services. From the information concerning the attitudes towards overall image of the bank, it was found that the majority respondents rated the bank’s image at the good level. The top three average attitudes included the bank’s images in supports government's monetary policies, being renowned and stable, and contributing in economical amendments and developments, with the mean average of 4.01, 3.96 and 3.81 respectively. The attitudes toward the images included a business leader in banking, marketing, and competitions. Offering prompt services, and provided appropriate servicing time were rated moderate with the attitudes of 3.36 and 3.30 respectively.Keywords: attitude, image, Krung Thai Bank, perception
Procedia PDF Downloads 4144839 Evaluation of Food Safety and Security Practices in Midday Meal Programmes in Rural Areas of Beed District
Authors: Nuzhat Sultana M. B.
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Children are high-risk population in terms of food born illnesses. Food safety and security are the most important aspect of the success of midday meal programmes. Improper holding temperatures, cross-contamination and poor personal hygiene of food handlers are the main causes for the prevalence of pathogenic microbes in the food servicing areas. Two hundred and fifty preschool children in the age of 3 to 6 years from urban and rural anganwadies (pre school center) of Beed district were selected. Nutritional status of preschool children were assessed by anthropometrical and clinical measurement. The study assessed the food safety and security with the help of personal hygiene and other safety measures maintained by the food personnel working for midday meal programme, supplying mid meals to children in govt. anganwadies (pre school center). The hygiene level, sanitary condition and microbial quality of food and water, pathological health examination of food handlers were assessed with the help of checklist. A questionnaire was designed to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practices of food handlers. Results of the study show that the nutritional and health status of rural and urban preschool children was very poor. Many of the food handlers were not aware of general knowledge and hygiene practices to be followed during food preparation areas. An intervention programme of education and importing training at workplaces has shown a positive impact on the outcome of safety and security practices and safe, hygienic practices of food handlers at workplace.Keywords: food, health, preschool children, safety, security
Procedia PDF Downloads 2034838 Assessment of Microbiological Feed Safety from Serbian Market from 2013 to 2017
Authors: Danijela Vuković, Radovan Čobanović, Milorad Plačkić
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The expansion of population imposes increase in usage of animal meat, on whose quality directly affects the quality of the feed that the animals are fed with. The selection of raw materials, hygiene during the technological process, various hydrothermal treatments, methods of mixing etc. have an influence on the quality of feed. Monitoring of the feed is very important to obtain information about the quality of feed and the possible prevention of animal diseases which can lead to different human diseases outbreaks. In this study parameters of feed safety were monitored. According to the mentioned, the goal of this study was to evaluate microbiological safety of feed (feedstuffs and complete mixtures). Total number of analyzed samples was 4399. Analyzed feed samples were collected in various retail shops and feed factories during the period of 44 months (from January 2013 untill September 2017). Samples were analyzed on Salmonella spp. and Clostridium perfringens in quantity of 50g according to Serbian regulation. All microorganisms were tested according to ISO methodology: Salmonella spp. ISO 6579:2002 and Clostridium perfringens ISO 7937:2004. Out of 4399 analyzed feed samples 97,5% were satisfactory and 2,5% unsatisfactory concerning Salmonella spp. As far as Clostridium perfringens is concerned 100% of analyzed samples were satisfactory. The obtained results suggest that technological processing of feed in Serbia is at high level when it comes to safety and hygiene of the products, but there are still possibilities for progress and improvement which only can be reached trough the permanent monitoring of feed.Keywords: microbiology, safety, hygiene, feed
Procedia PDF Downloads 3044837 The Relationship between Mothers’ Attachment Style, Mindful Parenting and Perception of the Child
Authors: Brigitta Szabo, Miklosi Monika
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Background/Aims: In early childhood, the context of development is the caregiver-child relationship. Maternal attachment style plays a major role in the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the mothers’ attachment style, mindful parenting, and perception of the child. Method: Data was collected from 144 non-clinical mothers who have a child below the age of 3 years. Mothers completed self-report questionnaires, including the following scales: a demographic questionnaire, Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ), Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting Scale (IMP), and the Mothers’ Object Relations Scale (MORS-SF). K-means cluster analysis was used to identify the mothers’ attachment styles. Mediation analyses with Mothers’ Object Relations Scale (MORS-SF) positive emotions and dominance subscales as dependent variables, mothers’ attachment style (ASQ) as an independent variable, and mindful parenting (IMP) as a mediator were conducted. Results: Four attachment styles (secure, preoccupied, fearful, dismissing) were identified. The relationship between mothers’ attachment style and mindful parenting was significant (R2 = .51; F(4,139) = 36.60; p < .001). Compared to the secure attachment style as a reference group, both preoccupied and dismissing styles were related to lower levels of mindful parenting; however, this relationship was the strongest in case of fearful style. In mediation analysis the direct effects of mothers’ attachment style on the perception of the child were not significant (MORS positive emotions: R2= .29; F(5,138) = 11.22; p < .001; MORS dominance: R2= .39 F(5,138) = 17.54, p < .001). However, indirect effects through mindful parenting were significant; higher levels of mindful parenting were associated with higher levels of MORS positive emotions and lower levels of MORS dominance. Conclusions: These findings suggest that attachment styles are related to the perception of the child through mindful parenting. Mindfulness-based parenting training might be useful in case of attachment-related problems to improve the parent-child relationship.Keywords: mindfulness, mindful parenting, attachement, perception
Procedia PDF Downloads 2174836 Producer’s Liability for Defective Medical Devices in Light of Council Directive 85/374/EEC
Authors: Vera Lúcia Raposo
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Medical devices are products used for medical purposes and aimed to operate in the human body, sometimes even inside the human body. Therefore, they can become particularly risky products, and some of the injuries caused by medical devices can have serious effects on the person’s health or body, even leading to death. Because they fit in the category of 'products' as described in Article 2 of Council Directive 85/374/EEC of 25 July 1985, concerning liability for defective products, the liability of the manufacturer of medical devices follows the rules of strict liability as long as one of the defects covered by the directive is at stake. The directive is not concerned with the product’s efficiency, but instead with the product’s safety, although in what regards medical devices (the same being valid for drugs) the two concepts frequently go together, and a lack of efficiency can result in a lack of safety. In the particular case of medical devices, the most debatable defects are the ones related with erroneous or non-existing information and the so-called development defects. This paper analyses how directive 85/374/EEC applies to medical devices, which defects are covered by its regulation, and which criteria can be used to evaluate the product’s safety. Some issues are still to be clarified, even though the decisions from the European Court of Justice and from national courts are valuable tools to understand the scope of directive 85/374/EEC in what regards medical devices.Keywords: medical devices, producer’s liability, product safety, strict liability
Procedia PDF Downloads 3254835 Enhancing Nursing Students’ Communication Using TeamSTEPPS to Improve Patient Safety
Authors: Stefanie Santorsola, Natasha Frank
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Improving healthcare safety necessitates examining current trends and beliefs about safety and devising strategies to improve. Errors in healthcare continue to increase and be experienced by patients, which is preventable and directly correlated to a breakdown in healthcare communication. TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based process designed to improve the quality and safety of healthcare by improving communication and team processes. Communication is at the core of effective team collaboration and is vital for patient safety. TeamSTEPPS offers insights and strategies for improving communication and teamwork and reducing preventable errors to create a safer healthcare environment for patients. The academic, clinical, and educational environment for nursing students is vital in preparing them for professional practice by providing them with foundational knowledge and abilities. This environment provides them with a prime opportunity to learn about errors and the importance of effective communication to enhance patient safety, as nursing students are often unprepared to deal with errors. Proactively introducing and discussing errors through a supportive culture during the nursing student’s academic beginnings has the potential to carry key concepts into practice to improve and enhance patient safety. TeamSTEPPS has been used globally and has collectively positively impacted improvements in patient safety and teamwork. A workshop study was introduced in winter 2023 of registered practical nurses (RPN) students bridging to the baccalaureate nursing program; the majority of the RPNs in the bridging program were actively employed in a variety of healthcare facilities during the semester. The workshop study did receive academic institution ethics board approval, and participants signed a consent form prior to participating in the study. The premise of the workshop was to introduce TeamSTEPPS and a variety of strategies to these students and have students keep a reflective journal to incorporate the presented communication strategies in their practicum setting and keep a reflective journal on the effect and outcomes of the strategies in the healthcare setting. Findings from the workshop study supported the objective of the project, resulting in students verbalizing notable improvements in team functioning in the healthcare environment resulting from the incorporation of enhanced communication strategies from TeamSTEPPS that they were introduced to in the workshop study. Implication for educational institutions is the potential of further advancing the safety literacy and abilities of nursing students in preparing them for entering the workforce and improving safety for patients.Keywords: teamstepps, education, patient safety, communication
Procedia PDF Downloads 604834 Safety System Design and Overfill Protection for Loading Asphalt onto Trucks
Authors: Wendy Ampadu, Ray Diezmos, Hassan Malik, Jeremy Hyslob
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There are several technologies out there for use as high-level switches as part of a system for shutting down flow to a vessel. Given that the asphalt truck loading poses issues such as poor visibility, coating, condensation, and fumes, a solution that is robust enough to last in these conditions is often needed in industries. Furthermore, the design of the loading arm, rack, and process equipment should allow for the safety of workers. The objective of this report includes the redesign of structures for use at loading facilities and selecting an overflow technology protection from hot bitumen. The report is based on loading facilities at a Canadian bitumen production company. The engineering design approach was used to create multiple redesign concepts for the loading dock system. Research on overfill systems was also completed by surveying the existing market for technologies and securing quotes from over 20 Canadian and United States instrumentation companies. A final loading dock redesign and level transmitter for overfill protection solution were chosen.Keywords: bitumen, reliability engineering, safety system, process safety management, asphalt, loading docks, tanker trucks
Procedia PDF Downloads 155