• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.420-427
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• 2019

Introduction: To prevent and manage the societal and economic burden of occupational diseases (ODs), countries should develop strong prevention policies, health surveillance and registry systems. This study aims to contribute to the improvement of OD surveillance at national level as well as to identify priority actions in Turkey. Methods: The history and current status of occupational health studies were considered from the perspective of OD surveillance. Interpretative research was done through literature review on occupational health at national, regional and international level. Analyses were focused on countries' experiences in policy development and practice, roles and responsibilities of institutions, multidisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration. OD surveillance models of Turkey, Belgium and the Netherlands were examined through exchange visits. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to explore the peculiarities of legislative and institutional structures, the best and worst practices, and approach principles. Results: Some countries are more focused on exploring OD trends through effective and cost-efficient researches, with particular attention to new and emerging ODs. Other countries try to reach every single case of OD for compensation and rehabilitation. Each practice has advantages and shortcomings, but they are not mutually exclusive, and thus an effective combination is possible. Conclusion: Effective surveillance and registry approaches play a key role in the prevention of ODs. A well-designed system enables monitoring and assessment of OD prevalence and trends, and adoption of preventive measures while improving the effectiveness of redressing and compensation. A robust surveillance does not only provide protection of workers' health but also advances prevention of economic losses.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.389-392
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• 2019

When conducting an exposure assessment, the primary goal of the industrial hygienist is to fully characterize the worker's exposure during a work shift to compare it with an occupational exposure limit. This applies regardless of the duration of the work activity as an activity that is relatively short in duration can still present exposure in excess of the occupational exposure limit even when normalized over an 8-hr shift. This goal, however, is often impeded by the specification of a minimum sample volume in the published sampling method, which may prevent the sample from being collected or submitted for analysis. Removing the specification of minimum sample volume (or adjusting it from a requirement to a recommendation), in contrast, allows for a broader assessment of jobs that consist of short-duration and high-exposure activities and also eliminates the unnecessary practice of running sampling pumps in clean air to collect a specified, minimum volume.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.215-221
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• 2017

An electromagnetic (EM) wave absorber reduces the possibility of radar detection by minimizing the radar cross section (RCS) of structures. In this study, a radar absorbing structure (RAS) was applied to the leading edge of a blended wing body aircraft to reduce RCS in X-band (8.2~12.4GHz) radar. The RAS was composed of a periodic pattern resistive sheet with conductive lossy material and glass-fiber/epoxy composite as a spacer. The applied RAS is a multifunctional composite structure which has both electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing ability and load-bearing ability. A two dimensional unit absorber was designed first in a flat-plate shape, and then the fabricated leading edge structure incorporating the above RAS was investigated, using simulated and free-space measured reflection loss data from the flat-plate absorber. The leading edge was implemented on the aircraft, and its RCS was measured with respect to various azimuth angles in both polarizations (VV and HH). The RCS reduction effect of the RAS was evaluated in comparison with a leading edge of carbon fabric reinforced plastics (CFRP). The designed leading edge structure was examined through static structural analysis for various aircraft load cases to check structural integrity in terms of margin of safety. The mechanical and structural characteristics of CFRP, RAS and CFRP with RAM structures were also discussed in terms of their weight.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.323-334
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• 2013

During a hypothetical core-disruptive accident (CDA) in a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), degraded core materials can form roughly conically-shaped debris beds over the core-support structure and/or in the lower inlet plenum of the reactor vessel from rapid quenching and fragmentation of the core material pool. However, coolant boiling may ultimately lead to leveling of the debris bed, which is crucial to the relocation of the molten core and heat-removal capability of the debris bed. To clarify the mechanisms underlying this self-leveling behavior, a large number of experiments were performed within a variety of conditions in recent years, under the constructive collaboration between the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Kyushu University (Japan). The present contribution synthesizes and gives detailed comparative analyses of those experiments. Effects of various experimental parameters that may have potential influence on the leveling process, such as boiling mode, particle size, particle density, particle shape, bubbling rate, water depth and column geometry, were investigated, thus giving a large palette of favorable data for the better understanding of CDAs, and improved verifications of computer models developed in advanced fast reactor safety analysis codes.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.108-115
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• 2023

Although hydrazine is an excellent liquid propellant, caution is required during storage and handling due to its high toxicity and reactivity. Safety guidelines should be established in consideration of the chemical reactivity by unintended leakage. In this study, the status of hydrazine facilities at launch site and safety standards for storing and handling were investigated and then, the reactivity between chemicals and hydrazine was analyzed. As a result of the analysis, hydrazine has reactivity with the exception of fuel oil. This paper emphasizes the imperative nature of constructing a dedicated hydrazine storage facility. Ensuring compatibility between hydrazine and the materials used in storage containers and handling equipment is crucial to prevent undesired reactions that could compromise safety. It was intended to be used as basic data to secure the range safety when handling hydrazine.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.163-182
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• 2014

Safety factors proposed in codes CEB, B.A.E.L 91 and EUROCODE 1 cover a great number of uncertainties; making them inadequate for the assessment of existing structures. Suitable safety factors are established using a probabilistic assessment, once real dimensions, materials strength and existing structures deterioration mechanisms are taken into account. This paper presents a calibration method for safety factors using a typical set of RC bridges in France. It considers the principal stages of corrosion provoked by $CO_2$ and $Cl^-$ penetration and threshold indexes (${\beta}_0$) for existing structures. Reliability indexes are determined by the FORM method in the calibration method.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.884-894
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• 2023

Design and safety assessment of fuel pins for application in innovative Generation IV fast reactors calls for a dedicated nuclear fuel modelling and for the extension of the fuel performance code capabilities to the envisaged materials and irradiation conditions. In the INSPYRE Project, comprehensive and physics-based models for the thermal-mechanical properties of U-Pu mixed-oxide (MOX) fuels and for fission gas behaviour were developed and implemented in the European fuel performance codes GERMINAL, MACROS and TRANSURANUS. As a follow-up to the assessment of the reference code versions ("pre-INSPYRE", NET 53 (2021) 3367-3378), this work presents the integral validation and benchmark of the code versions extended in INSPYRE ("post-INSPYRE") against two pins from the SUPERFACT-1 fast reactor irradiation experiment. The post-INSPYRE simulation results are compared to the available integral and local data from post-irradiation examinations, and benchmarked on the evolution during irradiation of quantities of engineering interest (e.g., fuel central temperature, fission gas release). The comparison with the pre-INSPYRE results is reported to evaluate the impact of the novel models on the predicted pin performance. The outcome represents a step forward towards the description of fuel behaviour in fast reactor irradiation conditions, and allows the identification of the main remaining gaps.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.207-220
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• 2023

The safety of bridges are critical in our transportation infrastructure. Bridge design and analysis require complex structural analysis procedures to ensure their safety and stability. One common method is to calculate the maximum moment in the girders to determine the appropriate bridge section. Girder distribution factors (GDFs) provide a simpler approach for performing this analysis. A GDF is a ratio between the response of a single girder and the total response of all girders in the bridge. This paper explores the significance of GDFs in bridge analysis and design, including their importance in the evaluation of existing bridges. We utilized Bridge Weigh-in-motion (B-WIM) measurements of five simple supported girder bridge in Indonesia to develop a simple GDF provisions for the Indonesia's bridge design code. The B-WIM measurements enable us to know each girder strain as a response due to vehicle loading as the vehicle passes the bridge. The calculated GDF obtained from the B-WIM measurements were compared with the code-specified GDF and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) bridge design specification. Our study found that the code specified GDF was adequate or conservative compared to the GDF obtained from the B-WIM measurements. The proposed GDF equation correlates well with the AASHTO LRFD bridge design specification. Developing appropriate provisions for GDFs in Indonesian bridge design codes can provides a practical solution for designing girder bridges in Indonesia, ensuring safety while allowing for easier calculations and assessments based on B-WIM measurements.

• East Asian Journal of Business Economics (EAJBE)
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.48-55
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• 2014

Indian railways has been regularly in the news albeit for the wrong reasons. The frequency with which train accidents have been taking place has led to serious doubts in the public mind about the safety of rail travel and also the health of the network. Against this background, an attempt is made in this paper to assess the trends in railway accidents for the period from 2000-01 to 2009-10. The paper also highlighted the various measures taken by IR to prevent accidents to ensure safety to the public.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.18-23
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• 2016

Self-assembly of organic molecules is formed spontaneously on surfaces by electrostatic interaction with substrate. This research has shown that the self-assembly improves safety and handling tractability of high-energetic materials (HEMs). According to the recent study, control of the specific crystal size for reducing the internal defects is mightily important, because the internal defects are a factor in unstability of HEMs. In turn, we performed self-assembly of organic molecules and HEMs by using nano-sized HEMs, which were produced by drowing-out or milling/crystallization. Surface modification efficiency was decided by size distribution, zeta-potential, friction sensitivity and electrostatic charge.