Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Many organisations have reached plateaus in their safety performance and are constantly exploring new methods to improve. Traditional safety practices e.g. engineering solutions, safety management systems, and other administrative controls do not enable organisations to make the required step change in safety performance. Safety culture is a new safety “buzz word” and is promoted as a phenomenon that could assist organisations in improving safety performance in their endeavour to safety excellence. It is however, a relatively new concept and research in this field was completed during the past two decades only. Safety culture is a multi-dimensional, dynamic and complex concept. An improved understanding of the safety culture concept is required to enable organisations to determine the value of pursuing safety culture enhancement in their quest for superior safety performance.

Este estudo aborda a produção brasileira de historiografia da química em artigos de periódicos, no período de 1974 a 2004. O pressuposto investigado é a interligação entre a atividade química industrial desenvolvida no país e a quantidade de artigos produzida. A discussão do debate internalista/externalista foi escolhida para iluminar alguns aspectos dessa produção, ao longo do período. Para isso, realizamos levantamentos dos artigos nos principais periódicos brasileiros que abrigam a historiografia da química, bem como a produção industrial do setor químico nacional no período estudado. A análise desse conjunto de dados nos revelou que existe uma inter-relação entre a produção industrial e a historiografia da química / This study broaches the Brazilian production of chemistry historiography in articles from periodicals embracing the period from 1974 to 2004. The presupposition under investigation is the interconnection between the industrial chemical activity developed in the country and the quantity of articles produced. The discussion on the internalist/externalist issue was chosen to highlight some aspects of that production during that period. In order to achieve that we carried out a survey of articles in the major Brazilian periodicals that cover chemistry historiography as well as the national chemical sector industrial production during the studied period. The analysis of that data has revealed that there is an interconnection between the industrial production and chemical historiography

En industrie chimique, on cherche continuellement des molécules biologiquement actives essentiellement pour les domaines pharmaceutique et agrochimique. De plus en plus les exigences à ces produits deviennent dures. Elles concernent, par exemple, les activités secondaires ou l'écotoxicité. En conséquence, un grand nombre de structures doit être testé pour trouver des composés actifs remplissant les propriétés imposées. En parallèle, les capacités dans l'industrie pour tester un grand nombre de composés différents en peu de temps ont considérablement augmentées. En conséquence, l'industrie cherche des nouvelles méthodes de synthèse pour accéder rapidement à une plus grande variété des structures moléculaires.Dans ce contexte, l'industrie chimique et pharmaceutique s'intéresse fortement aux réactions photochimiques appliquées en synthèse organique. Ces réactions permettent de synthétiser des composés en grande variété structurale inaccessibles par la synthèse organique conventionnelle. Les produits des réactions photochimiques sont une partie de l’espace chimique qui n’a pas encore été complètement exploré pour la recherche des structures avec de l’activité biologique.Dans les travaux de thèse presentés nous nous sommes interessés d’abord à la photocycloaddition [2+2] entre un groupement carbonyl et un alcène, la réaction de Paternò-Büchi. Nous avons utilisé cette reáction pour obtenir des oxétanes qui possèdent des groupements intéressants en agrochimie et au même temps des sites clés qui permettront d’autres transformations lors des étapes ultérieures. Par la suite nous avons exploré la réaction de Paternò-Büchi avec des alcènes fluorés. Les résultats ont été très encourageants. Nous avons découvert une nouvelle famille d’oxétanes fluorés très stables. Au vu de ses propriétés, ces produits peuvent être utilisés comme des <chassis moléculaires> pour l’obtention des composés biologiquement actifs. D’autre côté, une nouvelle reactivité photochimique a été découverte : il s’agit d’une réaction Photo-Wittig analogue. Cette reactivité chimique dépend des substituants sur le carbonyl. Nous pensons que cette réactivité chimique est directement liée à l’état excité du carbonyl. / In life sciences, there is a continuos research for new biological active molecules, this is true for both pharmaceultical industry and agrochemical industry. In the last years regulations have become more and more severe. In recent years, the technology for the test of new chemical compounds in industry has considerably evolved. Nowdays it is possible to test a vast number of compounds for the screening of biological activity in a short time. This means that industry is searching for new methodologies that allow the obtention of diverse chemical structures that can present biological activity.In this context, chemical industry, in particular, pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry are interested in the use of photochemical reactions in organic synthesis. Photochemical reactions allow the obtention of a variety of complex structures that are not easily obtained by classical methods. This chemical space has not been completly explored in the search of biological active compounds.In the works presented in this PhD research we first explored the [2+2] photocycloadtion of a carbonyl compound to an olefin, the called Paternò-Büchi reaction. We succesfully applied this reaction to obtain oxetanes wich posses agro-like substituents and key sites for further functionalization, a requirement demanded in industry. We also explored the use of fluorinated olefins in this photoreaction. The results are very promising: we discovered a new family of stable fluorinated oxetanes. These compounds can be used cas molecular scaffolds for the obtention of biological active compounds. At the same time, we discovered a new photochemical reactivity: a Photo-Wittig like reaction. This new reactivity depends on the substitution pattern of the carbonyl group. We hypothesize that the new reactivity depends on the excited state of the carbonyl compound.

by Chan Cheong Hee (Kenneth). / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / table of contents --- p.iii / appendix --- p.iv / preface --- p.v / Part I (1989-1991) / Chapter a. --- background --- p.1 / Chapter b. --- organization settings --- p.5 / Chapter c. --- issues that drive the changes --- p.14 / Chapter d. --- diagnosis --- p.17 / Chapter e. --- interventions --- p.22 / Chapter f. --- commentaries --- p.25 / part ii (1992 - future) / Chapter a. --- introduction --- p.28 / Chapter b. --- diagnosis --- p.29 / Chapter c. --- interventions recommended --- p.44 / Chapter d. --- conclusion --- p.57 / appendix / Chapter I. --- PRC/HK SALES ORGANIZATION / Chapter II. --- PRC REP. OFFICE ORGANIZATION / Chapter III. --- CURRENT SITUATION - JOB RESPONSIBILITIES OF HK BASED SALES REP. AND LOCAL NATIONAL / Chapter IV. --- PERCEPTION OF CURRENT ORGANIZATION / Chapter V. --- ULTIMATE ARRANGEMENT / Chapter VI. --- COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATION INTERIM REPORT - 11 CRITICAL ISSUES / Chapter VII. --- ORGANIZATION CHANGE - DISCUSSION WITH STAFF / Chapter VIII. --- QUESTIONNAIRE FORM / Chapter IX. --- QUESTIONNAIRE RESULT / Chapter X. --- organization chart - 1996 projection

Este estudo aborda a produção brasileira de historiografia da química em artigos de periódicos, no período de 1974 a 2004. O pressuposto investigado é a interligação entre a atividade química industrial desenvolvida no país e a quantidade de artigos produzida. A discussão do debate internalista/externalista foi escolhida para iluminar alguns aspectos dessa produção, ao longo do período. Para isso, realizamos levantamentos dos artigos nos principais periódicos brasileiros que abrigam a historiografia da química, bem como a produção industrial do setor químico nacional no período estudado. A análise desse conjunto de dados nos revelou que existe uma inter-relação entre a produção industrial e a historiografia da química / This study broaches the Brazilian production of chemistry historiography in articles from periodicals embracing the period from 1974 to 2004. The presupposition under investigation is the interconnection between the industrial chemical activity developed in the country and the quantity of articles produced. The discussion on the internalist/externalist issue was chosen to highlight some aspects of that production during that period. In order to achieve that we carried out a survey of articles in the major Brazilian periodicals that cover chemistry historiography as well as the national chemical sector industrial production during the studied period. The analysis of that data has revealed that there is an interconnection between the industrial production and chemical historiography

Past operational practices at chemical manufacturing facilities and widespread use of synthetic chemicals in agriculture, industry, and military operations have introduced many anthropogenic compounds to the biosphere. Some of them are readily biodegradable as a likely consequence of bacterial evolution of efficient degradation pathways, whereas others are partially degraded or persistent in the environment. Insight about biodegradation mechanisms and distribution of bacteria responsible provide the basis to predict the fate of synthetic chemicals in the environment and to enable bioremediation. The main focus of the research described here encompasses basic science to discover pathways and evolutionary implications of aerobic biodegradation of two specific synthetic chemicals, cis-dichloroethene (cDCE) and diphenylamine (DPA). cDCE is a suspected carcinogen that frequently accumulates due to transformation of perchloroethene and trichloroethene at many contaminated sites. Polaromonas sp. strain JS666 is the only isolate able to use cDCE as the growth substrate, but the degradation mechanism was unknown. In this study, the degradation pathway of cDCE by strain JS666 and the genes involved were determined by using heterologous gene expression, inhibition studies, enzyme assays, and analysis of intermediates. The requirement of oxygen for cDCE degradation and inhibition of cDCE degradation by cytochrome P450 specific inhibitors suggested that cytochrome P450 monooxygenase catalyzes the initial steps of cDCE degradation. The finding was supported by the observation that an E. coli recombinant expressing cytochrome P450 monooxygenase catalyzes the transformation of cDCE to dichloroacetaldehyde and small amounts of the epoxide. Both the transient accumulation of dichloroacetaldehyde in cDCE degrading cultures and dichloroacetaldehyde dehydrogenase activities in cell extracts of JS666 further support a pathway involving the degradation of cDCE through dichloroacetaldehyde. Molecular phylogeny of the cytochrome P450 gene and organization of neighboring genes suggest that the cDCE degradation pathway evolved in a progenitor capable of degrading dichloroacetaldehyde by the recruitment of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase gene from alkane assimilating bacteria. The discovery provides insight about the evolution of the aerobic cDCE biodegradation pathway and sets the stage for field applications. DPA has been widely used as a precursor of dyes, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and photographic chemicals and as a stabilizer for explosives, but little was known about the biodegradation of the compound. Therefore, bacteria able to use DPA as the growth substrate were isolated by selective enrichment from DPA-contaminated sediment and the degradation pathway and the genes that encode the enzymes were elucidated. Transposon mutagenesis, the sequence similarity of putative open reading frames to those of well characterized dioxygenases, and 18O2 experiments support the conclusion that the initial reaction in DPA degradation is catalyzed by a multi-component ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase. Aniline and catechol produced from the initial reaction of DPA degradation are then completely degraded via the common aniline degradation pathway. Molecular phylogeny and organization of the genes involved were investigated to provide insight about the evolution of DPA biodegradation. The fate and transport of toxic chemicals are of a great concern at several historically contaminated sites where anoxic contaminant plumes emerge into water bodies. The release of toxic chemicals to overlying water poses a potential source of environmental exposure. Bench scale studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of biodegradation on the transport of toxic chemicals across the sediment/water interface. These studies demonstrated that substantial populations of bacteria associated with organic detritus at the interface rapidly biodegrade toxic chemicals as they migrate from contaminated sediment to overlying water, suggesting that the natural attenuation processes serve as a remedial strategy for contaminated sediments and protect the overlying water.

No description available.

A preocupação com a preservação ambiental avança no mundo todo, e a pressão pela busca de alternativas e modos mais limpos de produção cresce em todo o mundo e todos os setores da produção. Um setor com uma parcela cada vez maior de responsabilidade a cerca do meio ambiente é o empresarial. Muitos dos avanços realizados nesse setor na questão ambiental ocorreram e ocorrem devido à pressão e exigências dos seus stakeholders. Com a necessidade de atender às pressões de stakeholders e legislações cada vez mais rigorosas, as empresas e indústrias precisam inovar na busca de soluções para seus desafios ambientais. A indústria química sempre esteve no foco de discussões ambientais, por trabalhar com produtos potencialmente tóxicos, e é um dos setores que mais sofre pressão para implantar inovações ambientais. Essas inovações empresariais vêm em forma de sistemas de gestão ambiental, baseados em propostas como o SGA, ISO 14001, Programa de Atuação Responsável, Produção Mais Limpa e, mais especificamente no caso da indústria química, a Química Verde. As experiências mostram casos de sucesso na implantação de sistemas de gestão ambiental em grandes empresas, porém as pequenas empresas e suas possibilidades são pouco discutidas. Nesse contexto, este estudo teve por objetivo analisar as propostas disponíveis para a elaboração de um sistema de gestão ambiental adequado para o setor de produção de uma pequena empresa do setor químico da Grande Porto Alegre. O estudo de caso envolveu uma pesquisa exploratória com três empresas que já obtiveram sucesso na implantação de sistemas de gestão ambiental, o diagnóstico da empresa do estudo de caso, o levantamento dos processos produtivos lá realizados, a detecção dos principais aspectos ambientais do seu setor produtivo e o mapeamento dos seus stakeholders. A partir da análise das propostas de gestão ambiental elaborou-se uma síntese teórica. Tal síntese subsidiou a elaboração de uma proposta de gestão ambiental específica para a empresa do estudo de caso. Foram levados em consideração sua condição de pequena empresa, a relação com seus stakeholders e seus principais aspectos ambientais. / The concern about environmental preservation increases around the world, and the pressure for searching for alternative and cleaner methods of production grows in the world and in all sectors of production. A sector with a share of increasing responsibility about the environment is the enterprise. Many of the advances made in this sector concerning environmental issues occurred and occur due to the pressure and demands of their stakeholders. In needing to attend to the pressures of stakeholders and increasingly stringent laws, businesses and industries need to innovate and find solutions to their environmental issues. The chemical industry has always been in the focus of environmental discussions, for dealing with potentially toxic products, and is one of the sectors that suffer more pressure to deploy environmental innovations. These business innovations come in the form of environmental management systems, based on proposals such as EMS, ISO 14001, Responsible Care, Cleaner Production, and more specifically in the chemical industry case, Green Chemistry. Experiments show cases of success in the implementation of environmental management systems in large enterprises, but small businesses and their possibilities are not discussed. In that context, this study aimed to examine the available proposals for the preparation of an environmental management system suitable for the production sector of a small chemical company in Grande Porto Alegre. The case study involved an exploratory research with three companies that have successfully deployment an environmental management system, the diagnosis of the case study enterprise, the production processes performed there, the detection of the major environmental aspects of its productive sector and the mapping of its stakeholders. A theoretical synthesis was made from the analysis of the proposals for environmental management. This synthesis subsidized the preparation of an environmental management proposal, specific for the case study company. The company’s relationship with its stakeholders, its main environmental aspects and the fact that it’s a small business, were taken into account.

A preocupação com a preservação ambiental avança no mundo todo, e a pressão pela busca de alternativas e modos mais limpos de produção cresce em todo o mundo e todos os setores da produção. Um setor com uma parcela cada vez maior de responsabilidade a cerca do meio ambiente é o empresarial. Muitos dos avanços realizados nesse setor na questão ambiental ocorreram e ocorrem devido à pressão e exigências dos seus stakeholders. Com a necessidade de atender às pressões de stakeholders e legislações cada vez mais rigorosas, as empresas e indústrias precisam inovar na busca de soluções para seus desafios ambientais. A indústria química sempre esteve no foco de discussões ambientais, por trabalhar com produtos potencialmente tóxicos, e é um dos setores que mais sofre pressão para implantar inovações ambientais. Essas inovações empresariais vêm em forma de sistemas de gestão ambiental, baseados em propostas como o SGA, ISO 14001, Programa de Atuação Responsável, Produção Mais Limpa e, mais especificamente no caso da indústria química, a Química Verde. As experiências mostram casos de sucesso na implantação de sistemas de gestão ambiental em grandes empresas, porém as pequenas empresas e suas possibilidades são pouco discutidas. Nesse contexto, este estudo teve por objetivo analisar as propostas disponíveis para a elaboração de um sistema de gestão ambiental adequado para o setor de produção de uma pequena empresa do setor químico da Grande Porto Alegre. O estudo de caso envolveu uma pesquisa exploratória com três empresas que já obtiveram sucesso na implantação de sistemas de gestão ambiental, o diagnóstico da empresa do estudo de caso, o levantamento dos processos produtivos lá realizados, a detecção dos principais aspectos ambientais do seu setor produtivo e o mapeamento dos seus stakeholders. A partir da análise das propostas de gestão ambiental elaborou-se uma síntese teórica. Tal síntese subsidiou a elaboração de uma proposta de gestão ambiental específica para a empresa do estudo de caso. Foram levados em consideração sua condição de pequena empresa, a relação com seus stakeholders e seus principais aspectos ambientais. / The concern about environmental preservation increases around the world, and the pressure for searching for alternative and cleaner methods of production grows in the world and in all sectors of production. A sector with a share of increasing responsibility about the environment is the enterprise. Many of the advances made in this sector concerning environmental issues occurred and occur due to the pressure and demands of their stakeholders. In needing to attend to the pressures of stakeholders and increasingly stringent laws, businesses and industries need to innovate and find solutions to their environmental issues. The chemical industry has always been in the focus of environmental discussions, for dealing with potentially toxic products, and is one of the sectors that suffer more pressure to deploy environmental innovations. These business innovations come in the form of environmental management systems, based on proposals such as EMS, ISO 14001, Responsible Care, Cleaner Production, and more specifically in the chemical industry case, Green Chemistry. Experiments show cases of success in the implementation of environmental management systems in large enterprises, but small businesses and their possibilities are not discussed. In that context, this study aimed to examine the available proposals for the preparation of an environmental management system suitable for the production sector of a small chemical company in Grande Porto Alegre. The case study involved an exploratory research with three companies that have successfully deployment an environmental management system, the diagnosis of the case study enterprise, the production processes performed there, the detection of the major environmental aspects of its productive sector and the mapping of its stakeholders. A theoretical synthesis was made from the analysis of the proposals for environmental management. This synthesis subsidized the preparation of an environmental management proposal, specific for the case study company. The company’s relationship with its stakeholders, its main environmental aspects and the fact that it’s a small business, were taken into account.

A preocupação com a preservação ambiental avança no mundo todo, e a pressão pela busca de alternativas e modos mais limpos de produção cresce em todo o mundo e todos os setores da produção. Um setor com uma parcela cada vez maior de responsabilidade a cerca do meio ambiente é o empresarial. Muitos dos avanços realizados nesse setor na questão ambiental ocorreram e ocorrem devido à pressão e exigências dos seus stakeholders. Com a necessidade de atender às pressões de stakeholders e legislações cada vez mais rigorosas, as empresas e indústrias precisam inovar na busca de soluções para seus desafios ambientais. A indústria química sempre esteve no foco de discussões ambientais, por trabalhar com produtos potencialmente tóxicos, e é um dos setores que mais sofre pressão para implantar inovações ambientais. Essas inovações empresariais vêm em forma de sistemas de gestão ambiental, baseados em propostas como o SGA, ISO 14001, Programa de Atuação Responsável, Produção Mais Limpa e, mais especificamente no caso da indústria química, a Química Verde. As experiências mostram casos de sucesso na implantação de sistemas de gestão ambiental em grandes empresas, porém as pequenas empresas e suas possibilidades são pouco discutidas. Nesse contexto, este estudo teve por objetivo analisar as propostas disponíveis para a elaboração de um sistema de gestão ambiental adequado para o setor de produção de uma pequena empresa do setor químico da Grande Porto Alegre. O estudo de caso envolveu uma pesquisa exploratória com três empresas que já obtiveram sucesso na implantação de sistemas de gestão ambiental, o diagnóstico da empresa do estudo de caso, o levantamento dos processos produtivos lá realizados, a detecção dos principais aspectos ambientais do seu setor produtivo e o mapeamento dos seus stakeholders. A partir da análise das propostas de gestão ambiental elaborou-se uma síntese teórica. Tal síntese subsidiou a elaboração de uma proposta de gestão ambiental específica para a empresa do estudo de caso. Foram levados em consideração sua condição de pequena empresa, a relação com seus stakeholders e seus principais aspectos ambientais. / The concern about environmental preservation increases around the world, and the pressure for searching for alternative and cleaner methods of production grows in the world and in all sectors of production. A sector with a share of increasing responsibility about the environment is the enterprise. Many of the advances made in this sector concerning environmental issues occurred and occur due to the pressure and demands of their stakeholders. In needing to attend to the pressures of stakeholders and increasingly stringent laws, businesses and industries need to innovate and find solutions to their environmental issues. The chemical industry has always been in the focus of environmental discussions, for dealing with potentially toxic products, and is one of the sectors that suffer more pressure to deploy environmental innovations. These business innovations come in the form of environmental management systems, based on proposals such as EMS, ISO 14001, Responsible Care, Cleaner Production, and more specifically in the chemical industry case, Green Chemistry. Experiments show cases of success in the implementation of environmental management systems in large enterprises, but small businesses and their possibilities are not discussed. In that context, this study aimed to examine the available proposals for the preparation of an environmental management system suitable for the production sector of a small chemical company in Grande Porto Alegre. The case study involved an exploratory research with three companies that have successfully deployment an environmental management system, the diagnosis of the case study enterprise, the production processes performed there, the detection of the major environmental aspects of its productive sector and the mapping of its stakeholders. A theoretical synthesis was made from the analysis of the proposals for environmental management. This synthesis subsidized the preparation of an environmental management proposal, specific for the case study company. The company’s relationship with its stakeholders, its main environmental aspects and the fact that it’s a small business, were taken into account.