Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-94)

<p>One of the main objectives of all food production is to produce foods that can safely be</p><p>consumed without fear of being sick. Despite this hundreds of people are affected in Sweden of</p><p>food poisoning almost every day. Most cases are caused by a small group of so-called pathogenic</p><p>microorganisms. The most frequently affected are the small children, the elderly, persons with</p><p>reduced resistance and pregnant. The reasons behind the food poisoning are often ignorance and</p><p>lack of food hygiene. The majority of food poisoning can be prevented through knowledge and</p><p>control over food operations.</p><p>On January 1, 2006 a new food legislation started to be applied in Sweden, which sets higher</p><p>requirements for food business. The food business responsibility for the food safety is clarified</p><p>and that it is the food business which has the primary responsibility for tracking and recalling all</p><p>products that pose a danger to consumer’s health.</p><p>HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is an internationally recognized process</p><p>control system for food security and also a legal requirement. Under the new Food Act, food</p><p>business operators are obliged to establish, implement and maintain a HACCP system to ensure</p><p>safe food. HACCP is a systematic approach, which aims to assess the risks of food and bring</p><p>them under control. For food industry, HACCP is currently recognized as the best method of</p><p>controlling food safety.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to establish a general HACCP system for all cooking and receiving</p><p>kitchens in Varberg municipality to ensure the production of safe food.</p><p>Today, there are eight cooking kitchens that prepare approximately 11 300 portions a day and 87</p><p>receiving kitchens which supplies the municipal preschools, schools and the old people's home</p><p>with food every day.</p><p>In order to draw up an overall HACCP system, we examined the cooking kitchen in School</p><p>Peder Skrivare, which prepares approximately 4 300 portions every day, and a receiving kitchen.</p><p>Furthermore, we have during the work time been in contact with five other cooking and</p><p>receiving kitchens to be able to compile the HACCP system.</p>

<p>Healthier and safer working environment is always appreciated. Almost 2 million people at work die every year due to accidents or work-related diseases(source: ILO). Concept of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) has significant importance in industrial sector as compare to universities. Therefore it is common among industries to have standardized Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) than universities. Management systems for OHS provide a systematic way of managing health and safety with continual improvement. It is generally considered that management system of health and safety not only reduces loss and cost of accidents and ill-health, but it also improves the performance and efficiency of employees. Universities and colleges are meant to deliver education which is considered their core objective. Risksrelated to health and safety may weaken their aims and objectives.There are few studies of OHSMS in the context of university. This study aims to contribute to knowledge pool by studying OHS work in universities and explorepossibilities for the implementation of OHSMS. This study is based on literature,Standard and Guidelines of occupational health and safety management systems.In addition, study was performed on OHS work among different universities and acase study of University of Gävle (HiG), for possibilities of implementing OHSMS in universities. HiG has a good history of environmental work with ISO14001 certified Environmental Management system (EMS). SWOT analysis was performed for the possibilities of OHSMS implementation at HiG. There are several standards and guidelines which are based on OHSMS and most of them have compatibility with EMS standards. Most of the universities work for OHS of their employees and students without any management system. Selection of suitable OHSMS standard or guideline is dependent on the university structure and its present OHS work. Existing OHS works of Universities have capability to fulfill few OHSMS requirements defined in several standards and guidelineswhich is positive sign for possibilities of OHSMS implementation at Universities.Healthier and safer working environment is always appreciated. Almost 2 millionpeople at work die every year due to accidents or work-related diseases(source: ILO). Concept of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) has significantimportance in industrial sector as compare to Universities. Therefor it is commonamong industries to have standardized Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) than universities. Management systems for OHS provide a systematic way of managing health and safety with continual improvement. It is generally considered that management system of health and safety not only reduces loss and cost of accidents and ill-health, but it alsoimproves the performance and efficiency of employees. Universities and collegesare meant to deliver education which is considered their core objective. Risksrelated to health and safety may weaken their aims and objectives.There are few studies of OHSMS in the context of university. This study aims to contribute to knowledge pool by studying OHS work in universities and explore possibilities for the implementation of OHSMS. This study is based on literature,Standard and Guidelines of occupational health and safety management systems.In addition, study was performed on OHS work among different universities and acase study of University of Gävle (HiG), for possibilities of implementing OHSMS in universities. HiG has a good history of environmental work with ISO14001 certified Environmental Management system (EMS). SWOT analysis was performed for the possibilities of OHSMS implementation at HiG. There are several standards and guidelines which are based on OHSMS and most of them have compatibility with EMS standards. Most of the universities work for OHS of their employees and students without any management system. Selection of suitable OHSMS standard or guideline is dependent on the university structure and its present OHS work. Existing OHS works of universities have capability to fulfill few OHSMS requirements defined in several standards and guidelines which is positive sign for possibilities of OHSMS implementation at Universities.</p>

<p>A few years ago Westinghouse started the development of a new method for criticality calculations for spent nuclear fuel storage pools called “PHOENIX-to–MCNP” (PHX2MCNP). PHX2MCNP transfers burn-up data from the code PHOENIX to use in MCNP in order to calculate the criticality. This thesis describes a work with the purpose to further validate the new method first by validating the software MCNP5 at higher water temperatures than room temperature and, in a second step, continue the development of the method by adding a new feature to the old script. Finally two studies were made to examine the effect from decay time on criticality and to study the possibility to limit the number of transferred isotopes used in the calculations.</p><p>MCNP was validated against 31 experiments and a statistical evaluation of the results was done. The evaluation showed no correlation between the water temperature of the pool and the criticality. This proved that MCNP5 can be used in criticality calculations in storage pools at higher water temperature.</p><p>The new version of the PHX2MCNP script is called PHX2MCNP version 2 and has the capability to distribute the burnable absorber gadolinium into several radial zones in one pin. The decay time study showed that the maximum criticality occurs immediately after the takeout from the reactor as expected.</p><p>The last study, done to evaluate the possibility to limit the isotopes transferred from PHOENIX to MCNP showed that Case A, a case with the smallest number of isotopes, is conservative for all sections of the fuel element. Case A, which contains only some of the actinides and the strongest absorber of the burnable absorbers gadolinium 155, could therefore be used in future calculations.</p><p>Finally, the need for further validation of the method is discussed.</p>

The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual framework to enhance the redesign of a safety system. To identify the limitations of the current safety system, the concepts of congruency and integration of the safety function within a specific university environment were examined through a case study methodology. An emphasis was placed on the use of models from business and management literature for both the examination of the concepts and the subsequent development of the conceptual framework for the redesign. The researcher emphasized the use of multiple data sources in this study. These sources included: observations, documents, and interviews. A model from French and Bell (1990) was used to examine congruency which included interviewing two stakeholders associated with executive driven planned organizational change processes as well as the safety manager. A perception survey, as suggested by Petersen (1994), was developed and used as part of the examination of safety system integration and administered to twenty interviewees along with the safety manager. The findings provided evidence of gaps which may be hindering the success of the safety function within the organization. By examining organizational direction and comparing those findings to the findings representing the direction of the safety function, gaps in congruency were found. Integration gaps were discovered, in part, through examination of the safety process input, as described by the safety manager, as well as the safety process output as viewed by "customers" of the safety process. Countermeasures to close gaps were discovered in the research and later synthesized into a redesigned conceptual framework. The framework emphasized customer service, a systems approach, and a process perspective as an alternative to the legacy of a traditional, compliance driven safety system found to be in current use. / Graduation date: 1998

Inherent safety has been recognized as a design approach useful to remove or reduce hazards at the source instead of controlling them with add-on protective barriers. However, inherent safety is based on qualitative principles that cannot easily be evaluated and analyzed, and this is one of the major difficulties for the systematic application and quantification of inherent safety in plant design. The present research introduces the use of fuzzy logic for the measurement of inherent safety by proposing a hierarchical fuzzy model. This dissertation establishes a novel conceptual framework for the analysis of inherent safety and proposes a methodology that addresses several of the limitations of the methodologies available for current inherent safety analysis. This research proposes a methodology based on a hierarchical fuzzy model that analyzes the interaction of variables relevant for inherent safety and process safety in general. The use of fuzzy logic is helpful for modeling uncertainty and subjectivities implied in evaluation of certain variables and it is helpful for combining quantitative data with qualitative information. Fuzzy logic offers the advantage of being able to model numerical and heuristic expert knowledge by using fuzzy IF-THEN rules. Safety is traditionally considered a subjective issue because of the high uncertainty associated with its significant descriptors and parameters; however, this research recognizes that rather than subjective, "safety" is a vague problem. Vagueness derives from the fact that it is not possible to define sharp boundaries between safe and unsafe states; therefore the problem is a "matter of degree". The proposed method is computer-based and process simulator-oriented in order to reduce the time and expertise required for the analysis. It is expected that in the future, by linking the present approach to a process simulator, process engineers can develop safety analysis during the early stages of the design in a rapid and systematic way. Another important aspect of inherent safety, rarely addressed, is transportation of chemical substances; this dissertation includes the analysis of transportation hazard by truck using a fuzzy logic-based approach.

Intersections are the most complex locations in a traffic system and are likely to have a higher crash count than any other location in the system. Intersection safety is related to traffic operations, such as traffic signal and approaching volume. The objective of this study is to determine the contributing factor for left-turn crashes at signalized intersections by a statistical modeling process and to develop crash prediction models. Potential contributing factors representing the characteristic of a left-turn operation were identified and considered for inclusion in crash prediction models. HCS (Highway Capacity Software) 2000 was utilized for computing some traffic indicators such as volume to capacity ratio for potential inclusion in the models. Three years of crash data were collected in the College Station area. The Signal timing and Volume data were obtained from public works in College Station. The volume data was sorted into three time periods and signal timing data were obtained for three different time periods: AM, noon, and PM. The division of time periods results from timing plans being changed for different periods. Relationship between crash count and each factor was explored to identify whether the factor has the potential to influence the crash count. Afterwards, the prediction models were developed using the negative binomial structure because of many zero samples. Akaike Information Criteria was used for selecting the model having the best fit. Wald tables provided that variables have significance in affecting the left-turn crash count. Left-turn type, sequence, volume, control delay, and post speed limit were identified as significant factors impacting left-turn crash count at a signalized intersection.

One of the main objectives of all food production is to produce foods that can safely be consumed without fear of being sick. Despite this hundreds of people are affected in Sweden of food poisoning almost every day. Most cases are caused by a small group of so-called pathogenic microorganisms. The most frequently affected are the small children, the elderly, persons with reduced resistance and pregnant. The reasons behind the food poisoning are often ignorance and lack of food hygiene. The majority of food poisoning can be prevented through knowledge and control over food operations. On January 1, 2006 a new food legislation started to be applied in Sweden, which sets higher requirements for food business. The food business responsibility for the food safety is clarified and that it is the food business which has the primary responsibility for tracking and recalling all products that pose a danger to consumer’s health. HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is an internationally recognized process control system for food security and also a legal requirement. Under the new Food Act, food business operators are obliged to establish, implement and maintain a HACCP system to ensure safe food. HACCP is a systematic approach, which aims to assess the risks of food and bring them under control. For food industry, HACCP is currently recognized as the best method of controlling food safety. The purpose of this thesis is to establish a general HACCP system for all cooking and receiving kitchens in Varberg municipality to ensure the production of safe food. Today, there are eight cooking kitchens that prepare approximately 11 300 portions a day and 87 receiving kitchens which supplies the municipal preschools, schools and the old people's home with food every day. In order to draw up an overall HACCP system, we examined the cooking kitchen in School Peder Skrivare, which prepares approximately 4 300 portions every day, and a receiving kitchen. Furthermore, we have during the work time been in contact with five other cooking and receiving kitchens to be able to compile the HACCP system.

The purpose of the research was a formative assessment of Diné (Navajo) parents and community leaders' needs for a training program for the prevention of livestock injuries including those that are horse-related. The research objectives were to identify parents' perceived livestock and horse related injury risks to Diné children and describe Diné community stake holder input on prevention interventions for reducing injury risks to children associated with livestock and horse-related activities on the farm or ranch. The assessment utilized a survey constructed of closed and open-ended questions to gauge Diné farmers' and ranchers' perceptions of injury risks to children who live or work on an agricultural operation. Additional questions were asked to gauge Diné acceptance of an online training program as a prevention intervention to reduce livestock and horse-related injuries to children. A total of 96 individuals agreed to participate in the survey and provided usable responses. A total of 53% of participants were female. There were 58 individuals who perceived that a youth who worked with intact male livestock was at a high risk for injury. A total of 25 individuals perceived that a youth who rides a horse without an equestrian riding helmet was at a high risk for injury. There were 48 individuals who strongly agreed that they would utilize an interactive internet resource to promote agricultural safety for Diné youth. There were 22 individuals who strongly agreed that they would utilize internet social networks to promote agricultural safety and health for Diné youth. This project may serve as a model of collaboration to help researchers address the agricultural safety needs of other vulnerable populations. When participants were asked if there were safety issues associated with having youth working on the farm or ranch, a very large portion felt that the biggest issue was a lack of education and instruction from their elders.

A design approach for an aircraft takeoff performance monitoring system (TOPMS) is described. In this approach, it is proposed that the Global Positioning System (GPS) in conjunction with a discrete Kalman Filter be used to determine aircraft acceleration, ground speed, and position relative to the end of the runway. A practical evaluation of the feasibility of this proposal showed clear superiority of a GPS-derived acceleration over a more traditional method employing accelerometers. This study found that, when compared to observations from carefully mounted accelerometers, the GPS-derived observation agreed to within 0.10 metres per second squared ninety percent of the time. Advantages of the GPS-derived observation included a modest noise level, insusceptibility to gravity and temperature-influenced variations, and far simplified mounting criteria. A theoretical dynamic model of an aircraft in contact with the ground was developed in consideration of factors pertaining to runways at far-northern Canadian airports. In the model, factors such as runway slope, wind velocity, wheel friction coefficient, and aircraft control settings were considered constant. While variability in any parameter considered constant by the model could influence the performance of a TOPMS, such variability was deemed beyond the scope of this preliminary investigation of a TOPMS designed specifically for the far-northern environment. A device containing a GPS receiver and data acquisition system was designed and certified, then installed in an aircraft operated by an airline servicing far-northern Canadian airports. The data collected in this manner were used to validate the theoretical model. It was concluded that a projection of displacement can be determined to within an uncertainty of fifteen metres in sufficient time to alert the pilot of an unsafe situation.