Managing Scarce Water Resources in China's Coal Power Industry.

Coal power generation capacity is expanding rapidly in the arid northwest regions in China. Its impact on water resources is attracting growing concerns from policy-makers, researchers, as well as mass media. This paper briefly describes the situation of electricity-water conflict in China and provides a comprehensive review on a variety of water resources management policies in China's coal power industry. These policies range from mandatory regulations to incentive-based instruments, covering water withdrawal standards, technological requirements on water saving, unconventional water resources utilization (such as reclaimed municipal wastewater, seawater, and mine water), water resources fee, and water permit transfer. Implementing these policies jointly is of crucial importance for alleviating the water stress from the expanding coal power industry in China.

WNA's worldwide overview on front-end nuclear fuel cycle growth and health, safety and environmental issues.

This paper presents the WNA's worldwide nuclear industry overview on the anticipated growth of the front-end nuclear fuel cycle from uranium mining to conversion and enrichment, and on the related key health, safety, and environmental (HSE) issues and challenges. It also puts an emphasis on uranium mining in new producing countries with insufficiently developed regulatory regimes that pose greater HSE concerns. It introduces the new WNA policy on uranium mining: Sustaining Global Best Practices in Uranium Mining and Processing-Principles for Managing Radiation, Health and Safety and the Environment, which is an outgrowth of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cooperation project that closely involved industry and governmental experts in uranium mining from around the world.

[The role of workplace health promotion in the concept of corporate social responsibility]. / Promocja zdrowia w miejscu pracy w koncepcji spolecznej odpowiedzialnosci biznesu (CSR).

Workplace health promotion (WHP) is an idea that was conceived over 25 years ago. At its very core is the wellbeing of employees. The development and dissemination of this notion, as well as the implementation of its basic principles have always been challenged by various theories and practices derived from the field of human resources management. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one of such new concepts promulgated within the European Union Based on the literature review, especially European Commission documents, articles retrieved in the EBSCO database, guidelines and guidebooks published by the CSR Forum, other NGOs active in the field, and the publications of the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, the author makes an attempt to compare these two ideas and discuss the coherence between their assumptions. The primary hypothesis was that WHP is an element of CSR. The comparison between CSR and WHP concepts confirm a hypothesis that the latter is an element of the former, which means that activities aimed at taking care of health and well-being of employees contribute to the creation of a socially responsible company. It indicates that the implementation of both ideas requires multidisciplinary and holistic approach. In addition, the role of social dialog and workers' participation in the company management are strongly emphasized.

Environmental liability and life-cycle management of used lubricating oils.

Used oil handling, as a business, requires an extensive understanding by management that environmental liabilities exist through its supply chain. Findings from a review of the legal requirements of operating a used oil handling business were: understanding the transfer of ownership of used petroleum hydrocarbons is critical to any such business and how this is documented; used oil handlers are responsible for providing training to their staff, including site personnel and any third party waste contractors, and for communicating best practice procedures relating to the management of used petroleum hydrocarbons to all those individuals and organisations involved in business relationships that the used oil handling companies have; used oil handlers should audit the performance of any third party contractors that it engages to conduct work on behalf of its customers. Hypothetical situations of a company planning to enter the used oil handling market are described in relation to petroleum hydrocarbon wastes it handles to illustrate the range of potential liabilities. Companies proposing to establish a used oil handling business should ensure that they provide accurate advice to its employees, its customer's employees and to its third party contractors, all of which may be responsible for handling used petroleum hydrocarbons as part of the service it intends to provide, and that it has a well documented system addressing how environmental issues are managed.

Six Sigma pricing.

Many companies are now good at managing costs and wringing out manufacturing efficiencies. The TQM movement and the disciplines of Six Sigma have seen to that. But the discipline so often brought to the cost side of the business equation is found far less commonly on the revenue side. The authors describe how a global manufacturer of industrial equipment, which they call Acme Incorporated, recently applied Six Sigma to one major revenue related activity--the price-setting process. It seemed to Acme's executives that pricing closely resembled many manufacturing processes. So, with the help of a Six Sigma black belt from manufacturing, a manager from Acme's pricing division recruited a team to carry out the five Six Sigma steps: Define what constitutes a defect. At Acme, a defect was an item sold at an unauthorized price. Gather data and prepare it for analysis. That involved mapping out the existing pricing-agreement process. Analyze the data. The team identified the ways in which people failed to carry out or assert effective control at each stage. Recommend modifications to the existing process. The team sought to decrease the number of unapproved prices without creating an onerous approval apparatus. Create controls. This step enabled Acme to sustain and extend the improvements in its pricing procedures. As a result of the changes, Acme earned dollar 6 million in additional revenue on one product line alone in the six months following implementation--money that went straight to the bottom line. At the same time, the company removed much of the organizational friction that had long bedeviled its pricing process. Other companies can benefit from Acme's experience as they look for ways to exercise price control without alienating customers.

[Noise exposure in the coffee industry in the light of current community standards]. / Esposizione a rumore nella lavorazione del caffè alla luce dell'attuale normativa comunitaria.

And' is studied the noise exposure (with the calculation of the Lep,d) and the auditory function (with the method MPB 2002) in employed to the coffee's workmanship. The purpose was double. To deepen aspects a little studied thin to today and to compare the results with the "values limit of exposure" and the "values of exposure that make to go off the action" foreseen by the European directive 2003 of February 6th 2003. The data have underlined levels of noise below the inferior values of exposure that make to go off the action (80 dBAs) and absence of auditory effects from noise. The results suggest therefore the opportunity to extend the observations in other similar technological cycles, also to appraise other risks reported in literature as the cutaneous and respiratory allergies.

Strategy to decrease the risk of adverse effects of fragrance ingredients in cosmetic products.

In spite of extensive self-regulation of the fragrance industry, fragrance ingredients are still major causes of allergic contact dermatitis. There are indications that the problem is increasing in some countries, and that many nonregulated compounds are involved in the development of allergies. The use of essential oils in fragrance compounds might add both allergenic and carcinogenic compounds to a product and the exact composition of such ingredients is difficult to control. Herein, we propose a simple strategy to decrease the risk of adverse effects of fragrance ingredients in cosmetic products. This strategy consists of four major steps: (1) limit the concentration of fragrance compound in the products, (2) follow legislation and guidelines, (3) limit the concentration of a number of well-known sensitizing fragrance chemicals, and (4) limit the concentration of essential oils and materials with unknown composition. The strategy is discussed as an alternative to animal testing and in relation to other more resource-demanding approaches to the same problem.

Characteristics of NORM in the oil industry from eastern and western deserts of Egypt.

Naturally occurring radionuclides (NORs) from the 232Th- and 238U-series, which are omnipresent in the earth's crust, can be concentrated by technical activities, particularly those involving natural resources. Although, a great deal of work has been done in the field of radiation protection and remedial action on uranium and other mines, recent concern has been devoted to the hazard arising from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in oil and gas facilities. NORM wastes associated with oil and gas operations from scale deposits, separated sludge and water at different oil fields in the eastern and western deserts were investigated. Concentrations of the uranium, thorium, and potassium (40K) series have been determined from high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Total uranium content of samples was determined using laser fluorimetry. The levels of radioactivity were mainly due to enhanced levels of dissolved radium ions. Only minute quantities of uranium and thorium were present. The disequilibrium factor for 238U/226Ra has been determined.

Disposal options and case-study pathway analyses.

This paper presents an overview of alternatives that currently are employed for the disposal of wastes containing enhanced concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). The application of pathway assessment methodology to the derivation of acceptable cleanup criteria for residual NORM is described. A specific example is provided drawing on experience with a site containing above-background levels of natural uranium-series and thorium-series nuclides. The options for safe, permanent disposal of U and Th bearing NORM waste are discussed and the application of pathway analysis to performance assessment of a typical engineered disposal cell is illustrated. Typical methods for disposal of other NORM waste forms also are described. This includes radium-contaminated wastes from petroleum sludges, uranium milling, and geothermal power plant operation as well as thorium wastes from production of thorium-magnesium alloys.

Assessing the evidence on CQI: is the glass half empty or half full?

Review of the literature on CQI/TQM in both health care and non-health care settings reveals some evidence of a positive impact for selected dimensions of CQI/TQM. There is little research, however, that examines CQI/TQM as a holistic integrated approach to quality improvement, nor are there many studies that go beyond single or small sample case studies. Using a conceptual framework involving cultural, technical, strategic, and structural dimensions, a number of barriers to CQI implementation are identified along with suggestions for high-priority areas of research.

[Toxicological and hygienic studies of a new polymer glue to be used in shoe-making industry]. / Toksikologo-gigienicheskie issledovanniia novogo polimernogo kleia, predlagaemogo dlia primeneniia v obuvnoi promyshlennosti.

Toxico-hygienic studies have been carried out of a new polymeric glue to be used in the shoe-making industry. As a result of studies the use of the glue is recommended in the shoe-making industry, conditions of its safe use and the way to maintain current sanitary supervision have been suggested.