Walk to work systems as an enabler of reduced maintenance and manning

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 799
Author(s):  
David B. McCarthy

Recent technological advances in the areas of personnel transfers and remote operations have opened opportunities for new and existing facilities to move towards minimum manning operating philosophies. This paper will discuss the benefits and challenges of moving from a permanently manned model with helicopter transfers to an unmanned or minimally manned facility with vessel-based support and walk to work transfers. Potential impact on manning and accommodation philosophy will be addressed, focusing on an operator’s typical decision criteria, including: workability of transfer operations; emergency response capability; maintenance workload; health, safety and environment risk; marine support vessel requirements; and compliance with safety regulations. While assessments can be made of each operating philosophy change in isolation – reduced manning, remote operations and personnel transfer method – this paper will seek to address a holistic approach potentially providing greater impact than the sum of each change. This is possible through the interdependence of manning, life support system requirements and maintenance workload; reduced manning allows reduced number and complexity of systems, which reduces maintenance workload and, in turn, further reduces manning requirements, potentially allowing a step change in operating and manning philosophy to one of a not normally manned with vessel-based accommodation.

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 819
Author(s):  
Mariana Miranda ◽  
Francisco Abecasis ◽  
Sofia Almeida ◽  
Erica Torres ◽  
Leonor Boto ◽  
...  

Introduction: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is considered by many authors as one of the most important technological advances in the care of newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. The main objective of this study was to report the experience of a Portuguese ECMO center in the treatment of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.Material and Methods: Descriptive retrospective study of newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia requiring ECMO support in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit from January 2012 to December 2019. Data collection using the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registration and unit data base.Results: Fourteen newborns were included, all with left congenital diaphragmatic hernia, in a total of 15 venoarterial ECMO cycles. The median gestational age was 38 weeks and the median birth weight was 2.950 kg. Surgical repair was performed before entry into ECMO in six, during in seven and after in one newborn. The average age at placement was 3.3 days and the median cycle duration was 16 days. Prior to ECMO, all newborns had severe hypoxemia and acidosis despite optimized ventilatory support, with nitric oxide and inotropic therapy. After 24 hours on ECMO, there was correction of acidosis, improvement of oxygenation and hemodynamic stability. All cycles presented mechanical complications, the most frequent being the presence of clots in the circuit. The most frequent physiological complications were hemorrhagic and embolic (three newborns suffered an ischemic stroke during the cycle). Five newborns (35.7%) died, all associated with complications (two strokes, two massive bleedings and one accidental decannulation). Chronic lung disease, poor weight gain and psychomotor developmental delay were the most frequent long-term morbidities.Discussion: Despite technological advances in respiratory care and improved safety of the ECMO technique, the management of these newborns is complex and there are still several open questions, including the appropriate selection of patients, the best approach and time for surgical correction, and the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in the presence of persistent fetal shunts.Conclusion: Survival rate was higher than reported in 2017 Extracorporeal Life Support Organization report (64% versus 50%). Mechanical and hemorrhagic complications were very frequent.


Author(s):  
Heather C. Banham

<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) face unique challenges in the business environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>SMEs need to successfully deal with the prevalent forces for change if they are to survive and grow and meet the expectations to create investment and employment opportunities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Successfully adapting to change from technological advances, customer expectations, supplier requirements, the regulatory environment and increasing competition requires successful implementation of organizational change. The &lsquo;Degrees of Turbulence&rsquo; Model is proposed as a self assessment tool to aid SMEs in their environmental scan and to assist in assessing the potential impact and adjusting to the impending changes in the external environment to ensure continued viability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span></strong><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></strong></p>


2022 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
John Robinson ◽  
Daniel Beneroso

Solutions to global challenges need a range of engineers with diverse skills and attributes, and it is the responsibility of engineering educators to shape the engineering education landscape, using their problem-solving expertise to educate future engineers for modern technological advances. Project-based learning (PjBL) is an educational approach that can integrate such needed skills and attributes into the curriculum. However, delivering a truly effective PjBL approach can be quite difficult without considering a holistic approach encompassing three key pillars: PjBL curriculum and assessment, PjBL culture, and physical and online PjBL spaces. This chapter presents a comprehensive overview of how PjBL has been successfully deployed across the Chemical Engineering curriculum at the University of Nottingham, UK, through the lenses of those pillars, and in the form of design projects, with a progressive integration and development of diverse skills and competencies throughout the years.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-448
Author(s):  
Nalanda Roy

Oceans are the life support system for our planet and are vital to human health. It is said that half of the oxygen we breathe is generated by our oceans. However, ocean space is becoming more globalized over time. Hence, it is essential for countries to take up a more holistic approach to ending ocean exploitation on the one hand, and also to ensuring a healthy ocean future on the other. Today, maritime cooperation is key to the management of the global commons, and ocean governance is important in establishing maritime connectivity. This article is a qualitative analysis of how the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will undertake such an initiative to promote diverse and collaborative ocean governance in Asia. The article will analyze whether ASEAN countries are ready to take up the great power game challenge, and simultaneously motivate each other to promote sustainable development of common ocean governance structures and principles in the region. Last but not the least, we will see how ASEAN (Way) will connect with global trends in order to realize its a vision of building a community conscious of its historical ties and cultural heritage to improve the overall ocean health in Southeast Asia.


1985 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
pp. 70-74
Author(s):  
Peter Safar

This is an introduction for a one-day CPCR course for intended instructors-coordinators. The course is a pilot project using a new manual. Its goal is to explore the feasibility of instructors using semi-self-training modes to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for the organization of basic and advanced life support courses in CPR for all types of personnel, ranging from the lay public via ambulance personnel and nurses to physician generalists and physician specialists. The American Heart Association (AHA) CPR courses for instructors-to-be were originated in Pittsburgh in the early 1960s; this present course, sponsored by the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists (WFSA) CPR Committee was given in 1981. The traditional 2 to 3 days CPR instructors' courses for physicians have spread knowledge and skills slowly. We believe that the dissemination and uniformity of resuscitation training could be enhanced by wider use of self-training systems, not only for doers but also instructors-to-be.


2015 ◽  
Vol 660 ◽  
pp. 202-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Campian ◽  
Nicolae Chira ◽  
Maria Pop

Impacts of production, operation and use of a building on the environment and society cannot be ignored in design any more. Instead, performance and impacts of a building needs to be considered for a lifetime, established by design rules 50-100 years. Steel, as constructional material, plays an important role as a component for buildings and engineered structures, with a wide range of applications. Like other industrial activities, steel industry works continuously to improve in terms of sustainability. In fact, in can be observed that in the last decades, the steel frames houses, as an alternative to houses made of traditional materials, offers a lot of advantages in terms of sustainability. The approach in term of a life cycle for a building is an objective process for the evaluation of the impact on the environment, associate to a production process or to an activity. These approaches are recommended by the Integrated Product Policy (COM2003) for the evaluation of the potential impact of the products In present, there are 2 majors categories instruments for the evaluation of the built environment, on one hand made on qualitative instruments based on criteria and score, and on the other hand instruments that use an quantitative analyze of the inputs and outputs based on a life cycle. Some of these methods are used for the certification of buildings as “green-buildings”. Even many parameters are usually quantitative; they can be also qualitative in the same time, when we try to quantify the advantages due to materials.


1990 ◽  
Vol 01 (03n04) ◽  
pp. 245-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.F. CHANG ◽  
P.M. ASBECK

Recent advances in communication, radar and computational systems demand very high performance electronic circuits. Heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) have the potential of providing a more efficient solution to many key system requirements through intrinsic device advantages than competing technologies. This paper reviews the present status of GaAs and InP-based HBT technologies and their applications to digital, analog, microwave and multifunction circuits. It begins with a brief review of HBT device concepts and critical epitaxial growth parameters. Issues important for device modeling and fabrication technologies are discussed. The paper then highlights the performance and the potential impact of HBT devices and integrated circuits in various application areas. Key prospects for future HBT development are also addressed.


Author(s):  
Gemma Marfany

Can humans control the future evolution of our species? Based on current knowledge in genetics, one can infer and extrapolate what may happen in the near future. After all, if we are to predict the future, we must first understand the foundations of our present. To answer the first question, I will briefly present what we know about our genome and whether we have enough data to infer who we are (known as the genotype–phenotype correlation), then I will present new technological advances and their potential impact on our evolution.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S772-S773
Author(s):  
Susan A Chapman ◽  
Joanne Spetz ◽  
Jacqueline Miller

Abstract Emerging technological advances hold potential for individuals and caregivers to help an aging population in the home or long term care settings and has the potential to alter workforce needs and potentially mitigate the rising workforce demand. The purpose of the proposed research was to research available technologies that may facilitate, replace, or enhance recruitment, training, and retention of the LTC workforce. This qualitative study included environmental scan and literature search identifying 62 companies meeting criteria for potential impact on the workforce. Categories included wearables, robots, sensors/alerts, health/social data collection and tracking, family/caregiver communication services, online care management, online worker training, and facility or home health staffing systems. Thematic analysis findings of telephone interviews with 12 national and international companies included: 1) most development focused on software rather than hardware, 2) company founders generally had a tech background and start up experience along with personal family caregiving experiences, 3) data collected in the home often did not connect directly to the health care team, 4) payment was generally out of pocket to individuals or facilities under subscription services or contracts 5) worker retention improved when system allowed better client to worker matching, more control over shift scheduling, and more efficient staffing. There was little rigorous research on the impacts for care and services or which will have the greatest potential impact on the workforce providing direct care. Reimbursement from federal and private payers is minimal to date yet demand for government payment may grow.


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