Using the Field Flow Design Methodology to Create Safe Consumer Products

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Laughlin ◽  
Valtteri Niutanen ◽  
Robert Stone ◽  
Kevin Otto
Keyword(s):  
Safety Concern ◽  
Energy Levels ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Sufficient Energy ◽  
Relative Field ◽  
Safety Assessments ◽  
Safety Considerations ◽  
Design Freedom

Energy powered devices often contain sufficient energy levels to require safety considerations. These are typically addressed in latter design phases through failure and safety assessments and mitigation strategies, after the concept is determined and design freedom is restricted. We introduce here an approach to consider safety in the early, initial conceptual design phases. We do this by considering the energy and material flow fields necessary for a design concept, and the effects these fields have. With this understanding, partitioning metrics can produce relative field layouts that can be used as a basis for new product concepts. The objective is to reduce user injury and material waste. Relative field layouts are generated by partitioning a product into its constituent fields and assigning values to them according to safety risk and relative connectivity. Then a layout is computed to provide necessary connectivity but also to reduce human interaction with high safety concern fields. A function structure layout can then be more readily developed from the field connectivity layout. The approach computes and presents the engineer with a field template for the product. This prevents internal product modules from dangerously combining high value fields with low value fields, which can thereby reduce exposure of the user to danger.

scholarly journals Qualitative Exploration of the ‘Rolling Unmasking Effect’ for Downwind Odor Dispersion from a Model Animal Source

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13085
Author(s):  
Donald W. Wright ◽  
Jacek A. Koziel ◽  
David B. Parker ◽  
Anna Iwasinska ◽  
Thomas G. Hartman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Outer Boundary ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Prioritization Process ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Priority Ranking ◽  
Model Animal ◽  
Odor Character ◽  
Qualitative Exploration ◽  
Odor Dispersion

Solving environmental odor issues can be confounded by many analytical, technological, and socioeconomic factors. Considerable know-how and technologies can fail to properly identify odorants responsible for the downwind nuisance odor and, thereby, focus on odor mitigation strategies. We propose enabling solutions to environmental odor issues utilizing troubleshooting techniques developed for the food, beverage, and consumer products industries. Our research has shown that the odorant impact-priority ranking process can be definable and relatively simple. The initial challenge is the prioritization of environmental odor character from the perspective of the impacted citizenry downwind. In this research, we utilize a natural model from the animal world to illustrate the rolling unmasking effect (RUE) and discuss it more systematically in the context of the proposed environmental odorant prioritization process. Regardless of the size and reach of an odor source, a simplification of odor character and composition typically develops with increasing dilution downwind. An extreme odor simplification-upon-dilution was demonstrated for the prehensile-tailed porcupine (P.T. porcupine); its downwind odor frontal boundary was dominated by a pair of extremely potent character-defining odorants: (1) ‘onion’/‘body odor’ and (2) ‘onion’/‘grilled’ odorants. In contrast with the outer-boundary simplicity, the near-source assessment presented considerable compositional complexity and composite odor character difference. The ultimate significance of the proposed RUE approach is the illustration of naturally occurring phenomena that explain why some environmental odors and their sources can be challenging to identify and mitigate using an analytical-only approach (focused on compound identities and concentrations). These approaches rarely move beyond comprehensive lists of volatile compounds emitted by the source. The novelty proposed herein lies in identification of those few compounds responsible for the downwind odor impacts and requiring mitigation focus.

Pediatric medication safety considerations for pharmacists in an adult hospital setting

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (19) ◽  
pp. 1481-1491
Author(s):  
Audrey R Kennedy ◽  
Lindsay R Massey
Keyword(s):  
Medication Safety ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
External Resources ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Safety Considerations

Abstract Purpose Risks and vulnerabilities of the medication-use process in nonpediatric institutions that also serve pediatric patients are reviewed, and guidance on risk mitigation strategies is provided. Summary There are many risks and vulnerabilities in the medication-use process as it relates to pharmacotherapy for pediatric patients admitted to adult institutions. Mitigation of these risks is critical and should encompass various available resources and strategies. Special emphasis should be placed on use of technology to improve overall safety. Available literature recommends optimization of technology and resource use, institutional support for pediatric pharmacists’ involvement in managing pediatric medication use, and provision of early exposure to pediatric patients in pharmacist training programs as additional methods of mitigating risks associated with pediatric medication use in adult institutions. Adult hospitals that provide care for pediatric patients should assess their processes in order to identify hospital-specific interventions to promote pediatric medication safety. Conclusion Pediatric medication safety frameworks in U.S. adult institutions vary widely. Treating pediatric patients involves risks in all areas of the medication-use process. Optimizing technology, utilizing external resources, supporting a pediatric pharmacist, and providing early-career exposure to pediatric patients are methods to mitigate risks in institutions that primarily serve adult patients.

scholarly journals Safety assessments and severe accidents, impact of external events on nuclear power plants and on mitigation strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Van Dorsselaere ◽  
Ahmed Bentaib ◽  
Thierry Albiol ◽  
Florian Fichot ◽  
Alexei Miassoedov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Severe Accidents ◽  
Accident Management ◽  
External Events ◽  
Safety Assessments ◽  
The University

The Fukushima-Daiichi accidents in 2011 underlined the importance of severe accident management (SAM), including external events, in nuclear power plants (NPP) and the need of implementing efficient mitigation strategies. To this end, the Euratom work programmes for 2012 and 2013 was focused on nuclear safety, in particular on the management of a possible severe accident at the European level. Relying upon the outcomes of the successful Euratom SARNET and SARNET2 projects, new projects were launched addressing the highest priority issues, aimed at reducing the uncertainties still affecting the main phenomena. Among them, PASSAM and IVMR project led by IRSN, ALISA and SAFEST projects led by KIT, CESAM led by GRS and sCO2-HeRO lead by the University of Duisburg-Essen. The aim of the present paper is to give an overview on the main outcomes of these projects.

The effect of dietary energy level on body condition and some blood compounds in the dairy cow

1978 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 121-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.N.J. Parker ◽  
Gwyneth Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dairy Cow ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Energy Levels ◽  
Negative Energy ◽  
Dietary Energy ◽  
Peak Period ◽  
Sufficient Energy

The main objective when considering dietary energy levels in the dairy cow is to achieve optimum economical milk production, not necessarily energy balance, at all stages of lactation. Some cows may attain energy balance by reducing milk yield.In the early part of lactation, while appetite is increasing, a negative energy balance is acceptable, particularly in the high-yielding cow, at the expense of body reserves. During this time and up to peak yield, maximum use must be made of the cow's feeding capacity in order to attain its full milking potential. This is important, since the peak yield considerably influences the rest of the lactation, as concluded by Broster (1972).Failure to achieve a sufficient energy intake in early lactation may be reflected in excessive weight loss as well as in reduced milk production, whereas in the post-peak period, too rapid body-weight gain may be associated with over-generous feeding.

Fatty Acid Esters of 3-Monochloropropanediol: A Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 259-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boyan Gao ◽  
Yanfang Li ◽  
Guoren Huang ◽  
Liangli Yu
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Edible Oils ◽  
Safety Concern ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Fatty Acid Esters ◽  
Formation Mechanisms ◽  
Human Breast Milk ◽  
Mcpd Esters ◽  
Acid Esters

Fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD esters) are a new group of processing-induced chemical toxicants with possible nephrotoxicity and testicular toxicity. 3-MCPD esters have been detected in many food categories, including refined edible oils, bread, coffee, and infant formula. 3-MCPD esters have also been detected in human breast milk, indicating their possible absorption and distribution in human organs and tissues. 3-MCPD esters have become a food safety concern, and in 2013 the European Food Safety Authority estimated a tolerable daily value (TDI) of 2 μg/kg body weight (BW) for the amount of free 3-MCPD. This review summarizes the available information on 3-MCPD ester research, including the analytical methods, exposure biomarkers, absorption and metabolism, toxicities, formation mechanisms, and mitigation strategies as well as the occurrence of 3-MCPD esters in human foods. This review may serve as a scientific foundation for advancing our understanding of 3-MCPD esters and their food safety concerns.

scholarly journals Microplastics in the environment: impact on human health and future mitigation strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Disha Katyal ◽  
Elaine Kong ◽  
Jacit Villanueva
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Plastic Material ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Environment Impact ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
The Public ◽  
Legislative Action

Plastic is a synthetic material that has gradually been integrated into nearly all aspects of human life because of its malleable and durable nature; it can commonly be found in consumer products such as textiles, beauty products, and food packaging. The massive prevalence of plastic-based items in our society poses a potential threat to human health and the environment. Since plastic material can physically degrade over time, there is growing concern over the production of microplastics (MPs), which are plastic particles that are ≤5 mm in size. Recent studies confirming the presence of MPs in our environment and drinking water have garnered significant attention worldwide because of the potential impact on human health. As a result of growing public concerns, legislative action has been taken in Canada to ban the manufacture and importation of personal care products containing microbeads. MPs are a new and upcoming issue that the environmental public health field should monitor. In the future, we may play a major role in educating the public on what microplastics are and their impact on our health in addition to consulting stakeholders as regulations get implemented.

Updating Annual Average Daily Traffic Estimates at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings with Geographically Weighted Poisson Regression

2019 ◽  
Vol 2673 (10) ◽  
pp. 105-117
Author(s):  
Huiyuan Liu ◽  
Myungwoo Lee ◽  
Aemal J. Khattak
Keyword(s):  
Poisson Regression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Traffic Counts ◽  
Annual Average Daily Traffic ◽  
Grade Crossing ◽  
Safety Assessments ◽  
Grade Crossings ◽  
Safety Considerations

Highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) are unique nodes in the transportation system that facilitate the movement of rail and highway traffic. Various mathematical models are available that provide safety assessments of HRGCs. A chief ingredient of these models is the annual average daily traffic (AADT). One of the main sources of data for such models is the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)’s Grade Crossing Inventory. A substantial portion of the AADT data in the inventory is outdated. This paper investigates the effects of using out-of-date rather than up-to-date AADT values, using two safety assessment models to isolate the differences. Results show that the use of out-of-date AADT data generates biased rankings of HRGCs based on safety considerations. Since collection of AADT data is resource-intense, a methodology based on a geographic information system for estimating updated AADT is presented. This methodology utilizes limited traffic counts that are supplemented with additional publicly available data. An application using a geographically weighted Poisson regression model for 14 HRGCs gave results that closely matched AADT values based on 2018 field traffic counts at those HRGCs. This method provides an alternative to costly field-data-based updating of AADT in the relatively extensive Grade Crossing Inventory database. Limitations of the research and suggestions for future research complete this paper.

scholarly journals Models of Automation Surprise: Results of a Field Survey in Aviation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. de Boer ◽  
Sidney W. A. Dekker
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Distributed Cognition ◽  
Field Survey ◽  
Safety Concern ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
Significant Safety ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Individual Cognition ◽  
Cognition Model

Automation surprises in aviation continue to be a significant safety concern and the community’s search for effective strategies to mitigate them are ongoing. The literature has offered two fundamentally divergent directions, based on different ideas about the nature of cognition and collaboration with automation. In this paper, we report the results of a field study that empirically compared and contrasted two models of automation surprises: a normative individual-cognition model and a sensemaking model based on distributed cognition. Our data prove a good fit for the sense-making model. This finding is relevant for aviation safety, since our understanding of the cognitive processes that govern the human interaction with automation drives what we need to do to reduce the frequency of automation-induced events.

Further Welding Residual Stress and Flaw Tolerance Assessment of Dissimilar Metal Welds With Alloy 52 Inlays

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rudland ◽  
F. Brust ◽  
D. J. Shim ◽  
T. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Residual Stress ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Crack Growth Rate ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Safety Concern ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Welding Residual Stress ◽  
Residual Stress Field ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
Dissimilar Metal

Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) in nickel-based dissimilar metal (DM) welds (specifically Alloy 82/182 welds) in pressurized water reactors (PWRs) can cause a safety concern due to the high crack growth rate and irregular shaped flaws. Since many of these welds reside in primary piping systems that have been approved for Leak-Before-Break (LBB), the domestic commercial nuclear power industry has proposed a number of mitigation strategies for dealing with the issue and assuring LBB is still applicable. Some of these methods include Mechanical Stress Improvement Process (MSIP), Full and Optimized Structural Weld Overlay (FSWOL, OWOL), and Inlay and Onlay cladding. The industry claims that these methods provide either a reduction in the inner diameter residual stress field (MSIP and WOL), and/or apply a non-susceptible corrosion resistant barrier to stop or retard PWSCC crack growth to form a through-wall leak path (WOL, Inlay, Onlay). At last years PVP conference, a companion paper was published that described the initial welding residual stress and flaw evaluation analyses to investigate the effectiveness of inlay welds as a mitigative technique. The results from that effort suggested that the time to leakage with an inlayed weld is highly affected by the depth of the inlay and the crack growth rate within the inlay. In this ongoing effort, further welding residual stress analyses are presented that investigate the effects of the inlay depth and a variety of weld repair options before the standard 3mm deep inlay. In addition, further crack growth analyses, assuming idealized crack shapes, were conducted to investigate the effects of weld residual stress, crack growth rate, global bending stress, and flaw size and orientation. The results of these analyses aid in determining appropriate inspection intervals for dissimilar metal welds with this mitigation technique.

Toxicological Studies of a Representative Xerox Reprographic Toner

1999 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
George H. Y. Lin ◽  
Joseph C. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Safety Concern ◽  
Safety Issue ◽  
Chinese Hamster ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Inhalation Study ◽  
Charge Control ◽  
Toxicological Studies

Typical Xerox reprographic toners consist of a thermoplastic polymer as the major component, a colorant (carbon black or color pigment), and low quantities of additives such as charge control and/or lubricating agents. Another type of Xerox toner contains iron oxides and a polymer as the major components. Among all toners marketed by Xerox Corporation, the original 1075 toner (being discontinued and reformulated) was a major safety concern, because it contained approximately 2% cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) as a charge control agent. CPC by itself is very toxic and causes severe irritation to the eye and skin. Although CPC has been used in very low concentrations in consumer products such as mouthwash, it was unknown whether a 50-fold dilution of CPC in the toner formulation would represent any safety issue. Therefore, a series of toxicological testing on the original 1075 toner was conducted. The test results indicate that the original Xerox 1075 toner was practically nontoxic following acute oral, dermal, and inhalation exposures; nonirritating to the eye; nonir-ritating/nonsensitizing to the skin; nonmutagenic in a battery of short-term assays (Ames Salmnonella/microsome assay, mouse lym-phoma assay, in vitro sister chromatid exchange assay in Chinese hamster ovarian cells, and in vitro BALB/3T3 cell transformation assay); and nonteratogenic in rats when inhaling the toner dust up to 1.2 g/m3. In addition, no mutagenic responses were observed from testing the urine or feces (by Ames test) and bone marrow (by examining micronucleus formation) of rats exposed to the toner dust at 1.3 g/m3 at the end of a subchronic inhalation study. Because all Xerox toners are alike, the toxicology of the original Xerox 1075 toner was considered a “worst-case” situation, relative to health and safety. However, it did not appear to represent any health and safety issue. The results of this study, together with the fact that no evidence of carcinogenicity was found in the Xerox chronic inhalation study on toner, indicate that Xerox toners are not safety hazards, with respect to the end points indicated in this report.

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