Virginia Pilot Project for Incorporating GPS Technology to Enhance One-Call Damage Prevention

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Kieba ◽  
Massoud Tahamtani ◽  
Shane Ayers ◽  
Herb Wilhite ◽  
Rick Pevarski
Keyword(s):  
Phase I ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
Prevention Programs ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Gps Technology ◽  
Underground Facility ◽  
The One ◽  
Damage Prevention ◽  
The U.S

Excavation continues to be a leading cause of damage to underground facilities in the United States. Excavation damage was cited as the cause in 20% of the significant pipeline incidents in 2007. Effective damage prevention programs are necessary to protect underground facilities and to ensure public health and safety, environmental protection and continuity of vital services. Central to all damage prevention efforts is effective communication of accurate and timely information among excavators, one-call centers and underground facility operators. In 2005, the Commonwealth of Virginia, federal government, industry and other key stakeholders in the U.S. initiated a pilot project to enhance the one-call damage prevention process through the use of global positioning system (GPS) technology. Virginia was chosen as the location for the Project due to its mature, active and inclusive damage prevention program. Additionally, coincident with the implementation of the Pilot Project, Virginia’s one-call center developed and implemented enhanced mapping capabilities that complemented the Project technology. Certainly, the potential for application of the technology in all states was a driving consideration throughout the Project. Phase I of the Virginia Pilot Project, completed in December 2007, focused on improving the locational accuracy of facility locate requests submitted by excavators to the one-call center. This was achieved by the development and use of electronic white-lining. The Project Team combined existing cell phone, Internet and GPS receiver technologies with the development of specific software applications and enhanced one-call processes. Project data indicate significant improvements were achieved in one-call process costs and efficiencies. These improvements enhance the benefits of such programs to all stakeholders and significantly improve underground facility safety. This paper describes the results from Phase I and the minimum requirements for implementing the technology. The results will be shared and promoted nationwide to encourage other one-call centers to consider incorporating the processes. The paper also describes the status of subsequent, related phases of the Pilot Project. Phase II will involve the application of GPS technology to locating instruments and the development of electronic locator manifests. Phase III will involve the integration of GPS and mapping technologies on excavating equipment. Finally, the paper describes the relevance to other damage prevention programs in the U.S. and other countries.

An Overview of Recent Initiatives in Preventing Damage to Energy Pipelines

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Hall ◽  
Steve Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Common Ground ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Prevention Programs ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Right ◽  
Excavation Damage ◽  
Pipeline Safety ◽  
Damage Prevention ◽  
The U.S

Over the past 20 years, excavation damage has caused approximately one-third of energy pipeline incidents resulting in fatalities or in-patient hospitalizations in the U.S. While excavation damage to pipeline facilities has declined in recent years, reducing excavation damage to energy pipelines remains a top priority for the United States. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation is undertaking several initiatives to reduce excavation damage to energy pipelines. This paper summarizes several of these initiatives, including: PHMSA’s strong support of the 1999 Common Ground Study, the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), and the continued development of damage prevention best practices for all damage prevention stakeholders; the documentation of State damage prevention programs to understand where programs can be strengthened; support of State damage prevention programs in the form of funding and other assistance to states for implementation of the “nine elements” of effective damage prevention programs; a focused damage prevention research and development program; the coordination of the Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance (PIPA), which is an effort to develop and foster the use of recommended practices for local land use in the vicinity of transmission pipelines; and the development of a rule for federal enforcement of damage prevention laws when appropriate. PHMSA believes comprehensive damage prevention programs are essential to energy pipeline safety and must have the right balance of incentive and enforcement for preventing damage to pipelines.

OP457 A Collaborative Horizon Scanning Alert For Disinvestment And Early Awareness

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (S1) ◽  
pp. 10-10
Author(s):  
Vigdis Lauvrak ◽  
Kelly Farrah ◽  
Rosmin Esmail ◽  
Anna Lien Espeland ◽  
Elisabet Hafstad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Retrieval ◽  
Interest Group ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Horizon Scanning ◽  
Google Alerts ◽  
One Year ◽  
The One ◽  
New Research ◽  
Google Search

IntroductionIn 2019, the Norwegian Institute for Public Health and Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) received support from HTAi to produce a quarterly current awareness alert for the HTAi Disinvestment and Early Awareness Interest Group in collaboration with the HTAi Information Retrieval Interest Group. The alert focuses on methods and topical issues, and broader forecasts of potentially disruptive technologies that may be of interest to those involved in horizon scanning and disinvestment initiatives in health technology assessment (HTA).MethodsInformation specialists at both agencies developed search strategies for disinvestment and for horizon scanning in PubMed and Google. The template for the alert was based on an e-newsletter developed by the Information Retrieval Interest Group. Information specialists and researchers reviewed the monthly (PubMed) and weekly (Google) search results and selected potentially relevant publications. Additional sources were also identified through regular HTA and horizon scanning work.ResultsAlerts are posted quarterly on the HTAi Interest Group website; members receive an email notice when new alerts are available. While the revised PubMed searches are identifying relevant information, Google alerts have been disappointing, and this search may need to be revised further or dropped. When the one-year pilot project ends, in Fall 2020, interest group members will be surveyed to see if the alerts were useful, and whether they have suggestions for improving them.ConclusionsCollaborating on this alert service reduces duplication of effort between agencies, and makes new research in horizon scanning and disinvestment more accessible to colleagues in other agencies working in these areas.

Biracial American Colorism: Passing for White

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (14) ◽  
pp. 2072-2086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keshia L. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Native Americans ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Racial Groups ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Racial Identification ◽  
Social Science Literature ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The One ◽  
Identification Processes ◽  
The U.S

Biracial Americans constitute a larger portion of the U.S. population than is often acknowledged. According to the U.S. Census, 8.4 million people or 2.6% of the population identified with two or more racial origins in 2016. Arguably, these numbers are misleading considering extensive occurrences of interracial pairings between Whites and minority racial groups throughout U.S. history. Many theorists posit that the hypodescent principle of colorism, colloquially known as “the one drop rule,” has influenced American racial socialization in such a way that numerous individuals primarily identify with one racial group despite having parents from two different racial backgrounds. While much of social science literature examines the racial identification processes of biracial Americans who identify with their minority heritage, this article focuses on contextual factors such as family income, neighborhood, religion, and gender that influence the decision for otherwise African/Asian/Latino/Native Americans to identify as White.

scholarly journals Relação entre condições de trabalho e sintomas vocais em operadores de um call center modelo

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bárbara Bento Girardi ◽  
Daniel Lucas Picanço Marchand ◽  
Taís de Campos Moreira ◽  
Renata Loss Drummond ◽  
Mauriceia Cassol
Keyword(s):  
Call Center ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
Voice Symptoms

RESUMO Introdução Os operadores de call centers são profissionais da voz com alta demanda vocal e, consequentemente, sujeitos a distúrbios e sintomas vocais. Objetivo: Caracterizar aspectos vocais e laríngeos em operadores de um call center que segue as normas regulamentadoras de ergonomia, mensurando autopercepção vocal, avaliação otorrinolaringológica e análise perceptivo-auditiva vocal. Métodos Participaram do estudo 30 operadores de call center, entre 18 e 41 anos de idade. Todos os sujeitos foram avaliados por meio da Escala de Sintomas Vocais - versão brasileira da Voice Symptoms Scale (VoiSS), avaliação otorrinolaringológica por meio de videonasofibrolaringoscopia e avaliação perceptivo-auditiva da voz com a escala GRBASI, que avalia grau de alteração vocal (G), rugosidade da voz (R), soprosidade (B), astenia (A), tensão (S) e instabilidade (I). Resultados Na Escala de Sintomas Vocais, houve correlação entre o domínio geral e os demais subdomínios e entre os subdomínios limitação e físico. Na avaliação otorrinolaringológica, 12 operadores apresentaram alguma alteração, como acúmulo de secreção à fonação e fendas. A análise perceptivo-auditiva da voz encontrou indivíduos com vozes normais e com grau de alteração discreto a moderado, além de correlação entre o item instabilidade da escala GRBASI com o grau geral, rugosidade, soprosidade e astenia. Conclusão Ambientes de trabalho adequados e que primam por cuidados com a voz podem melhorar a qualidade laboral dos profissionais de call center, amenizando os riscos de desenvolvimento de distúrbios vocais. Contudo, fatores físicos, sociais, ambientais, organizacionais e psicológicos podem ocasionar sintomas vocais nesses profissionais da voz.

scholarly journals Dimensioning a Call Center: Simulation or Queue Theory?

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Aurélio Carino Bouzada
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Method ◽  
Analytical Methods ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
Experimental Methods ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Alternative Methodology ◽  
Queue Theory ◽  
Set Up

The objective of this paper is to establish a dichotomy - opposing analytical methods (such as Queue Theory) to experimental methods (such as Simulation) and discussing their adequateness to complex operations - set up in the matter of dimensioning the handling capacity of a large brazilian call centers company. The literature related to the application of such methods at call centers is reviewed, and the way the question is treated nowadays by the company is described. Then an experimental approach is suggested to be implemented as an alternative methodology to deal with the issue, instead of the analytical method in use. The results obtained are used to justify the adequacy of the experimental approach to the modern call centers operation, as long as it is possible to have the model closer to reality. The main implication points to a better understanding of the operation achieved with the new approach

scholarly journals Opportunities for the application of linear program­ming in forest management planning

2013 ◽  
pp. 175-191
Author(s):  
Damjan Pantic ◽  
Bojan Tubic ◽  
Marko Marinkovic ◽  
Dragan Borota ◽  
Snezana Obradovic
Keyword(s):  
Linear Programming ◽  
Maximum Yield ◽  
Half Period ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Forest Management Planning ◽  
Conflicting Interests ◽  
Poplar Plantations ◽  
The One ◽  
Forest Practice ◽  
The U.S

In situations where it is necessary to consider a variety of options when making decisions in forestry (and in general), with the choice influenced by hardly comparable criteria and a number of conflicting interests, a possible solution is to use multiple criteria methods. One of these methods, which can be applied in forestry, is mathematical programming (in particular, linear programming). Linear programming has a long tradition of being used in the U.S. and European forestry, whereas in the forestry of Serbia it still represents a theoretically and practically unknown tool. Therefore, in this paper we analyze the possibility of applying the methods of linear programming in developing a plan of regeneration cutting in the poplar plantations of FMU "Topolik" managed by PE "Vojvodinasume." Using the aimed function (linear programming) and the corresponding software package the maximum yield that can be achieved by cutting the plantation was obtained. The planned management period was from 2012 to 2021 and its volume was 155 852 m3. The preset condition that the yield in half-periods remains equal was fulfilled (half-period I 77,925 m3, half-period II 77,927 m3). The maximum yield obtained with this methodology was by 4,040 m3 lower than the theoretically possible yield that would be obtained if all stands were cut down at the end of the second half-period, i.e. higher by 8,430 m3 than the yield that would be obtained if cutting of the stands were performed at the start of the management period. The results obtained and foreign experience in this area clearly indicate that linear programming can successfully be used to solve this problem and even more complex problems (than the one presented in this paper) in our local forest practice (multidimensional planning with a series of constraints).

scholarly journals Stress and Sexual Dysfunction among Call Center Employees

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. V.D. Kasture
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Work Load ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Positive Thinking ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Female Employees ◽  
Call Center Employees

The call center community often defines itself as an industry, with numerous national and international call centers. But there has some dispute among researchers as to whether it is appropriate to refer such thing as the ‘call center industry’. Bain and Taylor (1999) argue that it is more appropriate to use the term ‘sector’ as call centers are found across a wide range of industries and may be similar primarily in terms of their core technologies. Belt, Richardson and Websler (2000) agreed that call centers are not an ‘industry’ as the term generally defined, but rather represent certain ways of delivering various services using the telephone and computer technologies across traditional industry boundaries. This research results revealed that female employees from international call centers show high stress score and high sexual dysfunction than domestic call center employees, which means the female employees from international call center differed significantly (t=5.26, p=<0.01) than domestic call center female employees. Results obtained from t test showed that female employees from domestic and international call center differed significantly with one another on stress scores and sexual dysfunction. The reason is that international call center employees have more work stress as compare to that with domestic one. This due to heavy work load, not enough time for social interaction and completion of work within a given period of time. The work culture is more strict and systematic as compared to domestic one. International studies in the past have linked stress t sexual dysfunction and infertility among women. The overall results of the present study suggest the need for stress management programs for reducing the stress and developing positive thinking among young female employees working in call centers.

scholarly journals Epistemic Disobedience and Decolonial Healing in Norma Elía Cantú’s Canícula

2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 63-80
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Poks
Keyword(s):  
Social Space ◽  
Political Context ◽  
The Other ◽  
Border Crossings ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Border Community ◽  
Line Splitting ◽  
Southern Side ◽  
The One ◽  
The U.S

Abstract Using the U.S.-Mexican border as the place of enunciation, Cantú’s autoethnobiographical novel insists on the materiality of the border, especially for those living on its southern side, while simultaneously deconstructing it as artificial - a line splitting families and assigning nationalities on an arbitrary basis. Being a collage of photographs from the time the writer was growing up in southern Texas and the cuentos inspired by these visuals, Cantú’s Canícula documents how border crossings and re-crossings become symptomatic of living in a liminal space and how they destabilize the concept of nationality as bi-national families must learn to live with ambiguity. On the one hand, there is the undeniable materiality of the border, with its pain, fear, deportations, and other discriminatory practices; on the other, there is a growing border community of resistance cultivating the memory that they are not immigrants, that they lived in Texas before the Guadalupe-Hidalgo treaty. The paper examines the community’s strategies of survival in the contested cultural and social space and advances the thesis that, giving her community an awareness of its homogeneity and reclaiming its place within the larger socio-political context, Cantú becomes an agent of empowerment and change. She helps decolonize knowledge and being.

Is There a LatAm-US-China Economic Triangle?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osvaldo Rosales
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
The United States ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Bilateral Approach ◽  
Growth Prospects ◽  
Economic Relationship ◽  
Near Term ◽  
The One ◽  
Investment In China ◽  
The U.S

Latin America experienced economic ups and downs in the past decade, and faces a gloomy outlook for 2015–2020. This chapter first delineates the near-term growth prospects for the region, examining the subregional patterns closely with three national cases—Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela—and analyzing the external constraints for the region’s economic growth. It then examines the major challenges ahead for the region with analysis of Latin America’s economic relationship with the United States and China, respectively. On the one hand, while the U.S.’s current bilateral approach leaves the economic relationship with the region fragmented, the economic and trade cooperation between the U.S. and Latin America can be strengthened through fostering productive integration and the development of regional value chains oriented toward the U.S. market. On the other hand, China’s growing presence in the region poses challenges to Latin America countries, namely achieving export diversification, diversification of Chinese investments in the region, and Latin investment in China and Asia-Pacific.

Faculty and Directors’ Views of Outreach

1980 ◽  
Vol 10 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 45-48
Author(s):  
F. A. Leary
Keyword(s):  
Outreach Program ◽  
Area Studies ◽  
Title Vi ◽  
Soft Money ◽  
The One ◽  
The U.S

Outreach. The term was first made known to many Africanists by the U.S. Office of Education (USOE) as a mandated responsibility of Title VI Language and Area Studies Centers and seemed to represent something Africanists at many institutions had probably been doing all along anyway without any specific person or any additional funds. Outreach in the mid-1970s seemed so appealing and harmless enough to the directors who submitted applications for their programs to be named Title VI centers that they deemed to insert the required 15 percent minimum budget for outreach activities and usually a request for the hiring of an outreach coordinator as a line item supported through soft money. By 1979 outreach had become so integral a part of center activities and outreach coordinators that the one African program not re-funded as a center was nevertheless able to continue its outreach program through university funds. By late 1979, however, some center directors were also expressing the view that outreach risked becoming the tail that wagged the dog, while others were beginning to realize that they might have lost control of these coordinators who were calling themselves directors! By late 1979, too, both the personae in USOE committed to outreach and the evaluation review sheets used by the expert panels for center and fellowship funding had been dramatically reduced, indicating a decline in O.E. emphasis on outreach but, in the African field, probably also an implicit recognition of the substantial commitment and achievements of the Africanist group.

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