Occupational Health Care in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises—How Many Doctors Do We Need and How Do We Ensure Good Care?

The translation of the framework directive 89/391/EEC (Council Directive 89/391/EEC) into national law aims at supplying occupational protection and health care to all employees of large, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) likewise, depending on assessed exposure. Prior incomplete protection of the German workforce with bias against the SMEs requires an assessment of quantitative and qualitative adequacy of present occupational health care practice and also of future needs.

Therefore, the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of Germany initiated a study to evaluate the present state of occupational health care in 4 regions with different geographic and economic structure. Based on these data the future demand for adequately trained occupational physicians will be estimated by employing a statistical method that allows for including a large number of modifying variables (economic development, demographic change, etc.).

Expected result of the applied technique are the estimated minimal and maximal number of occupational physicians that have to be trained to meet future demand. In the same study models of best practice will be identified and evaluated for general application. The project started in October 1997 and will be finished by January 2000.     

Development of PAOT Tool Kit for Work Improvements in Clinical Nursing

The aim of this study was to develop an action checklist for educational training of clinical nurses. The study used qualitative and quantitative methods. Questionnaire items were extracted through in-depth interviews and a questionnaire survey. PASW version 19 and AMOS version 19 were used for data analyses. Reliability and validity were tested with both exploratory and confirmative factor analysis. The levels of the indicators related to goodness-of-fit were acceptable. Thus, a model kit of work improvements in clinical nursing was developed. It comprises 5 domains (16 action points): health promotion (5 action points), work management (3 action points), ergonomic work methods (3 action points), managerial policies and mutual support among staff members (3 action points), and welfare in the work area (2 action points).     

Planning theories and environmental impact assessment

The limited and sporadic interaction between EIA and planning theory has meant that EIA has largely failed to benefit from planning theory insights and lessons. Obstacles and dilemmas already encountered and addressed in planning theory are still hampering EIA theory building and practice. An overview of the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of five major planning theories—rationalism, pragmatism, socio-ecological idealism (SEI), political-economic mobilization (PEM), and communications and collaboration (CC) is presented in an effort to ameliorate this problem. EIA parallels to each planning theory and lessons for EIA are identified. Also addressed are the application of planning theories to different context types, overlaps, interconnections and middle ground concepts among theories, the integration of values, ethics, and postmodern perspectives and the potential to construct composite theories.     

沈阳市环境污染责任保险推进工作的探索与实践

在全面介绍沈阳市环境污染责任保险推进情况的基础上,论述了沈阳市参加保险企业的确定原则、推进方法及配套政策措施,并结合当前沈阳市该险种推进过程中存在的问题,提出了选择适合的环境污染责任保险模式、加强环保部门与保险行业的合作、将环境污染责任险融入到环境管理工作中等建议及对策。     

Commentary: The federal ‘Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act’

The recently enacted federal law, the ‘Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act’ (United States Public Law 110–374) seeks to improve opportunities for parents and pregnant women to anticipate and understand the likely life course of children born with Down syndrome and other (unspecified) conditions. The law is in part a response to the continued growth of prenatal screening and testing. For example, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Practice Bulletin 77 recommends that ‘Screening and invasive diagnostic testing for aneuploidies be available to all women who present for prenatal care before 20 weeks of gestation regardless of maternal age.’ Emerging technologies anticipate an era in which the scope of prenatal screening and testing will be much larger than it is today. Inevitably, more women will find themselves facing the hard question of whether to continue or end a pregnancy in which a fetus has been found to have a significant abnormality. While the new federal law is not likely to have a major impact on obstetric practice, it may be a harbinger of renewed wide-scale public debate concerning the ethics of prenatal screening. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

水质监测质量管理的实践与思考

水质监测全程序质量控制检查是质量管理的一项重要手段,是提高分析结果总体可靠性、了解或证实各实验室提供优质数据的能力的有力措施。本文对地表水监测质量检查情况进行了论述,分析总结所发现的问题,并根据具体情况提出解决的办法和建议,旨在为水质监测质量水平的提高起到借鉴作用。     

特大突水灾害外排水应急处置的工程实践

以徐州矿务集团旗山矿特大水量酸性矿井水突水灾害应急处置的工程实践为例,分别就韩桥矿、旗山矿、白集矿在应急状态下采用的处置工程进行了论述。实践表明,按照因地制宜的原则,尽可能利用现有的塌陷区、排水渠及小河道等,以石灰中和法处理特大水量酸性矿井水,是最快速、最经济、最有效的方案。本实践为类似突水事件的环境应急处置提供了很好的借鉴,具有较大的推广应用价值。     

天津市热镀锌企业清洁生产审核实践探索

以热镀锌企业清洁生产审核为例,归纳审核技术要点,总结了天津市第一批重点企业实施清洁生产审核的经验。     

沈阳市发展低碳经济的探索与实践

对近年来沈阳市发展低碳经济工作的进展情况进行了详尽的论述,介绍了沈阳市发展低碳经济具有的深厚基础以及政策、机制和体制机遇,并从应该建设大浑南低碳发展样板区、实施低碳交通体系建设工程、建设低碳电力供应工程、开展低碳社区建设工程等方面,提出了沈阳市实现低碳发展的战略构想。