Environmental aftermath of the radiation accident at Tomsk-7

An analysis is presented of the environmental effects of the most serious radiation accident recorded after Chernobyl, which occurred in the formerly secret town of Tomsk-7 in Siberia, Russia, on 6, April 1993. Fortunately, it appears not to have become a major industrial crisis or disaster. The causes of the accident are described. It is argued that a mixture of both objective and subjective prerequisites, including specific human, organizational, and technological factors, were responsible for the explosion or directly facilitated it. The Tomsk-7 accident's ecological, medical, social, and psychological consequences are discussed.     

Ecological Survey of Coastal I Water Adjacent to Nuclear Power I Plants in Taiwan

A total of six nuclear reactors installed in three power plants, two along the northern and one along the southern coasts of Taiwan, started their operations one after another since October 1977. Owing to the large quantities of cooling water intake into and discharge from the plants, some environmental factors such as water temperature, chlorine, environmental radioactivity and nearshore currents may be significantly changed. Variations of these abiotic environmental factors may influence the biological activities in the ecosystem, particularly doing some kinds of damage to marine biological resources. Therefore, the possible environmental impact upon the biological systems including the fishery resources along the northern and southern coasts of Taiwan should be studied before and during the plant operation.

We have started the long-term programmes of biological, chemical and hydro-graphical surveys of the nuclear power plant sites on both northern (since July 1974) and southern (since July 1979) coasts of Taiwan. the survey items include ocean currents, physical and chemical properties of sea water, primary productivity, specific compositions and interspecific relationships among phyto- and zooplankton, algae, invertebrates, corals, and fishes; and radionuclides in water and biological specimens, and fishery statistics. in general, except for a few events, the operations of the six units of nuclear power plants have not produced detectable effects on the marine ecosystem. Radio activity levels and radionuclides in water and the biological specimens remained the same as background levels throughout the survey period. However, the events of coral bleaching and fish body anomalies caused by thermal discharges were observed respectively along the outlets of third and second Nuclear Power Plants. the purposes of this paper are to report and evaluate these two events during the operations of nuclear power plants in Taiwan.     

The economics of uranium demand

The major characteristics of the demand for uranium are identified, and a number of factors which determine the actual level of uranium requirements of the nuclear power industry are discussed. Since the role of inventories is central to the process of short-term price formation, by comparing projections of uranium production and apparent consumption, the relative level of total inventories is calculated and an assessment is made of its likely impact on the uranium market during the 1980s.     

金属材料对放射性核素的屏蔽性能研究

目的为应对在核反恐以及核应急中屏蔽体对放射性核素的监测和识别干扰,对金属材料屏蔽体的放射性核素屏蔽性能进行研究。方法选用三种不同壁厚、材质的金属作为屏蔽体,探测它们对同一放射源的屏蔽作用。结果发现研究中的几种金属材料屏蔽体对200 ke V以下的gamma射线均具有较强的屏蔽作用,尤其对于低强度射线,经屏蔽体后几乎无法检测到。同一材质金属,其屏蔽性能与壁厚成正比,但是4 mm铝筒的屏蔽效果比3 mm钢筒的屏蔽效果有时候还差。结论在实际场景放射性核素探测识别中,应充分考虑到不同材质和不同壁厚的屏蔽体对射线的吸收影响,从而快速检测和识别放射性核素。这对核反恐和核应急过程中的监测有特别的现实意义。     

基于ISM的建筑施工高处坠落事故致因分析

高处坠落是建筑工程事故统计中发生频率最高的一类事故,会造成极大的人员伤害和经济损失。通过分析123例典型高处坠落事故调查报告,采用关键词检索抽取出19种导致该类事故发生的致因要素;针对一般事故和较大事故分别对致因要素发生频率进行了统计,得出一般事故中人的因素更关键,较大事故中物的因素更关键。采用ISM模型进一步分析致因要素间的作用关系,构建了7个层级的高处坠落致因要素解释结构模型;对不同层级要素进行分析,发现其与频率度量有良好的一致性,最后得出行政监管和违法承发包两个致因要素是事故发生的深层原因。     

Real time alteration of a nuclear waste glass and remobilization of lanthanide into an interphase

The development of predictive models for the long term evolution of nuclear waste glass requires the complete knowledge of the glass dissolution at the laboratory scale. A new approach was developed to determine the initial reaction during the first steps of experience, a new concept was developed, based on the combination of dynamic leaching test and the characterization of the altered materials. With this experimental set-up it is possible to follow in real time the glass alteration process at a fine temporal scale. The results put in evidence a singular behaviour of the lanthanide, shown by a concentration peak of La, Nd and Ce after 2 h and a quick decrease of their concentration measured on line in the solution during the leaching test. This fact is directly linked to the development of an interphase (altered layer which differs from the initial solid by its texture, structure and chemical composition) at the interface of the glass surface and the leaching solution. This work is an attempt to integrate the formation of the alteration products (here the interphase) during leaching into the dissolution mechanisms of a nuclear waste glass. A model is proposed and discussed.     

Age and lost working days as a result of an occupational accident: A study in a shiftwork rotation system

The present work analyzed the relationship of age and tenure with occupational accident severity of 156 male shiftworkers at an industrial plant. Based on past research, negative binomial regression analyses were performed to examine the association of age and tenure with the lost working days due to medically certified occupational accidents (LWDI). The main effects of age and tenure and the contribution of age by tenure interaction and age squared terms were examined. Regression results indicated a significant association of age by tenure interaction with LWDI. However, this relationship was non-significant when considering an age squared term in the regression equation, suggesting a non-linear association of age with LWDI. The findings are discussed in regard to the specific preventative measures of occupational accidents in shiftwork systems that could be addressed to different age groups.     

Global trend according to estimated number of occupational accidents and fatal work-related diseases at region and country level

Background

Although occupational accidents and work-related diseases have been of interest for a long time, due to lack of proper recording and notification systems the official numbers of occupational accidents and work-related diseases are missing for many countries. Presently, the demand for effectiveness and an interest in the economic aspects of accidents have increased prevention activities at company and country levels.

Methods

Occupational accident data of selected countries and of World Health Organization regional divisions together with the global burden of disease were used in estimating global occupational accidents and fatal work-related diseases. The trend of global occupational accidents and work-related diseases is presented at region and country levels. The years 1998, 2001, and 2003 are compared in the case of occupational accidents and the years 2000 and 2002 in the case of work-related diseases.

Results

The total number of occupational accidents and fatal work-related diseases has increased, but the fatality rates per 100,000 workers have decreased. There were almost 360,000 fatal occupational accidents in 2003 and almost 2 million fatal work-related diseases in 2002. Every day more than 960,000 workers get hurt because of accidents. Each day 5,330 people die because of work-related diseases.

Conclusions

Information on occupational accidents and work-related diseases is needed so that countries may understand better the importance of occupational health and safety at country and company level. Especially companies in developing countries are not familiar with occupational safety and health. Statistical data is essential for accident prevention; it is a starting point for the safety work.     

煤矿企业安全监管的反联盟博弈分析

在构建包含煤矿企业各利益相关者的安全博弈关系模型的基础上,重点探讨中央政府、地方政府、煤矿企业之间的博弈及其利益的得失,进而分析危机和矿难形成的原因和机理。研究表明:地方政府与煤矿企业之间具有共同的利益,联盟动力很强,二者的联盟是煤矿企业安全事故频发的主要原因;打破地方政府与煤矿企业之间联盟的根本是降低二者选择联盟策略的收益,压缩其博弈空间。     

城市家用天然气安全管理的研究

通过对100家广州市天然气家庭用户使用情况进行调查,主要针对天然气使用、燃气设施保护和安全意识等诸多问题,运用事故致因理论,分析其成因规律,提出从事故发生的根本原因入手,运用"预防为主、善后为辅"的积极、主动的方法,把事故消除在起始或孕育阶段。调查结果显示:造成城市燃气应用系统事故的原因主要包括:用户燃具不正确的选择、燃气设备安装不当、燃气安全知识水平不高、安全意识不强、燃具产品和服务质量良莠不齐等。并以事故预防控制理论为指导,提出广州市天然气应用预防与安全管理应采取的技术、教育、强化等3方面对策。