Study on tri-axial creep experiment and constitutive relation of different rock salt

To evaluate the effect of the long-term operation of a salt cavern in a given construction on rock deformation and its stability, tri-axial creep tests to the glauberite, anhydrite, and argillaceous rock salt are conducted, from which the creep curves as well as exponential functions of strain rate during the steady creep stage and creep constitutive equations of different rock salt in the experimental process derived are obtained. The study results show that: (i) Under the same deviatoric stress, the strain rate of argillaceous rock salt is lower than the glauberite and anhydrite, and the difference becomes larger with the increase of the deviatoric stress; (ii) The creep constitutive equations of different kinds of rock salt are in good agreement with the Burgers model, besides which the respective characteristics of these two creep models are compared. The change of creep parameters also illustrates the discrepancy of rock salt. The researching results can provide some references for long-term stability analysis of gas storage in salt caverns.     

Cultural influences on workplace safety: An example of hospital workers’ adoption of patient lifting devices

Aims

A sociological and anthropological view of culture was used to investigate how work culture, independent of “safety culture”, may affect safety in the workplace. We explored how work cultures of nurses and physical/occupational therapists (PT/OTs) in two acute care hospitals are related to the adoption of patient lifting devices.

Methods

Focus groups were conducted between 2006 and 2009, seven with nurse staff (n = 39) and two with PT/OT staff (n = 17), to explore issues concerning a Minimal Manual Lift Environment policy, initiated in 2004, and subsequent use of patient lift equipment. Audio recordings of the sessions were transcribed; text data were analyzed using N6-QSR. Cultural facilitators and barriers to the adoption of patient lift equipment were examined.

Results

Data revealed cultural similarities and differences between these healthcare professions. Both displayed a “patient first” approach to care-giving which may promote lift device use for patients’ benefits, not necessarily for staff safety. Also, the implied purpose of patient lifting devices clashes with the nurses’ cultural emphasis on compassion, and with PT/OTs’ cultural emphasis on independence except when use increases patients’ independence.

Conclusions

Cultural expressions regarding the nature of care-giving among healthcare professionals may affect the propensity to adopt safety measures in complex ways. The workers’ understanding of the purpose of their work, and acceptable means of conducting it, should be understood before implementing safety interventions. The utilization of lift assist teams, who are not socialized into the cultures of nursing or PT/OT, may be one means of circumventing cultural barriers to lift equipment use.     

Occupational Health and Safety post-graduation courses in Europe: A general overview

The education of safety professionals shows a high variety in their level of approved qualifications, ranging from a technician level up to university master courses, and more recently, doctoral programs. In European countries, it seems that there are some differences in what regards the characteristics of the courses. These may be due to national particularities and legal issues, but also to the nature of the institutions and people ‘behind’ the courses.This paper presents the results of a survey carried out in the scope of an European research project and it aims to provide a basic understanding of the range and diversity of the OHS post-graduation courses. With an estimated average answer rate of 50%, the survey has only included courses with more than 120 teaching hours, from a post-graduation level, and with complete programs. Results are presented for 90 courses, from 18 countries, mainly (84.4%) from universities.It is possible to highlight the fact that, as expected, the majority of the courses (59%) are Masters (or equivalent), and are organised primarily by Engineering, Applied Sciences and Management schools/faculties, which together accounted for nearly 65% of the courses. In what regards the adopted quality systems reported by respondents, there is a predominance (65.8%) of the use of “internal” tools, such as the students and teachers evaluations and internal audits.One of the main conclusions is that there is a large variability amongst the analysed courses. However, it should be emphasised that these results are not representative of the situation all around Europe, as it was not possible to obtain information from all OHS courses. Considering the identified differences within all the European countries, the harmonisation of post-graduation courses on OHS, if it is to occur, has a long way to go.     

Sizing of safety valves for multi-purpose plants according to ISO 4126-10

Multi-purpose plants are frequently protected with mechanical safety devices like safety valves or bursting disks. Due to many changes of recipes it must be checked regularly whether the safety devices are sufficiently sized. But the sizing procedure of individual safety devices can be very tedious. Therefore energy specific relief areas (effective relief area per kW of energy input) have been determined for approx. 60 typical solvents. They are indicated for reactors with safety devices which have a set pressure of 7 bar (abs) or 11 bar (abs). These values are independent of the size of the reactors for vaporizing systems and arbitrary safety valves. The energy specific relief areas allow the minimum required relief area quickly to recalculate if the energy input of the reactor is known. In addition, the application of solvents in multi-purpose plants can be evaluated from a safety point of few.The energy specific relief areas are calculated based on a relief of two-phase gas/liquid mixtures. The data have been determined with the non-equilibrium HNE-DS method, which takes into account the boiling delay of the liquid in the safety device and the slip between gases and liquids. The method is recommended in the international standard ISO 4126 part 10. In addition, practical advice and possible improvements are outlined. The method leads to significantly smaller relief areas than according to the API 520. For multi-purpose plants with available safety devices this method allows for a considerable expansion of the application range of reactors.     

安全屏障在蒸气云爆炸中的控制效果研究

为了研究安全屏障在蒸气云爆炸事故中的控制效果,运用蝴蝶结法、TNT当量法建立研究模式,计算安全屏障作用下的事故概率、分析事故后果,并结合风险矩阵从概率和后果方面评价其风险程度。以事故概率、风险程度为指标,表征、分析安全屏障的控制效果,并对较高、高风险提出控制措施。将该模式应用于实例分析,结果表明该企业的安全屏障可以降低事故的发生概率。但是由于后果严重度的影响,其风险程度仍处于较高水平,需要进一步加强安全措施。     

电梯部件错误安装的危害

通过检验案例发现的隐患,阐述了安全部件在电梯运行中的重要性。对安全部件安装过程中存在的问题,分析了失效原因以及存在的问题,提出了解决方法。     

论特种设备安全技术规范的基本安全要求

本文分析了特种设备安全技术规范的含义、法律地位和作用,介绍了欧盟指令中基本安全要求的主要内容以及和标准的关系等,重点论述了特种设备安全与风险的关系、特种设备基本安全要求的范围、本质安全的含义、特种设备损伤机理和失效模式分析的要求,提出了特种设备基本安全要求的确定原则。     

安全管理系统的负熵机理及其模型化控制的探讨

试用现代系统论的重要学说——耗散结构论的观点,研究安全管理工程的各种属性,指出其具有普遍意义的负熵机理。在对安全状态函数分析的基础上,建立起安全管理工程的数学模型并进行了探讨。论述了模型化控制方法是深入发展科学型,定量型,预测型安全管理科学的重要途径。     

危险货物办理站安全质量评估方法初探

从铁路危险货物的运输现状出发，通过对影响危险货物办理站安全工作质量的因素的分析，探讨了安全质量的评估方法，并提出了一个新的概念──安全管理难度系数，由此建立起安全质量综合评估模型，以实现对危险货物办理站安全工作的全面衡量。     

室内安全卫生现状及对策

室内安全卫生状况越来越受到人们的关注。美国环保署组织的调查表明 ,室内环境问题已成为影响人类健康的 4个主要环境因素之一 ,4 0 %的发病率是由室内环境差引起。 2 0世纪 90年代以来 ,欧美等国家在室内环境污染因素的识别、检测、评价、控制管理方面进行了系统的研究 ,笔者结合中国实际情况 ,综述以上 4个方面的系统研究 ,提出了我国在技术上和管理上提高室内安全卫生质量状况的初步设想