Reibung – ein unterschätztes Phänomen in der Verpackungslogistik

„Geiz ist geil!“ ist das Motto eines Handelshauses. Aber diese Philosophie erweist sich immer häufiger als ungeeignet, längerfristigen Erfolg zu sichern. Oftmals wird gerade aus diesem Grund wieder verstärkt auf Qualität geachtet, auf die Qualität von Produkten, auf die Qualität von Herstellungsprozessen, auf die Qualität von Logistikprozessen etc. Dieser Sinneswandel beeinflusst auch alle Verpackungsprozesse, da diese untrennbar mit der Sicherung der Produktqualität und der sicheren Abwicklung aller logistischen Prozesse verbunden ist. Neben der Forderung nach einem wirtschaftlichen Produktschutz als Kernaufgabe der Verpackung müssen jedoch auch zwingende Vorgaben – beispielsweise seitens des Gesetzgebers (z. B. im Lebensmittelbereich, in der Gefahrgutlogistik, im Straßenverkehrsrecht) – beachtet werden. Das führt u. a. dazu, dass alle verpackten Güter so geschützt sein sollten, dass sie den Belastungen im Transportprozess, aber auch den Belastungen aufgrund von Ladungs- und Ladeeinheitensicherungsmaßnahmen standhalten können. Da sich jedoch nicht alle Ladegüter oder Packstücke beliebig für form- oder kraftschlüssige Sicherungsmaßnahmen eignen, sollte bei der Auslegung von Verpackungsmaßnahmen insbesondere der hilfreichen Wirkung von Reibungskräften zur Reduzierung zusätzlicher Sicherungsmaßnahmen Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet werden.

Reibung – ein unterschätztes Phänomen in der Verpackungslogistik

„Geiz ist geil!“ ist das Motto eines Handelshauses. Aber diese Philosophie erweist sich immer häufiger als ungeeignet, längerfristigen Erfolg zu sichern. Oftmals wird gerade aus diesem Grund wieder verstärkt auf Qualität geachtet, auf die Qualität von Produkten, auf die Qualität von Herstellungsprozessen, auf die Qualität von Logistikprozessen etc. Dieser Sinneswandel beeinflusst auch alle Verpackungsprozesse, da diese untrennbar mit der Sicherung der Produktqualität und der sicheren Abwicklung aller logistischen Prozesse verbunden ist. Neben der Forderung nach einem wirtschaftlichen Produktschutz als Kernaufgabe der Verpackung müssen jedoch auch zwingende Vorgaben – beispielsweise seitens des Gesetzgebers (z. B. im Lebensmittelbereich, in der Gefahrgutlogistik, im Straßenverkehrsrecht) – beachtet werden. Das führt u. a. dazu, dass alle verpackten Güter so geschützt sein sollten, dass sie den Belastungen im Transportprozess, aber auch den Belastungen aufgrund von Ladungs- und Ladeeinheitensicherungsmaßnahmen standhalten können. Da sich jedoch nicht alle Ladegüter oder Packstücke beliebig für form- oder kraftschlüssige Sicherungsmaßnahmen eignen, sollte bei der Auslegung von Verpackungsmaßnahmen insbesondere der hilfreichen Wirkung von Reibungskräften zur Reduzierung zusätzlicher Sicherungsmaßnahmen Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet werden.

Post-Depositional Movement of Methanesulphonic Acid at Law Dome, Antarctica, and the Influence of Accumulation Rate

A series of ice cores from sites with different snow-accumulation rates across Law Dome, East Antarctica, was investigated for methanesulphonic acid (MSA) movement. The precipitation at these sites (up to 35 km apart) is influenced by the same air masses, the principal difference being the accumulation rate. At the low-accumulation-rate W20k site (0.17 in ice equivalent), MSA was completely relocated from the summer to winter layer. Moderate movement was observed at the intermediate-accumulation-rate site (0.7 in ice equivalent), Dome Summit South (DSS), while there was no evidence of movement at the high-accumulation-rate DE08 site (1.4 in ice equivalent). The main DSS record of MSA covered the epoch AD 1727-2000 and was used to investigate temporal post-depositional changes. Co-deposition of MSA and sea-salt ions was observed of the surface layers, outside of the main summer MSA peak, which complicates interpretation of these peaks as evidence of movement in deeper layers. A seasonal study of the 273 year DSS record revealed MSA migration predominantly from summer into autumn (in the up-core direction), but this migration was suppressed during the Tambora (1815) and unknown (1809) volcanic eruption period, and enhanced during an epoch (1770-1800) with high summer nitrate levels. A complex interaction between the gradients in nss-sulphate, nitrate and sea salts (which are influenced by accumulation rate) is believed to control the rate and extent of movement of MSA.

Safety climate in Swiss hospital units: Swiss version of the Safety Climate Survey

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Safety climate measurements are a broadly used element of improvement initiatives. In order to provide a sound and easy-to-administer instrument for the use in Swiss hospitals, we translated the Safety Climate Survey into German and French. METHODS After translating the Safety Climate Survey into French and German, a cross-sectional survey study was conducted with health care professionals (HCPs) in operating room (OR) teams and on OR-related wards in 10 Swiss hospitals. Validity of the instrument was examined by means of Cronbach's alpha and missing rates of the single items. Item-descriptive statistics group differences and percentage of 'problematic responses' (PPR) were calculated. RESULTS 3153 HCPs completed the survey (response rate: 63.4%). 1308 individuals were excluded from the analyses because of a profession other than doctor or nurse or invalid answers (n = 1845; nurses = 1321, doctors = 523). Internal consistency of the translated Safety Climate Survey was good (Cronbach's alpha G erman  = 0.86; Cronbach's alpha F rench  = 0.84). Missing rates at item level were rather low (0.23-4.3%). We found significant group differences in safety climate values regarding profession, managerial function, work area and time spent in direct patient care. At item level, 14 out of 21 items showed a PPR higher than 10%. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that the French and German translations of the Safety Climate Survey might be a useful measurement instrument for safety climate in Swiss hospital units. Analyses at item level allow for differentiating facets of safety climate into more positive and critical safety climate aspects.

An international assessment of the comprehensibility of material safety data sheets (MSDSs)

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) are an integral component of occupational hazard communication systems. These documents are used to disseminate hazard information to workers on chemical substances. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the comprehensibility of MSDSs by workers at an international level. ^ A total of 117 employees of a multi-national petrochemical company participated; thirty-nine (39) each in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Overall participation rate of those approached to participate was 82%. These countries were selected as they each utilize one of the three major existing hazard communication systems for fixed workplaces. The systems are comprised of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Hazard Communication Standard in the United States, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) in Canada, and the compilation of several European Union directives addressing classification, labeling of substances and preparations, and MSDSs in Europe. ^ A pretest posttest randomized study design was used, with the posttest being comparable to an open book test. The results of this research indicated that only about two-thirds of the information on the MSDSs was comprehended by the workers with a significant difference identified among study participants based on country comparisons. This data was fairly consistent with the results of previous MSDS comprehensibility studies conducted in the United States. There was no significant difference in the comprehension level among study participants when taking into account the international hazard communication standard that the MSDS complied with. Marginally, age, education level and experience level did not have a significant impact on the comprehension level. ^ Participants did find MSDSs to be satisfactory in providing the information needed to protect them regardless of their views on the readability and formatting of MSDSs. The health-related information was the least comprehended as less than half of it was comprehended on the basis of the responses. The findings from this research suggest that there is much work needed yet to make MSDSs more comprehensible on a global basis, particularly regarding health-related information. ^

The results of a barrier analysis on complementary feeding practices among mothers in the Central River Division of the Gambia

Currently, the barriers to appropriate infant feeding practices are largely unknown in the Central River Division of the Gambia. A questionnaire was developed and implemented by a local Non Governmental Organization (NGO), the Gambia Food and Nutrition Agency, in order to gain more information and ultimately to improve the child mortality rate of the country. There were two participant groups: 88 Doers who are women who had adopted the appropriate complementary feeding practice guidelines as defined by the World Health Organization and 87 Non Doers who are women who had in some way strayed from the appropriate complementary feeding practice guidelines. The questionnaire included aspects of the Health Belief Model which can be used in the development of a future intervention. The Yes/No questions were analyzed using the Chi-square statistical method and the open-ended questions used a descriptive analysis method of evaluation. The constructs for perceived susceptibility, perceived action efficacy, perceived self efficacy, cues for action and perception of divine showed significant differences between the Doers and the Non Doers (p<0.05). The descriptive analysis revealed that both participant groups had a limited understanding of the preventative qualities of the adoption of appropriate complementary feeding practices. The women in both of groups also showed a strong perception of divine will. Women in the Central River Division perceive their husband and in-laws to be the most influential in the decision-making process regarding infant feeding practices. Recommendations for future interventions must acknowledge the importance and influence of the community surrounding the women in their adoption of the appropriate infant feeding practices. It would also be important to educate women about of the specific guidelines of the appropriate complementary feeding practices, specifically the delay in early initiation of complementary feeding. The results of this barrier analysis provide useful information to plan and implement an effective intervention to improve the child mortality rate in the Gambia. ^

The spatial and linguistic division of the city of Malaga

The city of Malaga underwent considerable growth in the 19th and 20th centuries. The territorial expansion paired with a massive influx of immigrants occurred in three waves and as a consequence the city of Malaga remains divided into three different parts up to today. The differences between these three neighbourhoods of the city lie in the type of houses, different cultural and industrial activities, socioeconomic level, and very interestingly, also in speech. Thus, the aim of this study is an examination of the interrelation between speech (phonetic features) and urban space in Malaga. A combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis was used, based on two types of data: 1) production data stemming from recordings of 120 speakers; 2) perception data (salience, estimated frequency of use, attitude, spatial and social perception, imitation) which was collected from several surveys with 120 participants each. Results show that the speech production data divides the city of Malaga clearly into three different parts. This tripartition is confirmed by the analysis of the perception data. Moreover, the habitants of these three areas are perceived as different social types, to whom a range of social features is attributed. That is, certain linguistic features, the different neighbourhoods of the city and the social characteristics associated with them are undergoing a process of indexicalization and iconization. As a result, the linguistic features in question function as identity markers on the intraurban level.

Estimating the effect of chemical safety standards on firm performance in Malaysia and Vietnam

This paper uses firm-level data to examine the impact of chemical safety regulations imposed by importing countries such as RoHS and REACH on the production costs and export performance of firms in Malaysia and Vietnam. We find that in addition to the initial setup costs for compliance, EU RoHS and REACH implementation causes firms to incur additional variable production costs by requiring additional labor and capital expenditures of around 12% of the variable costs, respectively. We also find that compliance with RoHS and REACH significantly increases the probability of export. Furthermore, we find that compliance with EU RoHS and REACH helps firms to penetrate into a greater variety of countries. Also, we find that multinational enterprises and firms participating in global value chains generally exhibit better export performance and their costs rise less steeply.

An educational initiative between the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Spanish Young Generation in Nuclear (Jóvenes Nucleares): The Seminar of Nuclear Safety in Advanced Reactors

Jóvenes Nucleares (Spanish Young Generation in Nuclear, JJNN) is a non-profit organization and a commission of the Spanish Nuclear Society (SNE). The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Technical University of Madrid, UPM) is one of the most prestigious technical universities of Spain, and has a very strong curriculum in nuclear engineering training and research. Finishing 2009, JJNN and the UPM started to plan a new and first-of-a-kind Seminar in Nuclear Safety focused on the Advanced Reactors (Generation III, III+ and IV). The scope was to make a general description of the safety in the new reactors, comparing them with the built Generation II reactors from a technical point of view but simple and without the need of strong background in nuclear engineering to try to be interesting for the most number of people possible.

Development of an adequate model for verification of design safety-margins of the HTTR nuclear test facility

This work is based on the prototype High Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) of the Japan Agency of Energy Atomic (JAEA). Its objective is to describe an adequate deterministic model to be used in the assessment of its design safety margins via damage domains. The concept of damage domain is defined and it is shown its relevance in the ongoing effort to apply dynamic risk assessment methods and tools based on the Theory of Stimulated Dynamics (TSD). To illustrate, we present results of an abnormal control rod (CR) withdrawal during subcritical condition and its comparison with results obtained by JAEA. No attempt is made yet to actually assess the detailed scenarios, rather to show how the approach may handle events of its kind

The seminar of nuclear safety in advanced reactors and the seminar of nuclear fusion: two formative initiatives from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and spanish young Generation in Nuclear (Jóvenes Nucleares)

panish Young Generation in Nuclear (Jóvenes Nucleares) is a commission of the Spanish Nuclear Society (SNE), whose main goals are to spread knowledge about nuclear energy among the society. Following this motivation, two Seminars have been carried out with the collaboration of the Technical University of Madrid: The Seminar of Nuclear Safety in Advanced Reactors (SRA) and the Seminar of Nuclear Fusion (SFN). The first one, which has been celebrated every year since 2010, aims to show clearly the advances that have been obtained in the section of safety with the new reactors, from a technical but simple point of view and without needing great previous nuclear engineering knowledge. The second one, which first edition was held in 2011, aims to give a general overview of the past, present and future situation of nuclear fusion technology, and was born as a result of the increasing interest of our Spanish Young Generation members in this technology.