Competing issues

Table 1.1 Competing issues in detenninistie and probabilistie design approaehes...

Training and Competence Issues for Operating and Maintenance Personnel... 

The complex and sometimes competing issues of solubility, stability, and reactivity of reagents designed for purely aqueous POCL were addressed by Barnett et al. [21,22], who furthered the development of the trifluormethylsulfonyl-substituted oxamide class of reagents. They prepared disulfonic acid functionalised oxamides (see Fig. 4), which were found to possess a considerably improved degree of stability at both ambient and low temperature when compared to METQ, in addition to showing some promise as potential reagents in analytical applications. 

Record those factors, both human and system-based, that were analyzed and found not to be relevant. For example, concern frequently centers on personnel competency issues, and if this is not a factor in the incident, it should be stated. Other noncontributory factors should also be recorded. 

A series of factors are of decisive importance for the operation and efficiency of a laboratory. They are a mixture of both management and technical competence issues. Guidelines on how to deal with them are included in widely accepted documents. 

ISO/IEC 17025 classifies the main requirements in two main categories, namely the Management Issues (Chapter 4 in the standard) and the Technical Competence Issues (Chapter 5 in the standard). The new standard ISO/IEC 17025 was, in this respect, fully in line with ISO 9001. A detailed correlation with ISO 9001 and 9002 was included in an Annex to the standard. 

With psychiatric outpatients who are legally competent, issues of consent are not pertinent. These patients can simply take or not take their medication. In contrast, in the hospital setting (especially the public sector) there are a number of involuntary patients for whom legal issues are very relevant. Whereas voluntary patients can simply leave the hospital, involuntarily committed patients cannot. Further, although they can refuse oral medication, it can be given by injection when warranted. 

In this chapter, we remind you how to balance astutely the competing issues. Ideally, we would discuss this as an integrated whole. However, for quick reference, the issues and sections break down as follows ... 

Answers to the above can be used to help evaluate cultural, organisational and humans factor competency issues and to identify how these vary between the different sectors. 

Approximately 500,000 Americans suffer strokes each year. Many of the 80% that survive suffer paralysis and impaired vision and speech, often needing rehabiUtation and/or long-term care. Hence, whereas treatment using rt-PA is likely to be expensive (costs are 2200/dose for treating heat attacks), the benefits of rt-PA could outweigh costs. In the case of heart attacks, the 10 times less expensive microbiaHy derived streptokinase can be used. There is currentiy no competing pharmaceutical for treatment of strokes (18,19). Consequentiy, the cost of manufacture of rt-PA may not be as dominant an issue as would be the case of other types of bioproducts. 

From the standpoint of commercialization of fuel ceU technologies, there are two challenges initial cost and reHable life. The initial selling price of the 200-kW PAFC power plant from IFC was about 3500/kW. A competitive price is projected to be about 1500/kW orless for the utiHty and commercial on-site markets. For transportation appHcations, cost is also a critical issue. The fuel ceU must compete with conventional mass-produced propulsion systems. Furthermore, it is not clear if the manufacturing cost per kilowatt of small fuel ceU systems can be lower than the cost of much larger units. The life of a fuel ceU stack must be five years minimum for utiHty appHcations, and reHable, maintenance-free operation must be achieved over this time period. The projection for the PAFC stack is a five year life, but reHable operation has yet to be demonstrated for this period. 

In business transactions the parties should have a clear understanding of exactly what constitutes trade secret information and consider how the information will be used and who will retain ownership rights. If the transaction is a pure and simple sale, concerns over ownership may be meritless. However, such concerns might be weU-founded, if further research or commercial development involves similar information. It may also be necessary to consider whether the seUer should be allowed to compete against the buyer in ventures involving the same or related information. These are just some of the issues which arise with the sale of the trade secrets. 

In 1988, a comprehensive report on the technology and competitiveness of the U.S. copper industry was issued (54). This report concludes that the revitalized U.S. copper industry could compete in all but the worst foreseeable markets and that the industry s turnaround came entirely from its own efforts, with Httie governmental assistance. The U.S. copper industry is a world leader in smelter and refinery production, applying modem technology and measures to improve productivity. 

If you do not listen to people, you cannot expect them to listen to you. Communication is a two-way activity. Do not make assumptions about what people know, think, or want done about risks. Take the time to find out what people are thinking. Often, people are more concerned about issues such as trust, credibility, competence, control, voluntariness, fairness, and compassion than about mortality statistics and the details of QRA. Use techniques such as interviews, focus groups, and surveys to gauge what people are thinking. 

Laboratories wishing to claim GLP compliance are nonually registered with Competent Authorities who issue statements of compliance following successful periodic inspections of the premises to monitor compliance with the relevant legislation. In the UK compliance with the Good Laboratory Practice Regulations 1999 is audited by the Medicines Control Agency. 

Before the selection of a specific treatment technology can be made, an understanding of the site-specific factors which drive the selection of that technology is required because these factors can influence the evaluation of the advantages and limitations of competing technologies. The information required to resolve these site-specific issues falls into four categories waste composition and matrices, waste quantity, treatment objectives, and the reactions involved in the treatment of the contaminated material. 

The life cycle cost of a process is the net total of all expenses incurred over the entire lifetime of a process. The choice of process chemistry can dramatically affect this life cycle cost. A quantitative life cycle cost cannot be estimated with sufficient accuracy to be of practical value. There is benefit, however, in making a qualitative estimate of the life cycle costs of competing chemistries. Implicit in any estimate of life cycle cost is the estimate of risk. One alternative may seem more attractive than another until the risks associated with product liability issues, environmental concerns, and process hazards are given due consideration. Value of life concepts and cost-benefit analyses (CCPS, 1995a, pp. 23-27 and Chapter 8) are useful in predicting and comparing the life cycle costs of alternatives. 

On the other hand, on larger, more complicated sites, one person might have only one job, or one piece of a job. As described earlier, the SSHO may have many levels of competence. We previously mentioned three levels commonly accepted at government sites. There may be three levels or more of SSHO. Each site may be different, yet the principles are the same. The HASP should show how safety issues are addressed. Typically, a flow chart can be used to clearly depict levels of responsibility along with straight-line versus dotted-line levels of reporting. 

Competence assessment is also required if workers are assigned to new areas of work. In the offshore industry, considerable importance is being attached to the issue of demonstrating competence, following the recommendations of the inquiry that followed the Piper Alpha disaster. 

Point to Consider People in tl>e community are often more concerned about such issues as trust, credibility, competence, control, voluntariness. fairness, caring, and compassion tlian about mortality statistics and tl>e details of quantitative risk assessment. 

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