Continuous improvement evaluation limitations

Special process and product specifications have been set forth for companies in the chemical industry. Additionally, specific limits must be observed for pollutant or VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions. Specific maximum allowable concentrations at workplaces must not be exceeded. Both the transport of chemicals and the recycling or disposal of chemical wastes are subject to particular requirements. Periodic hazard assessments - which in Germany, for example, are mandatory according to the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (Betriebssicherheitsverordnung, BetrSichV) - are a must requirement in the chemical industry. To achieve a Continuous Improvement Process, product and process requirements must be identified, evaluated and monitored on a regular basis. 

The standard requires a commitment to continuous improvement as a basis for all activities. Evaluation of environmental effects shall not be limited only to those directly related to the company s own activities or products, but will apply to indirect effects such as transport (staff or clients travelling to and from the company site) to the work-place and sub-supplier performance. Furthermore, a register of sigrrificant environmental effects directly resulting from company activities has to be kept. 

Some of the comparisons are described below, but the results must be interpreted with due caution particularly in view of continuing improvements in detector design. One report compared two coulometric detectors for catecholamine analysis and concluded that they were equivalent to current amperometric detectors. Another study compared wall-jet and thin-layer cell configurations. Other more comprehensive studies have been controversial. Forzy et al compared 11 detectors for the analysis of 5-hydroxyindoleactic acid (5-HIAA). They used the same HPLC system with each detector to determine linearity, repeatability, absolute sensitivity, limit of detection and stabilisation time. Driebergen and Benders evaluated 10 detectors with respect to their suitability for routine use in a pharmaceutical company using tetramethylbenzidine as the test compound. Both of these reports found similar relative results with respect to sensitivity and ease of use but stressed the importance of matching instrument to application. 

As mentioned earlier, the process of continuous improvement can incorporate a variety of activities designed to achieve even better safety. This process involves developing key elements from which performance can be measrrred. Work teams are encouraged to develop strategies which are time limited, to meet the given key elements. This process should be evaluated at frequent intervals and progress in continuous improvement fed back to the work team for strategy review. 

Kaizen The philosophy of continual improvement, which states that every process can and should be continually evaluated and improved in terms of time required, resources used, resultant quality, and other aspects relevant to the process. When applied to the workplace. Kaizen means continuing improvement involving everyone—managers and workers alike. Kaizen is not limited to manufacturing systems it also means continuing improvement in one s personal life, home life, social life, and working life. 

Since the incorporation into the ASME Code, field experience was accumulated in the fossil industry and some failures were reported [2,3]. In 2006, in order to reflect the experience, the specification on chemical composition was modified. The upper limit of A1 was lowered, and an upper limit was newly introduced for Ti and Zr. The allowable stresses of the ASME Code were also reevaluated with newly obtained data. Some of the allowable stresses of other materials that fall in the category of creep strength-enhanced ferritic steels were lowered, but those of Grade 91 were not changed because the difference in evaluated values was less than 5%. These changes indicate that the specification and allowable stresses of the materials are being continuously improved by field experience. 

The psychological and physiological limitations and capabilities constitute the ergonomics or human factors. It is the most important part of the occupational safety and health program. This is to evaluate personnel capabilities and improve human safety, comfort, and productivity in the workplace. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are the results of ergonomics and limitations of the human body to a sudden change or continuous working on a physical job, especially where most of the jobs are carried out manually. 

Statistical process control (SPC) provides a statistical approach for evaluating processes and for improving the quality of these processes through elimination of special causes. When SPC is effectively implemented within a company, benefits can be derived through a reduced cost of manufacture, improved quality, fewer troubleshooting crises, and improved relationships with customers. Process capability is a companion tool—one that can be used once a state of statistical control is achieved—to assess the performance of a process relative to its product specifications. Process capability can be used to determine whether processes are capable of continually operating within their stated specification limits. 

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