Labour safety standards

A whole series of labour safety standards and other regulations for use within biotechnology research institutes and factories belonging to the microbiological industry (some of these are outlined in Table 5.5) have been introduced since the late 1970s. 

The safety standards include sections on microbiological analyses of the air and the gathering of dust samples to ascertain the air s content of proteins or other components of microbiological synthesis products . Procedures for measuring the degree of contamination of equipment and wall surfaces inside a factory and details of special clothing to be worn by workers were also outlined. 

The aim of these standards was to improve analytical methods placing the emphasis on the use of standardised procedures to determine concentrations of micro-organisms within production facilities. It was believed that such standardisation would raise the level of health inspection and make it possible to compare and analyse working conditions in the (biotechnology) sector as a whole and at individual enterprises that use either different or identical technologies and process instrumentation .  

The application of these standards used to be mandatory for all production facilities within the Soviet microbiological industry. Recent legislation appears to have abolished the system of State standards. However, it is probably still the case that most factories operating in Russia and the former Soviet republics are working in accordance with the regulations set out in Table 5.5. 

GOST 12.1.008-76 Sector Labour Safety Standards. Biological safety. General requirements (Moscow, 1976) 

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OST 59.01.003.01-80 Sector Labour Safety Standards. Health and hygiene evaluation of enterprises of the microbiological industry. Air-quality analysis... 

OST 59.01.003-47-85 Sector Labour Safety Standards. Air quality of the workplace. Acceptable levels of yeast cells. Methods of ascertaining concentrations... 

Khrustov, P.E., Kovalskii, Yu.V. and Shuvalov, L.P. (1988). Labour safety standards in the microbiological industry, Gigiena truda i professionalnye zabolevaniya. Number 10, October, translated in JPRS Report, Science Technology, USSR Life Sciences, JPRS-ULS-88-012, 8 July 1988. 

Only 10 firms account for 75% of agrochemicals sales, while the 15 largest drug companies have a market share of only 33% (Stinson, 1995). About 85% of fine chemicals are manufactured by companies of the triad the United States (28%), Western Europe (39%), and Japan (17%). Italy, with 4.0 million litres reactor capacity and 71 manufacturers, topped the European fine chemicals industry (Layman, 1993). Recently India, China, and Eastern-Central European countries have gained a significant proportion of the market, as a result of the lower direct labour costs and the more relaxed environmental and safety standards. It is fair to state that the high quality of chemists in these countries has also contributed to this development. In 1993, the cost of producing fine chemicals in India was 12% below that in Europe (Layman, 1993). 

This Safety Guide, which is jointly sponsored by the FAO, the IAEA, the International Labour Office, the PAHO and the WHO, gives detailed guidance on the key elements for the organization and operation of a national regulatory infrastructure for radiation safety, with particular reference to the functions of the national regulatory body that are necessary to ensure the implementation of the Basic Safety Standards. The Safety Guide is based technically on material first published in IAEA-TECDOC-1067 which was jointly sponsored by the FAO, the IAEA, the OECD/NEA, the PAHO and the WHO. The requirements established in GS-R-1 have been taken into account. 

In most European national jurisdictions (including Sweden, France, and the Netherlands), occupational health and safety standards are enforced by unitary labour inspectorates that fall within the responsibilities of State Departments of Employment or their equivalent (Cunningham and Johnstone 1999 378-379 Walters 1996 302-303 Walters et al. 2011). Some jurisdictions, such as Spain and Italy, utilise localised systems of regulation, while Cermany divides this... 

Static Code Analysis (SCA) has a proven track record as a powerful software verification technique providing the necessary rigour for safety-related software. A number of mature tools supporting SCA are available. However, static analysis also has a reputation as being costly and labour-intensive. This paper looks at recent advances in identifying objectives and processes for SCA and assesses the potential for such analyses to provide, in conjunction with new software safety standards such as the CAA s SWOl and Ministry of Defence s DEF STAN 00-56 Issue 3, a cost-effective and focussed method of gathering evidence that software performs safely. 

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE, Assessment of Occupational Exposure Due to External Sources of Radiation, IAEA Safety Standards Series No. RS-G-1.3, IAEA, Vienna... 

The site civil construction and the non-nuclear safety grade BOP could be constructed and operated to local industrial standards using local labour and local construction companies. Only the reactor building itself houses nuclear material and contains nuclear safety grade equipment and construction. Thus, only the reactor compound would operate behind a safeguards fence to nuclear safeguards and nuclear safety standards. The ocean access avenues to the BOP and separately to the reactor segments of the site would facilitate separate construction activities performed under separate administrative control to go on in parallel. 

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE, Occupational Radiation Protection, IAEA Safety Standards... 

The first production decanters were virtually devoid of instrumentation and control, apart from the main motor starter. Today, instrumentation and controls are many [1], and can be quite sophisticated. The present tendency is for full automation, to minimise the need for human intervention, and reduce labour costs. Improved safety standards have encouraged the development of some useful, and reliable, instruments. The deveiopment of smail, affordable controllers themselves has enabled the introduction of some much needed process instruments. Hitherto an expensive process instrument could not be justified to be used merely as a monitor. 

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