Safety nets, generally

Consumers contributions to the cost of their medicines are limited by safety net thresholds, which are adjusted annually in relation to the consumer price index (CPI). Under the PBS the maximum cost for a listed item on 1 January 2005 is AUD 4.60 for concessional patients and AUD 28.60 for general patients, except where... 

There are two safety net thresholds. For general patients, once a patient has spent AUD 874.90 on PBS medicines, the patient co-payment decreases to the concessional level of AUD 4.60 for the rest of the calendar year. For concessional patients the safety net threshold is AUD 239.20. Once concessional patients reach this level they receive PBS items free of charge for the rest of the calendar year. From 1 August 2003 information about the full cost of each item has been included on the label of the medicine, so that consumers will be better informed. 

Residential construction poses special concerns for contractors. One of the biggest concerns is falls, so OSHA requires fall protection that meets the residential construction requirements of 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13). According to the regulation, residential construction employers generally must ensure that employees working six feet or more above lower levels use conventional fall protection methods, including guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems. A personal fall arrest system may consist of a full body harness, a deceleration device, a lanyard, and an anchor point. (See the definition of personal fall arrest system at 1926.500). 

Employers can select fall protection measures and equipment compatible with the type of work being performed. Fall protection can generally be provided through the use of guardrail, safety net, personal fall arrest, positioning device, and warning line systems. 

Cover the general requirements for fall protection in construction. If not only drowning hazards, but impact hazards, are involved, then fall protection, such as safety nets, safety harnesses, or guardrail systems, must be used to prevent employees from falling into the water. 

Steel erectors, just as in the general fall protection standard, can choose the best fall protection system for the job. The standard says protection from fall hazards can be a perimeter safety cable, guardrail, safety net, personal fall arrest, or a fall restraint (positioning device) system. 

A. No. OSHA s fall protection standard for construction generally requires fall protection when there is a fall distance of six feet or more. In a few, very specific situations (low-slope roof work, some leading-edge work, precast concrete erection, and residential construction), because of feasibility limitations, the standard permits the use of a warning line, in combination with other measures, instead of conventional fall protection (guardrail systems, personal fall arrest systems or safety net systems) to keep employees away from an edge. 

The general duty to furnish each of his/her employees employment and places of employment that are free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm (which means that even if a hazard in the workplace is not specifically covered by a regulation, the employer must protect the employee anyway). This is commonly referred to as the Act s General Duty Clause safety professionals and in particular OSHA professionals view it as a "safety net."... 

When an employee is working above a lower level, fall hazards may be present where appropriate fall protection is required under the OSHA standards. Employees exposed to fall hazards of 4 feet or more in general industry work and 6 feet when they are performing construction tasks require some form of fall protection whether it be guardrail systems, personal fall arrest systems, restraint systems, or safety net systems. 

During installation of the permanent guardrail, if employees installing it are exposed to fall hazards, another type of fall protection should be used—a harness, lanyard, and tie-oflf to a proper anchor point, or a safety net system. OSHA s general industry regulations don t address the use of fall protection harnesses, anchor points, lanyard requirements, and free fall distances. 

Remarkable ecotoxic effects caused by the biodegradation of polymers have rarely appeared in all reviewed papers and reports. Fortunately, a generally very small hazard potential could be assumed. An extensive investigation, applied before the market introduction of a newly designed or composed material, may act as a safety net to avoid unwanted negative effects on ecosystems. The additional cost of such analysis is very low compared with the value of environmental damage unexpected metabolites may cause and compared with the probable loss of confidence of the material users and waste treatment plant operators. 

Payroll taxes are the classic Instrument used to finance social insuranc e programs, so the question often arises whether they should be used to finance safety nets. In general, the answer is... 

Pressures on governments to spend revenues as they are collected have hampered the accumulation of fiscal savings to be used in the case of need. A typical example is the procyclical accumulation of oil revenues (Alesina and Tabellini 2005 Davis, Ossowsky, and Fedelino 2003). The tendency is general, but pertains fully in the case of safety nets. 

In simple correlations, most of the factors have the expected sign, but the strength of the correlation is generally higher the broader the concept of spending used (table 3.4). For spending on safety nets alone, none of the factors examined correlate significantly. 

---