This publication provides recommendations on meeting the requirements of IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 1 (Rev. 1), Governmental, Legal and Regulatory Framework for Safety, in respect of the organizational structure, management and staffing of the regulatory body. It addresses the arrangements and processes regulatory bodies need to consider in carrying out their responsibilities and functions efficiently and effectively and in an independent manner. It also provides guidance on how an integrated management system should be established and implemented in order to have in place both the core processes that help the regulatory body to perform its core functions, and the management and support processes that are necessary to run the regulatory body. The publication is intended for use by all regulatory bodies, irrespective of the size and type of facilities and activities they regulate.
The ability of a regulatory body to fulfill its responsibilities depends largely on the competence of its staff. Building employees' skills and knowledge is an investment in each employee and in the future of the organization. This Safety Report publication provides generic guidance on managing the competence of regulatory bodies within their management system. It can be used as an example for Member States on how to meet the requirements of systematically assessing competence needs, in the near and long term, and delivering training and other elements of competence development, as well as continually improving this part of the management system.
Building on the revolutionary Institute of Medicine reports To Err is Human and Crossing the Quality Chasm, Keeping Patients Safe lays out guidelines for improving patient safety by changing nurses' working conditions and demands. Licensed nurses and unlicensed nursing assistants are critical participants in our national effort to protect patients from health care errors. The nature of the activities nurses typically perform â€" monitoring patients, educating home caretakers, performing treatments, and rescuing patients who are in crisis â€" provides an indispensable resource in detecting and remedying error-producing defects in the U.S. health care system. During the past two decades, substantial changes have been made in the organization and delivery of health care â€" and consequently in the job description and work environment of nurses. As patients are increasingly cared for as outpatients, nurses in hospitals and nursing homes deal with greater severity of illness. Problems in management practices, employee deployment, work and workspace design, and the basic safety culture of health care organizations place patients at further risk. This newest edition in the groundbreaking Institute of Medicine Quality Chasm series discusses the key aspects of the work environment for nurses and reviews the potential improvements in working conditions that are likely to have an impact on patient safety.
The workplace is where 156 million working adults in the United States spend many waking hours, and it has a profound influence on health and well-being. Although some occupations and work-related activities are more hazardous than others and face higher rates of injuries, illness, disease, and fatalities, workers in all occupations face some form of work-related safety and health concerns. Understanding those risks to prevent injury, illness, or even fatal incidents is an important function of society. Occupational safety and health (OSH) surveillance provides the data and analyses needed to understand the relationships between work and injuries and illnesses in order to improve worker safety and health and prevent work-related injuries and illnesses. Information about the circumstances in which workers are injured or made ill on the job and how these patterns change over time is essential to develop effective prevention programs and target future research. The nation needs a robust OSH surveillance system to provide this critical information for informing policy development, guiding educational and regulatory activities, developing safer technologies, and enabling research and prevention strategies that serves and protects all workers. A Smarter National Surveillance System for Occupational Safety and Health in the 21st Century provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of OSH surveillance. This report is intended to be useful to federal and state agencies that have an interest in occupational safety and health, but may also be of interest broadly to employers, labor unions and other worker advocacy organizations, the workers' compensation insurance industry, as well as state epidemiologists, academic researchers, and the broader public health community. The recommendations address the strengths and weaknesses of the envisioned system relative to the status quo and both short- and long-term actions and strategies needed to bring about a progressive evolution of the current system.
This publication is the new edition of the International Basic Safety Standards. The edition is co-sponsored by seven other international organizations European Commission (EC/Euratom), FAO, ILO, OECD/NEA, PAHO, UNEP and WHO. It replaces the interim edition that was published in November 2011 and the previous edition of the International Basic Safety Standards which was published in 1996. It has been extensively revised and updated to take account of the latest finding of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, and the latest recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The publication details the requirements for the protection of people and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation sources. All circumstances of radiation exposure are considered.
How safe is our food supply? Each year the media report what appears to be growing concern related to illness caused by the food consumed by Americans. These food borne illnesses are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, pesticide residues, and food additives. Recent actions taken at the federal, state, and local levels in response to the increase in reported incidences of food borne illnesses point to the need to evaluate the food safety system in the United States. This book assesses the effectiveness of the current food safety system and provides recommendations on changes needed to ensure an effective science-based food safety system. Ensuring Safe Food discusses such important issues as: What are the primary hazards associated with the food supply? What gaps exist in the current system for ensuring a safe food supply? What effects do trends in food consumption have on food safety? What is the impact of food preparation and handling practices in the home, in food services, or in production operations on the risk of food borne illnesses? What organizational changes in responsibility or oversight could be made to increase the effectiveness of the food safety system in the United States? Current concerns associated with microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards in the food supply are discussed. The book also considers how changes in technology and food processing might introduce new risks. Recommendations are made on steps for developing a coordinated, unified system for food safety. The book also highlights areas that need additional study. Ensuring Safe Food will be important for policymakers, food trade professionals, food producers, food processors, food researchers, public health professionals, and consumers.
The objective of this Safety Guide is to provide guidance on the establishment of the national radiation safety infrastructure that meets the IAEA safety standards. It provides recommendations, in the form of actions, on meeting the relevant Safety Requirements in an effective and integrated manner while taking specific national circumstances into full consideration. This Safety Guide does not diminish the application of, or provide a synopsis of or a substitute for, the IAEA Safety Fundamentals and Safety Requirements publications or other associated Safety Guides. Rather it sets out a holistic approach to the establishment of the national radiation safety infrastructure and provides advice for the application of IAEA safety standards for both, States having essentially no elements of the radiation safety infrastructure in place, and those that already have some.
Nuclear cogeneration to produce electricity and process heat for nonelectric applications such as desalination, district heating or cooling or hydrogen production can play an important role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The implementation of nuclear cogeneration projects is inherently complex and such projects require a clear understanding of actions and responsibilities during the design, operation and management phases. This publication focuses on analysing the requirements and responsibilities of users and vendors and correspondence between them through the life cycle to of a nuclear cogeneration project, highlighting experience and lessons learned from retrofit and new build projects.
This Safety Guide provides recommendations on how to comply with IAEA safety requirements on leadership and management for safety in the area of radioactive waste management. It presents updated guidance on developing and implementing management systems for safety during all steps of radioactive waste management. Emphasis is placed upon effective leadership and culture for safety. The publication is intended to be used by the regulatory body and organizations with responsibilities for directing, planning, or undertaking the management of radioactive waste; it is also intended to be used by the suppliers to such organizations of safety related services and products that support radioactive waste management.
