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Inelasticity of demand along with the distributed energy sources and energy market democratization pose significant challenges which have considerable negative impacts on overall grid balance. The need for increased capacity and flexibility in the era of energy market digitalization has introduced new requirements in the energy supply network which could not be satisfied without continuous and costly local power network upgrades. Additionally, with the emergence of Smart Homes (SHs) and Home Energy Management (HEM) systems for monitoring and operating household appliances, opportunities have arisen for automated Demand Response (DR). DR is exploited for the modification of the consumer energy demand, in response to the specific conditions within the electricity system (e.g., peak period network congestion). In order to optimally integrate DR in the broader Smart Grid (SG) system, modelling of the system parameters and safety analysis is required. In this paper, the implementation of STPA (System-Theoretic Process Analysis) structured method, as a relatively new hazard analysis technique for complex systems is presented and the feasibility of STPA implementation for loss prevention on a Demand Response system for home energy management, and within the complex SG context, is examined. The applied method delivers a mechanism useful in understanding where gaps in current operational risk structures may exist. The STPA findings in terms of loss scenarios can be used to generate a variety of safeguards to ensure secure operational control and in implementing targeted strategies through standard approaches of risk assessment.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are gaining importance in the automotive sector because of the potential of electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. However, there are serious hazards resulting from failing battery cells leading to exothermic chemical reactions inside the cell, called thermal runaway (TR). Literature of quantifying the failing behavior of modern automotive high capacity cells is rare and focusing on single hazard categories such as heat generation. Thus, the aim of this study is to quantify several hazard relevant parameters of a failing currently used battery cell extracted from a modern mass-produced EV: the temperature response of the cell, the maximum reached cell surface temperature, the amount of produced vent gas, the gas venting rate, the composition of the produced gases including electrolyte vapor and the size and composition of the produced particles at TR. For this purpose, overtemperature experiments with fresh 41 Ah automotive lithium NMC/LMO—graphite pouch cells at different state-of-charge (SOC) 100%, 30% and 0% are performed. The results are valuable for firefighters, battery pack designers, cell recyclers, cell transportation and all who deal with batteries.

Rockfalls evolve rapidly and unpredictably in mountain environments and can cause considerable losses to human societies, structures, economical activities, and also natural and historical heritage. Rockfall risk analyses are complex and multi-scale processes involving several disciplines and techniques. This complexity is due to the main features of rockfall phenomena, which are extremely variable over space and time. Today, a considerable number of methods exists for protecting land, as well as assessing and managing the risk level. These methodologies are often very different from each other, depending on the data required, the purposes of the analysis, and the reference scale adopted, i.e., the analysis level of detail. Nevertheless, several questions still remain open with reference to each phase of the hazard and risk process. This paper is devoted to a general overview of existing risk estimation methodologies and a critical analysis of some open questions with the aim of highlighting possible further research topics. A typical risk assessment framework is exemplified by analyzing a real case study. Each step of the process is treated at both the detailed and the large scale in order to highlight the main characteristics of each level of detail.

El decreto de Modernización de la Seguridad Alimentaria (FSMA por sus siglas en inglés) fue firmado en Enero del 2011. Dicho documento intenta cambiar el enfoque de la seguridad alimentaria hacia prevención en lugar de reacción ante eventos relacionados con alimentos. Determinar si un peligro requiere un control preventivo depende de la frecuencia y la gravedad del peligro, el cual varía de acuerdo a la instalación y la especie alimentada. This 5-page fact sheet is the Spanish version of EDIS document AN344, Common Hazards to Consider During Manufacturing of Feeds for Horses. Written by Ana Margarita Arias, Taylor N. Langford, Carissa Wickens, Lori Warren, and Jason M. Scheffler, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences, July 2018. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an345

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in January of 2011. This law requires complying facilities that process, pack, or hold animal feed to develop and implement a risked-based preventive controls food safety plan. This 5-page fact sheet assists personnel at facilities working with feed for horses conduct a thorough hazard analysis, a core component of the food safety plan. Written by Jason M. Scheffler, Taylor N. Langford, Carissa Wickens, and Lori Warren, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences, June 2018. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an344

This 6-page document provides a list of common hazards to consider in the manufacturing of cattle feeds. It discusses the importance of preventing hazards, methods of prevention, and common physical, biological, and chemical hazards. Written by Taylor Langford, Matthew Hersom, Luiz Ferraretto, Antonio Faciola, Chad Carr, and Jason Scheffler, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences, March 2018. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an343

Pyroprocess technology has been considered as a fuel cycle option to solve the spent fuel accumulation problems in Korea. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea has been studying pyroprocess technology, and the conceptual design of an engineering-scale pyroprocess facility, called the Reference Engineering-scale Pyroprocess Facility, has been performed on the basis of a 10 ton heavy metal throughput per year. In this paper the concept of Reference Engineering-scale Pyroprocess Facility is introduced along with its safety requirements for the protection of facility workers, collocated workers, the off-site public, and the environment. For the identification of safety structures, systems, and components and/or administrative controls, the following activities were conducted: (1) identifying hazards associated with operations; (2) identifying potential events associated with these hazards; and (3) identifying the potential preventive and/or mitigative controls that reduce the risk associated with these accident events. This study will be used to perform a safety evaluation for accidents involving any of the hazards identified, and to establish safety design policies and propose a more definite safety design.

A method for supporting an operational regional risk and vulnerability analysis for hydrological hazards is suggested and applied in the Island of Cyprus. The method aggregates the output of a hydrological flow model forced by observed temperatures and precipitations, with observed discharge data. A scheme supported by observed discharge is applied for model calibration. A comparison of different calibration schemes indicated that the same model parameters can be used for the entire country. In addition, it was demonstrated that, for operational purposes, it is sufficient to rely on a few stations. Model parameters were adjusted to account for land use and thus for vulnerability of elements at risk by comparing observed and simulated flow patterns, using all components of the hydrological model. The results can be used for regional risk and vulnerability analysis in order to increase the resilience of the affected population.

Introduction: The weaknesses of traditional hazard analysis methods lead to their inefficiency to utilization for modern socio-technical systems. System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), which is in the category of systematic analysis methods, has a powerful logic to identify hazards in such systems,as a suitable alternative method. This study aimed to analyze hazards associated with extinguishing systems of steam unit of a power plant, using STPA method. . Material and Method: The present research is a qualitative case study. The related hazards were defined using STPA method.Following, the safety control structure diagrams in different parts were plotted and inadequate control measures and its causal factors were identified. .Result: For steam unit of power plant, the most tragic incidents wererelated to hazards and risks of turbine device (switch the turbine cycle). Then, according to the plotted diagram for structure of safety control extinguishing systems associated with switching the turbine cycle, PLC system was determined as the most important part of the control system and operator was identified as the strategic and effective part of a control system. Following, more than 54 causal factors were identified, considering the relevant details about the risks analysis of the turbine. .Conclusion: Due to its systematic structure,STPA method can be effective for a more complete identification of risks and causal factors which causing hazards in the emergency extinguishing systems. Therefore, development of such tools for those operators involved in safety-critical systems will be useful in terms of safety.

The food safety is the main concern of the politicians and inhabitants in whole Europe. According the currently valid legislation the food should be save. The food should be safe from all aspects: chemical, microbiological, physical and radiological. Physical hazard/foreign body in food is perceived by public as something to be very simply solved by food business operators. However, foreign body is the biggest single source of customer complaints received by food business operators, retailers and enforcement authorities. In even the best-managed processes, the accidental presence of unwanted items could occasionally occur. Foreign body in food is believed to be a matter of concern to all food business operators. However, the level of inclusion of physical hazards by Czech food business operators in the hazard analysis is still low. Consumers experience with foreign bodies in food or even health problems caused by foreign bodies is continuing high level. Consumer complaints regarding foreign bodies reported from food products should be an important question for the food industry that should implement corrective actions to prevent such unwanted events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A new methodology for evaluating Fault Tree by means of Colored Petri nets. • Model correctness verification by applying state space analysis. • Quantitative and dependability analysis of Fault Tree model in Colored Petri nets. Abstract Railway system is a safety critical and time-related system, the system's states and time parameters can be used to carry out the dependability and hazard analysis. Fault Tree is widely recognized as a standard evaluating method. However, restricted by the commercial products, the Fault Tree is limited to assess dynamic systems with event-repair operations and time-related attributions. Additionally, it is difficult to incorporate non-linear relationships such as feedback. The quality assurance for fault trees and events trees is mainly carried out by peer review. Combinatory limitations are encountered when modeling complex events with classical methods. Thus, this paper proposes a new method to represent and extend the Fault Tree in Colored Petri nets. Due to large calculation capabilities of CPNs, these limitations can be able to overcome. Additionally, it can be reused for customizations. The accuracy of the approach is verified by using model-based simulation and state space analysis. The performance and benefits of the new approach are demonstrated by investigating train to train collision failure models. To increase the safety demanding needs of railway transportation, we propose a new train movement authority plus system (MA+) in this paper. With the assistance of the wireless communication technology, MA+ can detect the condition of approaching switches and encountering trains within a certain range. The results indicate that the new MA+ can reduce the risk of train head to tail collisions. What is more, the new evaluation method can offer much more essential information, which involves maintenance components, model correctness verification, time factors, and mathematical calculation together, than the traditional Fault Tree Analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest productivity depends on resource acquisition by ephemeral roots and leaves. A combination of intrinsic and environmental factors influences ephemeral organs; however, difficulties in studying belowground organs impede mechanistic understanding of fine-root production and turnover. To quantify factors controlling fine-root dynamics, we grew a deciduous hardwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) and an evergreen conifer (Pinus taeda L.) with distinct soil moisture and nutrient availability treatments. We monitored fine-root dynamics with minirhizotrons for 6 years during early stand development and expressed results on a root length, biomass and mortality-risk basis. Stand development and other intrinsic factors consistently influenced both species in the same direction and by similar magnitude. Live-root length increased to a peak during establishment and slowly declined after roots of neighboring trees overlapped. Root longevity was highest during establishment and decreased thereafter. Root longevity consistently increased with depth of appearance and initial root diameter. Season of appearance affected root longevity in the following order: spring > summer > fall > winter. The influence of soil resource availability on fine-root dynamics was inconsistent between species, and ranked below that of rooting depth, initial diameter, stand development and phenology. Fine-root biomass either increased or was unaffected by greater resource availability. Fine-root production and live root length decreased with irrigation for both species, and increased with fertilization only for poplar. Fine-root mortality risk both increased and decreased depending on species and amendment treatment. Differing responses to soil moisture and nutrient availability between species suggests we should carefully evaluate generalizations about the response of fine-root dynamics to resource availability. While attempting to describe and explain carbon allocation to fine-root production and turnover, modelers and physiologists should first consider consistent patterns of allocation caused by different depth, diameter, stand development, phenology and species before considering allocation due to soil resource availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth in chemical industry has also led to the use of more hazardous chemicals, most often at extreme pressures and temperatures. This escalates the risk factors of a particular operation. Due to this, safety, risk assessment, and hazard management have gained utmost importance. Though a complete, full‐proof mechanism is not achievable, efforts are made to minimize the hazard level with a comprehensive and exhaustive survey of the available methods and develop a superior safety mechanism. Various measures like risk assessment, hazard analysis, thermal safety analysis, and safety indices are in place and to be incorporated at the design stage to have inherently safer processes. The present paper reviews these safety indices, surveys several modern methods and techniques used in the modern chemical industries for ensuring safety, preventing hazards, and for risk assessment. Various methodologies and techniques are compared, categorized into qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid techniques. The current and future trends of developments in this field have also been reviewed. As a rigorous breakdown analysis of a disaster can help in designing new reliable safety measures, an exemplary case study is presented. Hazard assessment, risk identification and mitigation are important steps to develop inherently safer processes in the chemical industry. As such, it is necessary to know all available methodologies, along with their features and limitations. This review intends to collect all these methodologies in a single document, along with a comprehensive comparative study. The current and future trends of development in this field have also been reviewed and are completed by an exemplary case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A light aircraft crosswind takeoff is a risky operation. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility of applying STPA (Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis) to closed-loop continuous controls, identifying the hazards of crosswind takeoffs with light aircraft and the mitigating actions that could make its execution safer. The paper analyzes the variables that affect the response of the aircraft when subjected to severe crosswind, considering how aircraft characteristics affect its stability. The hazard analysis technique STPA is a tool based on the conceptual accident causality model called STAMP (System-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes), which in turn is based on systems theory. To deal with closed-loop actions on continuous control systems, a new approach to STPA was developed and effectively used to analyze data collected on a crosswind flight test campaign. This campaign, conducted by the Flight Test and Research Institute, led to a flight envelope extension of the Embraer’s training aircraft Super Tucano. The demonstration analysis showed the need for new, previously unidentified mitigating measures to be assigned to aircraft manufacturers, operators or owners, and their pilots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systems-Theoretic Accident Modeling and Process (STAMP) is a novel accident causality model and has been used in various areas. Most of the STAMP based hazard analysis methods are ad-hoc without rigorous procedures, and the process model used in STAMP is too simple to identify the hazardous control actions as the causes. Petri nets, which have been used to graphically model computer-controlled systems and resolve system safety issues, can make the hazard analysis with STAMP more effective. To identify the hazardous control actions in the STAMP-based hazard analysis, extended Petri nets are proposed in this paper to model the control processes in the system control structure. The runtime control action failures are considered in the reachability graph for the hazard analysis. Furthermore, the types of hazardous control actions are studied and analyzed in the extended reachability graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chemical Process Industry has witnessed an increase in process safety challenges and changes in the global public perception of risk. The key hazard identification and analysis methods used in the industry follow a univariate analysis which limits them in their approach to consider multiple factors, complex interactions among system components, and their relationships. It is evident that the majority of incidents are a result of human, organizational, mechanical, and operational failures. Most methods lack the anticipation element as well as the full scenario anatomy of incident–initiation, propagation, and termination. Furthermore, the incompleteness of possible scenarios may lead to the reduction or absence of essential risk reduction measures. The hazard analysis method for a complex socio-technical system, such as a process plant, should incorporate the following characteristics: consideration of all system components (e.g. , processes, human operations, equipment, instruments, and control systems), all plausible deviations, a multi-disciplinary team, and proper documentation. Analyzing the extent of the resilience of the whole system, with respect to the plant and management system layers and strengthening weaknesses, is expected to result in significant reduction of unexpected failures and threats to develop and terminate as mishaps. To this end, in Part I (Jain et al., 2018b), the paper presented the Resilience-based Integrated Process Systems Hazard Analysis (RIPSHA), proposed a bi-layered approach that takes two distinct layers into account, and treated the second layer called the Plant System. In Part II, the first layer, called the Management System is presented that comprises three rational sub-systems for analysis-process safety culture and leadership, operational discipline, and process safety systems. This work establishes and presents worksheets and guidewords based on resilience metrics for management systems hazard analysis. The paper closes with a case study on tank explosion accident to illustrate the key concepts of the management system layer hazard analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Ciencia Animal - RECIA is the property of Revista Colombiana de Ciencia Animal - RECIA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The overall article objective was to develop an original Bio-Engineering Reverse & Dynamic Molecular Model (BERD MM) for intrinsic control and prediction toward optimization of thermo-dielectrically behavior in Multi Layers Structures (MLS) for energetically performances and safety microwave processing. The dynamic correlation MLS behavior/function evaluated with bio-markers/techno-markers and the specific procedures/ parameters prediction for a tailored-end response or a tailoredend product in microwave processing was the strategic research goal. The MLS dynamic behavior prediction conducted with biomarkers and the parameter/procedures selection in bioengineering controlled microwave processing was the core of optimized BERDMM for energetically performances and safety industrial procedures. The process optimization was proposed to be conducted in enhanced field-induced absorption/distribution conditions using in situ controlled heating with Curie- antenna layers. The predictive optimization model was proposed to be realized with inverse analysis method. The Hazard Analysis (HA) was proposed to be conducted with key-microbiological markers and the Exergetic Analysis (ExA) with key-energetically biosusceptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advanced grinding of grains has increased the vulnerability of flour to factors such as microbiological contamination, contamination with allergens and the presence of foreign bodies. There are at least three technological stages in which the product can be contaminated with substances or microorganisms which do not originate from wheat. conditioning of grains, when the wheat is mixed with water to the purpose of achieving the optimal humidity for grinding, the dosing of additives used for the correction of flour and packaging, when the product comes into contact with the walls of the bulk transport tanks or with the packaging walls. This work deals with the management of these hazards at the level of pre-operational and operational programmes, by designing, implementing, and certifying a Quality and Food Safety Management System and the use of specific documentation. The use of instruments that are extremely useful in the milling industry, customer orientation and continual improvement are key to obtaining products that meet the customers' and consumers' expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hazard and risk analysis depends heavily on human decision making in the form of engineering judgment and expert opinion. Human decision making may be flawed by the effects of heuristics and cognitive biases. The influence of these psychological factors may invalidate the results of hazard and risk analysis studies. They must be managed carefully to minimize their possible adverse impacts. This article provides a pragmatic view of cognitive biases and guidance on how to address them in hazard and risk analysis. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 37: 205–210, 2018 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author estimates the impacts of the local rate of unemployment and the Great Recession on the quit and graduation rates of the U.S. construction trade apprentices over the 2001-2014 period. Trade union participation in training sponsorship had a strong influence on attrition rates. The impacts of the business cycle and the Great Recession on the attrition rate also varied across sponsor types. During downturns, apprenticeship duration of the quitters in union-employer jointly sponsored programmes was longer, suggesting that the trainees were able to stay with the programme as jobs become scarcer. However, during the Great Recession the quit hazard among these trainees increased, which indicates declining long-term career prospects. In contrast, apprentices in unilateral multipleemployer programmes dropped out at faster rates during the downturns, except during the Great Recession. The increase in the staying power of the quitters in employeronly programmes during the Great Recession is a puzzle. The eventual probability of cancellation was lower among the union-employer joint programmes than in the employer-only programmes, although the difference narrowed down during the Great Recession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Using hazard analysis procedures, this study undertakes a longitudinal examination of Israeli Nonprofit Organizations' (NPOs') financial vulnerability arising from governmental funding instability. Funding instability is characterized by time-at-risk, which measures the level of financial instability faced by an NPO and reflects the different funding situations it encounters. The vulnerability is expressed by the hazard rate (HR), which measures the speed at which NPOs' close at a given point in time. The probability of an NPO failure is then estimated. The improvements presented in the current work are concerned with the methods of estimation of time at risk, which is a key variable in the hazard analysis, and testing a robustness of the method. The generalized time-at-risk, which measures the "level of instability" more consistently reflecting different situations encountered by a NPO, is introduced. The definition of generalized time-at-risk contains arbitrary coefficients whose values the current study determines using some optimization procedure. The optimization incorporates the idea of testing a possibility of using the results for predicting financial vulnerability by dividing the set of 2660 NPOs into two approximately equivalent samples. The coefficients in the time-at-risk definition are optimized by minimizing the average distance between the HR-time-at-risk curves based on these two samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]