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Visibility has been a key battleground for social movements such as feminism since the 1970s. In a socioeconomic landscape where the value and purpose of visibility vary according to gender, class, and race, it becomes even more urgent to critically investigate the mechanisms that organise it. By drawing from feminist and postcolonial theories, the article examines the negotiation of visibility in the artworks of Daniela Ortiz, Mayo Pimentel, and Liryc Dela Cruz. Through their work, these artists provide valuable insights into the aesthetic and political implications of in/visibility, particularly in relation to maintenance work, identified as a domain where these contradictions are most pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study focuses on assessing occupational risk for the health hazards encountered during maintenance works (MW) in semiconductor fabrication (FAB) facilities. Objectives: The objectives of this study include: 1) identifying the primary health hazards during MW in semiconductor FAB facilities; 2) reviewing the methods used in evaluating the likelihood and severity of health hazards through occupational health risk assessment (OHRA); and 3) suggesting variables for the categorization of likelihood of exposures to health hazards and the severity of health effects associated with MW in FAB facilities. Methods: A literature review was undertaken on OHRA methodology and health hazards resulting from MW in FAB facilities. Based on this review, approaches for categorizing the exposure to health hazards and the severity of health effects related to MW were recommended. Results: Maintenance workers in FAB facilities face exposure to hazards such as debris, machinery entanglement, and airborne particles laden with various chemical components. The level of engineering and administrative control measures is suggested to assess the likelihood of simultaneous chemical and dust exposure. Qualitative key factors for mixed exposure estimation during MW include the presence of safe operational protocols, the use of air-jet machines, the presence and effectiveness of local exhaust ventilation system, chamber post-purge and cooling, and proper respirator use. Using the risk (R) and hazard (H) codes of the Globally Harmonized System alongside carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic classifications aid in categorizing health effect severity for OHRA. Conclusion: Further research is needed to apply our proposed variables in OHRA for MW in FAB facilities and subsequently validate the findings.

[Objective] Overhaul operations for urban rail transit vehicles pose challenges and bottlenecks in the organization of maintenance work. Currently, there is a lack of systematic exploration of the overhaul contents and process design tailored for maintenance. [Method] Analyzing and refining the process design for the advanced overhaul schedule of urban rail transit vehicles is essential to improving the rationality of maintenance work arrangement, and effectively address the increased maintenance work demands resulting from the expansion of line network mileage and passenger flow volume. Based on existing research achievements regarding maintenance facility layout and maintenance task sequence optimization, the current urban rail transit vehicle overhaul situation is analyzed. Features such as shift repairs between lines, concentrated component-specific repairs, and diverse maintenance strategies in the overhaul operations are summarized. Subsequently, the process characteristics of the overhaul are outlined from the perspectives of process flow, maintenance strategies, and allocation of maintenance resources. Furthermore, a flexible process for overhaul is proposed, including the introduction of parallel operations in the process flow, adjustment of maintenance strategies based on the operational capacity of the maintenance line, and the separation of maintenance equipment and personnel in the allocation of maintenance resources. A computational example analysis is carried out based on the actual overhaul process of a 6-car formation urban rail transit train. [Result & Conclusion] Under a fixed process flow, the overhaul time required for synchronous maintenance strategy is 25 days. By applying flexible process, the required maintenance time is reduced to only 17.5 days, resulting in a 7.5-day reduction in maintenance time compared to the fixed process. The reduction in maintenance time stems from the introduction of parallel operations and the avoidance of executing synchronous overhaul strategy for the entire vehicle when the maintenance facility capacity is insufficient. The computational example results indicate that applying flexible process can effectively shorten the overhaul time of trains, thereby enhancing the maintenance efficiency of urban rail transit vehicles.

Small historical churches in rural villages are mainly functional buildings, lacking spectacular architectural or ornamental features. This is also true for the St. Johannis Chapel Lütgenrode near Göttingen (Lower Saxony, Germany), which dates back to the 13th century. The use of ca. 10 different natural building stones (Triassic sandstone and limestone, Holocene fresh water carbonate), scattered roof tiles and bricks result in a highly heterogeneous character of the chapel's ascending walls. In addition, various repairs over the last centuries, using inadequate materials, amplified damages and produced critical stability problems, in particular at the southern wall. Here, the suitability of the dimensional stones are evaluated for construction and replacement purposes. A semi-quantitative distribution of lithotypes was performed, and weathering forms were mapped in detail. On-site analyses (micro-drilling resistance, the Schmidt hammer rebound test, capillary water absorption) provide data on the deterioration state of the main lithologies. The petrophysical data show that stratigraphically comparable building stones exhibit different technical characteristics and weathering behavior. All data serve to characterize the state of weathering and provide the data set to plan for future restoration work. The amount needed for restoration work has been estimated to be approximately 435,000–550,000 EUR. Because the local church authorities evaluate the significance of a church based on the frequency of its use, a secular use would be able to save the Lütgenrode chapel, but then the church political leaders would have to act quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of existing bridges need to be widened due to the rapid growth of road transport. Owing to the discontinuities in design specifications for the new and old structures in the widened bridges, it is expected that the old bridge might fail to meet the new design standard, leading to a potential need for vastly retrofit or even totally reconstruction. However, the new and old bridges carry slow and fast traffic lanes respectively, resulting in an uneven distribution of traffic loads between them. A previous study indicated that most components of the old bridge possessed adequate security reserves under normal traffic conditions of all lanes open. However, there are occasional scenarios that the new bridge requires closing traffic lanes to perform maintenance works. Under such circumstances, the traffic is completely diverted from the new bridge to the old bridge, and the safety of the old bridge becomes a critical issue. This study proposes a numerical approach to investigate the structural safety of widened bridges under maintenance works requiring partial lane closure on the new bridge and recommends traffic control measures to ensure bridge safety. The results show that several old slabs are unsafe under the maintenance works requiring lane closure. The weight restriction with a limit value not exceeding 35 t can ensure the safety of the widened bridge, whereas speed control is not effective. The hybrid uses of weight restriction and speed control further enhance the safety of the bridge. When the speed limit is 60 km/h, the weight limits should be not greater than 50 t and 45 t for the one-lane and two-lane closure scenarios, respectively. The research findings are of benefit to bridge engineers when maintenance works requiring lane closures are planned on widened bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embedded in the notion of the archive as knowledge infrastructure is the idea of a steady flow of information that resides within and moves through socio-technical systems. While there is exponential growth in the information transferred between the creator and the archive, the information flow between the archive and the user is often leaky—discontinuous and disrupted. There is a considerable interval between the time archival material are accessioned, processed, and made accessible for research. It is in this space that what archivists euphemistically call 'the backlog' comes into existence. What the backlog interrupts is the distribution and consumption end of the research process. As a concept and a reality, the backlog is a critical point of failure, carrying with it an ongoing and prevailing sense that 'deferred maintenance' has become the norm in the archive. In this article, focus is placed on framing and understanding the backlog as an infrastructural problem and on highlighting the conflict inherent in various forms of discourse seeking solutions to it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is a prevalent risk among those working in the maintenance of machinery and equipment for industry. Participatory ergonomics (PE) in the workplace embodies a solid strategy for the implementation of MSD prevention programs. This practical case describes a PE project implemented to improve MSD prevention strategies for the safety of maintenance workers. Experienced workers and maintenance workers employed in an Italian company for the industrial processing of wool have been actively involved in the risk assessment, in the proposal of improvement interventions and in the proposal of new preventive strategies. Ergonomic training and guidance helped the workers to have a proactive role in the prevention process. PE can help in the preventive management of critical activities of maintenance, through the empowerment of workers, the identification of targeted and feasible solutions and by using ergonomics as a basis for improving health and safety at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The road maintenance workload for transportation agencies increases every year. To maintain roads effectively, one contracting method state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) use to outsource is performance-based contracting (PBC). However, state DOTs are having problems identifying the execution issues with PBCs. This study prepares a framework for execution of the PBC method for chip seals (one of the highest expenditure activities for most states), to help guide state engineers to effectively execute the contracts. This framework was developed by conducting a Delphi study with state engineers. The study found five reasons for selecting PBC chip seal; five performance measures; a range of incentives/disincentives to be provided; and the method of PBC team training. For the procurement phase, this study identified the five personnel to be included in the procurement team, as well as the contract duration and best contractor selection method. Similarly, for the contract implementation phase, the five key personnel to be included in the project implementation team, the best way to manage traffic, the timeliness to fix defects, responsibility, the frequency to complete quality assurance work, and the mobilization payment method were identified. As the primary contribution, this paper identified the critical factors of PBC contract life-cycle phases and developed a framework that will provide an easy-to-follow guide to execute PBC contracts to state DOTs. This study has a limitation with its sample size in the Delphi study due to a lack of experience of state DOTs in using the PBC method. The authors recommend conducting similar studies for other activities (cleaning, culvert cleaning, etc.) with larger sample sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Intersecoes: Revista de Estudios Interdisciplinares is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) 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.)

Background: This study focuses on assessing occupational risk for the health hazards encountered during maintenance works (MW) in semiconductor fabrication (FAB) facilities., Objectives: The objectives of this study include: 1) identifying the primary health hazards during MW in semiconductor FAB facilities; 2) reviewing the methods used in evaluating the likelihood and severity of health hazards through occupational health risk assessment (OHRA); and 3) suggesting variables for the categorization of likelihood of exposures to health hazards and the severity of health effects associated with MW in FAB facilities., Methods: A literature review was undertaken on OHRA methodology and health hazards resulting from MW in FAB facilities. Based on this review, approaches for categorizing the exposure to health hazards and the severity of health effects related to MW were recommended., Results: Maintenance workers in FAB facilities face exposure to hazards such as debris, machinery entanglement, and airborne particles laden with various chemical components. The level of engineering and administrative control measures is suggested to assess the likelihood of simultaneous chemical and dust exposure. Qualitative key factors for mixed exposure estimation during MW include the presence of safe operational protocols, the use of air-jet machines, the presence and effectiveness of local exhaust ventilation system, chamber post-purge and cooling, and proper respirator use. Using the risk (R) and hazard (H) codes of the Globally Harmonized System alongside carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic classifications aid in categorizing health effect severity for OHRA., Conclusion: Further research is needed to apply our proposed variables in OHRA for MW in FAB facilities and subsequently validate the findings., (© 2023 The Authors.)

At present, the hybrid DC circuit breaker (ABB company's Hybrid DC circuit breaker as the representative scheme) must be equipped with the radiator because of a long-time current passing through the power electronic devices in the load-control-switch (LCS). Therefore, the daily operation and maintenance work is increased, and the reliability of the whole circuit breaker is reduced，in order to solve the problem, a topological structure of hybrid DC circuit breaker was designed here. This design combines two current transfer ways. When circuit need to be cut-off, current transfer was from main branch to the branch of LCS, and then to the solid-state switch branch in which the current was cut-off by series of power electronic devices. A simulation model was built on PSCAD to verify the feasibility of this topological structure.

At present, the hybrid DC circuit breaker (ABB company's Hybrid DC circuit breaker as the representative scheme) must be equipped with the radiator because of a long-time current passing through the power electronic devices in the load-control-switch (LCS). Therefore, the daily operation and maintenance work is increased, and the reliability of the whole circuit breaker is reduced，in order to solve the problem, a topological structure of hybrid DC circuit breaker was designed here. This design combines two current transfer ways. When circuit need to be cut-off, current transfer was from main branch to the branch of LCS, and then to the solid-state switch branch in which the current was cut-off by series of power electronic devices. A simulation model was built on PSCAD to verify the feasibility of this topological structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human biomonitoring (HBM) is frequently used for the analysis and assessment of exposure to chemicals under routine working conditions. In recent years, HBM has also been applied to monitor the exposure of the general population, and of emergency responders in the aftermath of chemical incidents. Two examples of targeted HBM programs in the chemical industry are described and discussed in this paper: (1) analysis and assessment of the exposure of firefighters and chemical workers after the spill of p -chloroaniline from a burning chemical barrel, and (2) biomonitoring of maintenance workers potentially exposed to benzene during regular turnarounds. The results of these investigations underline that human biomonitoring contributes substantially to comprehensive exposure analyses, human health risk assessments and communication. In addition, regular HBM surveillance and feedback can assist in the continuous improvement of workplace safety measures and exposure control. In conclusion, data on accidental or short-term exposure to hazardous chemicals are an important source of information for the further development of limit and assessment values, the validation of biomarkers and of targeted HBM programs for both routine monitoring and disaster management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]