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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Industry's voluntary program: Community Awareness and Emergency Response Program and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

This paper describes the chemical industry's Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) Program, and voluntary and mandatory actions by the chemical industry to comply with the major environmental legislation. The chemical industry started the voluntary CAER Program soon after the Bhopal Disaster in 1984; it is coordinated through the Chemical Manufacturer's Association. This program, which began in March 1985, is a long-term industry commitment to develop a community outreach program and to improve local emergency response planning. The Congress of the United States began, in 1985, to consider proposals for mandatory programs. This led to enactment of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, known as SARA. A portion of this Act, entitled Title III is also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Although this legislation has many mandatory requirements, it should be emphasized that a significant degree of voluntary industrial participation is needed if the purposes of the statute are to be achieved. Title III has created an intricate and still evolving system that ties together the EPA, industrial plant managers, state emergency response commissions, local emergency planning committees and fire departments with jurisdiction over the facility. Each of these groups has a different role and responsibilities but must work cooperatively with other participants. Because of the intricate network of participants, the magnitude of the information flow, and the continuing evolution of the system, unique public relations problems exist in order to comply with Title III.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Awareness↗
PubMed1985

Screening for methylmalonic aciduria in Alberta: a voluntary program with particular significance for the Hutterite Brethren.

A selective, voluntary urine screening program has been established to facilitate detection and early treatment of infants with methylmalonic acidurias (MMA), a group of rare, potentially lethal, autosomal recessive disorders of organic acid metabolism. The laboratory methods have been modified for newborn infants so that urine specimens can be collected on filter paper in the diaper and tested by the thin-layer chromatography method. One Hutterite child was previously known to have methylmalonyl-coenzyme A (MMCoA) mutase deficiency (mut0) which is unresponsive to vitamin B12 but is responsive to diet and other therapeutic measures. No undiagnosed existing cases of MMA were identified by the voluntary screening program among 1,165 Hutterite infants and preschool children.

Alberta↗
PubMed1990

Evaluation of a hospital admission HIV antibody voluntary screening program.

Voluntary screening for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is recommended by the healthcare profession. The optimal settings to accomplish screening have not been established. We evaluated an admission HIV screening program in a large private hospital to assess advantages and disadvantages in this setting. In a three-month study period, 4,535 of 8,868 patients (51%) admitted to the hospital agreed to HIV testing. Serum specimens from 500 patients who refused testing were blindly, anonymously tested. The seroprevalence of the patients agreeing to (0.26%) and refusing (0.60%) testing was not statistically different (p = .12). There were 12 HIV cases discovered; ten (83%) of these were known to be in a high-risk group at the time of admission. Eighty-five percent of patients interviewed were in favor of this screening program. Difficulties associated with confidentiality or consent were not evident. Calculated charges of testing for each HIV case discovery was $14,550. There was no evidence that this screening program provided for a more effective infection control policy to prevent nosocomial HIV transmission. A hospital admission HIV screening program can be implemented, can meet with favorable patient opinion and can detect previously unknown HIV-positive patients. Hospitals are an efficient and practical setting for HIV testing. The benefit of this program appears to be greater for the patient than hospital or healthcare worker. Cost-benefit analyses will identify optimal candidates to be screened in different hospital populations.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1986

Regulation of animal experimentation: Canada's program of voluntary control.

The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC), is an autonomous advisory and supervisory body responsible for surveillance of experimental animal care and use in Canada's universities, government laboratories and pharmaceutical houses. Its 20-organization membership includes representatives of government, industry, academia and the humane movement. CCAC's voluntary peer review program depends heavily on institutional animal care committees who evaluate the ethical aspects of animal study protocols, and provide day-to-day surveillance of animal care. Its scientific teams, each of which also includes an appointee of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS), conduct assessments based on CCAC's "Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental Animals" (Volume 1, 1980; Volume 2, 1984). Canada's two major funding agencies, the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), have recently stated that, in the event of an institution's continued non-compliance with CCAC requirements, sanctions may include the "freezing or withdrawal of any or all research programs funded by either or both Research Councils in an institution". This presentation describes the CCAC program of voluntary peer review and examines historic aspects of animal issues in Canada, from that country's early reliance on the fur trade, to today's almost defunct harp seal fishery, from Banting and Best's discovery of insulin, to development of the pacemaker.

Animal Testing Alternatives↗
PubMed1986

Chemical industry voluntary test program for phthalate esters: health effects studies.

The Chemical Manufacturers' Association voluntary test program on phthalate esters is described, and the results of certain key aspects of the program are presented. Representative phthalate esters were chosen for genotoxicity testing and peroxisome proliferation screening, and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and its initial metabolic products were tested in the genotoxicity battery. A comparative metabolism study was performed with DEHP in the mouse, rat, and cynomologus monkey, together with a study of the metabolism of DEHP in the rodent at several dose levels, and after prolonged feeding. A standard test for peroxisome proliferation in the rat, employing 21 days of feeding and several end points is described, based on DEHP as a reference compound. DEHP is shown to be nongenotoxic in the test battery, and its initial major metabolites are also nongenotoxic. A nonlinear dose response with respect to the beta-oxidation of DEHP in the rodent is demonstrated. Quantitative differences exist between the mouse and rat, and the cynomologus monkey with respect to the beta-oxidation of DEHP, beta-oxidation being a much less used pathway in the monkey. The significance of these results in interpreting the hepatocellular carcinogenesis of DEHP in the Fischer 344 rat is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

OSHA's voluntary protection programs. The benefits to occupational health nurses and their companies.

The Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) consist of three different programs: Star, Merit, and Demonstration. Each is designed with different criteria to allow the opportunity for a wide range of safety and health programs to be recognized. To be accepted into the Star program it is necessary to have statistics that indicate the program is effective and to have the following six elements incorporated into a comprehensive safety and health program: management commitment; established methods of worksite analysis; established methods of hazard prevention and control; quality safety and health training; employee participation; and annual self evaluation. Because occupational health nurses have daily experience and formal training in hazard prevention and control, safety and health training, and employee health, they are invaluable resources in the VPP application process and in the maintenance of Star level protection. Decreased workers' compensation costs, decreased injury rates, and development of a positive attitude toward OSHA are benefits of the VPP for management, employees, and OSHA.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The impact of mass media advertising on a voluntary sterilization program in Brazil.

The effect of magazine advertising on vasectomy acceptance was tested in São Paulo, Brazil. Four advertisements ran for ten weeks in eight magazines. Clinic performance doubled during the campaign and stabilized at 54 percent higher than baseline. The advertisements selectively attracted the target audience without bringing in large numbers of ineligible candidates, completely avoided negative reactions, and recruited men previously unexposed to vasectomy. The cost of the advertising campaign was offset by additional revenue generated by the increase in vasectomies performed. The results suggest that while interpersonal communications can maintain performance in voluntary sterilization programs, mass media promotion may be necessary for program growth.

Advertising↗
PubMed1987

Maedi-visna control in sheep. III: Results and evaluation of a voluntary control program in The Netherlands over a period of four years.

The results of the first four years of the Dutch national voluntary maedi-visna control program, which was launched on January 1, 1982, are presented. At the end of the observation period, 1711 breeding flocks representing 70% of the registered breeding flocks participated. The program is based on accreditation of flocks that have passed two successive serological tests with an interval of six months between and post-accreditation tests every 12 months. The flocks have to conform to a set of specific regulations. Sheep sold from such flocks receive a certificate stating that their origin was accredited. A total of 1212 flocks gained accreditation. Of these flocks, 29.5% were free from infection from the beginning, 35.6% were created by total replacement of the original stock, 19.6% employed repeated testing and culling of positives, and 15.3% were created by artificial rearing of colostrum-deprived lambs. A total of 22 flocks lost accreditation due to detection of 36 seropositives. These positives and their progeny were culled, and all flocks regained accreditation after passing the two negative flock tests required. In a total of seven flocks, an unusual course of events during the pre-accreditation stage was observed; this was mainly attributed to late seroconversions and uncommon degrees of horizontal transmission. The results indicate that this certification yields a substantial guarantee of freedom from maedi-visna virus and they indirectly show that the basic design of the program has been adequate.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

A program to help staff cope with psychological sequelae of assaults by patients.

Mental hospital staff who are assaulted by patients are at risk of developing symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder. The Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP), a voluntary program, offers support to staff victims of patient assaults in a state mental hospital. ASAP team members debrief assault victims, assessing the victim's sense of control, social supports, and ability to make sense of the incident. A short-term support group is offered. During the program's first 90 days, the team responded to 67 assaults. Ten days after the assaults, many of the victims had not regained a sense of control, did not have a support network, and were unable to make sense of the incident. These factors put them at risk for PTSD symptoms. The costs of such a program are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1976

The role of regional quality control programs in the practice of laboratory medicine in the United States.

Since their initiation in 1967, Regional Quality Control Programs have expanded, and they are now accessible to all clinical laboratories in the United States. Based on input from large numbers of laboratories analyzing the same lots of control material for chemistry, hematology, and coagulation, the programs provide computer-generated intralaboratory statistics for day-to-day precision and interlaboratory comparative statistics for relative precision and accuracy. Nearly half the clinical laboratories in the United States currently participate in Regional Quality Control Programs in chemistry. These voluntary programs are coordinated by voluntary professional groups or by the manufacturers of control materials. Professionally directed programs are, for the most part, supervised by committees of state pathology societies.

Chemistry, Clinical↗
PubMed1985

Nosocomial rubella--consequences of an outbreak and efficacy of a mandatory immunization program.

An outbreak of rubella in a large metropolitan hospital is described. Nineteen cases among employees and three secondary cases in family members occurred. Nosocomial cases occurred among the 3,900 employees of an adult medical-surgical unit where a voluntary program of rubella immunization was in effect. No cases occurred among the 1,400 employees of the women's and pediatric units with mandatory policies, despite interfacility and community exposure. Ten pregnant women were among the 377 contacts of the cases. Five were sero-negative to rubella. Two who developed clinical rubella, one asymptomatic sero-conversion and one other, all elected to terminate their pregnancies. The remaining woman, exposed in her third trimester delivered a normal infant. We conclude a policy requiring new employees to be rubella immune is more effective in preventing nosocomial rubella than a voluntary program and is desirable in view of the potential consequences of an outbreak to pregnant employees.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Initiation of a voluntary certification program for health education specialists.

As health education has become a major strategy for addressing current health problems, the need for expertise in health education has increased. Today health education specialists work not only in health agencies and educational institutions but also in hospitals and other health and medical facilities, in businesses and industries, and in consulting firms. To promote quality assurance in the delivery of health education services to the public, the profession has launched a voluntary credentialing system for health education specialists. Seven areas of responsibilities and the competencies that they require have been delineated as generic to the practice of entry level health education specialists, regardless of the setting (for example, school, health agency, work site) where they work. The purposes and rationale for new National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc., are described as well as the benefits of certification for the profession. The events and accomplishments of the past decade that have provided the foundation for the newly established credentialing program for the health education profession are chronicled.

Allied Health Personnel↗
PubMed1991

Is balance or posture at the end of a voluntary movement programmed?

Two leg movements, differing only by the final balance conditions, were analysed to determine whether the final body posture or the equilibrium were taken into account by the motor programming. The test movement was a flexion-extension of a lower limb executed at maximal velocity. The initial body posture was bipedal, while the final one was either bipedal or unipedal. The biomechanical and electromyographic data showed significant differences between parameters of the two movements. The results indicate that the final body equilibrium is the major parameter controlled.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗