North Sea gas leak on March 25, 2012 at 4000 m below the surface

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21637-no-toxic-hydrogen-sulphide-in-north-sea-gas-leak.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21631-north-sea-gas-leak-venting-from-newly-disturbed-source.html
http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/scottish-headlines/north-sea-gas-leak-source-located-1-2199804#


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2121457/North-Sea-gas-leak-threatens-repeat-Piper-Alpha-oil-rig-disaster-Aberdeen.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Change of guard - impact on safety policies

Changes are imminent - whether it is the top man or at different levels. Every time, organizational change occurs particulary at top level, it is certain that the new management will review policies in all respects. People want to leave their imprint by thinking differently and this is one of the reason for shuffling of positions in any organization.
Depending upon the knowledge, experience, interests and targets of the person taking charge,  and also the advise provided by down under, unless otherwise it is one-man army as in small organizations, the policy shift can be either good or bad to the organization (and to the subordinates?). It may take sometime to see the results of these changes.
As per rules, whenever the occupier or safety in-charge changes, this information needs to be informed to regulators immediately. And, it is better if regulators keep a watch on the affairs of such organization(s) for a reasonable period, to ensure that the safety issues continue to get top priority inspite of the changes in the organization.

A capsule for removing radioactive contamination from milk, fruit juices, other beverages

A capsule for removing radioactive contamination from milk, fruit juices, other beverages

LINK

Who is responsible for delay in work? Regulators or managements?

Many times regulatory process is shown as a reason for delay in work progress or failure to achieve production targets or failure to start or complete projects in times or ending up in losses. However, they do not explain or do not want to see why proper planning and execution is not done to comply with applicable procedures and statutes. When procedures are not followed and if and when the regulatory body finds violations or finds new information, they are bound to issue notices. Had the entity disclosed the information fully about its intentions initially itself or complied with conditions subsequently, there would not have been any tussle or heart burn.
Companies blame that the information which is not asked earlier is being asked later and their works are being suspended or such new information is shown as a cause for stopping the work. As long as any activity got potential to cause harm to people and environment, it has to be addressed, even if not during application process.These systems are evolved over a period of time based on past experience and considerable forethought and can't be questioned for one's problems.
Economic growth or profits of the companies alone can't be a reason for bypassing/violation the regulatory process. Safety of the persons and environment should get top priority over other issues and nobody got any right in this regard.

Safety Daily Advisor : Facts About Shiftwork Health Problems

Safety Daily Advisor : Facts About Shiftwork Health Problems

Shift work introduces changes in our daily routine and this requires adjustment and tuning of our body to new pattern. How fast this occurs varies from individual to individual. There are many who continue to work in shifts for years. Even in some of those people, there are problems of adjustment and complaints about health. Apart from loosing their family life which they could have when they come in general shifts, they are also prone to accidents for a variety of reasons like health, lack of proper supervision in shifts, psychological, etc. However, one of my senior colleague told me that he could use day time to undergo many courses and acquire higher qualification which he could not have got, if he attended work in general shift. But, such people are less and generally one will be taking more time for rest when working in night shifts. Persons especially in night shifts are prone to accidents. Further, in some industries, as reported in news papers, workers are engaged to letout untreated effluents in public drains during night times when vigil is almost nil. This may induce them to develop unlawful attitude and indirectly affects their own lives also.

Who bears the most of the cost of a workplace accident? Employer ! Community!! Workers!!!

In a blog (safetyatworkblog.com), it is reported that 95% of the cost of a workplace accident is borne by the workers and community, whereas the employers incurs the balance. If this is true, then, employers are making profit at the cost of the society even during accidents. Though, it is not clear, how this data is arrived at, however, it is true that a business minded person passes on all his costs to his customers and he may add a percentage of the total costs (including those incurred due to incidents/accidents) as his profit. Can we draw from this, by stating that the higher the input costs, higher the profit. May be the breakeven period will be more, but afterwards, profits will be more. I am not an economist, but with my thought process, I am putting this analysis.

Rare surgery, thumb reconstructed from toe

In a rare surgery, a carpenter is able to write, hold and eat after his right hand thumb was reconstructed from one of his foot toes. The carpenter lost is thumb while working and six weeks after the surgery at Yashoda Hospital, Secunderabad, he could do most of the jobs. It is reported that such surgery was done 20 years before at NIMS (Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderbad, India), but public awareness about such rare surgeries is almost negligible.