Academic literature on the topic 'Electric industry workers'

Background: The modern society cause the increase of workload and impact of environment factors on performance efficiency of occupational duties and health safety of workers. Emergencies and expert mistakes often arise not so much from rules ignorance of object management, but due to insufficient development of worker’s own psychophysiological qualities. The goal of our investigation is to develop the estimation technique for evaluation the risk of depletion in efficiency performance of occupational duties for operative service workers in electric power engineering industry.Methods: In our investigation, we examined the materials of psychophysiological survey by the multivariate statistics, dispersion analysis and regression binary choice models. The study is based on workers’ survey, encompassed exogenous psychophysiological indicators that included the observation of 466 operative service workers of in electric power engineering industry in Ukraine.Results: We determined seven psychophysiological indicators that are significant important risk cause of critical depletion in worker’s occupational efficiency. We estimated the multivariate regression logit model that evaluate the impact of each factor taking into account the age of worker.Conclusions: For workers with high values of average reaction time, regardless of the age group, we predict a high risk of occupational effective performance loss. The analysis showed that for workers with average values of other factors, the increase of adaptability and variability lead to decrease in risk of occupational professional efficiency depletion. Based on developed approach, we estimated that, in electric power engineering industry in Ukraine, the risk of effectiveness loss is less than 0.5 for 84% of workers.

The electric utilities industry is facing a potential crisis. As experienced workers are preparing to retire, new employees are being hired to take their place. These new workers lack the training and experience of the retiring workforce. This paper describes the potential use of Augmented Reality (AR) to address the challenges posed by this loss of expertise. The research effort investigated opportunities to use AR to improve knowledge transfer in the electric utilities industry.

Reducing risks in the nuclear industry necessarily exposes maintenance workers to ionizing radiation. In the early 1980s, the French industry started outsourcing certain work operations, including nearly all maintenance. The goal was seen as one of reducing costs. But an important result is a shift in the category of workers receiving radiation doses. External workers receive 80 percent of annual collective doses recorded at nuclear sites, with average individual monthly dosages in an irradiated area eleven to fifteen times more elevated than those of workers in the French electric company. Nuclear producers strictly observe regulatory exposure limits by managing jobs by doses and externalizing the problem. An employee who reaches the dosage limit is banned from the plant. Qualified permanent employees do not do the work that is most costly in dosage. Outsourcing the risky work prevents challenges from unions and public officials, and firms can claim that radiation exposures are controlled and do not endanger workers' health. The problem, a terrible contradiction at the heart of the industry, has been socially constructed to be invisible.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the deepening understanding of the diverging pollution prevention (PP) and occupational and safety practices undertaken in the Mexican maquiladora industry. Design/methodology/approach – This study was outlined by a modified version of the PP Program based on a continuous improvement cycle, which identifies areas of opportunity and then, proposes ideas for solving problems. This study was carried out based merely on a quantitative approach. However, when this was not possible, parameters were determined under a qualitative or semi-quantitative approach. Findings – Findings in this study have proven that Cleaner Production and Pollution Prevention (CP&PP) programs are successful to obtain not only environmental but also occupational benefits at the same time; therefore, they should not be seem only as an environmental tool but as a sustainability tool that have the potential to make possible the creation of a sustainable production system in the maquiladora industry where products and processes, and operations are designed to be not risky for Mexican workers, communities, and environment. Practical implications – The study revealed empirical environmental and occupational practices that took place in nine maquiladoras located in the Northwest of Mexico and analyzes how these practices affect Mexican workers in this industry and their environment. Originality/value – The study evaluated the feasibility and usefulness of CP&PP programs in the maquiladora industry under an integrative approach that takes into account environmental and occupational aspect in order to understand how this industry is changing their production patterns toward sustainability.

In chopping Rebung for the home industry, they still use conventional methods and lack the application of technology. This, of course, causes the productivity and quality of the home industry products to be less than optimal. Productivity is influenced by several factors, including requiring workers to be more careful so that it requires a lot of concentration, worker fatigue, which makes it less optimal in using time, and the workers' speed. Therefore, the primary control system was made an automatic Rebung chopper based on the VFD with Arduino Uno. The 3-phase induction electric motor is used as a prime mover for chopping blades and control using VFD (Variable Frequency Drive). For the critical system, use a spring and open the pressing tube's lid using a servo motor and the buzzer as a monitoring medium. The test uses VFD to adjust the rotational speed of the electric motor. The test results show that at a frequency of 20 Hz with a speed of 147.8 rpm, it produces chops with a length of 3 cm in 2 minutes 54 seconds. At a frequency of 35 Hz with a speed of 221.2 Rpm, it produces 2 cm chunks in 1 minute 53 seconds. At a frequency of 50 Hz with a speed of 260.1 Rpm, it produces 1 cm chops in 1 minute 5 seconds. If chopping is done manually, it takes 5 minutes with an average length of 2 cm

It is noted that there are many serious risks to the safety and health of workers at poultry farms in Ukraine. These hazards include exposure to high levels of noise, dust, hazardous equipment, slippery floors, musculoskeletal disorders, hazardous chemicals and biological hazards. Studies show that prolonged exposure to high noise levels leads to noise hearing loss in workers of all ages. When performing work on catching, transplanting, transporting poultry, taking blood for chemical and serological tests, the noise level in the poultry house reaches 8690 dB. It is noted that during the repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment there is a risk of injury due to heat, electric shock, burns, cuts, tears, amputation or fractures of body parts. Poultry workers are the most vulnerable occupational group in terms of the risk of developing respiratory diseases. It has been established that 8-hour inhalation of dust in a concentration exceeding 4 mg/m3 is especially dangerous. The highest level of respiratory diseases was in 45-55-year-old workers. It is noted that poultry workers are exposed to ergonomic risks, which can cause injuries to the musculoskeletal system. The researchers found that 81% of poultry processing jobs have an increased level of repetitive hand movements and exertion. Workers complained of pain, numbness, burning, tingling in the hands or wrists. It is noted that new technologies will be able to reduce some types of ergonomic injuries. A significant danger for poultry workers is the risk of catching avian influenza. It is noted that workers have the right to healthy and safe working conditions, the development of special programs to protect them from industrial hazards. To protect workers, it is necessary to implement engineering and control measures and provide appropriate personal protective equipment.

Based on actual safety management difficulties and needs, this paper aims to screen and extract the key accident potential factors of personal injuries and deaths within the electric power industry to provide a reference for electric power companies’ accident prevention effort. First, this document sorts out and analyzes all of the causes and influencing elements that may lead to the occurrence of electric personal injuries and deaths, based on which rough accident potential factors are initially identified and combined with the definition of accident potentials. Second, this paper mines and analyzes relevant accident report texts using text-mining technologies such as term count, word cloud, and term frequency–inverse document frequency (TF-IDF), and thus a system of key accident potential factors for personal injuries and deaths within the electric power industry, including three key factors (human, material, and management), is finally constructed. Workers’ habitual violation behavior, in particular, has a larger risk than other key accident potential components, implying that additional steps should be made to eradicate this type of critical accident potential in time.

The shipbuilding industry is a useful place for producing or even repairing ships. PT Blambangan Bahari Shipyard in this study is one of the shipbuilding industries which is a shipbuilding company and shipping consultant. Occupational safety in every workplace, including in the ship production sector, needs to be considered to reduce the risk of work accidents as low as possible. This research aims to identify the types of hazards or analyze risks in shipbuilding activities with case studies at PT. Blambangan Bahari Shipyard. This study uses a quantitative approach with a criterion scale to analyze data from interviews and risk observations at each stage of shipbuilding. Then the data were analyzed using the Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP) method. The results of the risk analysis of the shipbuilding process show that the stages of mold making, mold coating, gel coat and lamination have a high-risk level. This is because, at this stage, many workers use tools that are quite dangerous for them. In addition, the risk analysis results show that the shipbuilding process has a high level of risk in terms of work safety. The high risks experienced by workers are exposure to electric drills, electric shock, eye pain, skin irritation, respiratory problems, and bronchitis.

This research examined the reasons for participation in continuing professional education (CPE) and the predictive relationship of those motivational reasons to the perceived leadership effectiveness of first-line supervisors. For this study, 105 first-line supervisors were surveyed from four electric utility companies. Input was also collected from each supervisor's subordinate employees. Using the five motivational reasons for participation, collected via the Participation Reasons Scale and the effectiveness score collected using the Leader Behavior Analysis II®, regression techniques were used to asses the data. The five participation reasons of the PRS were regressed individually against the effectiveness scores to determine the extent to which leader effectiveness could be predicted by the participation reasons. In each case, the null hypothesis failed to be rejected. Regression of the five PRS reasons collectively on leader effectiveness also failed to reject the null, producing a p value of .800 and an R2 value of .023. An "all possible subsets" regression was conducted to determine whether a smaller subset of the five predictor variables might improve the predictive value of the participation reasons. No subset improved the predictive value. This study concludes that motivation to participate in CPE does not predict leader effectiveness. Thus, training organizations do not need to attempt to determine leader effectiveness based on underlying reasons individuals are motivated to participate, but rather should focus on the more traditional aspects of determining effectiveness most often associated with rigorous training evaluation processes. This study focused on the job role of first-line supervisor. Future research could be performed using: (a) populations of individuals from other traditional job roles including front-line employees (both unionized and non-unionized), mid-level managers, and executives; (b) leaders with and without prior training in situational leadership; and (c) effectiveness measure over time (i.e., a time-series method).

Orientador: Giovanni Antonio Pinto Alves
Banca: Ricardo Luiz Coltro Antunes
Banca: Ângela Maria Carneiro Araújo
Banca: Marcos Tadeu Del Roio
Banca: Roberto Leme Batista
Resumo: A presente tese teve como objetivo analisar os principais aspectos sociometabólicos que influenciaram na determinação do perfil do jovem trabalhador eletricitário da Companhia Paranaense de Energia. Analisamos como a "nova" morfologia do capitalismo, resultado da recente globalização, reorientou ideologicamente os governos e a sociedade da maioria dos países. Isso levou à constituição de um "novo" metabolismo no ambiente de trabalho, gerando "novas" dimensões e formas de precarização para os trabalhadores. A dinâmica capitalista neoliberal intensificou a manipulação social, impondo culturalmente um comportamento consumista, individualista e competitivo para as novas gerações. Procuramos demonstrar como o incremento tecnológico e o método de gestão toyotista implementado pela empresa a partir do final da década de 1990 alinharam-se com o ideário neoliberal e influenciaram decisivamente na constituição do perfil dos "novos" trabalhadores que se caracterizam principalmente pela competitividade, individualidade, flexibilidade, polivalência, empreendedorismo e proatividade. Além disso, a reestruturação produtiva da empresa impactou negativamente a subjetividade desses novos trabalhadores, precarizando ainda mais suas existencialidades, levando-os a experimentar o estresse, a desesperança, o estranhamento e, por vezes, até o adoecimento físico e/ou psicossocial.
Abstract: The aim of this thesis was to analyze the main socio-metabolic aspects that influenced the determination of the profile of the young electrical worker of Companhia Paranaense de Energia. We analyze how the "new" morphology of capitalism, the result of recent globalization, has ideologically reoriented the governments and society of most countries. This led to the creation of a "new" metabolism in the workplace, generating "new" dimensions and forms of precariousness for workers. Neoliberal capitalist dynamics intensified social manipulation, culturally imposing consumerist behavior, individualistic and competitive for the new generations. We tried to demonstrate how the technological increment and the toyotista management method implemented by the company from the end of the 1990s aligned with the neoliberal ideology and decisively influenced the profile of the "new" workers that are characterized mainly by competitiveness, individuality, flexibility, polyvalence, entrepreneurship and proactivity. In addition, the productive restructuring of the company has negatively impacted the subjectivity of these new workers, making their existentials even more precarious, causing them to experience stress, hopelessness, estrangement, and sometimes even physical and / or psychosocial illness.
Doutor

Training and human resource development sponsored by the private sector has become increasingly important and topical in North America. Yet, the attention devoted to it by policymakers, academe and industry itself has not risen accordingly. Government and industry are faced with the challenge of formulating effective public and private policy to facilitate the qualitative and quantitative development of employer-sponsored training. There is a paucity of information on employer-sponsored training. Therefore, the intent of this study was to determine the nature and extent and qualitative issues of the phenomenon in one industry: the British Columbia electronics industry. The literature on employer-sponsored training was reviewed from three perspectives. First, the theoretical, historical and conceptual roots of the topic were presented. Second, the quantitative data on employer-sponsored training in North America was summarized. Third, an overview of the most pressing qualitative issues related to the subject was presented. As a result of this process, five main research questions were derived relating to the following aspects of the B. C. electronics industry: human resource requirements; sources of human resources; nature and extent of training; training decision-making; and public policy. A 15-page open-ended and closed questionnaire was developed and sent to 80 electronics companies in British Columbia. Forty-eight or 60% of the companies responded to the survey. The responses to individual questions yielded several interesting patterns in the data. The small sample size and the nominal nature of the data collected prevented any extensive statistical analysis of the results to test for relationships between variables. The chi-square test for independence was utilized and identified a few plausible relationships between key variables. A list of specific conclusions derived from the results painted an overall picture of the training and human resource activity in the British Columbia electronics industry. The limitations of the study and its implications for future research and public policy were outlined.
Education, Faculty of
Educational Studies (EDST), Department of
Graduate

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2008.
Title from first page of PDF file (viewed June 13, 2008). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 218-236).

AbstractOnline voting systems typically display a confirmation screen allowing voters to confirm their selections before casting. This paper considers whether a network-based observer can extract information about voter selections from the length of the exchanged network data.We conducted a detailed analysis of the Simply Voting implementation, which had randomly varying lengths of exchanged data due to dynamic page content and gzip compression. We demonstrated that we could correctly guess a voter’s selection with accuracy values ranging up to 100% in some instances. Even on more complex ballots, we generally could still rule out some combinations of candidates. We conducted a coordinated disclosure with the vendor and worked with them to roll out a mitigation.To their credit, this discovery (and therefore its fix) was made possible by their willingness to provide a publicly accessible demo, which, as we will show, remains a rarity in the industry.

AbstractIncreasing product variety, shorter product life cycles, and the ongoing transition towards electro-mobility demand higher flexibility in automotive production. Especially in the final assembly, where most variant-dependent processes are happening, the currently predominant concept of flowing line assembly is already been pushed to its flexibility limits. Line-less assembly systems break up the rigid line structures by enabling higher routing and operational flexibility using individual product routes that are takt-time independent. Hybrid approaches consider the combination of line and matrix-structured systems to increase flexibility while maintaining existing structures. Such system changes require a high planning effort and investment costs. For a risk-minimized potential evaluation, discrete-event simulation is a promising tool. However, the challenge is to model the existing line assembly concept and line-less assembly for comparison. In this work, a comprehensive scenario analysis based on real assembly system data is conducted to evaluate the potential of line-less assembly in the automotive industry. Within the simulation, an online scheduling algorithm for adaptive routing and sequencing is used. Based on an automated experiment design, several system parameters are varied full-factorially and applied to different system configurations. Various scenarios considering worker capabilities, station failures, material availability, and product variants are simulated in a discrete-event simulation considering realistic assumptions. Results show that the throughput and utilization can be increased in the hybrid and line-less systems when assuming that the stations will have failures and the assumption of an unchanged order input.

AbstractThe main aim of the FENIX project is the development of new business models and industrial strategies for three novel supply chains in order to enable value-added product-services. Through a set of success stories coming from the application of circular economy principles in different industrial sectors, FENIX wants to demonstrate in practice the real benefits coming from its adoption. In addition, Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) will be integrated within the selected processes to improve the efficient recovery of secondary resources. In this sense, among the available KETs, the adoption of digital and advanced automated solutions allows companies to re-thinking their business strategies, trying to cope with even more severe environmental requirements. Among these technological solutions, the paradigm of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is the most popular. I4.0 entails the development of a new concept of economic policy based on high-tech strategies and internet-connected technologies allowing the creation of added-value for organizations and society. Unlike the activities developed in T3.1, related to the development and implementation of simulation tools and models for the smartphones’ disassembly process optimization, here the attention has been spent in managing and optimizing a new semi-automated PCBs disassembly station. The disassembly of products is a key process in the treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. When performed efficiently, it enables the maximization of resources re-usage and a minimization of pollution. Within the I4.0 paradigm, collaborative robots (co-bots in short) can safely interact with humans and learn from them. This flexibility makes them suitable for supporting current CE practices, especially during disassembly and remanufacturing operations. D3.2 focuses on describing the semi-automated PCB disassembly process implemented at the POLIMI’s Industry 4.0 Lab, aiming to demonstrate in practice the benefits of exploiting I4.0 technologies in PCB disassembly processes. Results highlight how a semi-automated cell where operators and cobots works together can allow a better management of both repetitive and specific activities, the safe interaction of cobots with operators and the simple management of the high variability related with different kinds of PCBs.

Abstract Amory Houghton Jr. Spent the summer of 1909 in Robbinston, Maine, as he had for several years, and returned to Corning around September 1. Bedridden for a few weeks, he died at his home in early November, at the age of seventy-two, and was buried in the family plot at Hope Annex Cemetery. More than the four children and eight grandchildren he left behind, or the civic positions he held in the city and his church, or his multimillion dollar estate, Amory Houghton Jr.’s true legacy was the Corning Glass Works, the struggling company he and his brother Charles had transformed into a leading competitor in the glass industry. At his death, the works maintained exclusive contracts with the largest customers in its two main lines of business-railroad glass and electric lighting products. The company had annual sales of s1.5 million and employed several hundred workers, making it six times bigger than the average American glassmaking firm. And it turned profits every year, having paid dividends consistently since 1880.

Abstract Radio appeared rather suddenly on the telecommunications scene, with a very short period elapsing between the first successful experiments (1895-6) and the beginning of its commercial exploitation. Limited in the beginning to communication between mobiles, the area in which it brought the most radical innovation, radio electric technology then spread to connecting fixed points. Radio was created in a milieu consisting essentially of independent engineers, who, for the most part, worked in somewhat unclear conditions, both conceptually and institutionally. A radically new technology, radio had not yet been adopted by any company of significant size prior to the turn of the twentieth century. Interest in the potential of radio did grow, however, beginning in 1902 and 1903.

In the era of mechanical digitalization, organizations are progressively putting resources into apparatuses and arrangements that permit their procedures, machines, workers, and even the products themselves to be incorporated into a solitary coordinated system for information assortment, information examination, the assessment of organization advancement, and execution improvement. This chapter presents a reference guide and review for propelling an Industry 4.0 venture from plan to execution, according to base on the economic and scientific policy of European parliament, applying increasingly effective creation forms, and accomplishing better profitability and economies of scale may likewise bring about expanded financial manageability. This chapter present the contextual analysis of a few Industry 4.0 applications. Authors give suggestions coordinating the progression of Industry 4.0. This section briefly portrays the advancement of IIoT 4.0. The change of ubiquitous computing through the internet of things has numerous difficulties related with it.

The objective of this research was developed to evaluate the working conditions of workers in an electronic industry located in the city of Mexicali, analyzing a process in a work table where welding operations of electronic components are made and certain factors are presented that generated discomfort to the operating personnel of this manufacturing area. The workers frequently visited the company doctor and health institutions in Mexicali due to symptoms of discomfort and pain in the head, neck, back, spine, arms, hands, and shoulders in addition to discomfort in the eyes due to not having a position due to poor structure (work table and chair) and low light intensity, which caused fatigue and stress and discomfort with eyestrain. In addition, certain employees in the production areas presented symptoms of respiratory diseases caused by an environment contaminated by pollutants, essentially derived from sulfur (sulfides), as well as variations in temperature and relative humidity in the four seasons of the year.

In data analytics, cloud processing is helping make cities more powerful. The solidification of the two clouds and analytics could help cities store, decipher, and measure their enormous data to all the more possible report their citizens' issues. Organizations can spend less cash on workers and rather center on reinforcing their staff and item. Consequently, cloud drives assist more modest cities with getting the enormous information game, permitting new companies to all the more likely rival bigger associations in their industry.

Abstract: The negative side of the high rate of development of the electric power industry is the increase in the influence of electromagnetic radiation on humans. Unlike an electric field, a magnetic field is not shielded by personal protective equipment. Personnel exposed to industrial frequency magnetic fields are exposed to the negative effects of radiation on the nervous, cardiovascular, immune, and endocrine systems. Objective: to study and analyze the prevalence of diseases of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems in workers employed in the electric power industry. Materials and methods: 598 employees of the electric power industry were examined. The analysis of the survey data was carried out on the basis of descriptive statistics (relative values (%), the number of cases (n)) using the Microsoft Office Excel 2016 software package. Results: out of 598 men, 29.8% were obese, 16.7% had cardiovascular diseases and 2.7% had type 2 diabetes. The structure of morbidity by seniority groups was also analyzed and the dependence of the prevalence of morbidity on the length of service was revealed. Conclusion: the analysis of the obtained data indicates a high prevalence of diseases of the cardiovascular system and obesity among employees of the electric power industry exposed to industrial frequency magnetic fields.

Working at several electric power facilities exposes workers to hazardous factors are risk of electrical shock and electromagnetic waves of industrial frequency of 50 Hz) and less intense fields of the radio frequency range, noise and vibration levels, harmful chemicals like burning gases and fumes in the air, and psychological stress due to the on-call emergency state. In this work, we develop hybrid fuzzy decision rules is a promising tool that combines clinical knowledge with artificial intelligence. The developed model allows diagnosis of nervous system diseases at early stage. The selected decision rules took into account the environmental situation and individual health risk factors. This provides confidence in the prediction decisions of contracting nervous diseases shows the high accuracy of more than 0.85. The prediction of early stages reached minimum accuracy of worse than 0.92, which makes it a valuable tool to support physicians’ diagnoses. The developed model is valuable for health treatment decision making.

The problem of electrical workers being injured or killed by electrical arcs and blasts is one of the most significant safety issues in the industry today. Accident data reveals that over 2,000 people are severely burned annually by electrical arc blasts on the job (1) and many others receive less severe burns that still result in significant pain and suffering to the victim. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of the arc-flash hazard analysis (AFHA) process and general guidance for those organizations wishing to integrate AFHA into their overall electrical safety program. The electric utility industry was the first non-academic group to study arc-flash hazards (AFH) when they noted that electrical workers often received the most severe burns from their clothing igniting and continuing to burn long after the initiating arc had extinguished. In particular, man-made fibers such as polyester, nylon, and rayon were known to melt and stick to the worker’s skin following an AF, and this resulted in burns many times worse than had the injured worker been wearing no clothing at all (2). Subsequent studies were performed by private organizations and they impacted both the engineering and safe work practices associated with industrial plant operations. The primary standards or studies included: • IEEE 1584 Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations • NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace • OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269: Electrical Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Standard Of these documents, the IEEE 1584 Guide was most influential to engineers because it provided formulas for calculating incident energy levels, arc-flash protection boundaries, and a host of other important variables necessary to evaluate AFH in the work place. The term ‘incident energy’ refers to the amount of heat concentrated per unit-area of the skin. Incident energy is measured in calories per square centimeter (cal/cm2) of skin surface area. For reference, a value of 1.2 cal/cm2 will result in a second-degree burn of human skin (3). The principal reason why AFHA is necessary is that studies revealed that electrical arcs are somewhat unpredictable events (4), and there were many cases where seemingly innocuous energy sources (small transformers) produced incident energy levels that far exceeded the limitations of flame resistant (FR) clothing or other forms of personal protective equipment. It became obvious that the best method for protecting employees from AFH would be to evaluate the hazard level and then mitigate it through the use of engineering controls. Paper published with permission.

Abstract As Permanent Magnet Motors (PMMs) become more widely used because of their many benefits, awareness of the potential safety hazards arising from their differences from Induction Motors (IMs) is important. Due to their construction, the magnetic field presence is always "on" with PMM – even when not under energized electrical energy. PMMs are AC generators when freely rotating forward or backward. Elevated safety consciousness is needed to avoid serious injury or fatality when working with PMMs. This paper presents operational procedures for installing, pulling, troubleshooting, and handling PMMs with a focus upon safety. Hazards have been identified, and some mitigations are recommended to eliminate the potential danger and bring awareness to the petroleum industry (and others) to ensure that all workers go home safely. The observations presented in this paper came directly from field experience with operators, equipment manufacturers, and service providers.

Electro.Aero has been supporting the emerging electric aviation industry for nearly a decade, including the development of chargers, electrical management systems, battery management systems and electric propulsion systems to numerous electric aircraft development projects. During that time, it was identified that the industry needed standardization, especially regarding the charging coupler, so the SAE AE-7D committee was founded by Joshua Portlock in 2018 to help standardize electric aircraft charging and energy management. The AS6968 standard for light conductive charging of electric aircraft was the first standard the committee worked on and is now approaching completion through this year. Furthermore, while the charging coupler standard was proving to be of high priority to the industry, there has also been a noticeable trend that typical airport hangars don't have sufficient electrical power to charge the growing power demands of future electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Therefore, SmartHangar technology was developed, whereby the limited grid connectivity is supplemented by solar and stationary battery energy storage systems to help deliver the peak power demands of electric aviation charging, whilst also helping airports and vertiports transition to more self-sufficient sustainable energy.

Abstract There are numerous aspects of the electronics demanufacturing industry that may be scrutinized by Occupational Safety and Health regulators. In older computer equipment, there may be materials that have since been banned from use in industry, such as PCBs. Workers disassembling electronic equipment need to be able to recognize components containing this hazardous material. Disassemblers are also exposed to lifting and cutting hazards in their activities. Those who shred or grind their electronics may be exposed to particulated heavy metals or silica, as well as dangerous levels of noise. When electronic components are removed from circuit boards, melting the solder will release lead fumes that must be properly ventilated. Recent and pending changes in OSHA requirements will affect electronics demanufacturers. Forklift standards were revised March 1, 1999, silica exposure limits may soon be reduced, and an ergonomics standard is pending. Universal and waste must be properly handled and stored in ways that comply with regulations and protect the safety and health of the workers. As a new but growing industry, electronics demanufacturers and recylers must remain aware of potential errors that could cost tens of thousands of dollars in OSHA fines or workers’ compensation claims.

A national case-control study was carried out to assess the risk of lung and bladder cancer in different occupational groups in Iran. An increased risk of lung cancer has been shown in female agricultural workers and female bakers and in male construction workers and petroleum workers. Increased risks of bladder cancer have been observed in plant and machine operators, metal process workers, and workers in occupations with a high risk of exposure to aromatic amines (2.1; CI: 1.2‑3.8). In addition, a slight increased risk of bladder cancer was observed among construction workers, drivers, welders, workers in the electronic and glass industry. Recommendations are given on the main directions of further research in the field of occupational cancer risk assessment.

Based on scientific analysis the authors of the article argued the necessity of solving priority tasks – the development of new educational technologies aimed at supporting the training of engineers in terms of the mining engineering as high-tech industry. The features of mining computer technologies are determined. There was worked out the project of the adaptive system of a mining engineer individual training "Electronic manual" aimed at the development of future professionals. The essence of individual preparation of future mining engineer ICT is defined. It is proved that the efficiency of the designing and planning of mining operations through the introduction of ICT at present is the real way to influence the quality of mining products that will promote individual learning orientation. For the first time pedagogical foundations for introducing adaptive training of mining engineers are clarified.

In the decade after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, African Americans made historic gains in accessing employment opportunities in racially integrated workplaces in U.S. business firms and government agencies. In the previous working papers in this series, we have shown that in the 1960s and 1970s, Blacks without college degrees were gaining access to the American middle class by moving into well-paid unionized jobs in capital-intensive mass production industries. At that time, major U.S. companies paid these blue-collar workers middle-class wages, offered stable employment, and provided employees with health and retirement benefits. Of particular importance to Blacks was the opening up to them of unionized semiskilled operative and skilled craft jobs, for which in a number of industries, and particularly those in the automobile and electronic manufacturing sectors, there was strong demand. In addition, by the end of the 1970s, buoyed by affirmative action and the growth of public-service employment, Blacks were experiencing upward mobility through employment in government agencies at local, state, and federal levels as well as in civil-society organizations, largely funded by government, to operate social and community development programs aimed at urban areas where Blacks lived. By the end of the 1970s, there was an emergent blue-collar Black middle class in the United States. Most of these workers had no more than high-school educations but had sufficient earnings and benefits to provide their families with economic security, including realistic expectations that their children would have the opportunity to move up the economic ladder to join the ranks of the college-educated white-collar middle class. That is what had happened for whites in the post-World War II decades, and given the momentum provided by the dominant position of the United States in global manufacturing and the nation’s equal employment opportunity legislation, there was every reason to believe that Blacks would experience intergenerational upward mobility along a similar education-and-employment career path. That did not happen. Overall, the 1980s and 1990s were decades of economic growth in the United States. For the emerging blue-collar Black middle class, however, the experience was of job loss, economic insecurity, and downward mobility. As the twentieth century ended and the twenty-first century began, moreover, it became apparent that this downward spiral was not confined to Blacks. Whites with only high-school educations also saw their blue-collar employment opportunities disappear, accompanied by lower wages, fewer benefits, and less security for those who continued to find employment in these jobs. The distress experienced by white Americans with the decline of the blue-collar middle class follows the downward trajectory that has adversely affected the socioeconomic positions of the much more vulnerable blue-collar Black middle class from the early 1980s. In this paper, we document when, how, and why the unmaking of the blue-collar Black middle class occurred and intergenerational upward mobility of Blacks to the college-educated middle class was stifled. We focus on blue-collar layoffs and manufacturing-plant closings in an important sector for Black employment, the automobile industry from the early 1980s. We then document the adverse impact on Blacks that has occurred in government-sector employment in a financialized economy in which the dominant ideology is that concentration of income among the richest households promotes productive investment, with government spending only impeding that objective. Reduction of taxes primarily on the wealthy and the corporate sector, the ascendancy of political and economic beliefs that celebrate the efficiency and dynamism of “free market” business enterprise, and the denigration of the idea that government can solve social problems all combined to shrink government budgets, diminish regulatory enforcement, and scuttle initiatives that previously provided greater opportunity for African Americans in the government and civil-society sectors.

1.1 Macroeconomic summary Economic recovery has consistently outperformed the technical staff’s expectations following a steep decline in activity in the second quarter of 2020. At the same time, total and core inflation rates have fallen and remain at low levels, suggesting that a significant element of the reactivation of Colombia’s economy has been related to recovery in potential GDP. This would support the technical staff’s diagnosis of weak aggregate demand and ample excess capacity. The most recently available data on 2020 growth suggests a contraction in economic activity of 6.8%, lower than estimates from January’s Monetary Policy Report (-7.2%). High-frequency indicators suggest that economic performance was significantly more dynamic than expected in January, despite mobility restrictions and quarantine measures. This has also come amid declines in total and core inflation, the latter of which was below January projections if controlling for certain relative price changes. This suggests that the unexpected strength of recent growth contains elements of demand, and that excess capacity, while significant, could be lower than previously estimated. Nevertheless, uncertainty over the measurement of excess capacity continues to be unusually high and marked both by variations in the way different economic sectors and spending components have been affected by the pandemic, and by uneven price behavior. The size of excess capacity, and in particular the evolution of the pandemic in forthcoming quarters, constitute substantial risks to the macroeconomic forecast presented in this report. Despite the unexpected strength of the recovery, the technical staff continues to project ample excess capacity that is expected to remain on the forecast horizon, alongside core inflation that will likely remain below the target. Domestic demand remains below 2019 levels amid unusually significant uncertainty over the size of excess capacity in the economy. High national unemployment (14.6% for February 2021) reflects a loose labor market, while observed total and core inflation continue to be below 2%. Inflationary pressures from the exchange rate are expected to continue to be low, with relatively little pass-through on inflation. This would be compatible with a negative output gap. Excess productive capacity and the expectation of core inflation below the 3% target on the forecast horizon provide a basis for an expansive monetary policy posture. The technical staff’s assessment of certain shocks and their expected effects on the economy, as well as the presence of several sources of uncertainty and related assumptions about their potential macroeconomic impacts, remain a feature of this report. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, continues to affect the public health environment, and the reopening of Colombia’s economy remains incomplete. The technical staff’s assessment is that the COVID-19 shock has affected both aggregate demand and supply, but that the impact on demand has been deeper and more persistent. Given this persistence, the central forecast accounts for a gradual tightening of the output gap in the absence of new waves of contagion, and as vaccination campaigns progress. The central forecast continues to include an expected increase of total and core inflation rates in the second quarter of 2021, alongside the lapse of the temporary price relief measures put in place in 2020. Additional COVID-19 outbreaks (of uncertain duration and intensity) represent a significant risk factor that could affect these projections. Additionally, the forecast continues to include an upward trend in sovereign risk premiums, reflected by higher levels of public debt that in the wake of the pandemic are likely to persist on the forecast horizon, even in the context of a fiscal adjustment. At the same time, the projection accounts for the shortterm effects on private domestic demand from a fiscal adjustment along the lines of the one currently being proposed by the national government. This would be compatible with a gradual recovery of private domestic demand in 2022. The size and characteristics of the fiscal adjustment that is ultimately implemented, as well as the corresponding market response, represent another source of forecast uncertainty. Newly available information offers evidence of the potential for significant changes to the macroeconomic scenario, though without altering the general diagnosis described above. The most recent data on inflation, growth, fiscal policy, and international financial conditions suggests a more dynamic economy than previously expected. However, a third wave of the pandemic has delayed the re-opening of Colombia’s economy and brought with it a deceleration in economic activity. Detailed descriptions of these considerations and subsequent changes to the macroeconomic forecast are presented below. The expected annual decline in GDP (-0.3%) in the first quarter of 2021 appears to have been less pronounced than projected in January (-4.8%). Partial closures in January to address a second wave of COVID-19 appear to have had a less significant negative impact on the economy than previously estimated. This is reflected in figures related to mobility, energy demand, industry and retail sales, foreign trade, commercial transactions from selected banks, and the national statistics agency’s (DANE) economic tracking indicator (ISE). Output is now expected to have declined annually in the first quarter by 0.3%. Private consumption likely continued to recover, registering levels somewhat above those from the previous year, while public consumption likely increased significantly. While a recovery in investment in both housing and in other buildings and structures is expected, overall investment levels in this case likely continued to be low, and gross fixed capital formation is expected to continue to show significant annual declines. Imports likely recovered to again outpace exports, though both are expected to register significant annual declines. Economic activity that outpaced projections, an increase in oil prices and other export products, and an expected increase in public spending this year account for the upward revision to the 2021 growth forecast (from 4.6% with a range between 2% and 6% in January, to 6.0% with a range between 3% and 7% in April). As a result, the output gap is expected to be smaller and to tighten more rapidly than projected in the previous report, though it is still expected to remain in negative territory on the forecast horizon. Wide forecast intervals reflect the fact that the future evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant source of uncertainty on these projections. The delay in the recovery of economic activity as a result of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter appears to have been less significant than projected in the January report. The central forecast scenario expects this improved performance to continue in 2021 alongside increased consumer and business confidence. Low real interest rates and an active credit supply would also support this dynamic, and the overall conditions would be expected to spur a recovery in consumption and investment. Increased growth in public spending and public works based on the national government’s spending plan (Plan Financiero del Gobierno) are other factors to consider. Additionally, an expected recovery in global demand and higher projected prices for oil and coffee would further contribute to improved external revenues and would favor investment, in particular in the oil sector. Given the above, the technical staff’s 2021 growth forecast has been revised upward from 4.6% in January (range from 2% to 6%) to 6.0% in April (range from 3% to 7%). These projections account for the potential for the third wave of COVID-19 to have a larger and more persistent effect on the economy than the previous wave, while also supposing that there will not be any additional significant waves of the pandemic and that mobility restrictions will be relaxed as a result. Economic growth in 2022 is expected to be 3%, with a range between 1% and 5%. This figure would be lower than projected in the January report (3.6% with a range between 2% and 6%), due to a higher base of comparison given the upward revision to expected GDP in 2021. This forecast also takes into account the likely effects on private demand of a fiscal adjustment of the size currently being proposed by the national government, and which would come into effect in 2022. Excess in productive capacity is now expected to be lower than estimated in January but continues to be significant and affected by high levels of uncertainty, as reflected in the wide forecast intervals. The possibility of new waves of the virus (of uncertain intensity and duration) represents a significant downward risk to projected GDP growth, and is signaled by the lower limits of the ranges provided in this report. Inflation (1.51%) and inflation excluding food and regulated items (0.94%) declined in March compared to December, continuing below the 3% target. The decline in inflation in this period was below projections, explained in large part by unanticipated increases in the costs of certain foods (3.92%) and regulated items (1.52%). An increase in international food and shipping prices, increased foreign demand for beef, and specific upward pressures on perishable food supplies appear to explain a lower-than-expected deceleration in the consumer price index (CPI) for foods. An unexpected increase in regulated items prices came amid unanticipated increases in international fuel prices, on some utilities rates, and for regulated education prices. The decline in annual inflation excluding food and regulated items between December and March was in line with projections from January, though this included downward pressure from a significant reduction in telecommunications rates due to the imminent entry of a new operator. When controlling for the effects of this relative price change, inflation excluding food and regulated items exceeds levels forecast in the previous report. Within this indicator of core inflation, the CPI for goods (1.05%) accelerated due to a reversion of the effects of the VAT-free day in November, which was largely accounted for in February, and possibly by the transmission of a recent depreciation of the peso on domestic prices for certain items (electric and household appliances). For their part, services prices decelerated and showed the lowest rate of annual growth (0.89%) among the large consumer baskets in the CPI. Within the services basket, the annual change in rental prices continued to decline, while those services that continue to experience the most significant restrictions on returning to normal operations (tourism, cinemas, nightlife, etc.) continued to register significant price declines. As previously mentioned, telephone rates also fell significantly due to increased competition in the market. Total inflation is expected to continue to be affected by ample excesses in productive capacity for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, though less so than projected in January. As a result, convergence to the inflation target is now expected to be somewhat faster than estimated in the previous report, assuming the absence of significant additional outbreaks of COVID-19. The technical staff’s year-end inflation projections for 2021 and 2022 have increased, suggesting figures around 3% due largely to variation in food and regulated items prices. The projection for inflation excluding food and regulated items also increased, but remains below 3%. Price relief measures on indirect taxes implemented in 2020 are expected to lapse in the second quarter of 2021, generating a one-off effect on prices and temporarily affecting inflation excluding food and regulated items. However, indexation to low levels of past inflation, weak demand, and ample excess productive capacity are expected to keep core inflation below the target, near 2.3% at the end of 2021 (previously 2.1%). The reversion in 2021 of the effects of some price relief measures on utility rates from 2020 should lead to an increase in the CPI for regulated items in the second half of this year. Annual price changes are now expected to be higher than estimated in the January report due to an increased expected path for fuel prices and unanticipated increases in regulated education prices. The projection for the CPI for foods has increased compared to the previous report, taking into account certain factors that were not anticipated in January (a less favorable agricultural cycle, increased pressure from international prices, and transport costs). Given the above, year-end annual inflation for 2021 and 2022 is now expected to be 3% and 2.8%, respectively, which would be above projections from January (2.3% and 2,7%). For its part, expected inflation based on analyst surveys suggests year-end inflation in 2021 and 2022 of 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. There remains significant uncertainty surrounding the inflation forecasts included in this report due to several factors: 1) the evolution of the pandemic; 2) the difficulty in evaluating the size and persistence of excess productive capacity; 3) the timing and manner in which price relief measures will lapse; and 4) the future behavior of food prices. Projected 2021 growth in foreign demand (4.4% to 5.2%) and the supposed average oil price (USD 53 to USD 61 per Brent benchmark barrel) were both revised upward. An increase in long-term international interest rates has been reflected in a depreciation of the peso and could result in relatively tighter external financial conditions for emerging market economies, including Colombia. Average growth among Colombia’s trade partners was greater than expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. This, together with a sizable fiscal stimulus approved in the United States and the onset of a massive global vaccination campaign, largely explains the projected increase in foreign demand growth in 2021. The resilience of the goods market in the face of global crisis and an expected normalization in international trade are additional factors. These considerations and the expected continuation of a gradual reduction of mobility restrictions abroad suggest that Colombia’s trade partners could grow on average by 5.2% in 2021 and around 3.4% in 2022. The improved prospects for global economic growth have led to an increase in current and expected oil prices. Production interruptions due to a heavy winter, reduced inventories, and increased supply restrictions instituted by producing countries have also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, market forecasts and recent Federal Reserve pronouncements suggest that the benchmark interest rate in the U.S. will remain stable for the next two years. Nevertheless, a significant increase in public spending in the country has fostered expectations for greater growth and inflation, as well as increased uncertainty over the moment in which a normalization of monetary policy might begin. This has been reflected in an increase in long-term interest rates. In this context, emerging market economies in the region, including Colombia, have registered increases in sovereign risk premiums and long-term domestic interest rates, and a depreciation of local currencies against the dollar. Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in several of these economies; limits on vaccine supply and the slow pace of immunization campaigns in some countries; a significant increase in public debt; and tensions between the United States and China, among other factors, all add to a high level of uncertainty surrounding interest rate spreads, external financing conditions, and the future performance of risk premiums. The impact that this environment could have on the exchange rate and on domestic financing conditions represent risks to the macroeconomic and monetary policy forecasts. Domestic financial conditions continue to favor recovery in economic activity. The transmission of reductions to the policy interest rate on credit rates has been significant. The banking portfolio continues to recover amid circumstances that have affected both the supply and demand for loans, and in which some credit risks have materialized. Preferential and ordinary commercial interest rates have fallen to a similar degree as the benchmark interest rate. As is generally the case, this transmission has come at a slower pace for consumer credit rates, and has been further delayed in the case of mortgage rates. Commercial credit levels stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in March, following an increase resulting from significant liquidity requirements for businesses in the second quarter of 2020. The consumer credit portfolio continued to recover and has now surpassed February 2020 levels, though overall growth in the portfolio remains low. At the same time, portfolio projections and default indicators have increased, and credit establishment earnings have come down. Despite this, credit disbursements continue to recover and solvency indicators remain well above regulatory minimums. 1.2 Monetary policy decision In its meetings in March and April the BDBR left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75%.