ARTICLES

10/2/2014· Transportation

Some Things You Should Know About Seat Belts

By: Ned Einstein

As pressure from the unknowing continues to mount, rumors have it that the U.S. motorcoach industry is slowly inching toward the installation of seatbelts. That we are doing so by skipping the decades of seat compartmentalization that has helped fend off most seatbelt advocates in the schoolbus industry is only more unfortunate since existing motorcoach seats lend themselves to a far more evolved form of compartmentalization than the "incomplete compartmentalization" (in NHTSA's own words) of their yellow body-on-chassis cousins.

9/30/2014· Medical - Medicine

The Multiple Ways a Medical Oncology and Hematology Expert Witness Can Assist in Issues of Medical Malpractice

By: Dr. Robert Burdick

"Has the standard of care been violated?" is the basic question in all medical malpractice cases, the answer to which may be difficult to determine because the standard of care is often unwritten, can be ever changing, and is a blend of academic and private practice opinions. In addition to having a broad base of experience with both private practice and academic medicine the expert witness must be current with the medical literature, knowledgeable about solid tumors such as cancer of the breast, lung, colon, thyroid, tongue, larynx, head and neck, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, anus, skin, melanoma, liver, kidneys, bladder, pancreas, ovary, testicle, hepatoma, and sarcoma, as well as soft tissue malignancies such as non-Hodgkin's and Hodgkin's lymphoma, the acute and chronic leukemia's, multiple myeloma, anemias, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and pancytopenia.

9/26/2014· Engineering

Outbreaks Where Food Workers Have Been Implicated in the Spread of Foodborne Disease. Part 11. Use of Antiseptics and Sanitizers in Community Settings and Issues of Hand Hygiene Compliance in Health Care and Food Industries

By: Dr. Ewen Todd

Hand washing with soap is a practice that has long been recognized as a major barrier to the spread of disease in food production, preparation, and service and in health care settings, including hospitals, child care centers, and elder care facilities. Many of these settings present multiple opportunities for spread of pathogens within at-risk populations, and extra vigilance must be applied. Unfortunately, hand hygiene is not always carried out effectively, and both enteric and respiratory diseases are easily spread in these environments. Where water is limited or frequent hand hygiene is required on a daily basis, such as for many patients in hospitals and astronauts in space travel, instant sanitizers or sanitary wipes are thought to be an effective way of preventing contamination and spread of organisms among coworkers and others. Most concerns regarding compliance are associated with the health care field, but the food industry also must be considered.

9/24/2014· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction

Forensic Clues: Accident Reconstruction

By: John Ryan, BSME, PE

Accident reconstruction involves attempting to determine the sequence of events of an accident and is a crucial part of product liability cases. Understanding exactly what occurred in an accident gives an engineer the best chance of preventing the accident from occurring again. Often there is limited information to base conclusions on what really happened in an accident. Understanding what goes into accident reconstruction will help attorneys understand what information is crucial to this process. Witness testimony is unreliable at best but must be analyzed and cross referenced with the other available information.

9/9/2014· Plants & Trees

Appraising Trees and Plants: A Matter of Emphasis

By: Joe Samnik

A couple of decades ago I hung a picture on my office wall. I hung it there at the beginning of my career in appraising trees and plants. The caption under the picture reads, "Do you want your assessment to show how much your tree is worth, or how little it is worth - it's a matter of emphasis". Setting aside the naïveté of the statement, the question remains the matter of emphasis in the approach used to valuation - and the ethical repercussions which ensue.

9/9/2014· Product Liability

Proposed Warning for Food Products with Excessive Sugar

By: Dr. Gerald M. Goldhaber

If you buy a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese in the UK (the same Mac & Cheese that is sold in the U.S.), the following warning label appears on the package: Warning: This Product May Cause Adverse Effects Activity AndAttention in Children. This warning is required because the U.S. version of Kraft Mac & Cheese has artificial food dyes yellow #5 and yellow #6, which are proven to be linked to hyperactivity in children. The warning does NOT appear in the U.S.

8/27/2014· Transportation

Bus Stops and Land Mines

By: Ned Einstein

Question: What is the difference between a poorly-selected and -designed bus stop and a land mine? Answer: Very little. When you step on either of them, your ankles, knees and hips are likely to explode. The genuine difference is that the carnage from land mines is intentional, whereas that of poorly-selected and -designed bus stops usually reflects incompetence and, often, indifference.

8/26/2014· Engineering

Outbreaks Where Food Workers Have Been Implicated in the Spread of Foodborne Disease. Part 10. Alcohol-Based Antiseptics for Hand Disinfection and a Comparison of Their Effectiveness with Soaps

By: Dr. Ewen Todd

Alcohol compounds are increasingly used as a substitute for hand washing in health care environments and some public places because these compounds are easy to use and do not require water or hand drying materials. However, the effectiveness of these compounds depends on how much soil (bioburden) is present on the hands. Workers in health care environments and other public places must wash their hands before using antiseptics and/or wearing gloves. However, alcohol-based antiseptics, also called rubs and sanitizers, can be very effective for rapidly destroying some pathogens by the action of the aqueous alcohol solution without the need for water or drying with towels.

8/22/2014· Medical - Medicine

Why Are Education, Training, Regulation, Safe Practice, and Practitioner Supervision So Important for Laser Surgery and Procedures?

By: Dr. Warren Seiler

During the past ten to fifteen years, the number of cosmetic laser and light procedures performed has exploded. According to a 2012 report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the following increases have occurred:

8/21/2014· Accident Prevention & Safety

Forensic Clues: Lawnmower Accidents

By: John Ryan, BSME, PE

Lawnmowers cause over 50,000 emergency-room visits every year, based on NEISS data on consumer product injuries. These injuries are distributed evenly between ride-on and walk-behind style mowers. The necessary cutting action of a mower results in an inherent hazard, until technology is developed that can cut grass but not living tissue. While various safety advances over the years have reduced the amount of injuries, the extremely high number of accidents related to mowers that continue to occur show the need for further enhancement of product safety.