Introduction
There are several factors involved in every efficient safety program for it to be successful. Similarly, while the workplace is still a thought put on paper, it is much more important to discuss its safety aspects. In this way, safety design evaluations and plan mitigation are all an equally critical part of the workplace’s safe operation and maintenance process. The fundamentals of these designs, when properly implemented, allow for an overall reduction in accidents as well as an improvement in business profitability by reduced operation costs, combined with enhanced productivity of the company. Early hazard detection and mitigation processes will begin showing success while the project is still in the idea stage.
Safety Design Review Process
The safety design review process’s main goal is to locate the risks (both existing and the anticipated) and find the way to avoid or alleviate the emergence of a dangerous situation. To be fully successful and efficient, the review process team should include people from diverse backgrounds who have deep insight into the safety design, construction, and operation of the end product (Lerry, 2016). One essential thing to bear in mind is how safety design assessments could also be carried out after the equipment’s initial installation and operation. Nevertheless, the refurbishing process’s related expenses may be quite high, based on the ultimate needs defined during the analysis.
The Critical Role of Safety in the Safety Program
In a safety management system, the function and necessity of security cannot be emphasized enough. A safety professional ought to be a part of the design plan from the beginning of the process to recognize the expected outcome and all the variables along the way. By doing so, the expert will identify the possible risks associated with the product more explicitly and may be able to offer practical safety recommendations. His or her role will focus on end-product research and understanding, as well as on all the detailed information involved in managing the invention, which will enable a greater understanding and prediction of future risks (Lerry, 2016). Another factor to consider is how safety experts will need to figure out the remaining dangers and why or how an incident could occur.
Concept Inter-Relation with the Safety Management Systems Approach
Individual concepts must inter-relate with the safety management systems approach since, in reality, no design is ever 100 % perfect. Because of the different persons and departments participating in the advancement of the above review process, the concepts operate in the same way as an efficient safety program by engaging individuals at various organizational levels. More importantly, there are checklists in each approach, which have been developed to enable a more in-depth assessment and protect the bases. These guidelines provide designers, engineers, and safety experts with the resources which will ensure the success of the safety design (Satria & Castro, 2016). Checklists are one of the major tools which the design review process committee should have. They are most noticeable in maintaining the attention and line of thinking among the review process team members. Introducing these lists early in the process would help steer the business away from failure and harm, thus, helping to avoid losing and failing to get proper delivery of service.
In conclusion, the safety design analysis is critical for companies. Managers should consider the cost-effectiveness of detecting hazards and form the plans to mitigate the potential risks with such disasters. Safety practitioners must have well-rounded skills to fill the gap between the concepts and structure. The system of well-being assessment process offers an opportunity to put together the ideas of welfare professionals, managers, and all other stakeholders for a single purpose of considering safety earlier in the design.
References
Lerry, P. O. (2016). Making it happen: Project management without problems [Review of book Effective project management: Traditional, agile, extreme, hybrid]. Journal of Management Studies, 236-239.
Satria, R., & Castro, M. (2016). Gis tools for analyzing accidents and road design: A review. Transportation Research Procedia, 18, 242-247. Web.
Healthcare Cost Control Around The World
Germany
Germany’s healthcare system is based primarily on government-regulated, employment-based private insurance (still providing universal healthcare coverage). Representatives of health providers, hospitals, sickness funds, unions, and the government constitute Concerted Action, a special body created first by the 1977 German Cost Containment Act (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2016, p. 172). The representatives meet twice a year so that in the spring, they can set costs and guidelines for physician fees, hospital rates, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals. These regulations resulted in the drop of the expenditures allocated to healthcare in the gross domestic product (GDP), but then the costs (percentage) started to increase (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2016, p. 172). Germany still tries to find new solutions to rising healthcare expenses.
Canada
Canada uses both federal and provincial tax revenues to fund the public, single-payer universal healthcare system. Its cost allocation is much more practical than that of the United States primarily because of administrative costs, physician fees, pharmaceutical prices, and the cost of inpatient care that are much lower. However, in 2010, the Canadian government was pressured to make some changes regarding healthcare standards in the country as more citizens started to question the quality of care (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2016, p. 175). Instead of allowing greater private investments, the officials decided to increase federal funding for provincial insurance plans as well as improve the efficiency by reorganizing primary care and other services.
The United Kingdom
British medicine is characterized by its economy as physicians are often more considerate of the procedures they order, the medications they prescribe, and the technologies they use. The United Kingdom separates insurance from employment and lets private companies sell insurance services already covered by the NHS (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2016, p. 177). The government invests a lot in primary and preventative care and systematically rations the budgets for personnel, facilities, and other medical resources.
Japan
Japan’s demographic reality requires the government to reform or modify its current healthcare system that is mainly dependent on employed citizens. Lower birthrates and the longest life expectancy make Japan’s payroll tax-funded system nearly impossible (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2016, p. 182). The government’s strategy so far includes keeping the prices of medications and physician fees relatively low, but the quality of services provided in underfunded hospitals is suffering.
Reference
Bodenheimer, T., & Grumbach, K. (2016). Health policy: A clinical approach (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education / Medical.
Impact Of Alcohol Abuse On Breast Cancer Risk In Women
Introduction
Alcohol abuse is a common problem in most societies that leads to serious health problems. However, many people are aware of the negative effects of alcohol on the liver and cardiovascular system but do not know about the link between alcohol and an increased risk of cancer. The connection between abuse and breast cancer is especially subtle to the average citizen since most people cannot understand how alcohol can affect the mammary glands’ condition. For this reason, this paper will examine the effects of alcohol abuse on the development of breast cancer in women to uncover its devastating consequences.
Mechanism of Alcohols’ Influence on Breast Cancer Development
Scientists around the world do not yet have a common understanding of the mechanism of alcohol’s influence on the risks of breast cancer in women. However, the most likely processes include oxidative stress, cell proliferation, and effects on hormones and nutrients (Freudenheim, 2020). Oxidative stress due to the production of reactive oxygen species promotes carcinogenesis or the process of creating tumor cells. At the same time, alcohol breaks down ethanol in its composition to acetaldehyde that is a toxic substance and carcinogen for humans that can harm DNA and proteins (“Alcohol and cancer,” n.d.). This carcinogen is mainly produced in the liver, but it can also accumulate in breast cells and increase cell proliferation, or cell growth, provoking tumor growth.
Moreover, alcohol consumption affects breast density, which is the strongest association with an increased risk of developing cancer cells. The density of breast tissue is accessed by radiography and helps to determine the early stages of carcinogenesis. Freudenheim (2020) notes that, according to multiple studies, drinking more than 10 grams of alcohol per day is associated with an increased risk of high-density breast tissues. Although such studies are limited and inconsistent and include different factors from ethnicity to the weight of participants, they point to the possible negative effect of alcohol on breast density. Consequently, another mechanism and influence of alcohol abuse is an increase in breast tissue density, which is an indicator of the initial stages of carcinogenesis.
Furthermore, alcohol affects the body’s ability to absorb nutrients necessary for the body to function properly. For example, alcohol reduces levels of folate, which protects the body against breast cancer risk, as well as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and carotenoids (Freudenheim, 2020; “Alcohol and cancer,” n.d.). At the same time, raising folate levels with medication demonstrates a reduction of cancer risk even with moderate drinking. Another mechanism is the effect of alcohol on hormones, particularly steroid hormones and estrogen, which are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (Freudenheim, 2020; “Alcohol and cancer,” n.d.). Thus, one or more mechanisms of alcohol’s influence on the body can increase the risk of developing tumor cells and breast cancer.
Effect of Alcohol Abuse on Breast Cancer Risk
Alcohol has effects on a woman’s body at any age; however, the risk of breast cancer increases with hormone levels and the stage of breast development that changes during a lifetime. For example, studies show that “for a 10-gram increase in alcohol consumed per day on average, the risk increased 5% among premenopausal women and 9% among postmenopausal women” (Freudenheim, 2020, p.2). At the same time, other studies have found that the risk of benign breast disease increases by 15% with alcohol consumption during adolescence and by 50% between the ages of 9 and 15 (Freudenheim, 2020). In addition, the results of studies in different countries are approximately the same and do not depend on the race or origin of women.
Moreover, the amount of alcohol consumed has a noticeable influence as abuse significantly increases the risk of breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute defines that drinking four or more beverages per day, or eight or more beverages per week for a woman, as heavy drinking (“Alcohol and cancer,” n.d.). However, the risk also varies with the intensity of drinking, since consumption of one beverage a day for a week and 7-8 in one day have different effects on the body.
However, although studies on the amount of alcohol consumed are limited, they demonstrate that the risk increases in proportion to the drinking severity. For example, Freudenheim (2020) notes that women who consumed 0.5, 1, and 1–2 alcoholic drinks per day increased their risk of breast cancer by 4%, 9%, and 13%, respectively. The National Cancer Institute also notes that drinkers have a 1.04 higher risk of breast cancer than non-drinkers, and this risk is 1.23-fold and1.6-fold higher for moderate and heavy drinkers, respectively (“Alcohol and cancer,” n.d.). Thus, it should be noted that although alcohol abuse has more serious consequences for a woman’s body, light and moderate drinking also increases the risk of breast cancer.
Awareness of the Population about Alcohol as a Risk Factor of Breast Cancer Development
Despite the devastating effects of alcohol, few people are aware of its impact on cancer risk, including breast cancer. Freudenheim (2020) notes that according to a survey of students in 23 countries around the world, only 3.3% know that alcohol is a risk factor for breast cancer. Sinclair et al. (2019), in their study of women attending the NHS Breast Screening Program (NHSBSP) mammograms, found that only 19.5% of them knew about alcohol as a risk factor for breast cancer. At the same time, not all staff were also aware of this fact, and only 48.5% answered the question correctly (Sinclair et al., 2019). In addition, most people do not know the amount of alcohol in the common beverage they consume, which also demonstrates a lack of awareness of alcohol’s effects in general.
Consequently, healthcare organizations, doctors, and nurses should more often include knowledge about the effects of alcohol on cancer in educational and counseling materials. For example, this issue can be discussed at sex education lessons in schools, patients’ consultation during routine gynecologist and mammologist checking, as well as part of educational programs along with HIV and AIDS prevention. In addition, in this matter, it is important not only to warn about the dangers of alcohol but also to provide knowledge about the amount of alcohol in drinks and their acceptable amount, which has minimal harm. This aspect is necessary because even though most people are aware of the benefits of avoiding alcohol, they still cannot give it up completely. For this reason, healthcare needs to minimize alcohol’s negative impact on the human body.
Conclusion
Therefore, alcohol abuse is a destructive habit that increases the risk of breast cancer. Although there is no consensus on the mechanisms by which alcohol affects breast health, its negative effects are factual. At the same time, while alcohol abuse is the most harmful, light and moderate drinking also increases the risk of breast cancer. In addition, healthcare organizations need to pay more attention to educating the population about this issue, since most women are not aware of the significant risks of developing breast cancer associated with alcohol abuse.
References
Alcohol and cancer risk. (n.d.). 2020, Web.
Freudenheim J. L. (2020). Alcohol’s effects on breast cancer in women. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 40(2), 11, 1-12.
Sinclair, J., McCann, M., Sheldon, E., Gordon, I., Brierley-Jones, L., & Copson, E. (2019). The acceptability of addressing alcohol consumption as a modifiable risk factor for breast cancer: a mixed method study within breast screening services and symptomatic breast clinics. BMJ Open, 9(6), 1-12.