Residential smoke detector performance in the United States

Abstract

The National Smoke Detector Project is a large public/private partnership sponsored by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the United States Fire Administration, National Fire Protection Association, and the Congressional Fire Services Institute. The major goal of the Project is to decrease the number of residential fire deaths in the US by increasing the number of working smoke detectors in homes.

In support of this effort, in 1992 the CPSC conducted a national survey of the operability of smoke detectors in homes. The purpose of the Smoke Detector Operability Survey was to determine the extent of and reasons for non-working detectors in the general population of households. Detectors that did not respond to a test with standard aerosol smoke (initially or after power was restored) along with those with no power source and with which consumers experienced problems were collected and analyzed in the CPSC Engineering Laboratory.

The data gathered from this survey (and a similar study of homes experiencing fires) will define smoke detector inoperability problems so that solutions can be developed and implemented in the form of updated consumer safety messages and changes in smoke detector design or performance standards and code requirements.     

Parents of preschool fire setters: perceptions of the child-play fire hazard

The present study sought to learn about risk perceptions held by parents of preschool fire-setters. A 41-item survey was distributed to 60 parents whose children, aged 6 years and younger, had previously set fires and who were involved in intervention programmes throughout the US. Most parents did not think their children would play with matches/lighters, or knew how to use these items, although some had witnessed their children playing with matches/lighters previously. Most parents reported having taken precautions to keep matches/lighters out of reach and also educating their children about fire. Regardless, children not only set fires, but in 40% of cases climbed to access the match/lighter. Parents' perceptions of their children's proclivity for fire play were not consistent with their actual fire-play behaviour. Parents underestimated the likelihood that their children would play with matches/lighters. Although most reportedly undertook preventative measures aimed at thwarting fire play, these strategies were ineffective. Traditionally relied upon precautionary techniques, such as storing lighters out of reach and discussing the dangers of fire, were not sufficient to stem interest and resultant fire play.     

Parents of preschool fire setters: perceptions of the child-play fire hazard

The present study sought to learn about risk perceptions held by parents of preschool fire-setters. A 41-item survey was distributed to 60 parents whose children, aged 6 years and younger, had previously set fires and who were involved in intervention programmes throughout the US. Most parents did not think their children would play with matches/lighters, or knew how to use these items, although some had witnessed their children playing with matches/lighters previously. Most parents reported having taken precautions to keep matches/lighters out of reach and also educating their children about fire. Regardless, children not only set fires, but in 40% of cases climbed to access the match/lighter. Parents' perceptions of their children's proclivity for fire play were not consistent with their actual fire-play behaviour. Parents underestimated the likelihood that their children would play with matches/lighters. Although most reportedly undertook preventative measures aimed at thwarting fire play, these strategies were ineffective. Traditionally relied upon precautionary techniques, such as storing lighters out of reach and discussing the dangers of fire, were not sufficient to stem interest and resultant fire play.     

Bicycle-related injuries: Injury,hazard, and risk patterns

Abstract

This paper provides the results of a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) study to determine the circumstances involved in bicycle-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. It also includes information from a CPSC exposure survey of the U.S. population of bicycle users and their patterns of bicycle and helmet use. Together, these data were used to identify and evaluate risk factors currently associated with bicycle use in the United States

Risk models identified factors specifically associated with injuries to children and to adults. Children were at particular risk of injury, and appeared to be especially vulnerable to head injury. In addition, the risk of injury for children was significantly increased when riding in non-daylight conditions. For both adults and children, there was a higher risk of injury on streets than in such areas as bike paths or unpaved surfaces. While some problems associated with bicycle assembly, operation, and maintenance were observed, the data did not suggest that any mechanical remedy is likely to reduce injuries substantially.     

Does the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission make a difference? An assessment of its first decade

In 1972 the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was given the mandate of protecting the U.S. public against unreasonable risks of injury associated with consumer products. Pooled cross-sectional time-series data from 1961 to 1982 on states' accidental home death rates are used to examine how effective the CPSC has been. This evaluation controls for several relevant historical forces (besides the CPSC) which may have contributed to fluctuations in the accidental home death rate. The results indicate that after controlling for those exogenous factors for which there are data, the CPSC reduced accidental home deaths by an estimated 17,941 over its first ten years of operation.     

The Role of International Exchange Programs to Promote Diversity on College Campuses

Abstract

In response to recent Court decisions, many US colleges and universities are energetically seeking ways to increase the diversity of their student bodies. Although the focus of many of these university efforts in the United States has been the inclusion of greater numbers of native-born, naturalized, or resident minorities in the student bodies, one could argue just as effectively that, given the position of the United States in the global political economy, student bodies should contain significant representatives from countries outside the United States. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role, development, and implementation of effective international exchange programs involving faculty, staff, and students, and how they can play a part to promote campus diversity using examples from the experience of Southern Illinois University to illustrate key points.     

Exemptions to the Children’s Sleepwear Flammability Standards: A Description of Policy Considerations and an Evaluation of the Effects on Burn Injuries to Children

In 1996, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) amended the children’s sleepwear flammability standards to exempt sleepwear sized for infants aged 9 months or younger and tight-fitting sleepwear for older children. These amendments were adopted after CPSC concluded that they would provide consumers a wider selection of children’s sleepwear without diminishing the protection provided by the standards. They were also issued in response to an apparent preference for untreated cotton garments by many parents and difficulties in enforcing the pre-amendment standards. Nevertheless, the amendments were controversial. Some interested parties opposed them because they believed the exemptions would substantially reduce the level of safety for children. The amendments were also subjected to congressional scrutiny; in 1999, after they had gone into effect, Congress required that the Commission consider revoking them. To address these concerns, in cooperation with the American Burn Association and Shriners Hospitals for Children, the CPSC initiated a national study of child clothing-related burn injuries treated in burn center hospitals. From 2003 through 2005, the CPSC collected information on 475 such injuries. This study evaluates the burn center data to help determine the safety effects of the amendments to the sleepwear standards. The results provide no evidence of increased risk of burn injury associated with the exemptions from the sleepwear standards.

Character Portrayal: Examining Gender Roles in Television Commercials Targeted at Children in India and the United States

ABSTRACT

Children's market has been growing steadily not only in the United States but also globally. Advertisers have been targeting this segment heavily in recent years. Given the impact of this segment having increased rapidly in recent years, it is imperative for the advertisers to understand and develop effective advertising messages to reach this segment successfully. One of the essential components of advertisement content includes decisions regarding the gender portrayal of the characters. This study examines the depiction of self-presentation behaviors of the characters in commercials shown during the times and on the channels that children watch in India and the United States. The findings indicate interesting similarities and differences between the two countries. Managerial implications and future research directions are offered based on the findings.     

A Comparison of Print Advertisements from the United States and France

Abstract

This study extends the research on cross-cultural advertising by comparing print advertisements from the United States and France in terms of emotional appeals, information content, and use of humor and sex. A content analysis of advertisements from two types of magazines from the United States and France revealed that French advertisements make greater use of emotional appeals, humor, and sex appeals. Advertisements from the United States were found to contain more information cues.     

Promoting Giving Campaigns in University Websites: A Cross-cultural Comparison between the United States and South Korea

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to compare the ways the websites promote giving campaigns between the United States and South Korea. Furthermore, this study explored how the campaign appeals are associated with the distinct cultural values between universities in the United States and Korea. Guided by a content analysis of 200 universities in the United States and South Korea, the findings of this study demonstrated that, compared to the Korean university websites, U.S. university websites more frequently targeted university-affiliated donors, including alumni, students, parents, and so forth, and used multimedia-based exemplars about the giving campaigns.     

Alcohol Warning Labels in the UK

Abstract

In July 2003, it was reported that twelve alcoholics were attempting to sue drink manufacturers for failing to warn them of the dangers of drinking alcohol. This alleged failure to warn is remarkably similar to the alleged failure to warn on which the flood of tobacco claims in the United States and Europe was based, resulting in a dramatic increase in regulation, including the requirement that tobacco products must carry health warnings.

Could this gentle trickle of interest in litigating against alcoholic drinks manufacturers be the beginning of a torrent of tobacco-style regulation and litigation?

This article examines the history of the health warning and asks whether it is likely that alcohol health warnings will become mandatory in Europe and, more specifically, the United Kingdom.     

Preventing motor vehicle crash injuries and deaths: science vs. folklore lessons from history

Abstract

Not long after the beginnings of motorization in the early 1900s, deaths and injuries from motor vehicle crashes became a problem in a number of high-income-countries (HIC)s, especially the United States. With the biggest problem the US led early efforts to address this issue, and for six decades these efforts were based on folklore (ie a body of widely held but false or unsubstantiated beliefs). They were not evaluated, but clearly were unsuccessful as crash deaths and injuries continued to rise. It was not until the 1970s that a broader range of countermeasures began to be adopted and was scientifically evaluated, and as a result, crash deaths and injuries declined. This history has important lessons today for many low-and-middle-income countries that have growing numbers of motor vehicle crash deaths and injuries, many of which are pedestrians and motorcyclists. This is because there continue to be advocates for many of the failed approaches (especially educational) that dominated the early efforts in HICs.     

Restaurant Marketing Strategies in the United States and Canada

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the similarities and differences in the marketing strategies implemented by family restaurants in Canada and the United States to meet the needs of their customers. A census of 101 restaurants in three contiguous regions of Quebec, Ontario and Northern New York was visited. Systematic observations using a detailed grid of variables were compiled for each establishment. More similarities than differences were found, indicating that similar marketing strategies could be used successfully by restaurants in the United States and Canada.     

Organizational Learning and Market Orientation in International Marketing Education

SUMMARY

This study develops and tests a series of relationships between organizational learning and market orientation as it pertains to international marketing education. The focus is on the activities and relationships between the students, faculty, and staff in the international marketing/business program at three schools in the north, midwest, and south United States. Based on a sample of 193 undergraduate and graduate international marketing students, the results suggest that organizational learning (class and major area-based learning)-team orientation, systems orientation, learning orientation, and memory orientation-positively influences market orientation learning outcomes (i.e., intelligence generation, intelligence dissemination, and responsiveness). The major implication of the study is that the education provided to the students in an international marketing course (i.e., upper-division university course) can be enhanced by focusing on organizational learning tools as a means to increase the shared knowledge level among the Students.     

Why Did (Almost) No One See the Inflation Coming?

To understand the possible trajectory of inflation in 2022 and beyond, it is helpful to understand why the United States and Europe had so much inflation in 2021.

     

U.S. Organizations' Personnel Management in Mexico

Abstract

U.S. organizations are experiencing dramatic growth from the North American Free Trade Agreement. Companies that operate across the Mexican border must decide to either relocate currently employed personnel or to hire foreign nationals to staff positions. Since many cultural differences exist between the United States and Mexico, the use of “culture-pins,” or bicultural people who bridge value differences, may facilitate success in these operations. Consequently, this paper proposes that U.S. firms located in Mexico should recruit and retain Mexican Americans.

RESUMEN

Las corporaciones mexicanas y estadounidenses están creciendo dramáticamente como resultado directo del NAFTA. Las empresas que operan del otro lado de estas fronteras, debe decidir si desean trasladar a sus gerentes y trabajadores o contratar nacionales extranjeros para ocupar estos cargos. Este documento presupone que los iucomodines-culturalesl., o personas biculturales que pueden cruzar el puente de las diferencias culturales, son necesarios para asegurar el éxito de NAFTA y contribuir, brindando una inventaja competitivalc a las compañías participantes. La propuesta de este artículo es que las empresas estadounidenses que operan dentro de México se beneficiarían reclutando y entrenando mexicanos-norteamericanos para aumentar su fuerza de trabajo local.

RESUMO

As empresas mexicanas e americanas têm experimentado um crescimento diretamente relacionado à NAFTA. As empresas, que operam dentro destas fronteiras, devem decidir entre realocar os gerentes atuais contratados ou contratar estrangeiros para ocupar cargos disponíveis. Pretende-se, através deste estudo, mostrar que pessoas com ambas as culturas, capazes de superar as diferenças culturais, são essenciais para o sucesso da NAFTA e contribuem para a vantagem competitiva das empresas envolvidas. Este trabalho prop[otilde]e que as firmas americanas, atuando no México, seriam beneficiadas, se recrutassem e treinassem americanos, de origem mexicana, para aumentar a sua força de trabalho no México.     

Deaths and hospitalisation from fireworks injuries

Statement of the Problem Little is known about the severity of fireworks injuries and no international reviews have been conducted. This study aimed to document and describe the severity of fireworks injuries and the implications for prevention in several countries. Method This retrospective epidemiological study of fireworks-related deaths and hospitalisations obtained injury surveillance data and vital statistics from Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States. Of three further countries approached, none was able to supply the full dataset. Results From 1991 to 1995, there were 22 deaths involving fireworks in the United States, 5 in the Netherlands and none in Australia or New Zealand. Except in 1994, the Netherlands had higher admission rates from fireworks injuries than Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Overall, Australia experienced the lowest admission rates. Australian injuries may also have been less severe. Males and children <15 years of age accounted for most admissions. Fatal injuries were mostly to males aged 15-44 years. Conclusions Deaths from fireworks injuries are rare in Australia and New Zealand. Differences in rates and in some characteristics of admitted cases were observed between countries. This study should serve as a benchmark and a pilot to future studies. International comparisons will require enhanced epidemiological data, possibly by collaborative prospective data collection, with appropriate quality control, rather than routinely collected data. Such studies should include developing countries, where the manufacture and use of fireworks is widespread. Since differences may relate to regulatory control and exposure, these should be documented.