Abstract

A supply chain is a system of resources, organizations, people, technologies, activities and information involved in the act of transporting goods from producer to consumer and user. This (SCS) guide is intended for trade and transport government officials, port authorities and transport, cargo and logistics communities, in particular in developing countries. The purpose of the guide is to make concerned trade and transport-related officials, managers and personnel in developing countries acquainted with, and aware of, the many initiatives mushrooming in the field of supply chain security, what these will mean for their respective organizations, and how to tackle the inlaid challenges. This chapter attempts to clarify the background and current status of the multitude of programs that exist across the world today. This is achieved by, firstly, giving a brief account of the changing security environment (post 9/11) and its resulting implications for SCS programs. This is important as it helps to explain the motivation of the programs which are later expanded upon in more detail within the chapter. Within this section, the motivations for different types of programs, not directly linked to the events of 9/11 but to other reasons, such as combating illegal activities, enhancement of efficiency and standardization are also explained. Secondly, a list of the main programs is present under four main subheadings: compulsory programs, major voluntary programs, regional or national programs, and others. Tables are presented at the end of the section summarizing the main points of each program. Finally, some of the issues surrounding the programs are presented in the concluding section. Document type: Book

Abstract

International audience; The aim of the present contribution is to test whether and to what extent cognitive load theory may account for working memory performance in the field of ergonomics. We will briefly present the theoretical and methodological principles of cognitive load theory, developed initially by Sweller (1988) in the field of educational psychology, and some of the more critical issues addressed recently. Thereafter, we report three experiments exploring the relations between the three load categories defined by cognitive load theory, by using working memory tasks. The influence of intrinsic and extrinsic cognitive load categories was explored by manipulating respectively task difficulty and time pressure. The consequences of the less documented germane load were proposed to depend on participants’ alertness that varies spontaneously across the day (Galy, Cariou, and Mélan, 2012). In order to test for additive effects between load categories, effects of intrinsic and extrinsic load were explored both separately and simultaneously, and when participants’ alertness level was either high or low. This procedure was tested in a mental arithmetic task and in a recall task performed by participants in controlled laboratory conditions and when the same arithmetic task was performed by air traffic controllers in a real-job situation. Results led to the conclusion of an additive interaction between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load factors, in addition to modulatory effects by germane load. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

Introduction : Dutch North Sea helicopter operations are characterized by multiple sector flights to offshore platforms under difficult environmental conditions. In the context of a Ministry of Transport program to improve safety levels of helicopter operations, we assessed effects of pre-duty sleep, pre-duty travel time, and workload factors on the alertness and vigilance of pilots. Method : Data of 24 pilots comprising 224 duty days were analyzed. Pilots performed 10-min test sessions after wake up, pre-duty, halfway-duty, end-duty, and at bedtime during normal duty rosters. Test sessions included completion of a vigilance task, vigor and sleepiness ratings, and questions on sleep and operational characteristics. Pilots wore an actometer to objectify sleep data. Results : Vigor scores were high and sleepiness levels were low during the entire flight duty periods (FDPs), while vigilance was impaired only 6.8% in the course of the FDPs. Pre-duty sleep before morning duties was 1.5 h shorter than sleep before duties starting after midday. Longer pre-duty travel time was correlated with shorter pre-duty sleep and lower vigilance levels during duty. Conclusion : During the FDPs, pilots maintained alertness and vigilance levels that may be considered safe in terms of alertness-related flight safety. This favorable outcome may be attributed to reasonable length of FDPs, favorable circadian start and end times of duties, sufficient opportunities for restorative pre-duty sleep, and relatively good weather conditions. Appropriate FDP scheduling is an important measure to optimize alertness of helicopter pilots who have to cope with adverse environmental conditions and limited landing and air traffic control facilities.