This report was produced within the framework of the RAAK PRP project ‘Veiligheid op de werkvloer’. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used on a daily basis by millions of people all over the EU, voluntarily or as a result of EU legislation. In this report we deal specifically with the textile/garment aspects of PPE. In this context we must consider the fact that PPE encompasses a huge area with hundreds of different applications of materials and systems tuned to specific needs;from a materials point of view it represents a complex area due to the large diversity of labour conditions. Textiles and clothing represent an area where PPE is an important area of attention. On a global scale it is an area of much research. Safety and comfort are becoming more and more important and these aspects must be in balance. Uncomfortable systems will not be used and put safe working at risk. Thus there is a continuous need for technological innovation to improve the effectiveness of PPE systems. Specialization and specific combinations aimed at use under well-defined conditions contributes to finding a good balance between comfort and safety. The design of products, taking into account the individual needs represent an area of intensive research: Safety directed ‘fashion design’.The ultimate goal is the development of proactive systems by which workers (but capital goods as well) are optimally protected. There is also a lot of attention for maintenance and cleaning since protective functions may deteriorate as a result of cleaning processes. Another important point is standardization because producers need directions for product development and supply of goods. In our overview we make a distinction between static and dynamic systems. Static systems provide passive protection, simply by being a part of an equipment that separates the worker from the danger zone. Dynamic systems are more ‘intelligent’ because these can react to stimuli and subsequently can take action. These dynamic systems use sensors, communication technology and actuators. From this research the following may be concluded: 1. Safety is obtained by choice of materials for a textile construction, including the use of coatings with special properties, application of specific additives and he use of special designed fibre shapes. 2. The architecture and ultimate construction and the combinations with other materials result in products that respond adequately. This is of great importance because of the balance comfort – safety. But a lot can be improved in this respect. 3. Insight in human behaviour, ambient intelligence and systems technology will lead to new routes for product development and a more active approach and higher levels of safety on the work floor. Consequently there is a lot of research going on that is aimed at improved materials and systems. Also due to the enormous research area of smart textiles a lot of development is aimed at the integration of new technology for application in PPE. This results in complex products that enhance both passive and active safety. Especially the commissioners, government and industry, must pay a lot of attention to specifying the required properties that a product should meet under the specific conditions. This has a cost aspect as well because production volumes are usually not that large if for small groups of products specific demands are defined. We expect that through the technology that is being developed in the scope of mass customization production technologies will be developed that allows production at acceptable cost, but still aimed at products that have specific properties for unique application areas. Purchasing is now being practiced through large procurements. We must than consider the fact that specification takes place on the basis of functionality. In that case we should move away from the current cost focus but the attention should shift towards the life cycle
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Recent years have seen a massive growth in ethical and legal frameworks to govern data science practices. Yet one of the core questions associated with ethical and legal frameworks is the extent to which they are implemented in practice. A particularly interesting case in this context comes to public officials, for whom higher standards typically exist. We are thus trying to understand how ethical and legal frameworks influence the everyday practices on data and algorithms of public sector data professionals. The following paper looks at two cases: public sector data professionals (1) at municipalities in the Netherlands and (2) at the Netherlands Police. We compare these two cases based on an analytical research framework we develop in this article to help understanding of everyday professional practices. We conclude that there is a wide gap between legal and ethical governance rules and the everyday practices.
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French/English abstract: Les systèmes d’aide à la prise de décision jouent un rôle important dans la pratique juridique aux Pays-Bas. Divers organismes gouvernementaux utilisent de tels systèmes automatisés pour la prise de décisions juridiques (de masse). Les départements juridiques, les cabinets d’avocats, les éditeurs juridiques et d’autres organismes ont de plus en plus recours à ces outils pour appuyer et améliorer les services d’aide juridique aux particuliers et aux entreprises. Ces outils permettent d’améliorer l’efficacité des processus et des services juridiques, mais ils peuvent aussi avoir d’importants effets préjudiciables sur les droits des personnes ou sur la qualité juridique des services produits, en particulier lorsqu’il n’existe pas de processus de conception minutieux et transparent. Cet article donne un aperçu de l’utilisation de ces systèmes dans la pratique juridique néerlandaise, discute de leurs avantages, pièges et défis, puis il identifie certaines questions de recherche pour le futur.---Rule-based systems for decision support and decision-making play an important role in Dutch legal practice. Government agencies use rule-based systems for (mass) legal decision-making. Legal departments, law firms, legal publishers and various other organizations increasingly use rule-basedsystems to support and improve the provision of legal aid to private individuals and corporate clients. Rule-based systems can improve efficiency of legal processes and services, but can also have important detrimental effects on the rights of individuals or legal quality, especially when there is no careful and transparent design process. This article provides an overview of the use of these systems in Dutch legal practice, discusses benefits, pitfallsand challenges and identifies questions for future research.
