Author:sheq-management

Eco-friendly coffee from Colombia  7th September 2023 Coffee manufacturer Atinkana strives to minimise its carbon footprint. The coffee beans are transported by sailing ships across the Atlantic to Europe, and Gebrüder Weiss’s hydrogen truck takes care of last mile delivery. After its wind-powered trip across the Atlantic to Amsterdam, the coffee is first transported by truck to Antwerp and then by rail to Basel. From there, Gebrüder Weiss delivers it to the coffee roasting plant using its hydrogen (H2) truck. […]

Mapping the spike protein for vaccine development 7th September 2023 Although the Covid-19 pandemic was the first time much of humanity learned of the now infamous disease, the family of coronaviruses was first identified in the mid-1960s. In a new study, molecular biologist Steven Van Doren, a scientist at the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, has uncovered the unexpected actions of a key player in how the coronavirus infects its target. His discovery could guide further […]

Down to a fine art  23rd August 2023 Seven tonnes of plastic waste have been successfully diverted from polluting the environment thanks to a pioneering new collaboration aiming to change behaviours through art, song, comedy skits, and practical measures. Researchers from the University of Portsmouth’s Revolution Plastics team and South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environmental Affairs partnered with UK-based charity WasteAid to run a pilot study in the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality of Mpumalanga Province. They combined […]

New epoxy resin resists flames and reduces waste  23rd August 2023 Epoxy resins are tough and versatile polymers. In combination with glass or carbon fibres, they are used, for example, to manufacture components for aircraft, cars, trains, ships, and wind turbines. Such epoxy-based, fibre-reinforced polymers have excellent mechanical and thermal properties and are much lighter than metal. Their weakness? They are not recyclable … at least, not yet. Researchers in Switzerland, led by Sabyasachi Gaan at Empa’s Advanced Fibers laboratory, […]

High-speed autonomy done safely  23rd August 2023 An important challenge for the acceptance of autonomous driving is to ensure the safety of road users without a loss of speed. With today’s state-of-the-art technology, building self-driving cars that are safer than human drivers would result in a loss of speed and comfort and further decrease the acceptance of autonomous mobility. This was the result of a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a US traffic safety organisation that regularly […]

Risk in the crosshairs  10th Aug 2023 The 17th annual Smart Procurement World Indaba will focus on risk. South Africa’s largest, longest-standing event for procurement and inbound supply chain professionals, the indaba will be held from 11 to 14 September 2023 at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng. Debbie Tagg, Smart Procurement chief operating officer, says that the sector proved its mettle in navigating risk in recent years, but needs to chart a course in an increasingly volatile, unpredictable, and […]

Tops to Tags becomes Give2Green  10th Aug 2023 Leading local waste management business Interwaste has announced that its famous Tops to Tags initiative, which has run since 2011, will now be called Give2Green. It will focus on encouraging corporates, schools, and community programmes to bring in bottle tops, aluminium cans, and white office paper in return for sanitary pads or wheelchairs. These can then be distributed to those in need.  “The Tops to Tags programme, which has been a resounding […]

High-speed train tech used to detect airborne viruses  10th Aug 2023 Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Michigan State University (MSU) have invented a system that uses the same technology as high-speed trains to quickly and inexpensively detect airborne viruses.  The team showed that a technique known as magnetic levitation can be used to easily collect and concentrate viruses from the air to help prevent future outbreaks of respiratory disease. The researchers published their work in the […]

Microplastics are harming gut health  26th May 2023 Scientists have been worried about the potential harms of microplastics for years. These small plastic particles, less than 5mm in length, have been found everywhere because of plastic pollution – from the Earth’s deep oceans to remote regions in Antarctica, and even in the seafood we eat. “Our discoveries mirror the conditions experienced by wildlife. Given that humans also ingest microplastics through environmental exposure and food consumption, this study should serve as […]

Your thoughts can harm your neck and back  26th May 2023 The mental distress of cognitive dissonance (encountering information that conflicts with how we act or what we believe) can lead to added pressure on the neck and lower back during lifting and lowering tasks, new research suggests. Seventeen research participants – nine men and eight women aged 19 to 44 – completed three phases of an experiment in which they placed a lightweight box within a square on a […]