A network simulation model of a fish processing plant

The fish processing industry is the most important industry in Iceland. The single most important processing method is quickfreezing, and the major market is in the United States. With increasing competition in the market from countries like Canada, productivity of fish processing plants is becoming increasingly important. This research focuses on developing a simulation model of a fish processing plant, whose products are quickfrozen fish. In the study, the process in a typical fish processing plant is described. A network simulation model of the process is then developed, using the Simulation Language for Alternative Modeling (SLAM). Among the results from the model are statistics on utilization of machines and workers in the process, size of in-process inventory at different locations in the process and throughput times. Sensitivity analysis is performed on some of the major factors that can affect the efficiency of the system. A front-end interface to the simulation model is developed which facilitates the user in entering input parameters to the model without the need to learn the simulation language. The model provides a methodology for evaluating alternative production strategies for a fish processing facility, and provides the production manager with a tool to develop short term production policies

Genetic Risk: The New Frontier for the Duty to Warn

Mental health professionals usually think of the “duty to warn” in the context of mental illness. However, two state appellate courts have endorsed a duty to warn when children of a patient may be at risk genetically for acquiring the disease of their parents. In these cases, the courts held that a physician\u27s legal obligations extended beyond his or her patient to the patient\u27s children. This article discusses these cases, as well as issues regarding implementation of such a duty and the implications for the physician–patient relationship in a health care environment that will be dominated increasingly by genetics issues. The article concludes that it is premature to apply a duty to warn to the treatment of mental illness and to concerns regarding future criminal behavior