SIR2000 for monitoring asbestos

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SIR2000 for monitoring asbestos

• Patrick Brown
• SIR Conference, Aberdeen 2002

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SIR for monitoring asbestos

• SIR used for asbestos proficiency testing at IOM
• Conversion from SIR version 3.2 to SIR2000
• SIR within our changing computer systems

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SIR at IOM 1984-2002

• Institute of Occupational Medicine
• - research and consultancy in occupational health

• Coal miners illnesses (1960s - 1980s)
• Epidemiology gt SIR ca 1984 (version 2.1...)
• Medical surveys in factories and offices
• Measurement and control of hazardous substances
  (including asbestos and man-made mineral fibres)
  gt Proficiency Testing
  gt SIR 2.3 - SIR 3.2 -
  SIR2000 - SIR2002

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Proficiency Testing at IOM

• Testing schemes for airborne fibre concentrations
• RICE (Regular Interlaboratory Counting
  Exchanges)
• 1000 asbestos reference samples
• Collate results from 200 analytical labs
• Evaluate and report lab performances
• Publish satisfactory performers

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RICE database

• Network structure
• Laboratories and their results
• Samples and their reference values
• Round administration

• 20 record types
• 3000 cases
• 200,000 records ( historic data archived)
• 20 Mbytes

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RICE database
Laboratory cases
Round cases
Sample cases
Information about samples and reference values
(5 rec types)
Information about laboratories contact details
and PT results (10 rec types)
Information about round admin. (6 rec types)
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RICE computer system 1992
RAW DATA
REPORTS
paper forms
SIR DBMS
text files
printer
SIR Forms
utilities
stats packages
text files
BACKUPS
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Timetable of SIR at IOM

• SIR version 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 (1980s to early 1990s)
• Prime minicomputer

• SIR version 3.2 (mid 1990s to 2001)
• Stand alone PC
• Windows PC network

(Missed version 4!)
SIR2000 (2001 - present)
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Conversion to SIR2000

• Problem-free imports of existing databases
• Help from SIR Australia
• Menus - EXECUTE DBMS

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Menu code change

• SYSTEM MENU ADD Results Process results.
• CALL DATENTRY.RES1T
• MENU
• . MENUITEM 1004, Process results., ,0
• END MENU
• IFTHEN (MENUID EQ 1004)
• . EXECUTE DBMS CALL DATENTRY.RES1T
• ENDIF
• ...

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Conversion to SIR2000

• Problem-free imports of existing databases
• Menus - EXECUTE DBMS
• Help from SIR Australia

• Standard dialogs to replace screen input in 3.2
• Selected new PQL dialogs
• Links to other packages
• Housekeeping
• Training

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SIR2000 v Version 3.2

• SIR2000
• Will allow system development
• Potential ODBC links
• Looks familiar to Windows users
• CSV files
• PQL dialogs
• Improved graphic outputs
• Effort to convert menus
• Many trivial changes to programs
• Training
• Restricted menu colours
• Bug in UNLOAD

• Version 3.2
• An established system
• A reliable system
• I liked the menus!
• Limited system development opportunities
• Did not operate ideally under Windows
• Obsolescence
• Screen handling awkward
• Year 2000 fix

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RICE computer system 2002
REPORTS
Excel worksheet
email
website?
RAW DATA
printers
csv
text files
paper forms
SIR DBMS
SIR Forms
Microsoft Office
email?
utilities
csv,dbf,text
stats packages
dbf
BACKUPS ARCHIVES QUALITY ASSURANCE
csv
Access admin. database
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The next steps

• SIR2002
• PQL Forms
• Screen painter

ODBC Electronic reports Website development
(including data entry) Simplification System
management
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Conclusions

• SIR is now part of a complex, continually
  developing environment
• Good practices in system management are necessary
• Conversion to SIR2000
• less difficult than thought
• worth it!