Occupational health and safety (OHS) is essential for protecting the life, health, and physical integrity of workers. In a complex and dynamic professional context, the prevention of occupational risks has become a priority for employers and decision-makers, going beyond legal compliance to create a safe and efficient work environment. This article explores the history and the main theoretical aspects of OHS and explores the implementation of the ISO 45001 standard and introduces managing workplace health and safety (WHS) risks based on the 5M Method and a weighted composite algorithm for OHS risk assessment integrating factors such as severity, probability, frequency of exposure, number of exposed employees, organizational response capacity, and incident history. Applied in a mixed industrial case study, this approach demonstrated superior risk prioritization compared to the classic severity–probability model. The findings have practical applications: organizations can use the Weighted Composite Score to prioritize interventions, allocate resources efficiently, and prevent high-risk incidents. The approach is adaptable across industries, supporting data-driven safety decisions. The integration of this method supports ISO 45001’s principles of a systematic, proactive, and continuous improvement approach to OHS management.

The objective of this paper was to study the phyto-inhibitory and antimicrobial activity of brown propolis collected from the counties of four regions in Romania. The main physico-chemical and functional properties of 16 samples of propolis from different landforms of geographical regions were determined. Their antimicrobial activities were established against 5 bacterial strains (Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis) and 5 fungal strains (Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Mucor racemosus, and Aspergillus niger). Simultaneously, the phyto-inhibitory effect of propolis samples on different cereals was highlighted: hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), maize (Zea mays L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Correlations between the antioxidant activity and total flavonoid and phenol content of the propolis samples were identified, respectively, and the statistical analysis highlighted that the diameter of the inhibition zone was influenced by the strain type (bacterial and fungal) and the geographical regions of propolis. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that out of seven principal components, only two exhibited > 0.5. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a low and moderate positive linear relationship between the diameter of the inhibition zone and the flavonoid and phenol concentration of the propolis samples.

Propolis use in medicine, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries is well known. This study aimed to investigate propolis’ phyto-inhibitory and antimicrobial potential. Nine propolis samples obtained from distinct Romanian regions and characterized in terms of physical–chemical parameters, phenols and flavonoid contents, and antioxidant properties were prepared as dry propolis and aqueous extracts. The phyto-inhibitory effect was comparatively tested on different cereals: hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), maize (Zea mays L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), while their in vitro antimicrobial activity was evaluated against bacterial and fungal strains specific to cereals: Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, Proteus mirabilis, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium chrysogenum, and Aspergillus niger. All propolis samples showed a phyto-inhibitory effect on the cereals, the most pronounced being corn and oats. Propolis powder samples displayed a lower phyto-inhibitory activity than propolis extracts. Also, all tested products showed inhibitory efficacy against both bacteria and fungi. Furthermore, principal component analysis showed differences between the samples’ phyto-inhibitory and antimicrobial properties depending on the geographical origin. Positive correlations were found between the polyphenols, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity, respectively. These data support propolis’ phyto-pharmaceutical potential related to its use in plant crop management as an alternative in ecological agriculture.

The Arieș River, in the Apuseni Mountains of Romania, has been historically impacted by gold mining, resulting in elevated concentrations of metal trace elements. This study assessed the river’s ecological status between 2022 and 2024 by integrating physico-chemical parameters at four sites and diatom-based bioindicators at the same sites in 2024 across monitoring sectors. Key results showed strong mining influence downstream of Baia de Arieș, with episodic acidification (pH down to 5.7), elevated conductivity (>400 μS/cm), and notable exceedances in metal trace elements, particularly Cu (up to 237 μg/L) and Cd (up to 4.18 μg/L). Analysis showed a dominance of α-mesosaprobic taxa (e.g., Amphora ovalis, Navicula cryptocephala, Nitzschia inconspicua), including teratological forms, at polluted sites, while sensitive species persisted upstream. Multivariate analyses indicated that metal trace elements and nutrients are the main drivers of chemical and biological patterns. These findings highlight diatoms as sensitive bioindicators of mining-related impacts. Incorporating diatom-based monitoring into management strategies can support early detection of pollution and more effective protection of freshwater ecosystems.

Nonconformities represent a frequently encountered factor in the operation of a company. It is imperative to constantly investigate the causes and sources of irregularities. For this purpose, for nonsatisfaction of the specified requirements, Kaizen management methods and tools can be used, which offer solutions to improve the nonconformity management process. In industry, regardless of the activity field, software applications that deal with and manage nonconformities can be created, depending on the potential or actual severity of the problem. The paper presents a modern tool, designed to manage nonconformities within a company. Entitled Auto-Quality Matrix, the application was developed and tested in a food industry unit whose field of activity is spring water bottling. The application can be constituted in a standardized process, which can work both on material and information flow, contributing to the visualization of the “quality level” of each individual section and its evolution. On the other hand, it helps to identify nonconformities as close as possible to the area that generates them. The results of the study highlight the advantages of using the new tool, while also exposing the conceptual approach that substantiates its design and validation.