Grass Essays - Grasslands, Plant Life-form, Poaceae,

Grass Grass I always like to watch the grass grow, in summer is pretty green, but in winter is pretty ugly, and you could see really the difference, is because of the weather hot and cold. Now the grass is ugly is like brown, but in summer is very pretty and I al like to take pictures of my house in the differents seasons. I have a picture when the grass is very pretty, picture where the grass is ugly, and a picture where it snowed from last year. When summer starts I will start taking pictures. That is why I l e to watch the grass grow I think is fun! email me at [emailprotected] Environmental Issues

How to Identify Northern White Cedar

How to Identify Northern White Cedar Northern white-cedar  is a slow growing native North American boreal tree with the scientific name Thuja occidentalis.  Arborvitae  is another name for the tree in its cultivated and commercially grown from which is  planted in yards and landscapes throughout the United States. This nursery-derived version of the white-cedar is prized for the unique flat and filigree sprays made up of tiny, scaly leaves.   Northern white-cedar  has also been called eastern white cedar and swamp-cedar. The name arborvitae meaning tree of life was given the tree and was the first North American tree to be transplanted and cultivated in Europe.   Ethnobotanical history suggests that 16th-century French explorer Jacques Cartier learned from  Native Americans how to use the trees foliage to treat scurvy. Scurvy was an insidious  disease that ravaged humans that had no ready source of  ascorbic acid or vitamin  C. A decoction of the exported trees sap was sold in Europe as a curative medicine. A record tree in Michigans Leelanau County measures 18 feet in circumference and  113 feet  (34 meters)   in height.   Where the Northern White Cedar Lives You will find that the main range of northern white-cedar extends through the southern part of the eastern half of Canada and down to an adjacent northern part of the United States. Looking at its U.S. Forest Service range map, you will see specifically that it extends west from the Gulf of St. Lawrence through central Ontario to southeastern Manitoba. Eastern white cedars southern U.S range extends through central Minnesota and Wisconsin to a narrow fringe around the southern tip of Lake Michigan and east through southern Michigan, southern New York, central Vermont and New Hampshire, and Maine.   Northern white-cedar prefers a humid climate and where the annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 46 inches.  Although it does not develop well on extremely wet or extremely dry sites, the cedar will do well on cool, moist, nutrient-rich sites and particularly on organic soils near streams or boreal swamps. The principal commercial uses of northern white-cedar are for rustic fencing and posts because of the woods resistance to rot. Other important wood products made from the species includes cabin logs, lumber, poles, and shingles. The wood fiber is also used as paper pulp and particleboard. Identification of the Northern White Cedar The leaf (if you can call it a leaf) is actually evergreen and scale-like off main shoot sprays. They are  1/4 inch long with long points. Lateral shoots are flattened, 1/8 inch long with short points. The  species is monoecious meaning that the tree has both male and female reproductive parts. Female parts are green with 4 to 6 scales and male parts are green tipped with brown scales. The fruit is a  cone, only 1/2 inch long, oblong and protrude upright on the branches. Cone scales are leathery, red-brown and rounded, with a small spine on the tip. New growth on each twig is green and scale-like and occurring in very flattened foliar sprays.The bark is fibrous, red-brown, weathering to gray. You will often see diamond-shaped bark patterns and the trees form is a  small to medium-sized tree shaped like an arrowhead or a pyramid. The Commercial Arborvitae Varieties Probably the most commonly planted Arborvitae planted in the North American landscape is the Emerald Green variety. It has great winter color and is one of the most popular hedge plants within its range and is also extensively used outside its range in the Pacific Northwest. Many arborvitae varieties can be planted as a very reliable, small to medium ornamental in American yards outside the natural range of  Thuja  occidentalis.  You  can  see more than 100 cultivated varieties used extensively in dooryards, in hedgerows, in borders and as a single large striking specimen in a large landscape. You will also see this tree along driveways, building foundations, subdivision entrances, cemeteries, and parks. White-Cedar has many cultivars, many of which are shrubs. Popular cultivars include: ‘Booth Globe’  Ã¢â‚¬ËœCompacta’‘Douglasi Pyramidalis’‘Emerald Green’ - good winter color‘Ericoides’‘Fastigiata’‘Hetz Junior’‘Hetz Midget’ - slow growing dwarf‘Hovey’‘Little Champion’ - globe shaped‘Lutea’ - yellow foliage‘Nigra’ - dark green foliage in winter, pyramidal‘Pyramidalis’ - narrow pyramidal form  Ã¢â‚¬ËœRosenthalli’‘Techny’‘Umbraculifera’ - flat-topped‘Wareana’‘Woodwardii’

The Tea Party Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Tea Party Movement - Essay Example Many critics observed that the critics from Paul were meant for individual benefits especially as campaign tools. He was quoted in his speech saying, â€Å"I think Congress is about 20 years behind† (Ron Paul’s Speech). In his speech ,he dwelt on the on the need to critically articulate the issues related to foreign and domestic strategy issues, which he said they negatively impacted on the economy and he said the country was headed to a worst economy crisis. It is ironical that Ron Paul’s criticism was on the same congress, which he is part of. He is one of the unsuccessful members of the congress, yet he appears the top critic. Ronald Ernest â€Å"Ron† Paul is one of the renowned United States Congressman and emerged to be repeat presidential candidature, having contented for the presidency in 1988, 2008, and 2012. In the year 1988, he was presidential candidate for Libertarian Party in the 12 years break in the years when he was Republican Congressman. In 2008, Ronald Ernest was presidential nominee for Republican Party. He believes on the supremacy of the Constitution and he never proposes a bill to be approved in the Congress, unless it is provided in the constitution. He is presently contesting for presidency under the nomination for Republican Party in the United States (Schoen & Rasmussen 102). He is leading critic of both American foreign and financial policies, prominent for openly opposing the Republican Party where he belongs on certain contentious issues.

U5ipdb Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U5ipdb - Essay Example She is correct in that it is necessary to complete the billing for medical procedures in a timely fashion so that claims are properly processed, but not at the expense of coding those procedures incorrectly. Luckily, today’s world is full of a wealth of resources that Jan can turn to outside of printed media. Jan is most likely not dealing with codes that cannot be found properly. What she is doing is looking in the wrong place. She is looking where there are limited resources and giving up too easily and taking the easy road out. One of the best resources for her to utilize for this challenge would be the Internet. It is easy to find CPT codes on the Internet, even the new ones. All she needs to do is choose a search engine such as Google, select a proper search string to indicate what she is looking for and she is liable to easily find it. This is how I would handle the situation differently when using CPT codes that are not listed. One challenge of using the aforementioned method for finding unlisted, newer CPT codes is ensuring that the codes are accurate. It would be necessary for Jan to check the supplier and sponsor(s) of the website she chooses in order to determine whether not the resource is reliable. According to Avila-Weil and Regan (2007, pg. 230), â€Å"The ethics of coding, as in every professiona and business, is built on a solid foundation of moral standards which are applied to coding policies and procedures. These standards include integrity, honesty, competence, respect, fairness, trust, and courage. It is the responsibility of coding and health care professionals to establish and adopt ethical policies regarding billing and reimbursement, implement the policies comprehensively, and monitor the consistently, making corrective changes when necessary. It stands to reason from the aforementioned information that anyone who violates the standards of integrity,

Leaqdership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leaqdership - Essay Example Inequity is posited to create tension, which motivates an individual to restore equity. This restoration of equity can be accomplished in a number of ways. Outcomes can be altered, objectively or psychologically; inputs can be altered, objectively or psychologically; comparative referents can be changed; or an individual can leave or psychologically withdraw from the situation. As Greenberg (1989) pointed out, however, equity research offers little guidance as to when psychological adjustments rather than objective adjustments will occur. Complicating the matter further, psychological adjustments are difficult to measure and validate. Equity theory predictions about reactions to inequity have been tested primarily in laboratory experiments. The typical experiment involves (a) subjects performing a task, (b) distribution of a monetary reward and performance feedback, and (c) measurement of performance on a subsequent iteration of the task. Situations of inequity are set up through the manipulation of rewards and performance feedback, and individual responses to these inequitable situations are measured. As reviews of equity research have pointed out (Goodman & Friedman, 1971; Greenberg, 1982, 1987; Walster et al., 1978), these laboratory studies have shown that equity perceptions can significantly alter individuals performances. However, these studies have been largely â€Å"one-shot affairs† (Homans, 1982, p. xv) and have typically not allowed time for performance–outcome expectancies to develop among subjects. Subjects who decrease their performance when faced with perceived underreward probably do not view this decrease in performance as leading to decreased future rewards. By the 1950s, several new models of work motivation emerged, which collectively have been referred to as content theories, since their principal aim was to identify factors associated with motivation. Included here is Maslows (1954) need hierarchy theory, which

Selected Hse Kpi And Descriptions Construction Essay

Selected Hse Kpi And Descriptions Construction Essay Depending on the scale of measurement or where in the process the indicators are being used, many of implemented measurements could be understand both leading and lagging indicators. One Lagging indicator for Division Scale could be understood a leading indicator for upper scale such as Organization Scale or Industry Scale. In this research indicators are classified based on its subject as the measurement carried out at different organizational level. In this context and within finest scale, indicators of group six are lagging indicator. Group one to five can be as leading indicators and group seven is combination of group of six adjusted by business progress. Both lagging and leading indicators can be found in group eight; however all of them arranged based on its environmental impacts. Group 1: HSE Meeting Group is framework showing the HSE performances which result from important Health, safety and Environmental meetings to manage the HSE conditions. This group is not covered training and following indicators are considered in that: Table 4.1: Selected HSE KPI and Descriptions, Group 1 Toolbox Number of toolboxes Number of toolbox meetings has been held in operations. ToolBox is a common name of meeting in many industries and refers to a brief meeting at the start of the day (15minutes) gives everyone clarity about what needs to be done safely, What are the safety precautions in devices, operations, work sequences and arrangements? The meeting has to be held by operation supervisors or team leader with attendance of all workers. They do a primary review of changes rather than the plan. Workers have to say any HSE problems in narration to his/her leaders, however these problems can report as unsafe condition. Advantages: Control all last changes in operation and reminding safety precautions and practices. Disadvantages: This meeting in routine operation may become boring and just carried out as a formal functions. Toolboxes may be arranged based on safety plan. Committee % of recorded Meeting Percentage of held HSE meeting against plan. Appointed committee by Occupational Safety Health Authority in factories which gathered monthly to compile OSH requirements lead to reduce workplace injuries illnesses. This committee may gather on monthly bases to discuss on the incidents and any corrective actions need to be taken. As this just requested by Occupational health and safety regulation body in countries not by environmental department. The meeting just concentrated on safety and health. Advantages: Enforcing by regulation authorities and the power assigned to this group may bring more execution power to remove unsafe conditions. Disadvantages: As this meeting enforced by regulators, it may considered as an internal spy in companies however it could be setup more positively inside the company. Incident Investigation Number of investigations; % of Investigation per incidents; Number of incident investigated against reported. Meetings held by company to identify root causes and casual factors conducting the incidents or near misses and record corrective action for follow up to prevent reoccurrence. The investigation could be very useful if they handled on the right procedures. As the number of accident may be limited companies may do investigation on their near misses as well. Advantages: Understanding the underlying reasons or hidden risk lead company to prevent from happening similar incidents. Disadvantages: The methodology may different from company to others so the number does not necessary means to quality of inspections. HSE Planning Number of Meetings Number of JSA or risk assessment meeting through HSE Department. Number of registered HSE meeting in company including weekly meeting with contractors for hazard identification and risk management or unscheduled planning meetings requested by project such as Job Safety analysis (JSA), Post JSA, HAZOP, HAZID, Pre-start up or Pre-commissioning. Advantages: This is completely technical meeting which analysis risks of specific operation in collaboration all executive representatives. Disadvantages: It is technical and couldnt be held in absents of HSE experts. Management Review Number of Meeting Number of HSE meeting by top manager. Formal, recorded meeting under the Chairmanship of the Facilities Manager that take place at regular intervals to discuss the functioning of the HSE management system and review of past performances and targets. Advantages: As this meeting chaired with top management so it brings higher commitments to different business function to meet the set goals. Disadvantage: This meeting couldnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t be held frequently and almost hold once per year. So it couldnt be help for improving HSE commitment in limited time scale. Group 2: The main attribute of indicators at this group are concentrated on management system. Management systems have the general elements inherently regardless if they integrated or not in practice. These elements generally are leadership and commitment, planning, implementation, document control, purchase control, review and monitoring of performance, continuous improvement and consultation, (Cooke, Jully 2011). The management system is a tool that company employed to maintain its objectives through designated model. So documentations, process, people, behavior, connections and other components in management system are structural elements while the way they interact, integrate or keep in contact will follow base on internal model. Different HSE models may implement in companies electively while the effectiveness of the selected models are not completely clear for the managers. Most manager in organization believe that having the management systems are important for their reputation externally but they are not sure how effective is the management systems for their work operation. They just follow the market tendency and they add it as one project to their businesses without attention to the models engaged. So companies may engage different indicators to help them to measure the overall performance of their systems. But having management system does not necessity means having high Health, safety and environmental performance. In fact management system is just a tool to help company to improve its performance. Indicators considered in this group are: Table 4.2: Selected HSE KPI and Descriptions, Group 2 Work procedures # of written HSE items/ procedures % Written procedures complete; Written documents cover for routine or critical operations to ensure that all HSE barriers are in places without risks to the health of employees or environment including who may be affected. Advantages: The suitable and effective procedures based on best practices, help employee from deviation from safe practices. Disadvantages: Preparation of HSE procedures are not easy task and needs great past experiences to define suitable procedures based on practices. Frequency of HSE team inspections # HSE Inspection hour inspected per 1000 Manhours worked Ratio of Scheduled inspections hour completed to 1000 man hours worked by work area/dept. HSE officers do HSE inspections to insure that all HSE measures are in place in site and to evaluate any reported unsafe conditions , to control Unsafe act, to monitor changes in operation and compliance with permits in work area. # Inspections by PMT Number of Closed HSE Items by Head Number of inspections carried out by project management team. Workplace visibility tour by middle and senior managers in the work area once per month to observe real HSE performances HSE culture, to review and discuss comments and questions related the project and HSE requirements. MS Score Internal/External audit Score Sum of all actual criterion scores (AC)/Sum of all maximum criterion scores (MC) x 100. External/Internal HSE audit at least on semi annual basis might be carried out to assure the requested HSE Management system (MS) is in place by company or its contractors. The evaluation is conduct on MS elements and different scoring system may implemented by variety organizations. NCR # Minors/ Majors NCR Number of observed lapse (Minor) total number of absence or total breakdown of a required process (Major). Number of observed lapse (Minor) total number of absence or total breakdown of a required process (Major). The accreditation body requires that recertification audit be carried out every 3 years. Group 3: Training and competency are one of the basic requirements in all management system and OHSA and Environmental system as well. The following indicators are grouped under group three: Table 4.3: Selected HSE KPI and Descriptions, Group 3 Training hours for HSE Matrix %Scheduled training completed Inside/ Outside the Company Man hours Training for specific Health, Safety and Environmental subjects internally or at external training center. To improve HSE awareness of employee regard with his/her main safe functions, different courses may assigned to him/her. This matrix will organize essential safe skills for workers such as rigging, Lifting, Welding, Cutting others in relationship with main duty of employees. Some general courses such as basic Fire fighting, environmental concerns maybe add to all. HSE Induction # HSE inductions Number of personnel attended in HSE induction. HSE proceduresregulation Emergency response plans responsibilities communication and reporting are inducted to all personnel in their arrival on companys premises. The Gate Pass is issued to only those who successfully attended. Drill Total Number of Drills Number of different type of drills carried out in each quarters or annually. An exercise intended to train people in practice for their duties and escape procedures. To prevent forgetting of responsibilities and proper arrangement of different operations, different drills have to be to be followed in case of emergency in each organization. Fire Fighting, H2S, Evacuation, Confined space are some general requirements which must be scheduled and conducted regularly. Group 4: This group contains indicators used to hazard identification. The immediate causes of accidents are circumstances usually can be seen as substandard practices or sub- standard conditions. This hazard not just related to the safety aspects but also covered all substandard practices in environmental and Health as well. Following indicators are set for this group: Table 4.4: Selected HSE KPI and Descriptions, Group 4 # Unsafe act Number of Recorded Unsafe Act Number of reported Unsafe act; The unsafe Act means removing or wrong practices of barriers in place for hazard controls. It may be the sole accident cause or one of several causes An unsafe act is a change from an accepted, normal, or correct procedure that usually causes an accident. It can be any conduct that causes unnecessary exposure to a job-site hazard or that makes an activity less safe than usual. # Unsafe Conditions # Recorded Unsafe Conditions Number of lost primary barriers; It means improper maintenance or lack of any barriers needed for hazard control. It could be mechanical, physical, chemical or environmental condition, situation or state of affairs or lack of training or induction or procedures which may cause hazard or accident. The unsafe condition might be the result of any unsafe act (human failure) or accidental failure or alteration of the safe condition. Examples are, wrong design, no guard on dangerous part, no control of chemical process, no provisions of safety devices, poor light, poor ventilation, confined space, high noise etc. # Issued Permits Number of formal written documents used to control certain type of work hazards by declaring related barriers. For routine operation permit issuance may be carried out in specific situations. Permits are only issued when the necessary safety precautions have to been taken for specific attribute or hazards which allow control centre to know related information regard with safe operation. Group 5: Contractors and employee participations; Communication and participations are two important elements in new advanced management systems. Implementing any new procedures or resilience level in organizations all depend on this context. Following indicators are grouped: Table 4.5: Selected HSE KPI and Descriptions, Group 5 % Employee participation Number of direct report from employee on HSE Number of direct report from employee on HSE matters; The employees awareness and effectiveness of the HSE program depends on the participation and cooperation of employees in carrying out HSE responsibilities. If the HSE atmosphere in company changes, it shows its impact on the rate of contribution directly. HSE Award Total amount of money Number of peoples received awards Total amount of money distributed or number of peoples received awards; Means taken by company to motivate the staff supervisors by issuing/ awarding them with the tokens/ gifts monetary incentives to participate on hazard identification and more accountability/ responsibility. # Bid with HSE coverage # Pre-qualified Contract on HSE # rejected tender because of lack of HSE performance Number of contractors pre- qualified (considering HSE score in tender selection or pending invoices till HSE confirmation). Tender should include provision to suspend safe work if the contractor does not observe the HSE requirements described in the contract. Any compensation arising out of the contractor job will be paid by the contractor if the HSE procedures are not being in practice by contractors. HSE organisation culture level HSE culture level from pathological to generative level; The characteristics of organization is described at five level and typical descriptions are given for 18 dimensions that can be used to identify the current level of the organization in terms of HSE. Group 6: Other group of indicators is related to the statistic of incidents and accidents. This group contains a wide range of row data of incidents from non-recordable to accumulated indicators as 1- Non- injuries incidents, 2- Incidents with injuries. Non recordable incidents: Indicators in this section are important but as they are not evaluated by regulation bodies, they called non recordable. They are related to the statistic of incidents and accidents with no injury as follow: Table 4.6: Selected HSE KPI and Descriptions, Group 6.1 # Near Miss Number of near hit events Number of event Cases that had potential to cause injury or damage or loss but avoided because of circumstances. Incidents where no property was damaged and no personal injury sustained, but where, given a slight shift in time or position, damage and/or injury easily could have occurred. First Aid Case (FAC) Number of minor injury not recorded Number of cases of minor work injury or illness such as cleaning minor cuts etc which no need to medical devices. This factor is not considered in TRC however it can provide an estimation of number of small injuries in work environment that have potential to more sever incidents. Non-Injury Accident/Incidents # Non-injury Accidents/Incident Cases Total number of event or chain of events caused damage to assets, the environment or third parties with no injury. Any unplanned event result in: damage or loss to Property, plant Materials, environment and/or a loss of business opportunity such as fire or explosion, Environmental incidents, Quality incidents, vehicle incident so on. Again as this incidents having any injuries they not being interested by regulation bodies so considered as non recordable incidents. Companies are record this incident for themselves. Recordable incidents: This group is related to the indicators that just count the number of incident cases which have different severity of injuries. Incidents with medical treatment up to the fatalities are all in this group as discussed below: Table 4.7: Selected HSE KPI and Descriptions, Group 6.2 TOTAL Recordable Injury/Incident Case # TRC # TRI Total number of incident case for Fatalities, Lost Work Day Case, Restricted Work Day Cases Medical Treatment Cases. Advantages: It has enough number for analyzing meaningful trend. Disadvantages: As this factor just counting the number of incidents with the same weight, it couldnt be a good estimation of performances. Medical Treatment Case (MTC) # MTC Number of injured or sickness person requires treatment (more than first aid) from professional physician or qualified paramedic. Medical treatment beyond First Aid e.g. wound-closing prescription medication removal of foreign material that is embedded in the eye or diagnosis of cancer, chronic disease, a cracked bone or etc. Restricted Workday Case (RWDC) # RWDC Number of cases in which employee cannot fulfill his normal work the day following an incident but is able to undertake a temporary job. Or any work related injury other than a fatality or lost work day case which results in a person being unfit for full performance. The case does not have any days away from work, but has days of restriction. If a case either has one day away from work, or both restriction and absence injury should be recorded as LWDC not RWDC. Lost Work Day Case (LWDC) # LWDC Number of Cases in which an employee was absent of scheduled work because of work illness or injury and does not include the day of incident and does not cover fatalities case. Lost Time Injury(LTI) # LTI Number of work related injury or illness which prevents person from doing any work the day after the accident. It includes cases lead to at least one day off work till death because of work illness or injury. It does not include cases with no lost days such as MTC or RWDC. Fatality # Fatalities Number of workers loses their lives to work related injuries and include Cases that involve one or more people who died as a result of a work-related incident or occupational illness. Days Away or restricted or Transferred duty, DART # DART Combination number of Cases of LWDC RWDC. Cases that involve Lost time, or days of restricted work activity or job transfer, or both however not include fatality cases. Advantages: Having adequate data fluctuation for managing the performances rather than fatalities or just lost work days. Disadvantage: In small industry still lack of adequate data for reliable analyze is exist. Group 7: Other group of indicators is related to the adjustment of basic statistic of incidents and accidents to the business context performances. This group contains a wide Combination of range of incidents with the time of operations or number of workers. Different organization may make this ratio per its own constants. For example in UK, the constant is 100,000 fulltime workers which equivalent by 200 Million working hours. This constant for OGP members is half, because the companies working hours is carried out at organization scale which smaller than industrial scale. This differentiate can be seen between companies. for example BP provide some of its reports based on 200,000 man hours while Shell act the same as OGP and use 1,000,000 man hours constant. On other side, one organization depends on type of indicator, considering different constants. For example Shell used 100,000,000 man Hours as its constant when analyzing its FAR while benefit of 1,000,000 man hours in reporting its LTIF. Indicators in this group are: Table 4.8: Selected HSE KPI and Descriptions, Group 7 Days Away or restricted or Transferred duty Rate, DART rate Indicates number of incident caused away, restriction, or transfer cases per 200,000 worked hours. calculate based on (N/EH) x (200,000) where N is the number of cases , EH is the total number of hours worked by all during the year, and 200,000 is the base for 100 employees which may change. LTI Frequency Rate LTIF Rate The number of lost time injuries (fatalities + lost work day cases) per 1,000,000 work hours. The constant may be changed from company to company. This indicator just shows the frequency of LWDC Fatality cases but not give any data regarding the weight of the incidents. LWD Severity Rate Average days lost with each Lost Work Day Case. Mathematical calculation that describes the number of days lost experienced compared to the number of incidents experienced and lead to lost work day without considering fatalities. TRIR: Total Recordable Injury Rate TRIR/ TRC Rate The ratio of all recordable injuries including fatalities, LWD cases, and Medical treatment Cases per 1 million worked hours. Fatality Accident Frequency Rate FAR, FAFR The number of fatalities per 100 million man hours worked. This indicator may call Recordable Fatality Rate by some companies. Constant is different in companies. This indicator just compares the rate of fatalities with other industrial groups, however because of rare frequency in one company it couldnt be helpful for decision making by managers. Fatality Incident Frequency Rate, FIR, FIFR The number of fatalities accident per 100 million man hours worked. Rate of fatal incident per 100,000 workers (UK), 100,000,000 Man hour (OGP) This indicator just shows the frequency of incident cases that result at least one fatality and does not prepare information about number of fatalities. Process safety event rate PSER, PSIR The number of incidents of unplanned or uncontrolled LOPC (Lost of primary containment) of any material including non-toxic and non-flammable materials per one million worked hours that happens in direct contact with process operation in premises of company. In process industry, incidents result to either lost time injury, Fire with direct damage more than 25000$ to assets, Chemical release and environmental impact beyond limited threshold per 1 million worked hours. A process must have been directly involved in the damage caused. For this purpose, the term process is used broadly to include the equipment and technology needed for chemical, petrochemical and refining production, including reactors, tanks, piping, boilers, cooling towers, refrigeration systems, etc. An incident with no direct chemical or process involvement, e.g., an office building fire, even if the office building is on a plant site, is not reportable (CCPS, 2011). Advantages: It considers different impacts from direct damages, lost time and injuries to environmental impacts. Disadvantages: Although the impact considered in cumulative way, but all impacts consider in same weight. More over it does not cover any other incidents which not connected directly to the process, so it couldnt be used by other industries. Process Safety Incident Severity Rate (PSISR) Ratio of Total severity scores for all process safety incidents per 200,000 Work Hours of total employee, contractor subcontractor work hours. The constant may change in companies. In determining this rate, 1 point is assigned for each Level 4 incident attribute, 3 points for each Level 3 attribute, 9 points for each Level 2 attributes, and 27 points for each Level 1 attributes. Theoretically, a PSI could be assigned a minimum of 1 point (i.e., the incident meets the attributes of a Level 4 incident in only one category) or a maximum of 108 points (i.e., the incident meets the attributes of a Level 1 incident in each of the four categories. Advantages: Consider the weight of severity level of each incident for total process safety besides considering four dimensions in measuring the consequence of each process incidents. Disadvantages: Just consider some process cases. THP; Total Hazard Potential Rate Total HazPoC (Hazard Potential Cases) indicating overall potential of hazard of unsafe act/unsafe condition (identified with/without incidents) per 100 Sq. meter per week. It can show the HazPoC related to the safety, Health, Environment separately or totally. Advantages: It demonstrates total hazard potential of company or its project that generated from requested barriers. By adding any new assets or finishing a project this rate will change weekly. However it will propose based on the boundary of occupied land and time. Disadvantage: It needs powerful software and network connections. This indicator is new and under trial . MHP; Mitigated Hazard Potential The total amount of Hazard potential which mitigated by barriers in practice. (Secured HazPoC). This indicator just demonstrates the HSE performance of company on weekly bases in implementation of safe work practices per Total HazPoC identified. Advantages: All barriers implemented or removed have direct impact on the HSE performance of company based on changes on risk of related hazard of that barrier. So any department can understand its performance on removing or maintenance of own barriers. Disadvantage: Same as TPH Group 8: All environmental subjects that may consider impact on work environment are short listed in this group. Although there are many different environmental factors that experts minded in perspective of top managers just one important element is considered. It has been notice that HSE department may have to control many factors more than these indicators, but we want to understand which one may be desired by CEO to being controlled as a business performances. This group consists of following indicators: Table 4.9: Selected HSE KPI and Descriptions, Group 9 Energy Intensity Ratio of energy consumption to gross domestic product or other industry output. Energy consumption ratio per gross domestic product or other industry output such as Sales, freight ton-miles, GDP as economic output may be considered in different organization. Waste discharge Load Total wastewater Load discharged in population equivalent (BOD). To measure this indicator both quantity and pollution concentration have to be considered. In Oil company may BOD rate is replaced with Oil Load discharge. Recycled, Reused and Recovered Materials Tones of Hazardous/ Non Hazardous waste recycled, reused, recovered from waste stream. Measuring this indicators required company measure the amount of waste generation and then recording its recycling to produce this rate. The amount of recycling waste per generated waste multiple 1000, indicate the rate of recycling per 1000 tone total waste generation. Social Contribution Expenses Million $ on social responsibilities or number of local people trained or fostered. Contribution on Local community conferences, volunteer service centres, Training, Employment, Health Care etc in nearby society are samples of contributions. Direct GHG Emission Total quantity of GHGs released to atmosphere at a specific time in Co2 equivalent. Total quantity of GHGs released to atmosphere covering emission of different gases such as CH4, CO2, NOx, CFCs, HCFCs etc however it is not cover all air pollution. 4.2 HSE KPI Specification: Study findings indicate a statistically significant relationship between culture and gross earnings. Gilbert (1978) maintains that when the five dimensions (information, resources, incentives, knowledge, and capacity) are aligned and operating interdependently, workers are intrinsically motivated to perform. Later in 2001, It is theorized that the link between culture and financial performance is mediated by worker motivation. Strong cultures help organizations perform because they create a strong sense of motivation in workers. (Kotter Heskett, cited in Flamholtz). Recently (Piers, 2009) in his study mentioned 6 main elements as essential dimensions of organizational culture in organization. These specifications are: Commitment Behaviour Awareness Adaptability Information Justness In Our research, If we are looking for an indicator cause the organizational culture to improve, the chosen indicator have to had the same characteristics inherently which can demonstrate the same aspect of organization. Commitment: reflects the extent to which every level of the organization has a positive attitude towards safety and recognizes the importance of safety. Top management should be genuinely committed to keeping a high level of safety and give employees motivation and means to do so as well. Behaviour reflects the extent to which every level of the organization behaves such as to maintain and improve the level of safety. From the management side, the importance of safety should be recognized and everything needed to maintain and enhance safety records should be put in place. Awareness reflects the extent to which employees and management are aware of the risks for themselves and for others implied by the organizationà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s operations. Employees and management should be constantly maintaining a high degree of vigilance with respect to safety issues. Adaptability reflects the extent to which employees and management are willing to learn from past experiences and are able to take whatever action is necessary in order to enhance the level of safety within the organization. Information reflects the extent to which information is distributed to the right people in the organization. Employees should be encouraged to report safety concerns. Work related information has to be communicated in the right way to the right people in order to avoid miscommunication that could lead to hazardous situations. Justness reflects the extent to which safe behaviour and reporting of safety issues are encouraged or even rewarded and unsafe behaviour is discouraged. He divided each attribute to detail specifications which demonstrate in following table. The highlighted items in this table are important items that considered while the questionnaire was designed. Management perspective and participating of different management level are important elements that improve the reliability of collected data. Table 4.10: Positive attribution lead to culture improvement Characteristic Specific attribute Commitment Management concern Perception of importance of safety Prioritization of safety Safety procedures and requirements Personal involvement and responsibility for safety Behaviour Employee behaviour w

Minimum Wage Legislation Essay -- Minimum Wage Essays

Minimum Wage Legislation I am going to pose the question to you the students of Sir Sandford Fleming College, do you really want the minimum wage legislation left in affect? As college students you are not benefiting or gaining anything from minimum wage legislation. The minimum wage legislation requires all employees to be paid at least some fixed given dollar amount per hour. This sounds good, but it isn't all that it seems! Minimum wage is an example of government intervention. The government has put a minimum on the dollar amount that employers can pay their employees. Unfortunately when we implement solutions like the minimum wage, it is too late to actually fix the problem, so in most cases it has effects that we cannot foresee as it is a reaction instead of a prevention method. Minimum wage actually helps very few people. The only ones that benefit from minimum wage are those unskilled workers who are currently employed. Minimum wage restricts employment opportunities for the young, unexperienced, and those people with educational disadvantages. They will continue to find themselves handicapped in the job market as long as the minimum wage legislation remains in affect. In society today the demand for "unskilled" workers is low and the supply is high, therefore there is a surplus of unskilled workers in the job market. The effect of a surplus drives down an individuals reservation wage, as they are willing to do and take anything for work. Minimum wage only makes this fact more severe, as it increases the supply of workers. Minimum wage increases the cost of doing business, and unfortunately in today's economic conditions employers are not able to pass on the extra costs to the consumer. Minimum wage is not helping workers, it is hurting businesses, and to maintain any profit, and follow legislation companies have to cut labour costs somehow. Companies are being forced to take other alternatives because of higher labour costs for unskilled workers. Businesses are forced to: 1. Cut back current employees hours 2. Not hire any more employees &n... ... should be rated and fluctuated by these categories. Unfortunately minimum wage disregards all of this. Regardless of your education, skills, effort, you can still receive minimum wage. Minimum wage is a fixed dollar amount that is paid for many jobs that can not even be compared. Most of these jobs should have different pay rates, especially when the degree of skill is higher, but they don't. The government keeps increasing minimum wage, and making it tougher on businesses and at the same time discouraging unskilled workers from bettering themselves, and for what. The economy is not booming, and even with increasing minimum wage rates the economy is not seeing any extra money being put back into circulation. As well, the higher minimum wage rate keeps raising the level of unemployment. I feel that if we put the burden on the people of Ontario to be and do the best they can that we would not need minimum wage. The skills that we could produce would be widely demanded, so it would be to the benefit of many other unskilled minimum wage earners to support the abolishment of minimum wage legislation. You could receive better wages, and at the same time decrease the unemployment rate.

How the Media Gives the Pit Bull a Bad Name

Dog breeders are often confronted with the truth that the media have no idea about dog breeds. Neither do they have an idea of what makes a â€Å"dangerous dog†. Due to their misreporting of facts regarding various breeds, they have instilled an unwarranted fear in society when it comes to certain dogs, most specially, the pit bull. No dog is untrainable nor are they born vicious. Although most dogs are sociable, loving and fun, dogs like the Pit Bull are genetically predisposed to animal aggression.There are actually several breeds of the Pit Bull that include the Terrier line like the American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Bull Terrier and the American Bulldog. Once the poster dog representing America in the World Wars, the breed has gone from a beloved breeds used on television shows from Our Gang to Little House on the Prarie, to headlines of your local newscasts.The media has represented the breed as a vicious attack dog eve n as Pit Bulls continue to work in the armed services, search and rescue efforts, therapy, and dog competitions. If a Pit Bull were truly a vicious animal, it is really doubtful that it would be the breed of choice for any of these human interaction services.   The Pit Bull is normally of a tenacious, courageous nature and displays a love for their humans. It takes a huge commitment on the master's part to train such a breed. But the training is eventually worth it. The dog just cannot mingle with other dogs due to the aggression the dog poses toward its fellow dogs.The media needs to be educated to some facts about the Pit Bull. Such as, even though the Put Bull ranks number one in breeds in the USA, it does not rank number 1 in biting. The Golden Retriever has been proven to be the more aggressive dog. A Pit Bull posing a danger to children is also a myth that the media propagates. No dog should ever be left unsupervised in the company of children.Pit Bulls have also become the staple of urban mythology because people tend to fear the way they look even though the dog is of a small size. It has not helped that media reports have fuelled the hype that has seen the breed become one of the most persecuted breeds today. Dog attacks are most often the result of bad breeding and training.If a dog farm raises the Pit Bull, one can assume that the dog has led a rough life full of mistreatment and neglect. That is not the case for all the dogs of this breed. Sadly, people would rather believe the worst of the dog rather than give it a chance to prove that is loving, kind, and playful. Pit Bull bites are over hyped and not representative of the real Pit Bull situation. According to the website Save the Pits! :The 2004 statistics from the American Temperament Test Association show that 83.4% of American Pit Bull Terriers passed the temperament test. This is higher than the Beagle (78.2%) and the Border Collie (79.6%). The temperament test consists of putting the dog through a series of confrontational situations – if the dog reacts aggressively or fearfully, it fails.Those who report the news have to understand that there is a difference between Animal Aggression and Human Aggression. The truth of the matter is that dogs themselves can differentiate the two aggression types. Put Bulls are unlawfully bred and trained by unscrupulous breeders to participate in dog fights so animal aggression exists in the breed. Pit Bulls love human interaction and are not even capable of differentiating between a pet loving human and a potential attacker. In the event it does bite a human, it can be rehabilitated by an animal behaviorist.The media continues to tarnish the Pit Bulls reputation with unwarranted reports. The public must be educated about Pit Bull misconceptions because the media has never been known to be receptive of anybody telling them they are wrong.The Pit Bull is easily confused with about 10 other breeds. There have been actual bite r eports done that report a Pit Bull as the attacker but later investigations prove it was not a Pit Bull. The media does not bother to report that.Sensationalist reporting by the media has turned the Pit Bull into an under dog. Dog bites are blown out of proportion with headlines that strike fear in the reader's hearts.   The reason for this is clearly explained by the Save the Pits! Article:Thanks to the media and general sensationalism, the Pit Bull is a newsworthy dog. In this country, bad news makes the national papers and sells more than good news, which just tends to make the local papers. The media has transformed the Pit Bull from what it used to be – America's favorite dog – into the devil dog that it is today. No one wants to see a story with the title ‘Man bitten by Labrador' or ‘Man bitten by Jack Russell'. Stories involving Pit Bulls are much more newsworthy, and unfortunately their popularity does not seem to be waning.Until dog breeders, tra iners, and owners can find an effective way to stop the maligning of the Pit Bull by the media, the poor dog will be unjustly accused of and punished crimes it is not capable of committing.Work CitedPit Bull Training Secrets. 2006. PitBullTrainingSecrets.US. February 23, 2007Animals and Pets. Save the Pits!.February 23, 2007 http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/Pit_lovePet Orphans of Southern California. Dangerous Breeds. February 23, 2007 http://www.petorphans.org/infamous.sh

Substitute Folder - Creating a Teacher Packet

Substitute Folder - Creating a Teacher Packet A substitute folder is an essential resource that all teachers should have prepared and clearly labeled on their desk in case they are absent. This folder should provide the substitute with important information to help them teach your students throughout the day. What to Include in Your Substitute Packet The following list includes  general items to include in your substitute teacher packet: Class List:  Provide a class list and place a star next to the students that can be trusted to help the substitute with any questions they may have. Teacher Schedule:  Provide a schedule of any duties that the teacher may have (bus duty, hall duty). Attach a map of the school and mark the spots where theyre assigned to go. Class Schedule/Routine:  Include a copy of the daily routine. Provide information such as how attendance is taken and where it should go, how student work is collected, when students are able to use the restroom, how students are dismissed, etc. Classroom Discipline Plan:  Provide your classroom behavior plan. Inform substitutes to follow your plan and leave you a detailed note if any student has misbehaved. School Policies:  Include a copy of the school behavior plan, what to do in case of an early dismissal, playground rules, lunchroom rules, tardy procedure, computer usage, and rules, etc. Seating Chart:  Provide a copy of the class seating chart clearly labeled with each students name and any important information about each child. Emergency Procedures/Fire Drills:  Include a copy of the schools emergency procedures. Highlight escape  routes and exit doors, so that the substitute will know exactly where to take the children in case of an emergency. Important Student Information:  Provide a list of students food allergies, medical information (such as medicine) and any other special needs. Time Fillers:  Select a few five-minute activities in case the substitute has a few extra minutes to spare. Emergency Lesson Plans:  Select at least a weeks amount of emergency lessons in case you are not able to complete a lesson for them. Include spare worksheets and review sheets with enough copied for the whole class. Colleagues Contact Information:  Include a list of names and numbers of the surrounding classroom teachers and faculty. A Note from the Sub:  Provide a worksheet for the substitute to fill out at the end of the day. Title it A Note From_______ and have the substitute fill in the blanks for the following items: Date:____My day was____The following students were helpful______Some problems I had throughout the day were_____Additional Comments______ Additional Tips Use a three-ring binder with dividers and clearly label each section. Some options for organizing your binder are:Use a divider for each day of the week and place detailed lesson plans and procedure for that day.Use a divider for each essential item and place contents in the appropriate section.Use a divider and color coordinate each component and place contents in each section. Place important items in the front pocket such as office passes, hall passes, lunch tickets, attendance cards, etc.Create a Sub Tub. Place all essential items in a color-coordinated filing tub and leave on your desk each night, just in case.If you know you will be absent then write the daily routine on the front board. This will give the students and the substitute something to refer to.Lock up personal belongings; you do not want the students or substitute having access to your personal information.Clearly, mark the folder and place it on your desk or in an obvious location.

Kin Recognition essays

Kin Recognition essays Biological evolution is known to be able to allow the development of such behaviors if they favor close kin (Hamilton 1964), which thus will be able to transmit the genes, on which the altruistic behavior is based, to future generations. There are several different types of altruism that organisms practice. Parental care is the most obvious; this is parents basically making sure that their offspring make it out of adolescence alive. Alarm calling is seen in many animals, this is done to warn animals of the same species that are near that there may be danger. Cooperation is when animals that live together work together for the better good of the community. Group care is more than one organisms taking care of the offspring, individuals that did not have the offspring help take care of them. Cannibalism, sperm recognition and reciprocal altruism are some of the many other forms of altruism that are seen in the biological world. The basis of this paper is kin recognition. Kin Recognition is the ability to identify relatives. More precisely, it is the differential treatment of members of the same species in a way that depends on their genetic relatedness to the discriminating individual. In this paper I will discuss two different elements, what function does kin recognition serve, and how do relatives differentiate to recognize each other. First the benefits of kin recognition will be discussed. The first benefit is relatives that help each other out, because natural selection favors those individuals that are most successful at propagating their distinctive alleles, which their relatives have as well. Kin are also less aggressive towards each other and they also help each other when they are faced with another organisms aggressive behavior. Another major benefit is the decrease in inbreeding from recognition. With inbreeding (or selfing), progeny can inherit multiple copies of deleterious alleles, leading to the ou...

Lear Wont Take a Backseat Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lear Wont Take a Backseat - Case Study Example Lear’s window of opportunity for strategic advantage given by using virtual reality environment would not be for long as the technology is increasingly being adopted within the business strategy and processes across the globe. It has at the most around one to two years of advantage before its competitors catch up with it. With fast advancing technology, the businesses are rapidly adopting the technology-based changes in their processes. It is envisioned that within the next two years, Lear’s competitors would be able to acquire expertise and competency in the designing and working in the virtual environment. Hence, it is important that Lear continuously try to innovate to maintain its competitive advantage in the industry. Â  CAD system does offer Lear huge advantage because it hugely facilitated in digitalizing the manual process of designing. It helped the designers in creating designs that could be changed with the flick of cursor that not only saved time but also the physical labor-intensive way of designing with clay. Â  Virtual reality system significantly adds value to Lear and GM mainly through the creation of value chain that simplifies the various related processes and integrates them to reduce time. At the same time, it increases efficiency and gives the company distinct advantage in the market. Initially, it involved designers, sculptors, and final production/ manufacturing. Lear’s use of technology eliminated the need for sculptors and designers were able to design prototypes and make appropriate correction to suit the customers without bothering with manual clay modeling of the design. The three-dimensional virtual reality environment helped them to visualize and experience the real product in a virtual environment. This was vital input that created a whole new concept of the value chain for GM. Â  Lear executives could seek a number of competitive advantages from IS in general.

Do countries really benefit from international trade Essay

Do countries really benefit from international trade - Essay Example One example of this would be Jamaica and Great Britain. Whilst it is very easy for Jamaica to produce pineapples, it is very difficult for Great Britain to do so. By exchanging goods that are in demand in Jamaica, Britain could receive something they might not otherwise have. Building on this argument is the idea that certain products could be traded that meet different specifications. One example of this would be steel. Whilst Europe and the United States both produce steel it may be that they are able to independently produce steel to different specifications, as such the countries are able to focus their operations to producing the product in which they specialize. What this translates to is better resource allocation, which ultimately encourages countries to produce products in which they have a comparative advantage. By extension it could be said that nations are less wasteful with their resources, for example Great Britain could grow tropical fruit in giant, heated greenhouses but that would represent an inefficient allocation of resources. A second advantage to international trade is that nations may capitalize on proximity advantages. What this means is that even though a country may be able to produce a good domestically there may be a foreign producer that can more efficiently supply a product by nature of them being able to save on logistics costs. An example of this would be Canada and the United States wherein Western Canada is a major producer of timer however if Eastern Canada needs timber they may turn to American suppliers that are only a few hundred kilometers away rather than on the opposite side of their own domestic country. The third advantage of international trade is the associated increased competition that comes with said trade. When a domestically produced product faces no real international competition it is often argued that stagnation occurs, insofar as there is no real need to innovate because consumers have no other option