Online Shopping in India

Online Shopping in India is evolving fast and has the potential to grow exponentially, with the internet penetration growing far and wide. Now a days Indian e-commerce is getting mature. Indians are increasingly seen using the internet to get more information and to shortlist preferences. When it comes to online shopping, Indians are proving that they can surely beat the world. Average middle class Indians are getting more tech-friendly in terms of consumer electronics, changing the way India shops. The customers can easily compare the prices of any product among different vendors . Online shopping stores put the convenience of shopping at our finger tips. The traditional Indian mindset about shopping is conservative. Consumers want to touch and feel the product before buying it, and also make sure that they get the best bargain, the best deal. But with modernization and the ultra fast pace of life today, the scene has changed. The constraint of time is one of the big reasons of the increasing dependencies on Online Shopping . There are many benefits of buying the products on-line. Wide variety of products are available in portals. People don't need to go to markets or malls in search of better deals. One can find everything here and also individuals can shop at anytime of the day. These portals are open 24 hours and 365 days. A person can save lot of their precious time. Buyers can also get lots of variety and best deals here. They can also compare the product prices and find themselves with a better option. Online Shopping has been revolutionized by the presence of a large number of Online Shopping Store / Portals in India that offer wide variety of products. And it doesn’t stop with variety, today there are online shopping portals that offer discounted rates, free shipping all over India .

The Strange Ride of Morrowbie

In Rudyard Kipling’s story â€Å"The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes† there are many aspects of the India’s traditions and customs. But one custom that is strongly present though out the story is the role of the Indian caste system. Within each character you are taken into the five levels of the caste system. The caste system has been present in Indian culture for as far back as their history can be traced. The five levels that are present with in the characters in the story are Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, and Harijans (www. suchico. edu) According to Indianchild. com the India caste system is a hierarchical society. In the Indian caste system, no matter where you live or what religion you are everybody is ranked into one of the five levels. The caste system is respected and followed by all who live within the system. No matter where you live everyone knows their caste ranking, and they behave towards each other according to their ranking. We are first i ntroduced to Morrowbie, who is a man that is placed in the caste system known as Vaishya.According to Caste System, the Vaishya are known as the Krsi (who are the people for grow the food grains), the goraksha (who are the cow protection), the vanijyam (who do the trading), the Vaisya karma (people who work), and svabhavajam (are the people who are born of his own nature). The Vaisyas were known as the land-owners, money-lenders and influential traders. Morrowbie is known as a man with an education and career as a civil engineer. Due to his successful career he is known as a land-owner. It is evident though out the story that Morrowbie knows of his high class level and the caste level of the people around him.When he first falls into the hole he finds himself in the middle of a crowd. He states that the people are scantily clothed and can be associated with the Hindu mendicants (p. 24). According to the Indian caste level the merchants are considered to be one level below Morrowbie Jukes. You can tell from the way that he speaks about them, that he believes them not to be worthy to be in his presence. Morrowbie goes on to say how the merchants should show him respect and give him recognition of his presence there. In the story, Morrowbie is shown to treat the lower caste levels as second class citizens to him.While Morrowbie is trying to buy food and shelter from Gunga he once again refers to the lower class of merchants that surround him. He states â€Å"One does not protest against the doings of a den of wild beasts; and my companions were lower than any beasts (p. 28). We are then introduced to Gunga Dass as a man of power and status in the purgatory of the dead. Gunga Dass is considered to be the highest class of the Indian caste system. According to www. csuchico. edu, Gunga Dass is in the caste level of Brahmin. According to Gnome Research Brahmin are members of the priestly class in the Indian system, and belongs to the upper caste society.The Brahmins as described by Indianchild. com is â€Å"Brahman is of the nature of truth, knowledge and infinity. Gunga Dass claimed that he no longer lived his life as a Deccanee Brahmin, but he does still maintained his status in the land of the living dead. Even though Dass states that he renounced the Brahmin life, he still is living the role of his caste system. Gunga becomes the guide to Morrowbie, showing him the ways of the new land and the laws that he must follow. Gunga takes the role of protector just as he was in his time on earth. Morrowbie states â€Å"Gunga Dass, whom I had begun to regard as my natural protector† (p. 7). It is Gunga who nourishes the people, protects the land, just as he was during his life as a Brahmin. He gave Morrowbie shelter and food when he was asked. He also had the knowledge of the land, giving Morrowbie the answers that were proper for his own caste level knowledge. When Dass is requested by Morrowbie to get the white boy’s body, he state s to Morrowbie â€Å"But I am Brahmin, Sahib- a high caste Brahmin†. Even though it seems that Morrowbie has over stepped his caste position, it is Dass who is always in control. He is the protector, guide, nourishes, and all knowing of the land of the living dead.We are then introduced to the white boy that is killed by Gunga. The unnamed boy is considered to be a Harijan in the Indian caste system. According to Caste System in India the Harijan or untouchables; was the lowest class of the Indian caste system. They were called the outsiders of the system, the people who were too low on the level to be considered part of the system. They were traditionally sweepers, washers of clothes, leatherworkers, and those whose occupation it was to kill animals (indianchild. com). The murdered white boy was described as wearing an olive-green hunting suit that was much stained and worn (p. 5). This description gives a clear indication that the murder boy is a hunter, this is thought by the Indian caste system as a person who deserves no ranking or rights. The boy is never given a name, which indicates the unimportance of his position. Also it is his body that is drowns in the quick sand for no clear reason. His soul and body are not given a second thought about, he is treated like a dried up piece of meat, just as he would have been treated during life on earth. We are finally introduced to Dunnoo, a boy that lives in the Indian caste system called Shudra.The Shudra are traditionally people that work in service as slaves or practitioners of unskilled trades. Dunnoo is in unskilled tradesmen who work as Morrowbie’s dog boy. He is a worker at Morrowbie’s farm that tends to his collies. Even though Dunnoo is considered to be in the lower class of the caste system, he is thought to be above the untouchables. That is why he is used as the person who saves Morrowbie, but it is never mention of any gratitude from Morrowbie for saving his life. In â€Å"The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes† it is evident that the Indian caste system is used in each characters actions and manners.The Indian Caste system is a system that till this day, has been the back bone of the Indian society. The characters of this story displayed not only the attitudes of each caste system, but also the beliefs of how each caste level associated with each other. Each character from Morrowbie to the white hunter established themselves in the undead world the same as they lived above ground. They did not care where their bodies were, for living in the caste system you live your full life even after death in the same caste system.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 29

â€Å"Oi!†Damon shouted from outside the palanquin. â€Å"Is anybody else looking at this?† Elena was. Both Stefan and Bonnie had their eyes shut; Bonnie was wrapped in blankets and cuddled against Elena. They had rol ed down al the curtains of the palanquin except one. But Elena had watched through the single window, and had seen how tendrils of fog had begun drifting by, first just filmy tatters of mist, but then longer, ful er veils, and final y blankets, engulfing them whole. It seemed to her that they were being deliberately cut off from even the perilous Dark Dimension, that they were passing a border into a place they weren't meant to know about, much less enter. â€Å"How do we know we're going in the right direction?†Elena shouted to Damon after Stefan and Bonnie woke. She was glad to be able to talk again. â€Å"The thurgs know,†Damon cal ed back. â€Å"You set them on a line and they walk that line until somebody stops them, or – â€Å" â€Å"Or what?†Elena yel ed out of the opening. â€Å"Until we get to a place like this.† This was obviously bait, and neither Stefan nor Elena could resist taking it – especial y when the thurg they were riding stopped. â€Å"Stay here,†Elena said to Bonnie. She pushed a curtain out of the way and found herself looking too far down at white ground. God, these thurgs were big. The next moment, though, Stefan was on the ground holding up his arms. â€Å"Jump!† â€Å"Can't you come up and float me?† â€Å"Sorry. Something about this place inhibits Power.† Elena didn't give herself time to think. She launched into the air and Stefan caught her neatly. Spontaneously, she clung to him, and felt the familiar comfort of his embrace. Then he said, â€Å"Come look at this.† They had reached a place where the land ended and the mist divided, like curtains being held to either side. Directly in front of them was a frozen lake. A silvery frozen lake, almost perfectly round in shape. â€Å"Lake Mirror?†Damon said, cocking his head to one side. â€Å"I always thought that was a fairy tale,†Stefan said. â€Å"Welcome to Bonnie's storybook.† Lake Mirror formed a vast body of water in front of them, frozen right into the ice sheet below her feet, or so it seemed. It did look like a mirror – a purse mirror after you'd breathed softly on it. â€Å"But the thurgs?†Elena said – or rather whispered. She couldn't help whispering. The silent lake pressed on her, as did the lack of any kind of natural sound: There were no birds singing, no rustling in the bushes – no bushes! No trees! Instead, just the mist surrounding the frozen water. â€Å"The thurgs,†Elena repeated in a slightly louder voice. â€Å"They can't possibly walk on that!† â€Å"Depends on how thick the lake ice is,†Damon said, flashing his old 250-kilowatt smile at her. â€Å"If it's thick enough, it'l be just like walking on land for them.† â€Å"And if it isn't?† â€Å"Hmm†¦Do thurgs float?† Elena gave him an exasperated glance and looked at Stefan. â€Å"What do you think?† â€Å"I don't know,†he said doubtful y. â€Å"They're very large animals. Let's ask Bonnie about the kids in the fairy tale.† Bonnie, Stillwrapped in fur blankets that began col ecting chunks of ice as they dragged on the ground, looked at the lake grimly. â€Å"The story didn't go into detail,†she said. â€Å"It just said that they went down, down, down, and that they had to pass tests of their courage and – and – wittiness – before they got there.† â€Å"Fortunately,†Damon said, smiling, â€Å"I have large enough amounts of both to make up for my brother's entire lack of either – â€Å" â€Å"Stop it, Damon!†Elena burst out. The moment she'd seen the smile, she'd turned to Stefan, pul ed him down to her height, and begun kissing him. She knew what Damon would see when he turned back toward them – her and Stefan locked in an embrace, Stefan hardly aware of anything being said. At least they could Stilltouch with their minds. And it was intriguing, Elena thought, Stefan's warm mouth when everything else in the world was cold. She looked quickly at Bonnie, to make sure she hadn't upset her, but Bonnie was looking quite cheerful. The farther I seem to drive Damon away, the happier she is, Elena thought. Oh, God†¦this is a problem. Stefan spoke up quietly. â€Å"Bonnie, what it comes down to is that it has to be your choice. Don't try to use courage or wit or anything except your inner feelings. Where do we go?† Bonnie glanced back at the thurgs, then looked at the lake. â€Å"That way,†she said, without hesitation, and she pointed straight across the lake. â€Å"We'd better carry some of the cooking stones and fuel and backpacks with iron rations in them,†Stefan said. â€Å"That way, if the worst happens, we'l Stillhave basic supplies.† â€Å"Besides,†said Elena, â€Å"it'l lighten that thurg's load – if only by a little.† It seemed a crime to put a backpack on Bonnie, but she insisted. Final y, Elena arranged one fil ed entirely with the warm, curiously light fur clothes. Everyone else was carrying furs, food, and poop – the dried animal dung that would from now on be their only fuel. It was difficult from the first. Elena had only had a couple of experiences with ice that she had reason to be wary of – but one of those had almost been disastrous for Matt. She was ready to jump and whirl at any crack – any sound that the ice was breaking. But there were no cracks; no water flowing up to slosh onto her boots. The thurgs were the ones who seemed actual y built for walking on frozen water. Their feet were pneumatic, and could spread out to almost half again their original size, avoiding putting too much pressure on any one section of ice. Crossing the lake was slow, but Elena didn't see anything particularly deadly about it. It was simply the smoothest, slickest ice she had ever encountered. Her boots wanted to skate. â€Å"Hey, everybody!†Bonnie was skating, exactly as if she were in a rink, backward and forward and sideways. â€Å"This is fun!† â€Å"We're not here to have fun,†Elena shouted back. She longed to try it herself, but was afraid to make cuts – even scuffs – in the ice. And beside that, Bonnie was expending twice as much energy as she needed to. She was about to cal out to Bonnie and tel her this, when Damon, in a voice of exasperation, made al the points she had thought of, and a few more. â€Å"This isn't a pleasure cruise,†he said shortly. â€Å"It's for the fate of your town.† â€Å"As if you care,†Elena murmured, turning her back on him and touching the unhappy Bonnie's hand both to give comfort and to get them going at arm's length again. â€Å"Bonnie, do you sense anything magical about the lake?† â€Å"No.†But then Bonnie's imagination seemed to fly into high gear. â€Å"But maybe it's where the mystics from both dimensions al gathered to exchange spel s. Or maybe it's where they used the ice like a real magic mirror to see faraway places and things.† â€Å"Maybe both of them,†Elena said, secretly amused, but Bonnie nodded solemnly. And that was when it came. The sound Elena had been waiting for. Nor was it a distant booming which could be ignored or discussed. They had been walking at arm's length from one another to avoid stressing the ice, while the thurgs walked behind them, and to either side – like a flock of geese with no leaders. This noise was a dreadful y near crack like the report of a gun. Immediately, it sounded again, like a whiplash, and then a crumbling. It was to Elena's left, on Bonnie's side. â€Å"Skate, Bonnie,†she shouted. â€Å"Skate as fast as you can. Scream if you see land.† Bonnie didn't ask a single question. She took off like an Olympic speed skater in front of Elena, and Elena swiftly turned. It was Biratz, the thurg Bonnie had asked Pelat about. She had one monstrous back leg in the ice, and as she struggled, more ice cracked. Stefan! Can you hear me? Faintly. I'm coming for you. Yes – but only come as close as you need to Influence the thurg. Influence the – ? Make her calm, put her out, whatever. She's ripping up the ice and it'll just make it harder to get her out! This time there was a pause before Stefan's answer came. She knew though, by faint echoes, that he was talking telepathical y with someone else. All right, love, I'll do it. I'll take care of the thurg, too. You follow Bonnie. He was lying. Or, not lying, but keeping something from her. The person he'd been sending thoughts to was Damon. They were humoring her. They didn't mean to help at all. Just at that moment she heard a shril scream – not so far away. It was Bonnie in trouble – no! Bonnie had found land! Elena didn't lose another second. She dumped her backpack on the ice and skated straight back to the thurg. There it was, so huge, so pathetic, so helpless. The very thing that had kept it safe from other Godawful Hel acious monsters in the Dark Dimension – its great bulk – was now turned against it. Elena felt her chest tighten as if she were wearing a corset. Even as she watched, though, the animal became calmer. She stopped trying to get her left hind leg out of the ice, which meant that she stopped churning up the ice around it. Now Biratz was in a sort of crouching position, trying to keep her three dry legs from going under. The problem was that she was trying too hard, and that there was nothing to push against except breakable ice. â€Å"Elena!†Stefan was within earshot now. â€Å"Don't get any closer!† But even as he said it, Elena saw a Sign. Just a few feet away, lying on the ice was the tickle-prod that Pelat had used to get the thurgs going. She picked it up as she skated by and then she saw another Sign. Reddish hay and the original covering for the hay – a giant tarpaulin – were lying behind the thurg. Together they formed a broad wide path that was neither wet nor slick. â€Å"Elena!† â€Å"This is going to be easy, Stefan!† Elena pul ed a pair of dry socks out of her pocket and drew them up over her boots. She fastened the tickle stick to her belt. And then she started the run of her life. Her boots were fur with something like felt underneath and with the socks to aid them, they caught on the tarpaulin and propel ed her forward. She leaned into it, vaguely wishing Meredith were here, so she could do this instead, but al the time getting closer. And then she saw her mark: the end of the tarp and beyond it floating chunks of ice. But the thurg looked climbable. Very low in back, like a dinosaur halfway into a tar pit, but then rising up along the curved backbone. If she could just somehow land there†¦ Two steps til jump-off. One step til jump-off. JUMP! Elena pushed off with her right foot, flew through the air for an endless time, and – hit the water. Instantly, she was soaked from head to foot and the shock of the icy water was unbelievable. It caught hold of her like some monster with a handful of jagged ice shards. It blinded her with her own hair, it squeezed al the sound out of the universe. Somehow, clawing at her face, she freed her mouth and eyes from hair. She realized that she was only slightly below the surface of the water, and that was al she needed to push upward until her mouth broke the surface and she could suck in a lungful of delicious air, after which she had a coughing fit. First time up, she thought, remembering the old superstition that a drowning person wil rise three times and then sink forever. But the strange thing was that she wasn't sinking. There was a dul pain in her thigh but she wasn't going under. Slowly, slowly, she realized what had happened. She had missed the back of the thurg, but landed on its thick reptilian tail. One of the serrated fins had gashed her, but she was stable. So†¦now†¦al I have to do is climb the thurg, she puzzled out slowly. Everything seemed slow because there were icebergs bobbing around her shoulders. She put up a fur-lined gloved hand and reached for the next fin up. The water, while making her soaking clothes heavier, supported some of her weight. She managed to pul herself up to the next fin. And the next. And then here was the rump, and she had to be careful – no more footholds. Instead she grabbed for handholds and found something with her left hand. A broken strap from the hay carrier. Not a good idea – in retrospect. For a few minutes that qualified as among the worst in her life she was showered with hay, pounded with rocks, and smothered in the dust of old dung. When it was final y over she looked around, sneezing and coughing, to find that she was Stillon the thurg. The tickle stick had been broken but enough remained for her to use. Stefan was frantical y asking, both aloud and by telepathy, if she was All right. Bonnie was skating back and forth like a Tinker Bel guide, and Damon was cursing at Bonnie to get back to land and stay there. Meanwhile Elena was inching up the rump of the thurg. She made it through the crushed supply basket. She final y reached the thurg's summit, and she settled just behind the domed head, in the seat where a driver would sit. And then she tickled the thurg behind the ears. â€Å"Elena!†Stefan shouted, and then Elena, what are you trying to do? â€Å"I don't know!†she shouted back. â€Å"Trying to save the thurg!† â€Å"You can't,†Damon interrupted Stefan's answer in a voice as cold and Stillas the place they were in. â€Å"She can make it!†Elena said fiercely – precisely because she herself was having doubts about whether the animal could. â€Å"You could help by pul ing on her bridle.† â€Å"There's no point,†Damon shouted, and turned about-face, walking quickly into the mist. â€Å"I'l give it a try. Throw it out in front of her,†Stefan said. Elena threw the knotted bridle as hard as she could. Stefan had to run almost to the edge of the ice to grab it before it fel in. Then he held it aloft triumphantly. â€Å"Got it!† â€Å"Okay, pul ! Give her a direction to start in.† â€Å"Wil do!† Elena tapped Biratz again behind her right ear. There was a faint rumble from the animal and then nothing. Elena could see Stefan straining at the bridle. â€Å"Come on,† Elena said, and slapped sharply with the stick. The thurg lifted up a giant foot, placed it farther on the ice, and struggled. As soon as she did, Elena smacked hard behind the left ear. This was the crucial moment. If Elena could keep Biratz from crushing al the ice between her back legs, they might have a chance. The thurg tentatively lifted her left hind leg and stretched it until it made contact with the ice. â€Å"Good, Biratz! Now! â€Å"Elena shouted. Now if Biratz would only surge forward†¦ There was a great upheaval underneath her. For several minutes Elena thought that perhaps Biratz had broken through the ice with al four legs. Then the thrashing changed to a rocking motion and suddenly, dizzyingly Elena knew that they had won. â€Å"Easy, now, easy,†she cal ed to the animal, giving her a gentle tickle with the stick. And slowly, ponderously, Biratz moved forward. Her domed head drooped farther and farther as she went, and she foundered at the edge of a bank of mist, breaking the ice again. But there she only sank a few inches before meeting mud. A few more steps and they were on solid ground. Elena had to suck in her breath to stifle a scream as the thurg's domelike head slumped, giving her a short and scary ride to where the tusks re-curved on themselves. Somehow she slid right between them and had to hastily scramble off Biratz's trunks. â€Å"It was pointless, you know, doing that,†Damon said from somewhere in the mist beside her. â€Å"Risking your own life.† â€Å"What d-do you mean p-pointless?†Elena demanded. She wasn't frightened; she was freezing. â€Å"The animals are going to die anyway. The next trial is one they can't manage and even if they could, this isn't a place where anything grows. Instead of a quick clean death in the water, they're going to starve, slowly.† Elena didn't answer; the only answer she could think of was, â€Å"Why didn't you tel me earlier?†She had stopped shivering, which was a good thing, because a moment ago her body had felt as if she might shake herself apart. Clothes, she thought vaguely. That was the problem. It certainly couldn't be as cold here in the air as it had been in that water. It was her clothes that were making her so cold. She began, with numb fingers, to take them off. First, she unfastened her leather jacket. No zippers here: buttons. That was a real problem. Her fingers felt like frozen hot dogs, and only nominal y under her direction. But somehow or other she managed to undo the fastenings and the leather dropped to the ground with a muffled thump – it had taken a layer of her inner fur off with it. Ick. The smel of wet fur. Now, now she had to – But she couldn't. She couldn't do anything because someone was holding her arms. Burning her arms. Those hands were annoying, but at least she knew who they belonged to. They were firm and very gentle but very strong. Al that added up to Stefan. Slowly, she raised her dripping head to ask Stefan to stop burning her arms. But she couldn't. Because on Stefan's body there was Damon's head. Now that was funny. She'd seen a lot of things that vampires could do, but not this swapping heads business. â€Å"Stefan-Damon – please stop,†she gasped between hysterical whoops of laughter. â€Å"It hurts. It's too hot!† â€Å"Hot? You're frozen, you mean.†The deft, searing hands were rubbing up and down her arms, pushing back her head to rub her cheeks. She let it happen, because it seemed to be only sense that if it was Damon's head, they were Stefan's hands. â€Å"You're cold but you're not shivering?†a grim Damon-voice said from somewhere. â€Å"Yes, so you see I must be warming up.†Elena didn't feel very warmed up. She realized that she Stillhad on a longer fur garment, one that reached to her knees under her leather breeches. She fumbled with her belt. â€Å"You're not warming up. You're going into the next stage of hypothermia. And if you don't get dry and warm right now, you're going to die.†Not roughly, he tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. â€Å"You're delirious now – can you understand me, Elena? We need to really get you warm.† Warm was a concept as vague and faraway as life before she had met Stefan. But delirious she understood. That was not a good thing. What to do about it except laugh? â€Å"All right. Elena, just wait for a moment. Let me find – â€Å"In a moment he was back. Not quick enough to stop her from unwrapping the fur down to her waist, but back before she could get her camisole off. â€Å"Here.†He stripped off the damp fur and wrapped a warm, dry one around her, over her camisole. After a moment or two she began to shiver. â€Å"That's my girl,†Damon's voice said. It went on: â€Å"Don't fight me, Elena. I'm trying to save your life. That's al . I'm not going to try to do anything else. I give you my word.† Elena was bewildered. Why should she think that Damon – this must be Damon, she decided – would want to hurt her? Although he could be a bastard sometimes†¦ And he was taking off her clothes. No. That shouldn't be happening. Definitely not. Especial y since Stefan must be somewhere around. But by now Elena was shivering too hard to talk. And now that she was in her underwear, he was making her lie down on furs, tucking other furs around her. Elena didn't understand anything that was happening, but it was al starting not to matter. She was floating somewhere outside herself, watching without much interest. Then another body was slipping in under the furs. She snapped back from the place she had been floating. Very briefly she got a look at a bare chest. And then a warm, compact body slid into the makeshift sleeping bag with her. Warm, hard arms went around her, keeping her in contact al over her body. Through the mist she vaguely heard Stefan's voice. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?†

Toni Morrison's Commencement Speech at Wellesly College on Adulthood Essay

Toni Morrison's Commencement Speech at Wellesly College on Adulthood - Essay Example When we talk about development, there are three phases- the future, the present and the past. The trick here is, to understand the realities of each phase face them and live each one of them with the greatest zeal. According to Toni Morrison, nothing gives one a more satisfactory feeling than becoming the adult at mind and heart- not in age. Age is inevitable and so is death, but adulthood is not! One can live being a child forever- immature, careless, insensitive and aimless. The beauty of being an adult is that one can work towards whatever he wants to achieve. Some people like Kardashian never grow up because they do not achieve maturity of the mind. Adulthood is about being content with the present, being happy about the bounties one has and working towards better every day. It is also about understanding the differences between generations and coming to a compromise to reduce discrepancy between generations. Furthermore, adulthood is the outcome of learning from experiences and mistakes that have been made during childhood and teenage, where the requirement is to acquire ample understanding of life from them. Morrison further clarifies this phenomenon by saying that adulthood in the global context requires one to make their story individualistic and different rather than just ordinary. Every adult has the opportunity to make at least his own circumstances different and personalized in the context of his individual circumstances. Morrison believes that every individual who is mature enough to be called an adult should have the tolerance and patience to bear problems and develop tolerance in oneself for others and for things that are out of one’s control. Instead of whining about a specific situation, one should make desirable effort to achieve results that would make things relatively better. Morrison believes that it is the

Module 4 and Journal Article Review 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Module 4 and Journal Article Review 4 - Essay Example Globalization seems not to serve the aging population well, since their primary need is not to gain international connection but more of the long term care and pension privileges which have been depleted in response to sustain other sectors for globalization. Weaver (n.d.) states that, â€Å"As the elderly population (65 plus) has grown, more researchers are paying attention to the expanding social needs of the elderly.† This would impact the needs of other age groups with the danger of limited opportunities in store for them. For industrialized countries, an increasing elderly population is both a boon and a bane. To determine the elderly as an implication of success of a nation’s health care service is an ironic statement to hide a receding problem in the same kind of service. More elderly means more people needing the health care from the government, and is parallel to increase budgetary problems. Globalization has affected the elderly population in general because t he financing of these health care services is reduced in order to sustain other sectors such as employment and industrial growth. Employment in a globalized world has also affected the lives of the elderly, with the women as the most affected (Weaver, n.d.). Discrimination against old working women stemmed from the notion that women age faster than men with the women’s skills are synonymous to their age. In the globalization perspective, aging individuals are less likely to be immigrant workers because employers, together with proper credentials, see a prospected employee’s age as important. In this sense, it can be seen that globalization has fewer benefits in store for the elderly. A disproportionate population among the young and the old is a result of the changing social trends. Whatever the result of this social trend, regardless of the reasons, it is still a social obligation to pay respect for the elderly by sustaining their needs. After all, modern community, a s aspiring as it is, would not come into existence without the efforts of the previous generations who put their efforts at stake to build it. There is nothing wrong with international relations, provided that it opens opportunities for everyone and not just the selected few who have the potential to invest to government's capital. Journal 4 Globalization, Women’s Migration, and the Long Term Care Workforce Introduction A major point made by Brown and Braun (2008) asserts that â€Å"population aging and globalization are heralded with both enthusiasm and caution.† True, that a positive excitement is anticipated every time the benefits of globalization are heard, but on the other side, is the unheard disadvantages that globalization has particularly on the aging population and the women workforce. In the growing population in the U.S., a large chunk of their census speaks of the immigrants who primarily stayed in the country to work. The result of women migration to the totality of healthcare and the aging population is tremendous as they provide care. Summary Brown and Braun’s (2008) article entitled â€Å"Globalization, Women’s Migration, and the Long Term Care Workforce† tells about the impact of globalization to the women workforce and population aging. They have made a connection between two different situations by giving emphasis to the Domestic Long Term Care (DLTC)

MGMT458 U5 IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGMT458 U5 IP - Research Paper Example Leadership is defined broadly through a certain style, ability to influence others. Whether the leader is charismatic or transformational, he has power and uses it to affect the behavior and action of others. For years, leadership was studied as a mix of unique personality traits, such as intelligence and self- confidence. However, recently, the attention was turned to the styles of leadership behavior. They have been determined as democratic, authoritarian and laissez-faire. It is also essential that the companies were led by a polymath person, a person with an ability to cope with the complex tasks. History recognizes Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo as polymath leaders. Modern world polymaths are Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos. The CEO of Amazon Company, Jeff Bezos, started his business with the creation of small enterprise that sold books. By sustaining growth and development of his organization, with time, Bezos has created his name as a leader, creating one of the biggest retail organizations in the world. Today it is the huge company with a smile from A to Z, the company’s logo, which shows its willing to deliver everything to everyone. The major purpose of the services he offered was and is care of customers as the greatest value for the company. That is why during his employees meetings, there is a tradition to leave an empty chair, as a reminder that this is a customer’s one, and all the decisions staff makes will influence their consumers finally. This prioritizing of customer service helps the CEO and his staff to understand the needs and wants of each consumer and put customer on the first place. The way Jeff Bezos runs his business, displays him as the democratic leader. He conside rs freedom is impossible without the freedom of disputes, which finally brings new ideas and innovation. That is why, he holds the responsibility of the actions made by his

Inclusion in Special Needs Education Research Paper

Inclusion in Special Needs Education - Research Paper Example Discussion According to Ballard (1997: 244): Inclusive education is understood as a non-discriminatory practice of providing individuals of whatever age, color, ethnicity, culture, gender, or even disability the equal treatment they deserve at classroom setting and the school community (Ballard, 1997). These learners are given equal rights and involve all students in a community. There are no exceptions to access the culturally valued curriculum of their society whatever may be the intellectual, physical, sensory or other differences they may have. They are treated as full-time valued members of society. Inclusion accepts and practices diversity in the assimilation process. Colonization of minority experiences by prevailing and popular culture, thoughts and actions are as much as possible diminished (Ballard, 1997). There were set unique characteristics of integration as against inclusion. Integration involves the provision of support to students with special needs in the same mainst ream classes where regular and disabled children are educated side-by-side (Farrell, 2010). Inclusion, on the other hand, poses a major restructuring of schools to inherently educate all students in the communities. Ballard (1997) recommended that physical education teachers and their trainers should establish clear contexts for their work based upon ethos committed to fundamental restructuring and adaptation of existing policies, learning, teaching, and assessment practices. It is important that teachers are adequately prepared to meet the special needs of children. The teachers should be responsive to a diverse range of pupil needs to address inclusive education. In the mid-1990s, the rights of all learners (including young disabled people and those with special educational needs (SEN)) to experience education alongside their age peers in a mainstream, rather than segregated, settings has increasingly become a defining feature of government policy in many countries (Farrell, 2010) . The Salamanca Statement on inclusive education (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 1994), has many governments committed to providing a more inclusive education system based on an accepted ideological assumption that all children should have a fundamental right and equal opportunity to experience education in mainstream schools (Barton, 2009). The Salamanca Statement specified the inclusion of all young disabled people and those with special educational needs in mainstream settings. Mainstream schools must accommodate all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic and other conditions (Garner, 2009). Implementation It was suggested that hiring well-prepared teachers with sufficient training or experience with SEN pupils is important for mainstream inclusion (Sachteleben, 2010). These teachers are well-versed on available resources online and use of technologies that aid in addressing SEN pupils. Continuing educ ation for capable mainstream teachers may also be adopted. But most importantly, capable teachers should be properly benefitted to make them stay in the school and in the profession.

Interim report Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Interim report - Research Proposal Example Branding is one of those practices that enable businesses to attract and retain customers, who always make comparisons between brands to arrive at the best one that effectively meets their goals and objectives. Having a good business brand is essential in differentiating the goods and services produced by a business to those produced by other businesses1. Additionally, successful business brands and the branding process is essential towards driving customer loyalty. It is important for businesses to understand that the branding process is not meant for multinationals along; instead, it has to be made by all businesses that designs and produces goods and services for people. Brands, as used in business activities can be described from two important approaches, first, a brand can be looked at as a special mark, symbol or image the distinguishes businesses and products of one company to another2. Secondly, branding can be looked at in terms of the thoughts and perspectives that people often have on the business and the products it offers. The process of building successful brands plays an important role in the customers’ decision-making process over products and services they want to buy. In most cases, customers will often go for popular business brands; they often tend to think that these brands have been made under the highest standards. This paper examines the process of creating effective business brands as well as how they help to improve business functions. Brand strategy in business functioning refers to the systematic plan that defines the vision of the business and articulates how the business carries its functions in achieves set goals and objectives3. The strategy illustrates how the business creates its demand and attractiveness for clients that have to make a choice among many products being offered by other business rivals in the environment. It is important to

Leadership and Administration in Nursing at Ohio State University Article

Leadership and Administration in Nursing at Ohio State University - Article Example In the role of nursing administration, the leader must be concerned with turnover costs and training costs which are part of the operational budgeting process designed to secure the financial interests of the hiring organization. Job burnout caused by the conflict between administration and nursing professionals can lead to high absenteeism and even psychological syndromes that jeopardize both nurse well-being and patient care quality (Maslach, 1993; Schaufeli & Enzmann 1998).Ohio State University recognizes that in order to create a positive organizational culture, secure the liability protection of health care organizations and business professionals, and also to ensure patient safety, management and leadership skills require refinement to improve the overall quality of health care delivery. In order to be an effective nurse practitioner or administrative professional, the competencies required to improve the socio-psychological needs of clinical staff must be identified and enhanced with contemporary students of health care. 3. Audience/Learners Though Leadership and Administration in Nursing are intended to create more contemporary health care professionals, including students in the nursing program and business majors, the program is open to all students in the four-year undergraduate program looking to maximize their leadership and administrative proficiencies. ...ng students in the nursing program and business majors, the program is open to all students in the four-year undergraduate program looking to maximize their leadership and administrative proficiencies. Students must have completed the program Introductory Leadership 103 in order to be eligible for the program, due to the more advanced concepts of socio-psychological understandings included in this program. A C+ average is required in the introductory leadership program to successfully qualify for credit in this program to ensure quality in curriculum delivery and student retention. Course Syllabus / Course Outline 4. Course Title: Modern Administrative Theory i n Health Care Environments 5. Credit Hours and Length of Course Credit hours: 4 Course Duration: 8 weeks – CEU 60 6. Rationale The fundamental leadership and administrative theories provided in first-year management programs often focus on multiple industries, thus negating a more focused curriculum that recognizes the complexities and tangible realities of being employed in the health care industry. This course is designed to streamline administrative and leadership theory with a strict focus on case study leadership and real-life practical application of modern administration in today’s health care organization. In order to facilitate successful socio-cultural relationships with diverse health care professionals and management teams, it is necessary to be equipped with the skill set for leadership quality and competency (Cox, 2005).

How graphic design and skateboard graphics coincide and have Essay

How graphic design and skateboard graphics coincide and have influenced the growth in skateboarding since the 70's - Essay Example consisting of roller-skate wheels attached to a two by four; once the push bar of the scooter-like contraption was broken off, skateboarding was born’ (Skateboarding History, 2007). Through the years, skateboarding has been developed extensively especially as of the shape and the size of the skateboards. Moreover, graphics were added on skateboards presenting figures of all types (always in accordance with the cultural and social trends of a specific period). Current paper examines the relation of skateboarding with graphic design. The influence of the latter to the development of the former especially after the period of 1970s is the main issue analyzed in this paper. In order for the above relationship to be clearer, it is necessary to present the history of skateboarding from its appearance (approximately in 1959) until today. At the same time, it would be useful to refer to the development of graphic design throughout the years especially in relation with skateboarding. Th e views of professionals in the specific area have been also considered to be a valuable tool towards the understanding of the role of graphic design in the development of skateboarding since the 70s. The historical development of skateboarding has not been continuous. The period that characterized by a high growth of this activity is 1970s. In fact, it was during that period that the first skatepark appeared while skateboarding was extensively advertised in the television and the cinema. Moreover, new styles of skateboarding were adopted like slalom and freestyle. Regarding the developments in skateboarding that took place in the above period it is noticed that ‘this was the first time skateboarding had stars, some of the first really big names being Tony Alva, Jay Adams and Stacy Peralta; the look of skateboards also changed from being six to seven inches in width to over nine inches, providing better stability on vertical surfaces’ (Scateboarding History, 2007). In the above context,

The Wal-Mart Essay Example for Free

The Wal-Mart Essay Currently, Kroger is the country’s largest traditional supermarket chain. Kroger sells over $60 billion a year, and operates over 2500 supermarkets across the country. But even Kroger is still in competition with Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart’s philosophy and culture does not appear to value consumer or company ethics. They compete with more than food prices. Many supercenters offer a full-service drive-thru pharmacy, an optical center, a 1-hour photo processing center, a portrait studio, a bank, video rental store, hair and nail salon, fast food chain, tire shop, and even offer 24 hour a day-365 days a year availability. The temperature controls for all of Wal-Mart’s stores across the country are controlled by one computer in Bentonville, Arkansas. Because of Wal-Mart’s size, they have the power to instruct suppliers on how to package their products, including meats. However, meats is one area of the supermarket industry that Wal-Mart has some weaknesses because many supermarkets provide a friendly neighborhood butcher who provides a friendly face and customized approach to consumers’ meat needs. To Wal-Mart, hiring a butcher is a labor expense that is not needed. These types of attitudes in the supermarket industry are exactly the reason why consumers may choose to seek their family grocery needs in a culture and environment where more emphasis is placed on quality customer service, up-to-date technological advances, marketing strategies that cater to a more culturally-diverse consumer, quality products, and a smaller environment that provides a neighborhood-marketplace atmosphere. Smaller supermarkets can offer a wider variety of products, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry and fish. Many successful smaller supermarket chains sell a limited number of grocery items to ensure that the quality is maintained and products are not sitting on a shelf for an extended period of time, and change the product mix frequently to offer unique products at a good value, changing the shopping experience for every visit, especially for repeat and loyal customers. A study conducted in 1999 found that the implementation of customer loyalty programs/frequent shopper programs increased by 16 percent from the first quarter of 1998. As loyalty programs increase, and marketing technology becomes more integrated and advanced, the responsible analysis and collection of customer data will provide merchandisers with numerous opportunities to market products, programs and services that supermarkets can offer to its consumers, including those in an ethnically-diverse population. Supermarkets must be responsible and ethical in their collection of data about their consumers and cater to their shopping needs by offering both quality customer service from its employees, and quality products that fulfill their shopping needs. Extensive study must be done on the consumer to uncover where shoppers shop for certain needs like staple items, meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and organic foods, and offer these products in the most cost-effective manner so that the smaller supermarkets do not lose their market share to the larger supercenters and chains.

Stem Cell in the Philippines Essay Example for Free

Stem Cell in the Philippines Essay As time goes by, there seems to be a gradual influence of modern sensibility on the way humans perceive the concept of health. In fact, nowadays, there seems to be a blurring of the line between health and wellness. Because of this, it is inevitable that in a modern society, people are now being more conscious with their body and their health is now being a worrisome for them. Thus, science, especially the field of medicine and health sciences, has permeated popular culture in a sense that people have already treated health as a â€Å"religion†. A perfect example of this phenomenon is the rising popularity of stem cell technology because it has already become a transnational activity and issue. Because of this technology’s transnational influence, governments around the world have been very supportive of it. And now, this transnational activity has entered the Philippine healthcare and medical discourse, and issues in its funding are arising. Although stem cell technology is a relatively new and promising technology which will help address health concerns in the country, the federal funding of this technology will only be a burden for the government for it is not a necessity, has questionable benefits, and is impractical and not practicable. This paper, then, seeks to determine the origin of how the concept of stem cell entered the Philippine health and medical discourse as well as issues regarding the federal funding of stem cell research and technology in the country. Furthermore, the writer wants to state that although this paper is arguing that the government should not fund stem cell research in the country, this paper is not trying to argue on the necessity, beneficiality, practicality, and practicability of stem cell research and technology in general, or should it be implemented in the country without federal funding. Also, although some issues of bioethics are going to be tackled in this paper, the writer does not intend to side on certain beliefs of some culture or religion. The discussion on the ethical issues affiliated with the federal funding of stem cell research and technology are entirely made on a social, political, and economic basis. But before the paper begins on enlisting the arguments against the federal funding of stem cell research and technology in the country, it will first provide a background of how it came to the Philippine context. Starting now from what was stated in the introduction, that modern sensibility has gradually influenced people’s perception of the concept of health, it is important to note that with modern technology it has provided an avenue for medical research to continuously uncover new facts and principles that build upon existing knowledge to modify the way we think about biological processes (Trounson xix). In relation to this, throughout the age of medical research, it can be inferred that the reason why there is a continuous activity regarding medical research is because there is a growing interest among scientists in the discovery of new and revolutionary methods of treating certain illnesses that are difficult to be treated in the present like cancer, diabetes, and other degenerative illnesses. It is true that after the nineteenth century, it was thought that â€Å"germs† are the main causes of death among Americans in terms of health-related deaths. But with the birth of the twentieth century and the booming twenties, there has been a paradigm shift in trying to find out the causes of health-related casualties. It was believed then that as generations come, people will be more conscious to degenerative illnesses than that of infectious diseases. Since then, there have been many studies that try to give cure to these degenerative illnesses like cancer, diabetes, etc. And yes, there have been successful discoveries, and there are some failures or â€Å"still ongoing† studies like the attempt to find the cure for diabetes. These then, can be the rationale behind the endless string of studies in the field of medicine and health sciences. However, it is also without doubt that the reason why scientists are so interested with medical research is that, in a social context, the field of medicine and health sciences tries to give pertinent solutions to the people’s needs, wants, and interests in having a healthy lifestyle, being safe from diseases, and in having a beautiful and healthy body. It is intriguing, though, to know that medical research is also being influenced by the interest of the people, of the mass to be more specific. From this, we can then assume that health has been popularized already. In fact, after the first half of the twentieth century, in the final phase of the popularization of health, masses of Americans took a special interest in health as shown in their willingness on spending dramatically increased amounts of money for their health, not only on medical care but gymnasium and similar group memberships and paraphernalia as well to be able to have a healthy lifestyle, thereby blurring the line between health and wellness (Burnham 67). It is then without doubt, according to Trounson that â€Å"in the history of science, certain discoveries have indeed transformed our thinking and created opportunities for major advancement, and so it is with the discovery of stem cell technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (xix). Indeed, if there is to be an example of how the field of health and medicinal sciences became popularized, it is the rise of the stem cell. It was November of the year 1998 that stem cell came to the scene of health in popular culture. There were separate announcements in this time by two groups of medical researchers, lead by James A. Thomson of the University of Wisconsin and John Gearhart of the John Hopkins University School of Medicine, about the isolation of the human stem cell. That’s why recently there has been an increased interest among professionals and the public for the stem cell technology other than any fields in biology. But why is there such an interest in stem cell? The ability of the stem cell to provide an in-depth understanding of the biology of the cell and its promising abilities in the field of medicine are the reasons why stem cell is what getting the imagination of the scientists. They are interested in the stem cell because of its property of self-renewal (the ability to produce cells identical to the mother cell) and the ability to make differentiated cells (daughter cells that have limited and focused potential) (Melton and Cowen xxiii). It is a relatively new and promising technology that can lead to the cure for diabetes and more advanced treatment of cancer and other degenerative illnesses. Furthermore, there is a possibility that through regenerative medicine that makes use of stem cell, cancer and heart disease can now be cured. But what makes stem cell technology a buzz among the public is because it has been a hit in the field of cosmetology for stem cell technology can prevent body aging. Also, through the popularization of the stem cell, there have been certain hypotheses that stem cell technology can prolong someone’s life span compares to the average human life span. Because of the popularization of stem cell, it is without doubt that it will become a global issue. Its impact has made transnational influence already. It is because presently, science is a transnational activity – the work and research of scientists have no national boundary (Savulescu and Saunders c3). However, the regulation of science is still being placed under national jurisdiction. It is often that there are different laws and ethical standards in each country, and of course, transnational studies in science are being affected. This implies that there are â€Å"some fundamental cultural, social, [political], and economic forces that drives controversy and conflict, not only in the United States, but in Europe and elsewhere† (Green 265). Due to this, there have been suggestions from different groups from the scientific community specializing in stem cell research and technology that there should be a regulation of stem cell research in different countries because of the potential of this technology especially if the administrations will give importance for the politics of public health (Savulescu and Saunders c3). Later on, because of this transnational influence, there has been a steadfast support from governments all over the world for stem cell technology and in the effort of making stem cell research and technology a transnational activity, also due to the transnational collaboration of scientists from different countries to impart among themselves knowledge about stem cell technology. One of these countries is the United States which pioneered research in this field, where modern medical techniques were developed using this technology. In fact, stem cell research has a long history already in the US. There have been debates regarding the ethical issues associated with stem cell technology, specifically the use of human embryonic stem cells, and issues regarding the federal funding of stem cell research and technology. Only last 2009, US President Barack Obama approved the bill amending the federal funding of stem cell research and technology in the US. It is also important to note that other countries in Asia and other third world countries have been influenced by this transnational activity. In 2004, three private stem cell banks were established in South Africa. Even though, these banks were private, the government has shown interest and support for these private research entities and stem cell research as well because of the Human Tissue Act that allows the use of human embryos that are not more than 14 days old in their research projects. Last March 2012, a group of scientists from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa was able to produce pluripotent stem cells – a feat and a first from a third world country. Meanwhile in Asia, legislation was passed in China that allows the stem cell research and India, another third world county in Asia, has now launched programs using stem cell technology. Singapore is now known as Asia’s Stem Cell Center, where more than forty groups of researchers are to be found, some of it are funded by the government. The Philippines is no exception. A third world country from South East Asia, the country has proved that we are not to be left behind in terms of medical development. Stem cell technology was introduced to the Philippines as a technology used in the medical field of cosmetology. A few examples of the usage of this technology in this field are the alteration or surgery of certain body parts like the nose or breasts and the age-defying medications that fight off skin or body aging. However, discoveries that are exchanged through transnational studies brought to the Philippines some breakthroughs in the use of stem cell technology. That’s why some groups of specialists from the country has already joined the transnational activity that is collaborative stem cell research and used the discoveries in stem cell research in other medical fields other than cosmetology. The group of specialists from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute pioneered the use of stem cell in transplantation in 1990. From then on, the institution has strived to raise the standards of stem cell technology through providing modern facilities and continuous research in the field especially in its usage in Dendritic Cell Vaccine Therapy in collaboration with the Lung Center of the Philippines. Another spearheading group in the field of stem cell technology in the country is the group from The Medical City where they used their discoveries to be the pioneers in the medical technique of personalized molecular medicine in the country through their Regenerative Medicine Program that is lead by Dr. Joyce Bernal. Other groups that have explored stem cell technology in the country are the groups from St. Luke’s Medical Center, Eye Institution, and the Makati Medical Center. Notice that all of the institutions mentioned are private institutions. It is with no doubt that the government might have an interest in a public stem cell center. The interest was then materialized on September 13, 2011 when House Bill No. 5287 or the Stem Cell Center of the Philippines Act of 2010 was passed to the congress. The house bill, introduced by Rep. Carmelo Lazatin, states that a government-run stem cell center has to be established in the country that will be the premier center for research and technology applications of stem cell which will be, in essence, funded by the government. However, we need not to follow the United States in federally funding stem cell research and technology in the country. That although stem cell technology will help address health concerns in the country, the federal funding of the technology will only be a burden fir the government for it is not a necessity, has questionable benefits, and is impractical and not practicable. Firstly, the federal funding of stem cell research is not a necessity. The government has more pressing concerns that should be prioritized first in the health care system. Instead of building new facilities for a single stem cell center, why not improve the infrastructures of public health institutions? We need more public hospitals, especially in the provinces and rural areas where access to medical assistance is scarce, that are also well-equipped with modern advances in medicine and have competitive health workers. This way, we’re already hitting two birds with one stone. Not only that the government is providing more health facilities for the people, but it is also providing jobs for practitioners in medicine like doctors, nurses, midwives, and etc. as well. Through this, the government is making a small step towards lessening underemployment in the country and the number of health professionals that have to work abroad. Also, the government has to address issues regarding the PhilHealth system. According to the Philippine Health System Review, although estimates of PhilHealth coverage of the population vary, there are legitimate concerns that the amount of financial protection provided by the county’s largest insurance program is actually small, at least relative to its infrastructure and available resources (Romualdez et al. 36-39). In addition to this, the government has to financially support instead research in the advanced treatment of epidemic diseases that are more rampant in the country especially among the poor. Secondly, the federal funding of stem cell technology has questionable benefits. The fact the government will fund stem cell research will do ensure that stem cell treatment may be open to the public at a lower price. However, stem cell treatment is not the same for anyone, thus, there will be different processes such that because stem cell treatment must be a personalized treatment, but this will require a lot of costs because specialists will then have to prepare different treatments for different patients. Even so, that the treatment may be open to the public at a lower price might affect the quality of the treatment because (1) price tag may limit potential scope of stem cell treatment, particularly if treatments are individually customized, which may be necessary and (2) such limitations might lead to further problems and will have to require financial support again. Furthermore, Evert and Zavarzadeh argue that: â€Å"†¦[B]ut public funding is itself the immediate form of surplus labor in conducting stem cell research†¦Those who use the excuse of the usefulness of stem cell research for curing illnesses argue that public funding (the social surplus) but privatize its cost of new research (funding it through people’s taxes) but privatize its profits. The new procedures/medicines that will be developed will then be patented by these companies and sold at a high profit back to the people who have provided the funding (through their taxes) for these discoveries.† (116) Indeed, since the government will have to fund a costly research, there will be no choice left than to spend a considerable part of the taxes collected from the public for stem cell research which then raises the question: Who are the actual beneficiaries of federal funding of stem cell research then? Thirdly, the federal funding of stem cell technology is impractical and not practicable because the facilities and technology required in making sure that an advance science like stem cell technology meets high standards are definitely going to be of high maintenance and expensive value. According to a press release of the Department of Health last September 4, 2012 in its website, DOH Secretary Enrique T. Ona announces the proposed 2013 budget of the department. He announces that there is an increase for this year’s healthcare budget. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the budget is allotted in line with the administration’s effort to alleviate poverty, thus the imperative implementation of the Kalusugan Pangkalahatan by the department. He further broke down the components of the budget. He emphasized that 69% of the budget will be used for priority projects, and that the budget will ensure the enrolment of indigenous families under the healthcare system. Moreover, part of the budget is to address concerns regarding the improvement of current medical facilities and work force from the barangay up to the regional level especially in rural areas. Concerns regarding immunization and infectious diseases will be addressed by the budget as well. Ona ends the press release by stating that the budget will help the nation achieve its Millennium Development Goals, and further suggests that to further bolster the sustainability of the budget, the Senate has to pass into legislation the tobacco and alcohol excise tax reform bill and the reproductive health (RH) bill. Ona emphasized in the press release that 69%, a big part of the budget, will be used to address priority projects, activities, and programs in support of KP of the DOH. The following programs are as follows: Subsidy for Health Insurance Premium payment of indigent families to the National Health Insurance Program, Health Facilities Enhancement Program, Implementation of the Doctors to the Barrios and Rural Health Practice Program, Family Health including Responsible Parenting, Expanded Program on Immunization, National Pharmaceutical Policy Development including provision of drugs and medicines, medical and dental supplies to make affordable quality drugs available, Tuberculosis Control, the elimination of diseases as public health threats such as malaria, schistosomiasis, leprosy and filariasis, other infectious diseases and emerging diseases including HIV/AIDS, dengue, food and water-borne disease, and Rabies Control Program. Notice that the programs that are to be prioritized by the majority of the budget are the timely concerns in the health sector in the country. The researcher argues that the remaining percentage of the budget will be unable to financially support the implementation of the Stem Cell Act, and that to include the proposal to the priority programs will be impractical for the research itself is quite inconclusive and will be not practicable for it is an expensive technology. Furthermore Ona said at the press release that, â€Å"It is imperative for us to support the proposed DOH 2013 budget in order to build on the health gains of 2010-2012 and continue the direct, immediate, and substantial health benefits for our people, especially the poor.† Thus, the current proposed budget for the Department of Health is already spot-on on addressing the priorities of the government for the health sector. Without a doubt, stem cell technology is a high maintenance and expensive technology, thus efforts on trying to keep up with certain standards will significantly diminish the budget. However, as Ona said that â€Å"it is an imperative†¦to support the proposed DOH 2013 budget,† with the remaining percentage of the budget in support of other projects, federal funding of stem cell technology seems not practicable. Moreover, stem cell technology has yet inconclusive results that doesn’t address the more pressing concerns in the context of the Philippine health setting – that is, it cannot cure epidemic diseases like malaria, dengue, and typhoid fever which are more rampant in the country. Further on, there are a few select professionals that specializes in stem cell technology, thus the government still need to provide training for certain health professionals so that they can specialize in stem cell technology and treatment for the proposed public stem cell center which, in essence, is an additional expenditure. In the end, the conditions and standards set by stem cell research and technology do not fit in the context of the Philippine health setting. Besides, with the rising protest against stem cell technology because of it not being in tune with the established norms and ethical standards in the country, it will be better off that the government should not fund it because the country is still amidst debates between the implementation of certain bills that go against the foundations of moral standards in the country. Works Cited Burnham, John C. How Superstition Won and Science Lost: Popularizing Science and Health in the United States. New Brunswick: Rutgers, the State Univeristy, 1987. Print. Department of Health, Republic of the Philippines. DOH 2013 Budget Promises Better Health for All Filipinos. Department of Health. Department of Health, Republic of the Philippines, 4 Sept. 2012. Web. 28 July 2013. . Ebert, Teresa L. and Mas’ud Zavarzadeh. Class in Culture. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers, 2008. Print. Green, Ronald M. â€Å"Embryo as Epiphenomenon: Some Cultural, Social, and Economic Forces Driving the Stem Cell Debate.† Global Bioethics: Issues of Conscience for the Twenty-First Century. Ed. Ronald M. Green, Aine Donovan, and Steven A. Jauss. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2008. 265. Print Melton, Douglas and Chad Cowen. â€Å"Stemness: Definitions, Criteria, and Standards†. Essentials of Stem Cell Biology. By Robert Lanza, et al. 2nd ed. Toronto: Elsevier Inc., 2009. xxiii. Print. Republic of the Philippines. Cong. House. Rep. Carmelo Lazatin. An Act Establishing Stem Cell Center of the Philippines and Strengthening Research on Stem Cell Technology. 15th Cong., 2nd Sess. HR 5287. Quezon City: Philippine Congress, 2011. Print. Romualdez, Alberto G., Jr., et al. â€Å"The Philippines Health System Review.† Health Systems in Transition 1.2 (2011). 36-39. Print. Savulescu, Julian and Rhodri Saunders. â€Å"The Hinxton Group Considers Transnational Stem Cell Research.† Hastings Center Report 36.1 (2006). c3. Print. Trounson, Alan. â€Å"Why Stem Cell Research.† Essentials of Stem Cell Biology. By Robert Lanza, et al. 2nd ed. Toronto: Elsevier Inc., 2009. xix. Print.

Constructability And The Safe Design Principles Construction Essay

Constructability And The Safe Design Principles Construction Essay Constructability Safe Design Principles serves as a preliminary process to provide Parsons Engineers, and the Construction Management Engineers an easy methodology to identify constructability issues hazards that are likely to arise in the erection process and provide reasonable design features to preclude potential peril in the design phase of the Arabian Canal Project Infrastructure. The process provides practical information to Parsons Design Engineers to assist them in identifying constructability issues hazards of equipment and systems used in the construction of the Arabian Canal Project Infrastructure. It offers practical principles that can be applied to control additional constructability issues hazards found on the building site, in structural components, and from materials, processes, and procedures employed during construction and maintenance. This process is for developing the skills of Parsons Engineers to control many kinds of constructability issues hazards at th e time of design or before work begins on site to achieve optimal constructability and safety throughout the construction process and the life cycle of the Arabian Canal Project Infrastructure. International studies have concluded that approximately sixty (60%) percent of all fatal accidents in construction arise from faulty design or insufficient planning. While the exact percentage remains the subject of debate and discussion, a number of this magnitude challenges those who manage the process of design to save lives and money simply by application of improved engineering practices. Such perspective should be a revelation to Parsons Engineers who are accustomed to view the majority of accidents in the construction industry as attributable to the routine chaos of the construction site. To do so would focus more on prevention than ever before. The objective of this process is to develop and/or expand engineering principles of constructability safer design for construction and the life cycle of the Arabian Canal Project Infrastructure. To accomplish this task we shall draw from four pioneering approaches to constructability safer design. These approaches which form the corn erstone of modern system safety engineering principles are the following: Eliminate the hazard if possible, or; Provide guarding to prevent contact with the hazard, and; Provide safety factors to minimize the hazard, and; Provide redundancy to confine the hazard. All four applications necessarily involve highly focused Parsons Engineers. Though these principles have been extended, there is still no methodology to simplify these principles and incorporate them into a simple methodology. Start of the process develops methodology for identifying constructability issues hazards then matching the issue or hazard with design features and/or safety appliances for the prevention of the hazard. This will highlight the role of the Parsons Engineer as a designer. When the Parsons Engineer places emphasis on constructability hazard prevention by designing out the hazards inherent to construction processes, products, or facilities, the circumstances that produce construction interferences injuries will be drastically reduced. The second section provides the Parsons Engineer with a system for identifying hazards with an insight into the nature of hazards and guidance that categorizes the hazards into manageable groups. Specific identification of the different types of hazards in the design stage streamlines the hazard elimination process by providing guidelines to determine general control measures. This process will provide Parsons Engineers with easy principles of system safety adaptable to design and constructability that ensure for the elimination and control of hazards. Then it will provide a method to quantify the ability of design improvements to prevent injury, death, and damage in terms of reliability. For instance, before a construction project even begins, the construction manager faces the potential constructability issues and hazards of faulty design by the architect, defective design of the equipment that must be used, and hazards within the construction site or property. To successfully control constructability issues and hazards during the project, these obstacles and hazards must be identified and addressed during design and planning stages. This process distills system safety methodology into five principles that focus on hazard identification, isolation, and control through constructability, innovative technology and applied science. A design matrix provides a check sheet to ensure potential loss exposures have been identified and controlled before the design has left the drafting room. Practical application of this method eliminates or controls potential constructability issues and hazards. In a world of exponential increases in technology, Parsons Engineers have new and exciting options available to them. Parsons Engineers who can think outside the box will find many opportunities to re-engineer products using new materials and informational devices in a way that produces a constructible and safer product or process. Constructability Safety In-Design Compliance Procedure Engineering Department Procedure Constructability Safety In-Design Compliance Program Parsons Constructability Safety-in-Design (CSID) program is an ongoing implementation and confirmation effort relating to a projects safety requirements. Parsons CSID approach evaluates and resolves hazard analysis relating to the mitigation of personnel and public hazards in a facilitys construction and operation, adherence to code requirements, and beneficial safe design practices. The Parsons CSID process begins with implementing the Constructability Safety-In-Design Compliance Procedure and supported by the Parsons Constructability Safety In Design Process Guide. The Parsons comprehensive Constructability Design for Safety Training Process ensures the project staff fully understands the CSID processes and continually works to ensure complete implementation. The CSID review committee will be tasked with completing the Constructability reviews. The Parsons Constructability review is a review of the plans and specifications to check for build ability and bid ability. When reviewing for build ability, Parsons checks for the completeness of the drawings. This includes a cross-check between the various disciplines (electrical, mechanical, architectural, structural, plumbing, civil, and landscaping, etc.) to coordinate pipeline sizes locations, power capacities, road and bridge layout and sizing, and other major components that are essential to build the infrastructure. Additionally, there may be dimensional errors in calculating radius building plots that impact structural steel, site concrete, light bollards, and landscape. Critical dimensions are reviewed to prevent building delays, bidding errors and to ensure the complete project is capable of being under written for insurability. When checking for bid ability, Parsons Constructability R eview Team performs an extensive review of details, notes, sections, elevations, site plans and specifications. As in any contract, the best contract is without ambiguity, error, conflict, and leaves little to interpretation. This review crosschecks the use of detail references and confirms consistent use of building finishes to specifications and other plan details. The work product of the review is a list of comments and a marked-up set of the plans and specifications to be reviewed by the project stake holders. The list of comments is created using the Parsons Constructability Assessment Register so the list can be modified and prioritized by other team members. (It also serves as a checklist to confirm the incorporation of the comments to the documents before going to bid.) A standard procedure to mark-up the drawings with changes is established. For example, green pen will be used to highlight question areas, orange pen will be used if the question is answered as the review continues, blue pen will be used to make corrections, and yellow pen to verify the information was input into the Constructability Assessment Register. Using this standard mark-up policy, the constructability team can clearly show all stake holders the process of how each comment was generated. Additionally, the incorporation of a change is easier to compare the marked-up sheet to the existing design. After the plans and specifications have been marked-up, each comment will be input into the Parsons Initial Hazard Evaluation Register. The process of inputting the information is not just a clerical process, but also a final pass of the plans and specifications. Often additional comments are generated or questions are answered. Once the comments are inputted, the Parsons Constructability Review Team will prepare a narrative explaining the format of the comments and the general outcome of the review. The constructability report (the narratives and comments) will be forwarded to the stakeholders and a meeting scheduled to review the comments. The opportunities to create safer workplaces are most cost effective when captured in the earliest phases of the lifecycle of designed products or processes. The most effective risk control measure eliminating the hazard is often cheaper and more practical to achieve at the design or planning stage, rather than making changes later in the lifecycle when the hazards become real risks to clients, users, employees and businesses. The constructability review will ensure the completed project is insurable, reduce bidders questions, increase the likelihood of competitive bids, reduce RFIs, and change orders and delays during the bid and construction process. It is much easier and less costly to make the changes to the plans and specifications prior to bid, rather than during construction. A constructible safe design approach results in many benefits, including: Prevention of injury and disease, Improved use ability of products, systems and facilities, Improved productivity reduced costs, Better prediction and management of production and operational costs over the lifecycle of a product, Compliance with legislation, Innovation, in that constructible safe design demands new thinking Reducing over all project Increase construction practicality, Eliminates errors and ensures project schedule completion in a timely manner Provides the owner and all stakeholders to have the opportunity to ensure the design is fully acceptable to their standards and expectations Address the life cycle environmental impacts and improves the over all preservation of resources Reduces the life cycle expenses associated with operations and maintenance The lifecycle of a product is a key concept of sustainable and constructible safe design that provides a framework for eliminating the hazards and improving the constructability at the design stage and/or controlling the risk as the infrastructure is: constructed, installed, commissioned, used or operated, maintained, repaired, modified, de-commissioned, demolished and/or dismantled, and disposed of or recycled. The Parsons CSID is a tool to assist designers, engineers, constructors, clients and other key stakeholders to come together to reduce construction, maintenance, repair and demolition safety risks associated with design. Parsons CSID recognizes that a design involves key considerations such as operability, aesthetics and economics with the elements of safety. It also acknowledges that a design process may be determined by many different stakeholders and/or influences. The CSID methodology aims to involve these elements and influences. By proactively considering construction, maintenance, repair and demolition issues, the CSID framework should not only help reduce the number of construction industry incidents, but also assist in improving constructability and reducing the life cycle costs associated with building the infrastructure design project. There is a balance of responsibilities between a designer, a constructor and other relevant stakeholders, such as clients or specialist consultants. It is important that all participants highlight unusual safety risks associated with a design and required construction. As outlined in the Parsons CSID process all those involved should: identify the hazards presented by potential design solutions and consider the risks these hazards will generate for construction workers and others who may be affected by the construction work (e.g. members of the public); include health and safety considerations amongst the design options so that they can avoid the hazards, reduce their impact or introduce control measures to protect those at risk where it is re a s o n a b l y practicable; forewarn the contractor of the residual hazards that have been identified within the design and will need to be managed during the construction work. Eliminating the hazard is the first risk control that should obviously be considered. If the hazard cannot be eliminated (for example eliminating risks associated with maintenance by using aluminum/stainless steel, which requires no regular painting), risk can be minimized by using a series of steps known as the hierarchy of risk control. Including: substituting the system of work or plant with something safer (e.g. pre-assembled equipment at ground level rather than height); modifying the system of work or plant to make it safer (e.g. ensure attachment points for lifting, window cleaning, safety lines, etc.); isolating the hazard (e.g. introduce restricted areas); introducing engineering controls (e.g. prevent falls from buildings during construction/maintenance by increasing wall/edge height). Only when the above constructible and risk control options have been exhausted should consideration (and more importantly reliance) be given to personal protective equipment (e.g. safety harnesses) or adopting administrative controls such as hazard warning signs. Design is the process of considering options. In developing and understanding these options, there is also the ability to improve safety and reduce costs. For example, the costs associated with assembling large scale scaffolding may far exceed the costs associated with alternate design and/or construction materials. Similarly, an emphasis placed on achieving a design that would be safe and efficient to erect, rather than the traditional approach of minimizing steel tonnage, did result in lower project costs. Essentially, given the opportunity to consider the design in a formal and systematic way, a smarter design results and a smarter design invariably leads to a safer design. The following subjects are included in this program: Personnel life safety Safe facility startup Safe facility shutdown Intrinsically safe designs Structural integrity (e.g., seismic, wind, safe loading, equipment support, etc.) Considerations for operating a facility safely Parsons defines project safety requirements as internal or external (Employer) specification, government code, manual, policy, standard, and safe practice that pertains to providing safe and healthful facilities for personnel. The Standard Industry Codes and Standards (or publishers of basic codes and standards), which pertain to safe design practices, will be utilized by the Parsons Design team. The project design team will also include requirements of the Development project objectives and goals, the requirements of Dubai Municipality and its agencies, and other specific Employer requirements or best practices. The Project Manager and Design Manager will be responsible for coordinating and confirming the special constructability and safety requirements for the design elements for the project work. The Project Manager and Design Manager together with the QA/QC manager will verify the appropriate reviews have been performed related to Constructability Safety In Design. The Design Manager will be responsible for establishing the Employer requirements checklists, which include safety-related industry codes/and standards and local/city code requirements. The Design Manager will also direct and coordinate the work of engineers and designers assigned to the project accomplish the Constructability Safety In Design objectives and requirements. Purpose This procedure describes Engineering Department policy for application of the Constructability Safety-In-Design (CSID) Compliance Program. Engineering/design practices and principles contained in this document are intended generally to be applied to all types of facilities during each projects planning and design phase. Constructible Safe design practices rely on the correct use of current basic code requirements, existing design standards, client requirements, and any other known safety considerations that assist in safeguarding against unsafe conditions and help manage unsafe materials and hazardous acts causing illness or bodily harm to workers. Enhances building information modeling and enables design success related to sustainability, security, design-build, risk management, hazard mitigation, insurability and performance-based design. Promotes team building among client, designer and contractor, emphasizing the success of the project instead of the success of the individual, thereby minimizing the commoditization of engineering. Provides ongoing feedback from clients, users, and contractors to the design team, eliminating scope surprises. Reduces total project costs and engineering scope creep, improving profitability. Involves construction expertise in the design phase, identifying field issues and avoiding obstacles, unnecessary construction costs, and lawsuits. Improves the quality of construction documents, minimizing change orders and subsequent post-construction claims. Improves the quality of the next design, incorporating feedback from the field. Figure : Constructability Logic Diagram Definitions Safety As a noun safety shall be understood to mean the condition of being safe from (or causing) harm, injury, or loss. As a verb safety shall be understood to mean protection against failure, breakage, or accident. Constructability Safety In-Design Program Parsons CSID compliance program is an ongoing implementation and confirmation effort relating to a projects constructability safety requirements. Also included are hazard analysis resolutions relating to the mitigation of personnel hazards in a facilitys operation, adherence to code requirements, and safe design practices beneficial to personnel. The following subjects are included in this program. Personnel life safety Safe facility startup Safe facility shutdown Intrinsically safe designs Structural integrity (e.g., seismic, wind, safe loading, equipment support, etc.) Considerations for operating a facility safely Owner/operation procedure supplement Operating sufficiency/redundancy Economic design Ease of maintenance Environmental compliance Construction safety Failure analysis (except for life safety systems) Supplier product/safety responsibilities Safety and Personnel Hazards Typical safety and personnel hazards in operating facilities include, but are not limited to: Fires Explosions Falls Tripping and clearance deficiencies Structural degradation and improperly supported elements Electrical shock Chemical burns and fumes Suffocation Excessive sound levels Use of, and/or exposure to, toxic construction materials (e.g., urethane and asbestos) Toxic materials handling Potable water contamination (e.g., sanitary sewer/process sewer) Radiation nuclear Magnetic fields Use of microwaves Inadequate lighting (eyestrain and darkness) Ergonomic deficiencies (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome and muscular strain) Materials handling (e.g., overheads, conveyors) Moving machinery parts (e.g. guards, over speed, vibration, emergency stop/lockout) Hazardous spills Moving objects (obstructed vision) Inadequacy of alarms/communication systems Unanticipated structural loading (e.g. large number of people on platforms) Hazard Analysis A hazard analysis is generally intended to identify and examine hazards during all phases of design, construction, and operations, as applicable to the requirements of each project. This analysis includes hazards and operability (HAZOP) studies, what-if evaluations, failure mode and effects analyses (FMEA), and event-tree and fault-tree analyses. Hazard analysis is not a function of the Engineering Department but is handled by others. On some projects, hazard analysis is performed by the client. Constructability Safety Systems Typical Constructability safety systems include, but are not limited to, the following three categories. Monitoring Systems Fire and smoke detection alarms Toxic material sensors and alarms Critical sampling systems Constructability Safety Device Systems (permanent and in-place) Safe electrical voltages near personnel Explosive protection Protective material coverings Adequate exiting and door hardware Shielding Fall protection Ladder clearances and cages Stair handrails, platform handrails, and toe plates Operability of valves Machinery guards Safety color coding Signage Emergency stop switches Equipment-keyed lockout switches Emergency Protection Systems (activated by an incident) Eyewash and safety-shower stations Emergency/exit lighting Emergency communications Emergency alarms Fire sprinklers Emergency exit facilitation devices (e.g., slides) Electrical circuit protection (e.g., circuit breakers and fuses) Constructability Safety In-Design Process Guide Constructability and Safe Design Concepts Specific aims and goals in the beginning of this process address the theories and methodology of constructability, hazard identification and the development of design features to eliminate the obstacles and hazard and/or minimize the probability of constructability and injury or damage failure mode. Constructability and safety engineering should include the process of systematically controlling constructability issues and hazards through design considerations or with the use of safety appliances. Principle One: Definition of a Hazard and Constructability To begin to address constructability safer design principles in construction and the life of the Arabian Canal Project Infrastructure, one must first understand the actual nature of constructability and hazards. A specific definition of constructability and hazards provides the Parsons Engineer with a basis to develop a methodology for planning and evaluating the construction and the life cycle of the Arabian Canal Project Infrastructure process for constructability and safety ensuring for design of constructible, safe systems and equipment. The undertaking of such construction design principles leads to safe operation of a completed facility. What a hazard is in practical terms: Definition: A hazard is an unsafe physical condition that is always in one of three modes- Dormant/Latent (unable to cause harm), Armed (can cause harm), Active (causing injury, death, and/or damage by releasing unwanted energy, substances, biological agents, and or defective computations from computer software. In greater detail, a dormant/latent hazard is a design defect that is susceptible to a failure mode. Foreseeable misuse should also be considered (a kitchen chair may be used to stand on to reach upper cabinets and needs to be sturdy enough to prevent collapse.) The armed hazard is created by a change of circumstances and is ready to cause harm (the chair may have a big knot on one leg). The active hazard is an armed hazard triggered into action (when the chair is stepped on the knot cannot support the additional load and the chair leg collapses, causing a fall.) Definition: Constructability is the optimum use of construction knowledge and experience in planning, design, and procurement and field operations to achieve the overall project objectives. The basis of constructability concept is that experienced construction personnel need to be involved with the project from the earliest stages to ensure that the construction focus and their experience can properly influence the owners, planners, and designers, as well as material suppliers. This does not necessarily mean that the design or project objectives should be changed to meet constructability only from a cost standpoint. Constructability should be used as a design consideration, so that optimum results provide the best of both worlds. Parsons approach to the Arabian Canal Project Infrastructure Design will emphasize constructability with various characteristics and be implemented as design progresses. Parsons Design and construction managers are committed to the cost effectiveness of the whole project. They recognize the high cost influence of early project decisions. Parsons managers use constructability as a major tool in meeting project objectives concerning quality, cost and schedules. Parsons managers bring construction aboard early. This means using experienced personnel who have a full understanding of how a project is planned and built. Parsons Designers are receptive to improving constructability. They think constructability, request construction input freely, and evaluate that input objectively. Early constructability efforts result in a significant payback to the project. Industry research has cited cost reductions of between 6 and 23 percent, benefit/cost ratios of up to 10:1, and large schedule reductions. The intangible benefits are as important as the quantitative benefits and must be recognized accordingly. These include; more accurate schedules, increased productivity, improved sequence of construction, enhanced quality, decreased maintenance, and a safer job. Parsons will provide input to the planning and design from the standpoint of project intent, constructability, safety, operation and maintenance. This will be accomplished through field reconnaissance with designers and reviews of design documents at various stages of development. Obtaining feedback from maintenance personnel at this point is very important, since they ultimately live with the finished product and are aware of previous construction deficiencies. The reviews will be scheduled during both the Conceptual Development and the Design phases. Principle Two: Establish a Standard of Constructability and Safe Design Constructability and Safety must be converted into a powerful design priority and overriding planning concern to be effective. It must rely primarily on the physical elimination of each construction obstacle and hazard, rather than upon human performance, which is variable and cannot be programmed, to avoid the obstacle or hazard. Through the evaluation and close scrutiny of each activity, task or phase of the construction process we are able to identify possible failure modes to identify hazardous conditions. A well-known tenet of safety engineering states Any hazard that has the potential for serious injury or death is always unreasonable and always unacceptable if reasonable design features and/or the use of safety appliances are available to prevent the hazard. The key to successful safety engineering is to identify and design out as many hazards as possible. When this tenet is applied as a design standard, it becomes a routine expectation to design out hazards, thus changing a dangerous facility, product or service into a safer one. The identification of construction obstacles and hazards is the basic building block to ensure for a safe construction and operation during the life cycle of the Arabian Canal Project Infrastructure. Often the same construction obstacle or hazard that has been causing injury, damage, or down time surfaces uncontrolled on multiple occasions. Falling loads due to two blocking were recurring hazards on construction sites for many years. This trend stopped when anti-two blocking devices were installed by manufacturers on all new cranes and retrofitted onto most cranes in the field. By relying on our past experiences, remembering backwards is not all that difficult to begin to control construction obstacles and hazards. Principle Three: Categorizing the Hazard Hazard Source The third step in hazard identification is to determine which of the following seven categories contains the source of the hazard: Hazard Source Natural Environment Structural/Mechanical Electrical Chemical Radiant Energy Biological Automated Systems Artificial Intelligence Now the hazard can be binned into a convenient box or boxes. Each of these boxes contains just a few examples that serve as a starting point for the Parsons Engineer to begin to focus on the nature of the hazard. These topics are meant to be a starting point to develop additional listings for failure modes. It is important to note that hazard categories may overlap or fall into one or more groups. It is common to encounter a hazard that contains simultaneous natural, mechanical, and chemical properties. In these cases, specific hazards should be broken down into as many individual properties as possible. Natural Environment The first box is our natural environment. The laws of gravity cannot be repealed, nor can the weather be programmed or the ocean drained. The following are a few hazard source possibilities that the Parsons Engineer must contend with in the natural environment. Natural Environment Gravity Falls same level Fall from elevation Falling objects Impact Acceleration Slopes Upset Rollover Sliding Unstable surfaces Water Floating Sinking Drowning Atmosphere Change in Altitude Humidity Wind Visibility (fog, etc.) Dust Temperature Limitations on Human Performance Structural/Mechanical Hazards The second box delineates mechanical hazards. As engineers we must consider their mechanical advantage, but also their possible danger. Structural/Mechanical Hazards Surfaces Lack of Traction Unstable Surfaces Tripping Incline Steps Ladders Lever Rotation Wheels Gears Pulley Screw Auger Cams