Safety

Understand the current legislative frame and organisational health, safety and risk management policies, procedures and practices that are relevant to health and social care or children and young peoples setting. As an organisation that manages health and safety we recognise that the relationship between controlling risks and general health is at the very centre of the business itself.

The starting point for managing health and safety in the workplace which:

• demonstrates the practices commitment to health and safety and sets out aims and objectives in relation to this
• identifies the individual health and safety roles and responsibilities and the communication channels with-in the practice
• Summarises the practical way in which health and safety is managed and objectives met. The organisation is required to have a health and safety policy in place in order to comply with the health and safety at work act 1974.

The act is the primary piece of health and safety legislation within the UK. It is an enabling act often referred to as the umbrella act, which means that regulations can be introduced with-out eh need for additional primary legislation. The Health and Safety at Work Act also says that employers must, so far as is reasonably practicable provide

• a safe place to work
• a safe environment and adequate welfare facilities
• safe equipment and systems of work safe arrangements for using, handling, storing and transporting articles and substances associated with work
• sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision for employee

The act is supported by many other regulations and pieces of legislation, one of the most significant being the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations (MHSWR) 1999. A crucial element of these regulations is the requirement for employers to have in place systems to manage health and safety.

The technique of risk assessment – used to identify hazards, evaluate risks, support planning and put effective control measures in place – underpins such systems. In recent years, the risk management has been influence by the growing awareness of the number of errors, incidents and near misses that happen in social care practice and the effect of the safety of service user’s and the consequence has been the development of service user safety initiatives which have given a ‘service user focus’ to the management of risk within the social care setting.

The health and safety at work act underpins this aim and clearly describes the employer’s duty of care not only for staff but towards the persons other than employees such as service user’s, attached staff visitors, and member of the public, contractors and delivery personnel. The principals and duties outlined in this policy apply, therefore, to anyone affected by the practices activities.

1. 2 analyse how policies, procedures and practices in own setting meet health, safety and risk management requirements. The main piece of legislation affecting the management of health & safety is the Health & safety act at work 1974. This act provides a framework for ensuring the Health & safety of all employees in any work activity. It also provides for the Health & safety of anyone:

• Risk assessments with the working environment
• Adult protection & safe guarding
• Person centre planning & risk management

When working in line with the organisations policies and procedures to ensure that the staff team create a safe working environment and service user care plans and risk management plans don’t impact on their freedom of choice but they ensure that they are safe with the life style they choose to live, I need to balance those choices against our risk management plans for example we have a service user who lives in her own flat within the complex of the home and feels that her bed is to high and asked her family to put the mattress on a pile of bricks rather than have the bed frame lowered.

When staff discovered this, they informed senior staff who tried to explain why their actions could not be allowed to carry on as staff who helps the service user make her bed may sustain an injury. The family could not see that we have a legal requirement to work within the safety of the health and safety legislation. I did suggest that we highlight a repair/maintenance job for the bed to be lowered that is safe to use for both the service user and staff.

Also within the workplace before an activity can be undertaken we are required to complete a risk assessment and any areas where we need to put safety measures in to limit the potential risks then this must be done before the activity can take place as well as demonstrating that we need to monitor staff’s working practices and review and update the risk assessment at the appropriate times. In delivering a registered care service all staff must have mandatory health and safety training before completing any given task whether this be fire safety, food hygiene, manual handling, infection control, first aid etc. f staff have not received this training then they cannot complete the task, thus ensuring that all service user’s welfare are giving top priority in line with quality and safety outcomes.

As the acting registered care manager I need to complete regular health and safety audits and maintain clear records to demonstrate competence and that we are meeting the requirements of the law. At times when carrying out an audit I have noticed that a food safety check as not been completed or a fire test got missed and in line with my roles and responsibilities I must address my findings with the senior team, the kitchen staff etc.

This will be done in our staff and team meetings. Minutes of these meetings will be taken and stored in the named files so that they can be used for further audits and inspections that are required in line with our policies and procedures, duty of care and relevant legislation. 4. 3 evaluate own practice in promoting a balanced approach to risk assessment. A good standard of record keeping is imperative to support our quality audits and framework for our risk management plans, risk assessment and person centre practice to lead a lifestyle of their choice.

When evaluating our own practice and our documentation I will look at:- • Policies, protocols and guidelines to keep staff and management informed

• Information regarding, health and safety, care delivery and CQC outcomes for best practice and positive outcomes for service users
• Information about systems, for example risk management plans, incident reporting. Complaints. Service user care plans Other ways to evaluate own practice is through regular audits and regulatory inspections which enables a systematic assessment or estimation of the process or outcome of a work activity, to determine whether it is : Effective: making progress towards a particular goal
• Efficient: achieving a particular target with the least effort
• Economic: achieving a successful outcome with the minimum cost Essentially audits measure what the staff team are doing against what they should be doing.

Internal and external audits involve systematically looking at the procedures within the practice that are used for diagnosis, care and support measures to our service user that enable them to lead a life of their choice, by examining how associated resources are used and nvestigating the effect carer has on the outcome and quality of life for the service user.

Conversely, research is concerned with the identification of best practice, where a audit establishes, whether agreed best practice is being followed, and according to Smith (1992) Research is concerned with discovering the right thing to do:” audit with ensuring that it is done right “ and that we are involving service users in line with our person centred approach.

Another system that we use to evaluate our practice for promoting a person centred practice that includes a balance approach to risk management is in our statutory care review meetings where the service user, their family, staff and other professionals will review the care plan and risk management plans to ensure that we are sill meeting the service user needs and that they are happy with the level of activities and levels of support they are receiving.

Also these meetings may raise concerns and these concerns will be addressed to ensure that safety and wellbeing of the service user is being met either from staff within the home or by others. These changes will be recorded in their care plan and reviewed in line with our evaluation procedures. Any changes to a service users care plan will be discussed in our daily handover sessions and staff meetings to make sure that all staff who support the service user know of these changes and the additional resources and support that is being put in by the people who are supporting the service user.

As the manager I will also use staff meetings, supervisions and training sessions to evaluate my own and others within the teams performance to ensure that we are meetings our health and safety requirements as well as promoting a person centred approach that ensure a balanced approach to risk assessments that cover the working activities in running a registered care home. 4. 4 analyse how helping others to understand the balance between risk and rights improves practice.

To analyse and help to understand the balance of service users and the public involvement is part of everyday practice in the NHS (DH 2005b) who have identified a number of principles that underpin the delivery of resident – led services. PRINICIPLES OF RISK AND RIGHTS FOR IMPROVMENTS HAVE BEEN TO UNDERPIN THE DELIVERY OF RESIDENT LED SERVICES

• Provide residents with the correct information and choices that allow them to feel in control – understanding that they are the best judge of their life/how they wish to live their life
• Ensure everyone receives not just high quality care, but care with consideration for their needs at all times. Treat people as human beings and as individuals, not just people to be processed
• Ensure people always feel valued by the service and are treated with respect, dignity, and compassion
• Explain what’s happening if things go wrong and why, and agree a way forward At the home when we complete our risk management plans we will involve the service user, their family and others who maybe supporting them from the wider community.

I will discuss each task and outline any concerns that we may have and how these concerns can be addressed without imposing on the service users rights, dignity, choice etc. ut I must make sure that I protect the service user and the staff in carrying out the task etc. I feel this process of informing others, discussing the issues can go a long way in helping others to understand why things can be done and or cannot be undertaken unless additional measures are put in place. This process also assists others in seeing where the potential risk of harm may take place and why we are constantly reviewing our work activities and the abilities of the service users to cooperate with staff when carrying out an activity etc.

The same process will be used in staff meetings to ensure that the team can fully understand their roles and responsibilities and reasons why additional measures have been put in place. Also when staff understand the culture of the organisation and the home they themselves will undertake the process without thinking and therefore ensure that the working environment is safe for everyone. By allowing others to understand the balance between risks and rights, you improve practice because they know what is acceptable and what isn’t.

This makes work more positive and makes the care that is given more effective and more suitable to the service users that require it. By helping others to do this, you are helping them improve their job, and helping them develop with their own knowledge, which they can pass on to other employers; this is peer learning. 5. 1 obtain feedback on health, safety and risk management policies, procedures and practices form individuals and others. The polices, procedures and practices at the home have been developed, reviewed and updated in line with health and safety legislation and our CQC registration requirements.

This ensures that the homes working practices are monitored, audited and inspected throughout the year and feedback from the records and reports are discussed and recommendations are implemented. These are reviewed yearly by the organisation and any feedback given is used to promote and improve the services within the home. The context of feedback can be used as a learning tool. The practice of over-learning produces reinforcement of a sense of achievement before moving on to the next stage, it can enable a person to move towards independence in a particular skill.

The principles of feedback include beginning and ending with positive comments, any suggestion for development that focus on negative aspects of the skills should be included in the middle. The reason for that learning is closely associated with self-esteem and motivation for ensuring that the working environment is safe. CQC’s the essential standards of quality and safety consist of 28 outcomes that are set out in two pieces of legislation: The health and social care Act 2008 (regulated activities) Regulation 2012 and the Care Quality Commission (registration) regulations 2009 and for each regulation, there is an associated outcome – the xperiences that will be expected of healthcare professionals as a result of the service and care provided and feedback for each outcome must be addressed by the manager.

I will also get feedback from various health and safety contractors, visitor’s to the home who carry out regular maintenance work within the home, environmental health inspections etc. With all these visits to the home I will receive feedback on our good practice and compliance as well as areas in which we need to improve upon and non-compliances.

This feedback is important to ensure that the team and I meet the required standards and that the home and our activities are undertaken in a safe manor. 5. 2. evaluate the health and safety and risk management policies and procedures and practices within the work setting At the Manor House, we have numerous policies and procedures in place, all spread over a wide variety. They include –

• Accident and Incident Reporting and Investigation
• Asbestos
• Building Maintenance
• Care Services Construction Management ~ Site Access and Surveying
• Consultation and Communication
• Contractors
• Electrical Safety
• Fire Safety
• First Aid
• Food Hygiene ~ Safety in Food Preparation Areas
• Gas Safety
• Grounds Maintenance
• Handling and Disposal of Waste
• Hazardous Substances ~ COSHH, Radon
• Health and Safety Information and Training
• Health and Safety Management ~ Monitory and Review, Inspections and Surveys
• Health and Wellbeing at Work ~ Alcohol, Drugs, Communicable
• Disease, Immunisation, Pre-employment medical, Pregnant Women, Smoking, Stress, Work related absenteeism and Young persons.
• Manual handling
• Office safety ~ display screen equipment
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Personal safety, violence and lone working
• Property management ~ security and visitors, workplace standards, welfare facilities
• Risk Assessment
• Safe use and maintenance of equipment at work ~ lifts and lifting equipment, vehicles at work
• Sheltered schemes
• Water management
• Other guidance
• Definitions
• Amendment record

Accidents and incidents – index of incident records form, RIDDOR reporting form, servite incident reporting form, care services residents incident reporting form o Workplace moving and handling assessments – moving and handling operations preliminary risk assessment form, moving and handling operations risk assessment form, moving and handling care plan o Workplace risk assessments and young person at work risk assessments – scheme/office/kitchen/staff room workplace risk assessment forms, copy of schemes contractors risk assessments or method statements, young persons at work risk assessment form, new and expectant mothers risk assessment, night worker health assessment form

Moving and handling equipment inspection record, moving and handling equipment inspection record, moving and handling equipment defects record o First aid records – first aid record sheet, first aid kit maintenance defects record o Water treatment records (including temperature monitory, flushing and de-scaling) – shower/spray flushing and de-scaling record sheet, water temperature record sheet

Food safety records – fridge and freezer temperature record sheet o Electrical test records (portable appliances and building installation – visual electrical inspection of void properties form, portable electrical equipment visual inspection record sheet, record of portable test, redundant equipment disposal form, dopy of building installation report and certificate o DSE assessment records Asbestos survey reports – scheme asbestos survey report

Gas safety records – record of reasonable steps taken (when no access granted) form, regional committee report on the progress of gas safety inspections form, gas servicing report, copy of gas certificate o Control of substances hazardous to health assessments and safety data sheets – copies of safety data sheets for every cleaning product used at the scheme

Health and safety audit and survey reports – health and safety survey form, schemes health and safety audit report completed by the health and safety team o Passenger lift inspection records – copy of certificate, passenger lift inspection and insurance reports o Personal protective equipment maintenance records – reports

Lone worker alarm maintenance record – reports Remote alarm/pendant checks – pendant check form, remote alarm check form o 3rd party forms o Waste o Pest o Business continuity arrangements The positives of having all these policies, procedures and risk managements in place is that it covers everything, meaning that we know what is considered wrong and what is considered correct.

The negatives are that because there are so many in place, some can be left out or not remembered, leaving the work setting unsuitable for service users perhaps, or leaving the standard of care low; but because we have them all, and are all used frequently, they are all understood, this is a positive out of the negative situation. SEE AC 1. 2 5. :- identify areas of policies, procedures and practice that need improvement to ensure safety and protection in the work setting Here, there are few areas of policies and procedures of/and practice that may need improvement, this is because they are good, but not at the best standard I think they could be.

These are: health and safety audits, the medication rounds, maintenance of equipment and staff training. The medication rounds could be improved by making them faster, or by having more staff working on it, to increase the speed of residents getting their required medication. The maintenance of equipment could be improved by having it done sooner rather than later, so there isn’t as much of an issue if the equipment is required and cant be used as it isn’t working.

Health and safety audits can be improved by making them more frequent and detailed, so you can understand the issues more and also notice where the good aspects are. Staff training can be improved by making it more important and motivational, and by making it more frequent to allow better development of career work. 5. 4 recommend changes to policies. procedures and practice that ensure safety and protection in the work setting The changes that I recommend would only be improvements, and the improvements would be to make the policies and procedures more ‘spread out’, so they cover more areas of the work setting, so everything has a policy or procedure to make it more effective and reliable.

Reviewing the policies and procedures would be a start to see where the changes could happen and be recommended, to ensure safety I would recommend a change to the health and safety act policy, to give it a wider variety of protection of the work setting, to add more ‘safer’ equipment and make the environment safer, by having less dangerous objects around that could be harmful in anyway to a resident, visitor or staff member.

I would recommend a change in the frequency of procedures dealing with forms and assessments, to make sure everything is checked frequently, to make sure there are no problems or issues that are missed if they are only checked every now and then, this would be like risk assessments, fire safety, equipment checks or kitchen assessments etc. There isn’t a lot I would recommend to change, but if I had to, it would be most likely to do with frequency or variety.

Introduction

Long ago people viewed “risk” as the inevitability of chance which occurred beyond the control of humans. In today’s world the concept of “risk” has turned into riches, as risky ventures have become the norm in the business world. “Risk” therefore applies to decisions that can have a bad or good outcome. The different types of “risk” can include financial, legal, ethical, information technology, or even human resource since it can exist everywhere and at any time in our lives.

When we eat, we encounter the risk of food poisoning, to cross the road we run the risk of being hit by a passing motor car or even when we drive, we can increase the risk of an accident. If no risk is done then, no breakthrough can be expected. Whether it is in your career, financially, or in your business. Once you fail to take a risk then you will suffer the consequences of making significant gains, which means that you run the risk of a possible loss. What is Risk? According to Mortimer (2005 p. 5) “risk” is any uncertainty about a future event which might threaten an organization’s ability to accomplish its mission. Which means that it can be the chance of something happening that will have a negative impact on an organization. It is the possibility of suffering a loss that is loss of quality income, loss of profit, loss of success or even loss of life. It means therefore that change involves “risk”, but once the set program has been attained or has achieved total success “risk” vanishes.

It is therefore of great importance that the management of risk be well managed. “Risk management” was engineered into dealing with the possibility that some future event might cause harm. It includes strategies and techniques for recognizing and confronting treats of risk and provided an environment for proactive decision making for the proactive decision making, for the purpose of:

• “What can go wrong”
• “What will we do”
• “How will or can it be resolved”.

Success in business to a certain degree requires owners or managers to take “risk”.

Most successful businesses are managed by people who know when or how to push forward and when or how to hold back, when to sell and when to stand firm. According to Yusof (2007) p. 1. “Risk is an undeniable reality of doing business today, whether globally or locally. Although failure is in a way linked to “risk”, the successful business person should not fear “risk” but strives to understand it, to manage it, or even try to take advantage of it. In that way the business person would be able to calculate the risk before taking it. Unfortunately the world of business now is exposed to more risk, such as high interest rate, inflation, recession, high exchange rates, even political and cultural risk to name a few. Therefore it takes a great deal of expertise to effectively manage risk in business.

Financial Risk

Financial Risk is associated with the use of debt financing by firms or companies, since the presence of debt involves legal and mandatory obligations to make specified payments at specified time period. There is a risk that the earnings of the firm may not be sufficient to meet these obligations towards the creditors.

In case of the shareholders, the financial risks occur because it is not only the mandatory nature of debt obligations but also the property of ‘prior payments’ of these obligations. In short, the use of debt by the firm causes variability of return for both creditors and shareholders. Financial risk is usually measured by the debt/equity ratio of the firm: the higher the ratio, the greater the variability of the return and the higher the financial risk. Financial risk also involves liquidity risk, maturity risk, interest rate risk and inflation risk.

Liquidity refers to situations wherein it may not be possible to dispose or sell the assets or it maybe possible to sell only at great inconvenience of cost in terms of money and time. The greater the uncertainty about true elements, price concession, and transaction cost; the greater the liquidity risk. Liquidity Risk has a different connotation from the point of view of banks and financial institutions. In this context liquidity risk refers to their inability to meet the liability towards depositors when they want to withdraw their deposits.

Maturity risks arise when the term of maturity of the security happens to be longer. Since foreseeing, forecasting and envisioning the environment, conditions and situations become more and more difficult as we go more and more into the future. The longer term investment involves risk, the longer the term of maturity the greater the risk.

Interest Rates

Risks are the variability in the returns on security due to changes in the level of the market interest rates, or it is the loss of principal of a fixed term security due to an increase in the general level of interest rates. When interest rates raise the value or market price of the security drops or vice versa. The degree of interest rate is directly related to the length of time to maturity of the security. If the term to maturity is long then the market value of the security may fluctuate widely. Inflation Risk is the risk that the real return on security may be less than the nominal return. In case of fixed income security, since payments in term foreign dollars are fixed. The value of the payments in real term declines as the level of commodity prices increases. Inflation risk is also known as purchasing power risk as there is always a chance that the purchasing power of invested money will decline, or that the real return will decline due to inflation.

Legal Risk

Most legal risk arise from the possibility that a counterparty is not legally permitted or able to enter into a transaction. Legal risk is the risk that legal actions will impair the value of investment or it may be a risk from uncertainty due to legal actions or uncertainty in the applicability or interpretation of contracts, laws or regulations. This can cause a particular problem for companies who choose to transact business with other overseas businesses. Not only are they exposed to uncertainty relating to the laws of multiple jurisdictions, but they also face uncertainty as to which jurisdiction will have authority over any particular legal issue. This risk can be reduced by the company hiring experience corporate lawyers.

Ethical Risk

Ethical risks concern the impact that the business has on shareholders at the local, national and global levels. In some cases these risks can influence the organization’s intangible assets such as the human capital, the business reputation and its clientele. Some of the factors impinging ethical risks are:

• The establishment of codes of conduct
• Adherence to the code
• Programme to improve performance
• Good internal communication
• Clearly defined mechanisms to encourage employees to respect possible violation.

As the evolution of new devices in the field of information technology there is also an increased tendency for hackers to try to infiltrate company’s network. The company can also face risk associated with theft or release of personal data such as employees’ social security numbers and bank account numbers. A part of this risk can be reduced by installing firewall software and additional access codes.

Human Resource Risk

Another type of risk is human resource, this is most important within the company as companies demand skilled labours to work with the job market. Companies suffer or run the risk of hiring workers who are paid as qualified and skilled workers, when they are not. Other risks would include labour fluctuation and also a rise in the labour cost, which may result in strikes and lock-outs by trade unions and negligence. Companies can reduce the risk by providing incentives to the workers and also offer educational grants for workers to upgrade their careers.

Political Risk

Finally, the political risk can be describes as the type of risk has to do with the political decision making process within the environment for business. The lack of transparency and accountability in a political system whereby decisions which impact businesses can change dramatically due to political or social instability. The immediate resignation of the Prime Minister of Jamaica- Hon. Bruce Golding is an ideal example of political risk.

Safety Risk

When running a small company, every move a business owner or employee makes is a source of risk. In any case where high risk is involved, it’s prudent to consult a lawyer or other professional who can advise you on how to protect your business. If an owner runs a factory or other job site that requires workers to use machinery, equipment or vehicles in the course of business, workplace safety is a matter of utmost importance and a key source of risk.

For this reason, they must follow guidelines set by Safety & Health Administration. In addition to workplace safety concerns involving physical injury, health issues also pose a risk to some businesses, particularly medical offices and hospitals. Employees must observe strict rule and regulation to protect the public and themselves from health-related threats. Conflicts between employees are also a main source of risk for small businesses that employ workers. Risks include claims of discrimination (including sex, race, age and discrimination based on disabilities) and harassment from other employees.

These issues could lead to expensive lawsuits for the business. The company must comply with rules set by government agencies like the Ministry of Labour and ensure that it follows proper procedures in all instances and with any situation involving these issues.

Sources of Risk

For companies that serve certain types of goods to the public, like food and skincare products, product quality is a major concern and a high source of business risk. Some products have the potential of harming the consumer if the company doesn’t take proper steps to meet quality standards. Negligence involving the products of these items could lead to legal issues and damage the company’s reputation.

Bibliography

1. Al, M. A. (2004). Hanbook of Management 3rd Edition. London : Pearson Education .
2. Bhole, L. (2004). Financial Institutions and Markets 4th Edition. New Delhi, India : Tata McCraw Hill.
3. Mortimer, D. , S. Mortimer (2005) Quality and Risk Management. Cambridge University Press, London, England
4. Yusof, Y. (2007). Managing Financial Risk. United Kingdom: Author House .

English 101 3131 10 November 2012 Motorcycles Are Dangerous The road is filled with cars and motorcycles but what makes motorcycles seem dangerous, is it the motorcycle itself, is it the drivers who are driving side by side with motorcycles or is it the dare devils riding motorcycles? There is a saying for motorcycles, “Its not if one fall, its when one falls. ” This is said because beginners are notorious for dropping their motorcycles. Motorcycles themselves are not dangerous.

It’s the non-experienced drivers and the drivers around them, that pose a threat to motorcycle riders all over the world. The thing with both motorcycles and cars, is if one were to take all the safety classes and course, they would then be less likely to come across accidents on the road. It’s also surprisingly important to know about the vehicle that you drive. Whether that be a car or a motorcycle, because if you know about the mechanics behind it, there is less of a chance that one would get into an accident caused by a mechanical error.

Riders who peacock (the act of dressing in color, very noticeable) and wear proper gear are less likely to be in an accident or be hurt in one. Drinking and riding is a big no-no, on a motorcycle the rider need to have full control of the motorcycle and surroundings, drinking even the legal limit will impair a rider far more than in a car. The standard thought is motorcycles are dangerous, but the truth is they are as dangerous as drivers make them or can be even safer than cars if the driver takes the proper initiative and audited.

A motorcycle is a tool of transportation, the way it is used determines whether it is dangerous or safe. If an inexperienced person gets on a motorcycle and expects to go on a ride, most likely that person will end up in an accident and in the hospital. It is important to learn to use the tool, what it can do and how knowing all the right steps to staying safe. Motorcycleminds. org recommends that every rider take the beginning rider education class and advanced education rider class to protect oneself and others on the road.

These educational classes teach one everything from tire pressure to lane sharing properly. One of the acronyms taught in these classes that beginning to expert cyclist use every time they hop on a motorcycle is T-CLOCS and it stands for tires and wheels, controls, lights, oil, chassis, stands. T-CLOCS is a MSC (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) checklist to keep siders alert and safe. The full in depth checklist can be found on http://www. msf-usa. org/downloads/t-clocsinspectionchecklist. pdf . Without T-CLOCS riders might be going out on and unsafe motorcycle asking for an accident to happen.

Knowing how a motorcycle works is just half the game, practice allows for one to perfect the technique of riding making safer and safer every day but still realizing that one always need to be in control but the same can be said for drivers of cars even pedestrians on bicycles. All a motorcycle is a tool and like any other tool it can be classified as dangerous only if miss used and abused. A nail gun can be very dangerous if used improperly but when used properly it can do a professional clean job without any accidents.

Broken, worn out parts can be replaced, a human life can’t, safety is only as safe as the driver makes it motorcycles are not dangerous. Choosing proper riding gear will increase minimizing damage in an accident and will maximize how visible the rider is to others on the road. This is where Peacocking and safety should unite to minimize falling in blind spots of other drivers. Covering oneself in riding gear may not seem very stylish but it beats being cheese in a cheese grinder. When driving a car the people in it use seat belts and like to have airbags with outstanding crash ratings.

To provide the same level of protection as a car, motorcycle riders should consider wearing proper DOT (Department Of Transportation) approved gear to ensure crash test ratings. When it comes to gear and its expenses it is important to think that the gear is the only thing between the rider and asphalt in an accident. Starting out from ground up with gear, proper boots that have ankle support and have close toes is very important. Having proper boots will prevent skin burns and many accidental rolled ankles.

Depending on the kind of riding being done leg and knee pads can be bought but thick jeans or protective riding pants suffice in most cases. Hands that are not protected in an accident can be badly damaged but it is easy to prevent this by having sturdy gloves deigned for the type of riding going on. Jackets can be safe, flashy and fashionable, why not have all three working together? Most motorcycles jackets do, they will provide protective padding, materials that are comfortable but can handle road rash so that skin doesn’t, and while being fashionable usually they make riders more visible to others.

As Basem Wasef Writer of Motorcycle Gear 101 on about. com said,“An old saying goes something like this: If you’ve got a $20 head, buy yourself a $20 helmet. ” DOT approved helmets that provide three quarters to full face helmets are crucial in providing proper protections. Having all the appropriate riding gear makes falls that will happen, be less harsh and cuts the dangers of riding by a great deal. People wearing gear properly will be safe like a driver driving in a car with good crash ratings. Accidents happen in cars and motorcycles, being ready for them take many of the danger out of riding motorcycles.

The most dangerous thing on a motorcycle is a fatal crash. Most people don’t realize is that a majority of fatal motorcycle accidents are caused by the misuse of motorcycle or riding under the influence. “One out of three motorcycle accidents involves a rider who is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Thirty-five percent of fatal motorcycle accidents involve a speeding motorcycle rider. ” Keller and Keller law firm. Sixty-eight percent that leaves about thirty-two percent for other fatalities to be cause by things cars, trucks and motorcycles fault accidents.

Following the law will prevent most motorcycle accidents. All vehicles on the road can be dangerous, if misused, not just motorcycles. Falling on a motorcycle happens but riders keep their head held high just like a teen that crashes their first car. Remembering T-CLOCS can save a riders life and the life of the surrounding people. Dressing to what, a peacock-cock-cock peacock allows on to standout and stay safe on the road. Motorcycles are not dangerous vehicles used properly, skateboards and BMX bikes can be more dangerous.

As a avid motorcycle rider of four years I strongly urge anyone interested in riding in MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation). Keep the roads safe for future generations. Works Cited http://www. msf-usa. org/downloads/t-clocsinspectionchecklist. pdf http://dsc. discovery. com/cars-bikes/top-10-ways-to-stay-safe-on-your-motorcycle-2. html http://motorcycleminds. org/? p=847 http://ridingsafely. com/ridingsafely1. html http://motorcycles. about. com/od/gearreviews/tp/Motorcycle-Safety-Gear-101. htm http://www. 2keller. com/library/motorcycle-accident-statistics-motorcycle-acci

Importance of Health and safety in early childhood When opening a centre one of the most important things is Health and Safety. Making sure that the children, families and teachers are in a safe and healthy environment is paramount. The centre should ensure that all teachers and management have the same expectations regarding health and safety, that’s why it is important that everyone reads the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood and Care Centres 2008 which clearly states the high standard that everyone has to abide by.

Three really important practices from the Licensing Criteria are “Providing a Safe Environment”, “Identifying and responding to childhood illness” and “Nutrition across the Early Years”. As per the regulations of the licensing criteria premises and facilities standard it is up to the management and teachers to insure the premises that are being used provide sufficient and suitable space for a range of activities, eating, sleeping, toileting and food preparation to cater for a number and age range of children.

With this in mind teachers need to be mindful when setting up the environment to make sure that they are putting out equipment that is safe and will support the child’s development. The environment needs to be set out in a way that is appealing to children and offers a range of activities, a space for quiet activities, room for physical play and spaces for a range of group and individual learning experiences that are age and ability appropriate for all children’s learning, also making sure that the environment does not impact on the supervision of the children.

It is up to the teachers to be responsible in keeping the environment safe by doing regular safety checks and noting down any equipment that needs fixing. Being able to Identify and respond to childhood illness is an important part of the teacher’s role. Teachers should be knowledgeable in all illnesses, especially contagious and infectious illness. When working at a centre all teachers should be familiar with the centres policy on illness and how to deal with it accordingly, also when new families start at the centre the parents should be shown or given a copy of the policy so they are also familiar with the centres policy on illness.

It is up to the teachers to unsure that if a child becomes unwell while attending the centre they are kept either in a separate room or a safe distance from other children so as to minimise the spread of the infection. Making sure all linen used by children is hygienically cleaned is one way to stop the spread of infection. In accordance with the licensing criteria teachers must keep a written record of all serious illnesses that occur at the centre.

Concentrating on the Healthy side of health and safety it is up to the teachers to promote the importance of healthy and good nutrition to the children. Some fun and interesting ways teachers can teach children about healthy eating and good nutrition is getting the children involved in setting up and growing a vegetable garden, allowing the children to help with the preparation of meals giving the teacher the opportunity to talk about the different foods and which ones are healthy choices to eat.

As teachers we are constantly being observed by the children so therefore we should be role modelling healthy eating by eating fruit with the children and making sure to only drink water around the children, no sugary drinks. By doing this we are also keeping in accordance with the licensing criteria by supervising children while eating and offering water regularly. Children often learn more by observing others then by what they are told so as teachers we need to embrace their way of learning and lead by example.

To be successful in implementing the health and safety practices discussed above all teachers and management need to be are aware of the policies regarding all aspects of health and safety, then they will be knowledgeable in implementing it into the centre and will feel comfortable talking to parents about the relevant policies regarding their child’s well-being. With the help and guidance of the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008 there is no reason why a centre cannot set up a healthy and safe environment for children of all ages and abilities to further the child’s mental and physical development.

Reference List Marotz, L. R. , Cross, M. Z. , & Rush, J. M. (2005). Health, safety, and nutrition for the young child (6th ed. ). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa/ Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Ministry of Education. (2008). Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008 And Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework. Wellington: New Zealand Government. Retrieved 20 March, 2013, from http://www. lead. ece. govt. nz/ServiceTypes/CentreBasedECEServices. aspx.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for regulating health and safety at work. This is done by a code of practice for employers, employees and visitors in order to prevent illness and accidents. The legislation that best relates to health or social care work setting is The Health and Safety Act Work Act 1974. This legislation best describes the work that employer and employees have to follow and provide. The health and safety and security of employers and its visitors must be protected.

In order to follow up this legislation, the employer has to draw up health and safety policy and procedures and must be followed according to the legislation. The employer has to provide a safe work place, safe access to and from place of work, a risk assessment of potential a hazard and health and safety training as well as information on health and safety. The points of health and safety policies and procedures agreed with the employer are as follows:

• To secure the health, safety and welfare of people at work
• To protect others from risks arising from the activities of people at work
• To control the use and storage of dangerous substances
• To control the emission into the atmosphere of noxious or offensive substances

At a work place it is your duty to take care of yourself and anyone else who may be affected by your actions. No task should be done by you which you have not been trained or instructed to do so. No equipments should be misused in the interest of health and safety. The responsibilities of a manager should be that they make you aware of everything that is regarding to health and safety at work.

Such as, make you aware of health and safety policies and procedure and get you signed to confirm that you have been made aware. Others such as family members or carers have also responsibilities to consider such as health and safety in maintaining security, hand washing and no smoking rule. No task should be carried out without having had a special training. No need to be playing a hero if you are not trained to help at what ever the situation is. Medication should only be given by a trained staff and who also can demonstrate competence. There is so many things that could possible go wrong regarding giving a patient medication.

Sudden accidents that may occur in work setting could be falling down the stairs or slipping on a wet floor. Illness that could occur are poisoning, allergy and burns. The procedure that should be followed if the floor is wet, a sign should be put up to make people aware that it is dangerous and slipper and cleaned straight away. The procedure that should be followed if someone gets poisoned or has a severe burns they should be taken to the A&E. Stress is an organism’s response to a stressor such as an environmental condition or a stimulus.

Stress is a body’s way to react to a challenge. There are many signs that indicates stress, those are as follows: poor concentration tearfullness anxiety and depression high blood pressure weight gain or loss insomnia Signs that indicate own stress are physical stressors, emotional stressors and social stressors. Physical stressors are pain in your body, illness, disability, lack of sleep, poor diet and too much exercise or none. Emotional stressors, dealing with family problems, meeting deadlines, looking for a job, responsibilities at work and home and helplessness.

Social stressors, relationships, financial problem, coping with children, moving house, getting married and having a baby. In order to overcome stress, is to build emotional strength within you, controlling your situation, having a good social network and always have a positive outlook on certain things. Challenging yourself by setting goals, builds confidence and helps you take charge of your life. Been active has a lot of benefits, not just by calming your emotions and help you think more clearly but also by cleaning up unwanted toxin in your body.

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS ENGLISH 215 28 AUGUST 2011 Motorcyclists are more prone to die in accidents than those in automobiles. Accidents are caused by the motorcycle itself, the lack of experience, not wearing proper gear, riding at excessive speeds, and inexperienced automobile drivers. The main reason for most motorcycle accidents are caused by motorcyclist that operate their vehicles without wearing the proper protection. A safe and secure cyclist wears a helmet if riding one mile or two hundred miles.

Without a helmet, a person is leaving themselves open for the potential for many different types of injuries when riding a motorcycle, in particular injuries to the brain. There are many dangers which can be waiting on the highway for motorcyclists and many of these are preventable by being properly ready to ride and always being safe. Some believe that motorcycles are temptation for fate; unlike cars that have overhead covering, seatbelts, windshields, and two extra tires. Motorcycles provide no safety features for the rider. This seems to be a good enough reason for most people to avoid riding motorcycles.

A select few individuals are willing to take this chance at fate and enjoy the thrill and excitement of riding on the open road. There are many injuries and fatalities associated with motorcycles that cause most people to be against operating motorcycles. Some people have even lost love ones because of the love of motorcycles. Once the collision has occurred, or the rider has lost control through some other mishap, several common types of injury occur when the bike falls: * Collision with less forgiving protective barriers, or badly placed roadside “furniture” (lampposts, signs, fences etc. This is often simply a result of poor road design, and can be engineered out to a large degree. Note that when one falls off a motorcycle in the middle of a curve, lamps and signs create a “wall” of sorts with little chance to avoid slamming against a pole. * Concussion and brain damage, as the head violently contacts other vehicles or objects. Riders wearing an approved helmet reduce the risk of death by 37 percent. ( Wald, Matthew, 12

September 2007, The New York Times) The Hurt Report also commented on injuries after an accident stating that the likelihood of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents – 98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury. ( U. S. Department of Transportation. ) People who ride motorcycles most realize that due to the extreme risk of riding, certain protective gear must be worn to help minimize injuries.

The most important piece of equipment is the helmet. Operating a motorcycle without a helmet is just ludicrous. Riders should want to be highly visible at night. When a motorcyclist is not visible to others at night they become more susceptible to being injured by other vehicles. The wearing of bright or reflective clothing helps other people notice you at night. Abrasion resistant clothing is a must. This material help protect against debris and major cuts. Wearing jackets and pants that have extra padding assists in protecting the motorcyclist from extreme impacts.

Gloves are very important as well. Depending on the weather a riders hands may become moist or damp and could potentially cause the hands to slip of the throttle. The proper foot wear is very important because a rider most protect his ankles and have the necessary grip on the foot pegs to ensure a safe posture. Speeding also plays a part in the fatalities and injuries of motorcyclist. Motorcyclists tend to be very competitive when it comes to motorcycles. They often choose to speed but lack the experience to handle the speed.

Inexperience motorcyclist and automobile drivers play a big part in most accidents. Most automobile operators lack the necessary skills to operate a motor vehicle. The average person goes to the DMV and takes the written test and passes it. Then go straight to the driving portion without going through any type of driver’s training. Attending drivers safety courses can help reduce injuries and fatalities among motorcyclist and automobile operators. Most states highly encourage people to attend these classes but few actually attend.

Even with over 1,500 locations in USA, and over 120,000 annual students, MSF only trains about 3% of the owners of 4,000,000 new motorcycles sold for highway use. (Motorcycle Safety Foundation. ) There are many reasons for motorcycle accidents and fatalities and some of them are unavoidable, but it is up to the individual to decide whether they want to operate the vehicle, regardless of the dangers. REFERENCES www. ct. gov/dot/LIB/dot/Documents/dhighwaysafety Department of Transportation. www. nytimes. com/2007/09/12/us/12helment. html New York Times. www. msf-usa. org/SafeCycling/Safe_Cycling Motorcycle Safety Foundation

Nuclear technology has been widely used in the past, especially among nations seeking to dominate or to at least secure their positions as a country able to defend itself against its enemies or launch a military offensive. It is no hidden fact that nuclear weapons pose a great amount of threat to the security of human and animal lives in many ways.

There may be other purposes for nuclear technology other than harnessing a sizeable amount of military weaponry, such as for generating power which will be distributed to households and infrastructures.  Yet the apparent threat to the lives of humanity remains an utmost concern in the international community. More recently, many nations have already acquired nuclear facilities in creating nuclear weapons such as India, the United States of America, Russia and North Korea just to name a few.

The availability of these weapons of mass destruction has prompted many concerned individuals and groups to raise their opposition and seek a nuclear disarmament internationally, regardless of national status. There are also those who barely limit their calls for nuclear disarmament to nations which they perceive as threat to the international community such as North Korea.

One of the many arguments behind the call for nuclear disarmament is the idea that the very presence of nuclear weapons creates not only tension among nations which have them like USSR and America in the past. It also creates fear among nations and citizens, especially those which do not have the capability to produce nuclear weapons and make their presence felt as a nation capable of defending itself.

Moreover, there is also the fear towards the health risks posed by nuclear weapons. Among the risks, perhaps the most known is that of nuclear fallout caused by the testing of nuclear weapons. Nuclear explosions during these tests create residual radiation hazards or radioactive dust which can largely affect the health of people in many ways.

On the other hand, the manufacture of nuclear weapons can also pose dangers when accidents occur. For the most part, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident gives us a rough impression on the drastic consequences which can be brought about by nuclear accidents.

In essence, there should be nuclear disarmament precisely because the availability of nuclear weapons is enough reason to believe that sooner or later these weapons will be used. The very fact that there are nations creating nuclear weapons is enough to presume that there is a purpose or motive behind the manufacture of these weapons.

It would be irrational to presume that these nations will manufacture nuclear weapons—weapons that cost huge financing and environmental and health risks—without having the thought of using the weapons at some point in time. Indeed, if there is at least one essential reason why these weapons are being built, it would have to be the reason that these weapons are most likely to be used.

In the first place, one can pose the question as to whether there is an apparent and high need for nuclear weapons. Given the contemporary global situation, there are parts in the world where there are unrest like Tibet and there are regions in the world where there is a tension among nations like that of Israel and its neighboring countries just to name a few.

These events in the world indeed require efforts of mitigation and resolution. To say that the amassing of nuclear weapons is one key to putting a stop to these global concerns is to say that efforts to propagate weapons of destruction can curb destruction altogether. Yet there is strong reason to believe that the opposite is more likely to be true. Significant historical events from around the world teaches us quite a number of things, one of which is that nuclear disarmament should be met in order to halt further damage from being done.

Tensions across the world should be basically addressed not with another move which will further cause tension but with a real solution that will limit and eventually dissolve these tensions. The past two world wars literally obliterated the lives of thousands, and the further proliferation of nuclear weapons will create a similar scenario in the years to come if more and more nations will make use of nuclear weapons to further strengthen their military capabilities and if several nations will continue to harness nuclear weapons as we speak.

Another point that deserves attention is that if we have many nations manufacturing and keeping nuclear weapons, there may come a time when these nations engage themselves in a nuclear warfare. The most likely result will be that of a mutually assured destruction where even the non-participating nations will be greatly affected especially the nations which are incapable of defending themselves against nuclear weaponries.

It should be noted that even when there is no actual nuclear warfare, there remains the impending threat of its actual use, causing nations to panic to a certain extent and resort to measures to thwart off these threats temporarily. Although not exactly a crisis which involves nuclear weapons, the case of the Cuban missile crisis spawned fear from the United States of America.

This was during the time of the Cold War between the former USSR and America, a time when both nations were stockpiling nuclear weapons, racing against one another in the desire to outnumber the quantities of nuclear weapons of one over the other. As Samuel Walker puts it, “the first two decades of the Cold War era, most scholars, like most Americans, regarded postwar tensions as a result of Soviet expansion and aggression (Walker, 1995, p. 1653).”

The Cuban missile crisis was a crisis which did not strictly involve nuclear weapons. Then again, the fear and tension it created was overwhelming, which makes us think what more if the crisis had involved nuclear weapons. Apparently, the case of North Korea in more recent times reminds us of how the world has reacted against a nation harnessing nuclear weapons and testing these weapons right at their backyard.

The presence of nuclear weapons does not essentially nor significantly assure peace. Nor does it promote peace in one way or another. Rather, what it does is to heighten the political and military tension among countries, pushing these nations to increase the pressure on the nation wielding nuclear weapons or engaging such nation into military intervention some time in the future.

The cases of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are perhaps the most suitable and compelling examples to illustrate the point that nuclear weapons can indeed wipe-out an entire civilization and event the entire humanity. The bombing of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan is claimed to be the last nail during the Second World War. Apart from being the last nail, the bombings were also destructive in nature, destroying two key cities in less than a minute with destructive effects lasting even up to this very day. These only show that the dangers posed by nuclear weapons are very real and can bring havoc to an entire nation.

Nuclear disarmament requires nations with nuclear weapons to dismantle such weapons, such as the case of the several treaties that paved the way for the United States, the Soviet Union and many other countries to make certain prohibitions.

Some of these treaties include but is not limited to: the Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963 which sought to prohibit all forms of nuclear testing except when done underground, the Interim Agreement on Offensive Arms or SALT 1 which was agreed into by America and the Soviet Union way back in 1972 in order to freeze the actual units of intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as submarine-launched ballistic missiles that may be released or deployed by either of the two nations, and the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty or SORT which was signed in 2002 and enforced a year later which aimed to reduce the strategic nuclear warheads of the United States and Russia.

However, even though there have already been numerous treaties designed to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons among nations, the achievement of the goal of a total nuclear disarmament remains to be seen. Ken Rigby, Jacques Metzer and Biruta Dietz (1990) point out that “the attitude of world-mindedness has emerged as…related to both attitudinal and action tendencies to promote nuclear disarmament (p. 328).”

Thus, it can be asserted that the efforts to finally achieve a total nuclear disarmament may rest on a world-minded attitude. That it, the concerns of each individual aiming at a total nuclear disarmament should be parallel to a mental framework which is global. There should be no exclusions as to who can still be permitted to keep nuclear weapons even after treaties of nuclear disarmament have taken shape.

On a larger sense, history tells us that the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the past and even more so to this very day has resulted to the further realization of the dangers largely attributed to nuclear weapons either resorting from accidents or deliberate use of these weapons.

Nevertheless even if these dangers have already been realized, several nations still seem cannot find an easy way out of the complexity of the nuclear issues which beset them. It appears that while there are treaties being engaged into by nations with nuclear capabilities they, too, have remained unable to fully submit themselves to a total nuclear disarmament.

One can argue that perhaps one of the reasons why there is the failure for several nations to engage in a full nuclear disarmament is the idea that there are persisting threats to the sovereignty of these nations and that one way to curb these dangers is by wielding nuclear weaponry.

Despite the underlying drawbacks that go along with the possession of nuclear weapons, it appears that the United States, Russia, North Korea and many others remain oblivious to the call for full nuclear disarmament perhaps because the purposes of having nuclear weapons outweigh the odds of falling on their drawbacks. One indubitable purpose of the possession of nuclear weapons is the attribution of power and respect that goes with it.

However, even if these nations can be able to project an image of power and hegemonic dominance, history teaches us that “public concern over the dangers of nuclear war has increased dramatically in both Western Europe and the United States (Boutwell, 2002, p. 12).” Ironically, these increases in public concerns come from the citizens who live in the nations who have the capabilities to launch nuclear warheads.

This goes to show that, to a certain extent, nations with nuclear warheads also have a corresponding concerned body of the public sector well-aware of the dangers of nuclear weapons at the least and a nuclear war at the most. There is a strong reason to presume that the public sector raises its concern over the issue of nuclear weapons precisely because that sector is able to see and understand the harsh implications it brings with it. Further, the concerned public sector has strong basis for their claims, substantiating their claims on the experiences of the nation in terms of history.

Nuclear disarmament requires more than just disarming nuclear weapons for the moment. The crucial part is that such measures of disarmament should be sustained and should be kept as a lasting solution. It is admitted that there have been previous efforts from various nations and the international community to lessen nuclear arms and eventually entirely abolish these weapons of mass destruction.

But up to this day, it remains a fact that several nations are still harboring nuclear weapons and that some are even continuing production of these weapons. A contemporary example to such a situation is North Korea which has recently gained much criticism from the international community in its recent testing of nuclear weapons, one of which is the Taepodong-2 ballistic missile.

It is also a fact that at some point in time certain nuclear missile tests would have to be made in testing the feasibility of the weapon. It has been the case that the United States has tested some of its nuclear weapons in its own soil while North Korea and India have tested their missiles at sea. These tests may only last for a few minutes or so, yet the impact it leaves behind to the marine life in the cases of India and North Korea are long lasting.

As with the case of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings years ago, physical deformities were not only felt by those who were directly exposed to the radioactive substances present after the nuclear explosions. These physical deformities caused by alterations in the body’s genes persisted down to the third generation from those who were directly affected by the nuclear bombings.

Nuclear disarmament is one big step in realizing the goal of dissolving the current tensions created in the past and should not be taken as a long-term goal, for the longer it takes for nations to disarm themselves with nuclear weapons, it may be the case that more and more nations may resort to the creation of nuclear weapons for themselves. Indeed, if nations are truly serious with their desire to preempt a nuclear war and bring mutually assured destruction to these ‘nuclear’ states and the rest of the world, it should be the case that efforts of nuclear disarmament should be realized as soon as possible. The world cannot afford a third world war from happening and destroying the welfare of the nations and the development of a larger part of the world.

Indeed, nuclear disarmament should be the only option and that such an option should be taken and enacted the soonest possible time, if not now. The dangers of nuclear weapons are real and that history has taught us of the insurmountable destruction it brings with more than anything else in the world.

References

Boutwell, J. (2002). The Many-Sided Nuclear Arms Debate. Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 36(1), 12.

Rigby, K., Metzer, J., & Dietz, B. (1990). Factors Predisposing Individuals to Support Nuclear Disarmament: An International Perspective Journal of Peace Research, 27(3), 328.

Walker, S. (1995). The Origins of the Cold War in United States History Textbooks. The Journal of American History, 81(4), 1653.