An article today in livemint is about e-waste generation in the country and its way of collection and recycling mostly through scrap dealers. About 4.0 lac tonnes of e-waste is generated in the country and is growing at 10-15% per year. Struggle for existence makes availability of cheap labour and their exploitation. It may be that children are engaged for collection of scrap including e-waste. As this is unorganised sector, working conditions remain pathetic and out of purview of the regulators thereby endangering the health of the workers and surroundings. Effluents will be discharged into public sewage/drainage and thereby contaminating the ground and water bodies.
Sep 8, 2011
Sep 6, 2011
e-mail or phone?
Today in the news paper MINT, a syndicated column appeared on people tendency to use e-mail rather than phone for communication, though it is convenient to speak rather than type. Few months back, our boss also commented that, now-a-days, we are using e-mail more than the phone.
At workplace, I feel e-mail is more convenient to convey information to a group though it is easy to speak directly or over phone with limited number of persons. Moreover, e-mail is a written document which can serve as a proof of communication. Nobody can say that he/she did not received the mail. In case, e-mail ID is typed wrongly, then the sender will be at fault, else the receiver has to accept. If the mail ID is non-existent, then failure notice will appear in the sender's inbox. Verbal communication is like writing on the water.
Apart from communication to bulk, e-mail is also helpful to convey tough messages, or to those whom we do not want to talk but we have to communicate.
It is easy to organize the mails sent into different folders and can be retrieved easily with search words, whereas we have to spend more time in filing and tracing. We can also copy e-mails in portable storage media and use wherever required.
However, direct communication helps to convey what we want, remove any misunderstanding and help in improving relations. Urgent issues also have to be communicated directly. Sending e-mail in these cases will not ensure immediate attention of the receiver whether he is available near his computer or not.
At the same time, if we have to talk to nut cases (stupids), we have to use all our energy and time unsuccessfully and go home with disturbed mind.
Finally use of phone or e-mail depends on the importance of the issue, audience, time and our energy levels.
At workplace, I feel e-mail is more convenient to convey information to a group though it is easy to speak directly or over phone with limited number of persons. Moreover, e-mail is a written document which can serve as a proof of communication. Nobody can say that he/she did not received the mail. In case, e-mail ID is typed wrongly, then the sender will be at fault, else the receiver has to accept. If the mail ID is non-existent, then failure notice will appear in the sender's inbox. Verbal communication is like writing on the water.
Apart from communication to bulk, e-mail is also helpful to convey tough messages, or to those whom we do not want to talk but we have to communicate.
It is easy to organize the mails sent into different folders and can be retrieved easily with search words, whereas we have to spend more time in filing and tracing. We can also copy e-mails in portable storage media and use wherever required.
However, direct communication helps to convey what we want, remove any misunderstanding and help in improving relations. Urgent issues also have to be communicated directly. Sending e-mail in these cases will not ensure immediate attention of the receiver whether he is available near his computer or not.
At the same time, if we have to talk to nut cases (stupids), we have to use all our energy and time unsuccessfully and go home with disturbed mind.
Finally use of phone or e-mail depends on the importance of the issue, audience, time and our energy levels.
Sep 4, 2011
A fire incident
LINK
A fire incident was reported which caused property loss of Rs 2-3 crore as per some reports. Other reports mention the loss at much higher level. The cause stated is short circuit during testing of electrical equipment. Others say it is due to sparks from welding in the area that is full of flammables. The fire spread through cables to nearby area. No injuries are reported.
Generally, for any fire incident any where, it is common to attribute short circuit as the reason. Most of the time, the actual reason will be different.
If welding sparks are the reason, then before welding, one should check for presence of flammables atleast 15 m in the surrounding area as it is stated by experts in the field that weld sparks can fly about 15 m distance and can cause damage. If removal of flammables is not possible within this distance, then atleast they should be covered with fire resistant covers. If this is also not possible, worst case, ensure such hot works to be done only in the direct presence of Fire Service crew.
Following are some of the links on the same incident.
http://www.andhrawishesh.com/home/25660.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoE15SxbbUI
A fire incident was reported which caused property loss of Rs 2-3 crore as per some reports. Other reports mention the loss at much higher level. The cause stated is short circuit during testing of electrical equipment. Others say it is due to sparks from welding in the area that is full of flammables. The fire spread through cables to nearby area. No injuries are reported.
Generally, for any fire incident any where, it is common to attribute short circuit as the reason. Most of the time, the actual reason will be different.
If welding sparks are the reason, then before welding, one should check for presence of flammables atleast 15 m in the surrounding area as it is stated by experts in the field that weld sparks can fly about 15 m distance and can cause damage. If removal of flammables is not possible within this distance, then atleast they should be covered with fire resistant covers. If this is also not possible, worst case, ensure such hot works to be done only in the direct presence of Fire Service crew.
Following are some of the links on the same incident.
http://www.andhrawishesh.com/home/25660.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoE15SxbbUI
Sep 3, 2011
Find your web site is safe or not to access
Here are some of the web site services that check whether a particular site we want to access is safe or not. This information is available in cnet.com
Unmask Parasites. Do you know the dark side of your site? LINK
Norton Safe Web
Hosts for your protection
Google safe browsing
http://google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site= followed by the site you want to check, such as google.com or an IP address
Unmask Parasites. Do you know the dark side of your site? LINK
Norton Safe Web
Hosts for your protection
Google safe browsing
http://google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site= followed by the site you want to check, such as google.com or an IP address
Sep 1, 2011
Side effects of automation???
An article in Times of India on 31.08.2011 (Wednesday) on airplane accidents analyzed about how accidents are taking place due to too much dependence on auto piloting and how pilots are loosing their reflexes when they need in most critical situations.
It is our experience that even for simpler calculations, we use calculator or mobile phone instead of doing it mentally. If we want to know about something, we will not search books. Instead, we do google search or yahoo it. Even for meanings we fail to open dictionary. With such lifestyle, how wish to learn. Traditional methods of learning becoming extinct and getting addicted to NET. Less and less memory is being used and we do not play any mind games. The net result is loss of memory. After one or two generations, when creativity and intelligence is lost, I think we come back to square one and start reinventing the wheel.
I am not against automation. Automation should be designed, tested and implemented such that it is fool proof. We should use the technology for our advantage and should not blame it if there are accidents. Accidents occur because we fail to foresee, fail to plan, fail to use it the way it is required. It is easy to blame. But as an individual, as on authority, as on organization, what we are doing.
At home, we admonish our children, spouse, servant for some mistake. But, how many times we ourselves made mistakes. If we do mistakes, we call it experience and if others do it, we are ready to fire.
In the news item, it is mentioned that pilots use automated systems to fly airliners for all but about three minutes of flight i.e during take off and landing; that they have few opportunities to maintain their skills by flying manually as regulators do not allow manual flying.
In the same news item, at the end, it mentions about a fatal airline crash in the US, in 2009 caused after the co-pilot of a regional airliner programmed incorrect information into the plane's computers, causing it to slow to an unsafe speed, thereby triggering a stall warning. The panicked pilot bypassed two safety systems to control the plane unsuccessfully. In this case, even if the copilot fed wrong information, it appears, there are no program logic or supervision to verify about the wrong entry.
To address the complaint of pilots loosing reflexes of manual control due to automation, I feel that, after every fixed number of hours of flying, all pilots should be subjected to simulator training and examination for different types of scenarios and only those who passed with 100% should be put on roster.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Addicted-to-automation-pilots-forgetting-how-to-fly/articleshow/9804378.cms
It is our experience that even for simpler calculations, we use calculator or mobile phone instead of doing it mentally. If we want to know about something, we will not search books. Instead, we do google search or yahoo it. Even for meanings we fail to open dictionary. With such lifestyle, how wish to learn. Traditional methods of learning becoming extinct and getting addicted to NET. Less and less memory is being used and we do not play any mind games. The net result is loss of memory. After one or two generations, when creativity and intelligence is lost, I think we come back to square one and start reinventing the wheel.
I am not against automation. Automation should be designed, tested and implemented such that it is fool proof. We should use the technology for our advantage and should not blame it if there are accidents. Accidents occur because we fail to foresee, fail to plan, fail to use it the way it is required. It is easy to blame. But as an individual, as on authority, as on organization, what we are doing.
At home, we admonish our children, spouse, servant for some mistake. But, how many times we ourselves made mistakes. If we do mistakes, we call it experience and if others do it, we are ready to fire.
In the news item, it is mentioned that pilots use automated systems to fly airliners for all but about three minutes of flight i.e during take off and landing; that they have few opportunities to maintain their skills by flying manually as regulators do not allow manual flying.
In the same news item, at the end, it mentions about a fatal airline crash in the US, in 2009 caused after the co-pilot of a regional airliner programmed incorrect information into the plane's computers, causing it to slow to an unsafe speed, thereby triggering a stall warning. The panicked pilot bypassed two safety systems to control the plane unsuccessfully. In this case, even if the copilot fed wrong information, it appears, there are no program logic or supervision to verify about the wrong entry.
To address the complaint of pilots loosing reflexes of manual control due to automation, I feel that, after every fixed number of hours of flying, all pilots should be subjected to simulator training and examination for different types of scenarios and only those who passed with 100% should be put on roster.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Addicted-to-automation-pilots-forgetting-how-to-fly/articleshow/9804378.cms
Autonomous body for nuclear safety
A news item that appeared on Times of India on 31.08.2011 (Wednesday) states about cabinet approval for setting up an autonomous independent regulatory authority for monitoring nuclear safety. The Government of India decided for such authority in the wake of Fukushima incident caused by a series of failures after earthquake induced tsunami and to ensure safety and create confidence in the minds of all interested parties on nuclear power programme.
The powers stated in the article are in line with The Factories Act, 1948.
Aug 31, 2011
Restrictions on entry of old ships on Indian waters
Mint magazine published an article on the proposal of Indian government to impose restrictions on entry of ships that are older than 25 years into Indian waters due to recent accident.
Regulations are lessons learned from incidents. I thought it is useful to post this article so that history can be remembered. Many times, production managers question the feasibility/utility of rules and regulations without knowing the reason for such issues. Though, they are statutory, but this questioning attitude and not implementing the rules lead to hazardous conditions and endanger the persons and environment. These questioning type are arrogant, no regard for safety and blind by their egos. They do not realize that law of the land is supreme and one has to follow it. People make fun of rules saying that it is not practicable. Threaten them to put behind bars for non-compliance, overnight, they show it how to implement.
Ships older than 25 years will be allowed when they meet certain criterion like, membership in international body, insurance for damage due to accident, registration of agent for foreign ships to deal with issues arising out of any incident. I feel that this move is good and protect waters from pollution which is seen due to oil spillages from damaged oil tankers, ships carrying hazardous goods, etc.
Regulations are lessons learned from incidents. I thought it is useful to post this article so that history can be remembered. Many times, production managers question the feasibility/utility of rules and regulations without knowing the reason for such issues. Though, they are statutory, but this questioning attitude and not implementing the rules lead to hazardous conditions and endanger the persons and environment. These questioning type are arrogant, no regard for safety and blind by their egos. They do not realize that law of the land is supreme and one has to follow it. People make fun of rules saying that it is not practicable. Threaten them to put behind bars for non-compliance, overnight, they show it how to implement.
Ships older than 25 years will be allowed when they meet certain criterion like, membership in international body, insurance for damage due to accident, registration of agent for foreign ships to deal with issues arising out of any incident. I feel that this move is good and protect waters from pollution which is seen due to oil spillages from damaged oil tankers, ships carrying hazardous goods, etc.
Aug 30, 2011
Road rage - a car accident
Today morning while going to my work place, while going over a rail over bridge, I saw a car that hit a truck on its rear side, possibly in the darkness. No idea about injuries. Yesterday, same time, I saw the truck at the same place in halt condition, due to some breakdown. The surrounding area was isolated by keeping some tree branches.
Normally, when some vehicle is under breakdown, the driver uses blinkers that are ON indicating about vehicle presence. Some keep stones upto some distance. Some use night reflectors to indicate presence of vehicle.
Nobody expects, vehicle parking on the rail over bridges, flyovers, etc and drive vehicle at full speed, particularly at night times due to little traffic. I suspect accident might have occurred for this reason.
Many times, I too had heart jump while driving on flyovers, as suddenly I find some one talking on mobile after taking sides to the extreme end; some repairing their vehicle; some stopping the vehicle and looking at the nature; and so on.
Some trucks while carrying lengthy rods, pipes, etc do not tie the red flags, do not switch on the blinkers, and those driving behind, if they do not recognize, surely they get involved in accidents.
Road safety is very important for every one and loosing concentration even for a second may lead to deaths.
Sometime back, a person driving his 2-wheeler on a main road died, as all of sudden a mini truck entered from side road to main road rashly, leaving little chance for the person to escape.
I feel there should be speed breakers on all branch roads just before joining the main road so that vehicle speed will come down drastically.
Some places, I found branch roads immediately at the end of the flyovers. This condition too can lead to accidents as those driving fast on flyovers will find vehicles entering from branch roads. This is my personal experience too. Once, I was driving my vehicle on a rail over over bridge. I saw a 2-wheeler raider in front of me skidded and fell down while applying brakes as he saw a vehicle entering from branch road. Seeing this another vehicle driver nearby also applied brakes and he too fell down. From then on, whenever I drive down on flyovers, I am going very slowly, though I drive at speed while driving up on the flyover.
Normally, when some vehicle is under breakdown, the driver uses blinkers that are ON indicating about vehicle presence. Some keep stones upto some distance. Some use night reflectors to indicate presence of vehicle.
Nobody expects, vehicle parking on the rail over bridges, flyovers, etc and drive vehicle at full speed, particularly at night times due to little traffic. I suspect accident might have occurred for this reason.
Many times, I too had heart jump while driving on flyovers, as suddenly I find some one talking on mobile after taking sides to the extreme end; some repairing their vehicle; some stopping the vehicle and looking at the nature; and so on.
Some trucks while carrying lengthy rods, pipes, etc do not tie the red flags, do not switch on the blinkers, and those driving behind, if they do not recognize, surely they get involved in accidents.
Road safety is very important for every one and loosing concentration even for a second may lead to deaths.
Sometime back, a person driving his 2-wheeler on a main road died, as all of sudden a mini truck entered from side road to main road rashly, leaving little chance for the person to escape.
I feel there should be speed breakers on all branch roads just before joining the main road so that vehicle speed will come down drastically.
Some places, I found branch roads immediately at the end of the flyovers. This condition too can lead to accidents as those driving fast on flyovers will find vehicles entering from branch roads. This is my personal experience too. Once, I was driving my vehicle on a rail over over bridge. I saw a 2-wheeler raider in front of me skidded and fell down while applying brakes as he saw a vehicle entering from branch road. Seeing this another vehicle driver nearby also applied brakes and he too fell down. From then on, whenever I drive down on flyovers, I am going very slowly, though I drive at speed while driving up on the flyover.
Aug 25, 2011
Asphyxiation - death of persons
Today, in a lecture, I heard about asphyxiation deaths, in which two persons died in a manufacturing facility. The reason was that instead of air, nitrogen gas was admitted in the work space in which they were working. This happened due to lack of colour coding on pipelines carrying air and nitrogen. Effect of different oxygen levels on human beings is listed below.
% of O2 Effect
20 – 21Normal
12 – 15 Muscular coordination for skilled movement is lost
10 – 14 Conscious, but judgment is faulty and muscular effort leads to fatigue
6 – 8 Collapse occurs rapidly, but quick treatment prevents fatal outcome
≤ 6 Death occurs in 6 – 8 minutes
> 60 Inhalation for several days may cause lung damage
35 – 40 Permanent visual impairment / blindness
% of O2 Effect
20 – 21
12 – 15 Muscular coordination for skilled movement is lost
10 – 14 Conscious, but judgment is faulty and muscular effort leads to fatigue
6 – 8 Collapse occurs rapidly, but quick treatment prevents fatal outcome
≤ 6 Death occurs in 6 – 8 minutes
> 60 Inhalation for several days may cause lung damage
35 – 40 Permanent visual impairment / blindness
· A common symptom at low levels of exposure is headache.
· Depletion of O2 by combustion in a confined space may cause adverse health effects Some metals burn intensely in oxygen rich atmosphere (ex: iron wires)
· Lubricating oil undergoes exothermic reaction causing intense burning in the presence of liquid oxygen
People question the need for measuring oxygen levels with the routine reply that they worked like that in the last 10 years.The main reason for the accidents is not the lack of the knowledge in our work place activities. It is the lack of application of the knowledge we already have.
An activity is being done in a particular fashion without any accident for a few years does not mean that it is safe. We have to remember the words of renowned safety professional, Trevor Kletz, “We have done this way a 100 times without an accident is not acceptable, unless, an accident on the 101st occasion is acceptable to all of us”.
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