Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Criminology - Essay Example 59, 60). Social and economic factors in a person’s life play a significant role in the person’s perception on crime. People from respectable social classes will for example perceive crimes as unethical activities that can lead to loss of social ties with friends and relatives. As a result, these individuals will most likely refrain from involvement in criminal activities. A person with poor social conscience will however not care about the society’s perception over his or her criminal activities. Economic factors are also major causes of crimes. Poverty and unemployment for instance limits people’s capacity to provide for their basic needs and wants. As a result, some people engage in criminal activities in order to get finances for the needs (Messner, 2001). Cultural factors, influenced by peer pressure, are other causes of crime in the society. Association with groups with rebellious characteristics particularly transforms people to behaviors of such cultural groups. With a deviant behavior, a person is likely to disobey law and law enforcement officers resulting in criminal activities. Psychological factors also play a role in a person’s decision towards involvement in a criminal activity. The level of motivation in a person for example defines a person’s objectives and economic initiatives that the individual will engage in. While highly motivated individuals will work hard to develop decent professions, poorly motivated individuals lack the drive. As a result, they fail to establish reliable financial background and resort to criminal activities for survival. Negative aspects of â€Å"social, economic, cultural, and psychological† factors therefore cause criminal activities (Messner, 2001, p. 59, 60). A number of factors such as â€Å"cracking down on crime, education, administration, construction, and correction† prevent crimes (Messner, 2001, p. 60). Cracking down criminal activities,

Positive Influence Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Positive Influence Plan - Essay Example Satisfied and motivated workers initiate a positive relationship with customers within the business. This is a decisive factor within the organization’s objectives. Characteristics of high performance encompass innovation, flexibility, skills and knowledge, customer focus, working in line with the company’s objectives, sharing, and rapid response to market place requirements and the changing business needs. The business shall design jobs, and work to enable employees exercise decision making and discretion, resulting into quality performance. Strategies for enriching the team’s performance do hold. The company shall set working system with proper management that recognizes the employee’s performance. Also, a compensation budget put in place will fulfill the employee’s requirements (Timm & Brent, 2000, p.26). Efficiency at work goes along with cooperation and effective system of communication. Recruitment involves hiring employees who can work in col laboration with the existing team. This is a requirement that establishes a work force that enhances high performance. High performance work to be initiated through training and education, and proper flow of information. In order to support the full potential of employees, the company shall use personal development plans shaped by each employee so as to fulfill their career objectives. Factors to consider in job designing include; cross training, job classification, use of self-directed teams, job rotation, and changes in work location and layout. Effective communication strategy entails an environment with knowledge sharing, trust, and mutual respect. Recognition and compensation systems should match the work systems. Recognition and compensation might be tied to close evaluations and demonstrated skills (Timm & Brent, 2000, 43). Training ensures acquiring critical skills and knowledge with respect to services, products and customers; recovery from failures and problems; listening to customers and effectively manage expectations. Employees’ satisfaction has to be enabled through providing facilities, activities, services and other opportunities. They involve: career and personal counseling; employability services and career development; cultural and recreational activities; informal and formal recognition; day care; non-work related education; special leave for community services and family responsibilities; flexible work hours; safety on job; retiree benefits and out placement services including access to employee services and extended healthcare. Although satisfaction with promotion and pay could be vital, these factors are insufficient to enhance overall employee motivation, high performance, and satisfaction. In this case, other factors considered are employee career opportunities and development; effective grievance and problem resolution; management and work environment support; teamwork; workload; cooperation; job security; support for serving c ustomers and appreciation of conflicting needs of diverse groups of employees. Employees’ satisfaction and well being can be reinforced through addressing issues pertaining to the employee support climate, working environment that recognizes all employees’ support needs. When the team develops satisfaction, employee motivation becomes automatic. Motivational factors reinforce the team’s attitudes, personalities, values, and emotions which in turn influence the behavior towards work. People at work tend to adopt instinctive approaches of behavior, which are

Transitional Media Corporations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Transitional Media Corporations - Essay Example New World Information and Communication Order (NWIO) activists at UNESCO and structural theorists revisit this argument over and over when naming the believed destructive impact that the existing global communication system has on world’s culture (Aris & Bughin 2009). The structural argument states that Western media function as a medium of Western culture, Western customs, and Western values. In conjunction with entertainment and news, Western media transmit to Third World countries depictions of a more affluent life and more adventurous ways of life (Herman & McChesney 1997). To the point that LDCs are reliant on the West for the broadcasting of their global news and entertainment, they supposedly become embedded in the cultural representation of the West. Images of Western culture are believed to generate economic, political, and social changes in world’s culture via the demonstration effect. Western media supposedly kindle aspirations on the part of the LDCs to imit ate the culture of Western countries (Thussu 1998). This is a culture rooted mostly on consumer-oriented and capitalist economies. As aspirations for a more westernised culture heighten, so do the desires for Western products and services. Consequently, this purportedly results in elevated importation of goods from Western countries and heightened reliance by Third World countries on their Northern trading partners (Chalaby 2009). As stated by Anthony Smith. The structural argument states that Western media function as a medium.

Civil Litigation and Felonious Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Civil Litigation and Felonious Law - Essay Example The challenge may include persons or organizations. Upon the final ruling, compensation is awarded to the person that was affected (Kleinig, 2008). The felonious law applies in the instances of murder, beating, and assault. When the victim is declared guilty, the ruling is passed for his punished. The punishment can be incarceration in jail, fine or exceptionally death sentence. The sentence duration is based on the form of offense the executed by the accused. Judgment is made to deter further crimes since people are known to be rational (Kleinig, 2008). The former includes the collection of regulations that guide the processes in courts. This law governs various court processes that depend on the type of lawsuit. It gives a guideline by which the court is supposed to conduct a case hearing and determine what happens. The regulation maintains persistency in the case handling process. Additionally, fairness and justice are checked through the procedural law (Budewitz, 2011). Substantive law constitutes the various regulations, which guide the states’ and people’s relationships. This law outlines the multiple tasks and freedoms of the people. It entails tort, a  felony,  and laws requirements. The regulation originates from public law and the legislative regulations. Mountford (2002) suggests that lawyers use this law to establish the actual claims by plaintiff and defenses by the defendant. The claims are weighed on the procedural law to ensure justice and consistency (Budewitz, 2011). While it is possible to use procedural law in non-legal contexts, it is impossible to use substantive law in such situations.

James Dickey Essay Example for Free

James Dickey Essay James Dickey (1923 1997) is one of the outstanding modern American poets. His criticism provides a scope of ideas on what humanity has gained throughout the twentieth century. His viewpoint is likely to amaze an observer by constant critical notes on what is universally called â€Å"amenities of life.† Thus, the figure of James Dickey cannot be underestimated in terms of his poetical style and criticism of perpetually developing progressive life of the mankind during the twentieth century. His inclinations to make people understand the charms of primitivism and animalism were straightforward. He could put his reasoning over the entire life through the eyes of animals and nature. Thus, the environmental problem of humanity and morality worried him much. It is reflected in his poetry by making emphasis on the significance of return to the nature in order to think like a â€Å"child of nature.† Dickey’s main motivation for claiming the importance of return to primitivism was not spontaneous. He had got through participation in World War II and Korean War (Thesing and Wrede 151). In this respect the poet was highly depressed by losing his older brother. In fact, it turned into a cycle of poems on the main themes of family, survival, spiritual rebirth, love, war and some other (Vaughan 115). With multiple poems included in the compilation The Whole Motion, Dickey described war as the source for cruelty and disfigured estimation of humanity at large (Thesing and Wrede 153). In this very collection one embraces the evolution of Dickey as a poet. The author followed a specific for Modernism feature of the stream-of-consciousness technique. He introduced it in personal evaluation of human civilization, as a self-destructing unity of people. Moreover, Dickey was trying to make a set of interrelated topics interwoven in terms of their collision and approach toward the concept of a â€Å"natural man.† Attacking the problem of civilization, James Dickey is likely to blame world’s progress on the example of his best-known poem The Firebombing: The enemy-colored skin of families Determines to hold its color In sleep, as my hand turns whiter Than ever, clutches the toggle – The ship shakes bucks Fire hangs not yet fire In the air above Beppu For I am fulfilling An ‘anti-morale’ raid upon it (Kendall 511). Based on this single excerpt from the poem, Dickey brings the main problem of the mankind to notice. It is grounded on misunderstanding of where the edge between morality and violence takes place. The author perceives an enormous and ominous power of violence supported by humanity. He understands personal helplessness. Thus, he had no choice but to reflect his rumination in the form of a holistic criticism of the civilization and its consequences. Hence, Dickey is constantly critiquing civilization, and it feels like he never repeated the same theme colored by a banal estimation. It is also included into The Sheep Child. His poetic language was easy to comprehend. Thus, the readers and followers can easily take Dickey as he is. As a matter of fact, born in Atlanta, Georgia, Dickey was loosely related to the concept of nature as he lived, studied, and worked for some period of time in the south of the USA (OBriant 158). His â€Å"southern† origin and what he once experienced in person gave him motivation for teaching the audience being glowering toward what the civilized life had fallen into (James Dickey 1). In this respect the primitivism and the concept of the â€Å"natural man† are the paramount alternatives represented in his poetry.

Timber frame and masonry construction

Timber frame and masonry construction Modern construction comes in many forms, from traditional masonry, to precast concrete, to steel, and in recent times timber frame construction. Timber frame and masonry construction are very similar looking buildings. Over the last thirty years in Ireland the main type used in domestic dwelling was masonry construction which consists of block inner leaf, cavity, insulation and a block outer leaf, externally finished normally with a brick or plaster rendered block. Over the last twelve years timber frame construction has grown to account for nearly forty percent of the market. Timber frame construction consists of an off site engineered building which arrives to site and the pieces are assembled to complete the unit. The external finish is similarly to masonry with brick or plaster rendered block. The reason for chosen this topic is to find why this change occurred. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the Irish housing market over the last number of years, also to find out the reasons for timber frame construction becoming more popular. Aim To find out why the trend of building domestic housing in Ireland has changed from masonry construction to timber frame construction. Objectives * To investigate the Irish housing market and find reasons for the trend change from masonry construction to timber frame construction. * To examine the reasons why timber frame construction has grown to the level it has over masonry construction. * To examine the views of homeowners and property developers towards timber frame construction. Literature Review The primary data will be sourced from RGU database, Internet sites, RGU books and journals. Relevant Irish government reports and websites will also be looked at to gain an unbiased view. Also the views of the construction agencies in Ireland will be explored. Research and methodology The author plans on doing a comparison of the two construction types in order to achieve reasons for the shift in trend. The brief comparison case studies will include cost, time, heat and energy of both types of construction. Questionnaires Questionnaires provided the primary research for this dissertation. The author shall do up one and give it out to relevant homeowners and property developers to gain an insight into their views. By doing this the author will find out the market potential of timber frame construction. Structure of Dissertation Chapter One This chapter explains the title of the dissertation, introduces the motivations and gives a background for the reasons for choosing this topic. The author explains to the reader the aim and objectives of the dissertation and how they are going to be achieved. Chapter Two The literature review will investigate in trend in Irish construction. Current construction agencies reports will be looked to try and gain an insight to the change in trend. The author feels that this will achieve the first objection of this dissertation. Chapter Three This chapter will investigate the two building options with regard to cost, time, heat and energy. This will be done by a number of interviews and case studies. Areas looked at will be construction cost and life cycle costs. Also will include a case study of both types of construction where U-Values and Building Energy Rating will be achieved and assessed to gain an insight into why the trend shifted. The author feels that this will achieve the second objection of this dissertation. Chapter Four This chapter the opinions and views of homeowners and property developers towards timber frame construction and masonry construction are explored by means of a questionnaire. The author feels this will achieve the third objection of the dissertation. Chapter Five In this finally chapter the conclusion provides a brief summary of the finding of the preceding chapters. Literature Review Background Over 70% of home in the developed world are timber frame homes. 60% of Scottish new dwelling are timber frame and over all in the United Kingdom timber frame accounts for 15% of new homes. Ireland is slowly following our neighbours. Over the last ten year Ireland had been experiencing a construction boom. Housing units been completed in 2000 being 49,812 units growing to 62,686 in 2003, peaking in 2006 with 82,980 unit completed. After 2006 the housing market in Ireland started to fall, numbers of units being built in 2007 being 71,356 continuing to fall in 2008 as 48,151 units and continuing to fall in 2009. (Central Statistics Office Ireland 2008) Many housing estates and apartment blocks had been popping up in every city, town and village mainly around the computer belt around the capital city of Ireland Dublin. Then slowly the rest of the country following. In 1992 timber frame construction account for only 5% of the new dwelling market. Since then it has grown to enormous levels to account for 30% of total housing construction nationally (Construction Industry Federation 2009). Typical these building were constructed by masonry construction, this consisted of a 300mm cavity wall with block inner leaf, insulation, cavity and a brick/block outer leaf finished with a plaster render. Over the last seventeen years timber frame construction has shown steady growth. Timber frame construction consists of an off site engineered building which arrives to site and the pieces are assembled to complete the unit. The external finish is similarly to masonry with brick or plaster rendered block. Some industry experts predict that by 2012 it will account for 50% of the new dwelling market. The timber frame industry in Ireland has shown strength and resilience, despite these difficult economic times. When the upturn comes, timber frame construction will be presented with numerous opportunities. (Maurice Buckley, CEO, NSAI National Standards Authority of Ireland.) Reasons for this happening? Energy In Ireland over the last number of years there has been a turn in attitude regarding the environment, which has in some part resulted in changes been implemented by the construction industry with regard to energy conservation. The main topic that has come to the fore on an Irish domestic level is the conservation of fuel and energy consumption. The construction industry has been identified as a considerable part of the national energy bill. Attitudes of developers and homeowner are changing to environmentally friendly buildings. Due to this timber frame construction has seen a steady growth. Timber frame is renewable building option, for every tree cut down two more are planted. The cost of turning the raw product into a building material is conceivably less than traditional methods. Timber is the only sustainable renewable commercially viable building material. The production of concrete produces vast amounts of Carbon Dioxide (C02), which has a negative impact on the environment and contributes significantly to global warming. (Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009) Speed As the construction boom grow so did the need for housing and more importantly fast housing. One of the main factors for this turn towards timber frame is speed of construction. The frame of the building can be erected in a number of days which compared to typical masonry building is incredibly faster. This is due to the timber frame been constructed off site in a factory and delivered to site as a planned process of assembly. Masonry on the other hand takes a number of weeks to reach roof level where as timber frame is erected in a number of days. Even in wet weather work can still continue as a scaffolding system is in place around the foundation, where as blocks for masonry construction can only be laid in dry weather. Also with timber frame construction the building is weather proof much faster so internal works can begin much quicker. Also a lot of the slower work for plumbers and electricians such as first fixing is much easily done in a timber frame house. Timber frame has 30% shorter, more predictable construction time than brick and block (UK Timber Frame Association 2009) In masonry construction the use of wet trades in the build causes extra time needed for drying out. Because timber frame is a dry form of construction there is no drying out time which is a saving of a number of weeks. Also because of this there is less lightly a risk of cracking appearing on walls and ceilings for shrinking which can occur in masonry frequently. Time scale for both for of construction Standard Masonry Home Weeks Timber Frame Homes Foundations 1 Foundations Foundations 2 Foundations Bricklayer Ground Floor 3 Erect Timber Frame Structure, Fix Glaze Windows Bricklayer 4 Felt, Battens, Tile Roof Fix Glaze Windows 5 Brickwork First Fix 6 Roof Structure 7 Insulate Felt, Battens. Tile Roof 8 Dry Line First Fix 9 Second Fix Plasterwork 10 Decorate, Move In Plasterwork 11 12 2nd Fix, Plumber, Electrician 13 14 15 16 17 2nd Fix 18 19 Decorate, Move In 20 = Drying out period Taken from (Energy Efficient Homes Ireland 2009) Cost The cost of a timber frame house is similar to masonry built. Unlike masonry, costs of a timber frame build can be fixed long before the foundations are poured. This is due to most timber frame suppliers also fix the structure. So a fix price for a fixed solution. No rain days for wet trades or no additional costs. This ensures that the additional expenses that spiral as a building progress can be eliminated. (Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009) The number of persons need to fix the structure is lower than a masonry build, also with regard to time, time is money so the faster the build the cheaper for the developer and homebuilder. Also the hand over time for a complete dwelling is must faster so this will benefit developers cash flow and profitability. Due to the speed of construction on site security cost or greatly reduced. Flexibility of Layout Because timber frames internal walls being construction out of light weigh partition walls the internal space of a timber frame build is very flexible. Any mistakes in layout of internal walls is easily rectified, where as masonry internal wall would be particularly more difficult to correct. Case Studies Introduction To get real reasons for the trend mover towards timber frame construction and to get a true indication of the cost difference in both timber frame and traditional masonry domestic construction the author looked at two key areas, construction costs and life cycle costs. In relation to construction costs the areas of preliminary costs; plant and equipment costs and site labour costs are looked at in greater detail. Construction Costs Preliminary Costs Every construction project incurs preliminary costs. Preliminary costs are defined as, Costs which are directly involved with the overall completion of a construction project ( Roy Chudley 2002) These costs include items such as site management, insurance for the project, drivers and operatives. On larger sites where site cabins, offices, storerooms, toilets and canteens are required the costs incurred are also referred to as preliminary costs. For each project there is an allowance set aside for preliminary costs. However in relation to timber frame construction these costs are included in the overall timber frame package. This is a result of the majority of the work required for timber frame construction being carried out off site, which in turn makes the budget costs a lot cheaper than traditional masonry. Derek Moore a director with Timberline building contractors Ltd Dublin states, by pre-manufacturing the timber frame off-site, houses are constructed more cost effectively. (Pick a Pro 2009) To back up this point the Irish Timber frame manufactures association states this method of construction is not cheaper particularly if the builder hasnt thought his practices through but because factory fabrication means much greater predictability, better controls and of course, a faster pace (Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009) This is not the case for its traditional masonry counterpart as preliminary costs are required as a separate budget, this is due to the fact that all of the work required for traditional masonry is carried out on site. A majority of the preliminary budget for the traditional masonry method includes hire of plant and provision for skips and concrete silos on site etc. Another factor to be taken into consideration is the time period taken to construct a timber frame house, which is significantly lower than that of traditional masonry counterpart. Costs such as site supervision and the need for engineers and the like on site are greatly reduced. Plant and Equipment Costs Plant and equipment costs should be taken in to consideration when dealing with construction costs. Every project requires certain types of equipment and plant to carry out work to a conclusion. According to Colm Kilroy a quantity surveyor with Michael Higgins and associates in Galway, plant and equipment costs are a major part of all construction projects, the utilization of such equipment is vital as a lot of money can be wasted due to bad management and planning on site. He continued to say if plant is required on site for a certain job it is vital that the site is ready for that equipment as once it arrives on site it has to be paid for. (Colm Kilroy 2009) The weather can also plays a part in plant and equipment costs, adverse weather conditions can lead to a lot of equipment being left idle while the cost for having it on the site is still being charged. Obviously the weather conditions cannot be controlled by the project team but in periods of forecasted inclement weather the ordering of plant and materials should be avoided if possible. Site Labour Costs This area of site labour costs greatly differs with both methods of construction. A lot of the factors in relation to cost for the timber frame method of construction are all inclusive of the over timber frame package, the majority of the work to be carried out by specialised labour is completed in the factory and once the timber frame unit leaves for the site their work is finished. This in turn reduces any call back costs, to complement this, the Irish timber frame manufactures association states that, There are lower call back costs; any problems encountered can be eliminated immediately by the timber frame specialists before leaving the factory. (Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009) The cost for the labour to rectify these problems is still inclusive of the timber frame package. Traditional masonry construction is in comparison carried out differently with all the construction work associated with traditional masonry been carried out on site and with each individual trade requiring labour to carry out the work. Cost Case Study The author compiled a cost comparison from a construction contractors point of view for the development of a timber frame and masonry domestic dwelling. The house plans used to carry out this comparison were based on a single house within a development of five similar houses, only the major elements of the structures were included in the pricing. The figures for the comparison were obtained from Barry Doyle a quantity surveyor with a Co Carlow company and John O Connell a construction contractor in Co Galway. Cost Case Study Findings Element Timber Frame House Masonry House Raft Foundation â‚ ¬ 3,855.50 â‚ ¬ 4,602.60 Supply and erection of timber frame Kit â‚ ¬ 28,114.00 Block work â‚ ¬ 3,680.00 â‚ ¬ 11,460.00 Roof â‚ ¬ 5,382.00 â‚ ¬ 17,535.50 Windows and Doors â‚ ¬ 11,000.00 â‚ ¬ 11,000.00 Plumbing â‚ ¬ 5,780.00 â‚ ¬ 5,780.00 Electrical â‚ ¬ 5,275.50 â‚ ¬ 5,275.50 Insulation â‚ ¬ 3,191.00 â‚ ¬ 1,946.00 Supply fit plasterboard â‚ ¬ 3,210.00 â‚ ¬ 1,821.00 Plastering â‚ ¬ 5,815.00 â‚ ¬7,215.00 Carpentry â‚ ¬ 3,575.25 â‚ ¬ 4,485.00 External Works â‚ ¬ 3,275.50 â‚ ¬ 3,275.50 Floor Screeds â‚ ¬ 954.50 â‚ ¬ 954.50 Kitchen â‚ ¬ 5,500 â‚ ¬ 5,500 Fireplaces â‚ ¬ 2,500 â‚ ¬ 2,500 Total measured work excluding Vat â‚ ¬ 91,108.25 â‚ ¬ 83,350.60 Main Contractors Profit â‚ ¬ 4,555.41 â‚ ¬ 4,167.53 Vat @ 13.5 % â‚ ¬ 12,299.61 â‚ ¬ 11,252.33 Total â‚ ¬ 107,963.27 â‚ ¬ 98,770.46 The timber frame house is more expensive to construct than its masonry counterpart. There is a cost difference of approximately â‚ ¬9,000 between both methods to construct a single house taking the main structural elements in to consideration. For the development consisting of five houses where this house is located the total price difference in the construction of the five houses using both methods of construction can be up to â‚ ¬45,000 to â‚ ¬50,000. The following information shows the reasoning behind the price differences for the important elements of the construction. Timber frame kit This element looks to be very expensive but the majority of materials needed to complete the timber frame house including the labour needed for the construction are included. Concrete raft foundation The price of the raft foundation differs as there is less steel required in the raft for the timber frame house in comparison to the masonry built house, this leads to savings for both the labour and materials. Block work The difference in the price of the block work is due to the inner leaf and the internal walls of the timber frame house been constructed of timber. Roof The timber frame kit incorporates a majority of the roof in the over all package which leads is a massive price difference from the standard roof for the masonry dwelling. Insulation Due to the requirement for more insulation in the timber frame house there is a difference in price over its masonry counterpart. Slabbing As with the insulation due to the amount of timber stud internal partitions and timber inner leaf walls the timber frame dwelling requires more plaster board than the masonry method which increases both the amount of material and labour. Plastering The plastering element differs solely because of the reduced quantity of scratch coat required in the timber frame house. Carpentry The price difference in relation to carpentry is a result of a lot of the timber work coming pre fabricated as part of the timber frame kit, an example being the doors coming pre hung with ironmongery fitted and architrave already attached. Main contractors Profit The main contractors profit has been calculated on the standard percentage being 5%. Life Cycle Costs Introduction Life cycle costs are commonly interpreted as, The operating costs of buildings over the forecast useful life attributed to them (Bruceshaw 2009) These costs include initial capital costs, occupation costs and operating costs. In relation to the building industry and in particular to the traditional masonry and timber frame methods of construction, life cycle costs are essential in deciding which is the overall cost effective method of construction is. In this chapter the author discusses areas such as the running costs and other costs that are involved with both forms of construction. Design Differences and Alterations From an aesthetic point of view timber frame and traditional masonry constructed dwellings when constructed look very similar, however timber frame houses, Allow for more versatile designs than block built houses (Pick a Pro 2009) The question is once the house is constructed how easy is it to carry out modifications to the design. In relation to these alterations Kingspan Century state, Due to the fact the inner leaf of your timber frame house is constructed of solid wood and plasterboard, and not concrete blocks and plaster, extensions and alterations generally have significantly reduced impact on the existing building. (Kingspan Century 2007) To further this statement MBS Timber frame Ltd state, Because the interior of a timber frame house is made of wooden panels and plasterboard, alterations and extensions will not involve the mess and severe disruption of knocking down solid block walls, and all the other trials and tribulations that accompany this type of work. (MBC Timber Frame 2009) Alternatively the block work internal leaf of a masonry house has distinct advantages over is timber frame counterpart. Tasks such as fixing a shelf or curtain rail can be a tricky with the timber frame method, There is no problem doing this in a masonry build home as all the walls are capable of holding shelves, curtain rails etc. it would be a simple matter of drilling the holes in the correct place and screwing your shelf into place (Irish Concrete Federation 2009) In comparison, with a timber frame house, according to John Meehan a carpenter with a Co Galway Company, If you are installing a new kitchen or television unit, you may find that there are no grounds in the wall where you need a fixing. If in this situation if your fixing is put in place without finding a stud, the unit is sure to fall down under pressure. (David Treacy 2009) Property Market and Selling Value Influencing factors in relation to domestic construction include resale value and ease of sale. The traditional masonry constructed process has built up a reputation of been a good seller and a favourite with the Irish public, Galway auctioneer John Gilmore states, Block built houses are easier to sell as people generally go for the trusted method, a lot of people inquiring about timber frame houses are wary and are not easily convinced as to its benefits (Liam Gordon 2009) The view of an Irish timber frame company is that, Auctioneers and estate agents are generally of the opinion that not only is timber frame not an obstacle in selling a home, but on the contrary, is becoming more and more a major selling point. The energy efficiency of timber frame houses is becoming an increasingly valued characteristic. (Kingspan Century 2008) To reiterate this, For mortgage purposes and insurance, most lenders and insurers rank timber frame equally with block work. As far as resale value is concerned, there appears to be no difference at all between the two systems. However some individuals have their own preferences, built up from their own experience or things they have heard about either system. (Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine 2005) Running Costs The timber frame method of domestic construction encounters large savings over its traditional masonry counterpart. These savings result from the timber frame house having an allowance for insulation on both the external and internal walls; this differs considerably from the traditional masonry method where in most cases only the external walls contain insulation. Because timber frame structures are extremely well insulated and have less mass than more traditional forms of construction, significant savings can be made in heating costs. (Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine 2005) A leading Irish timber frame company states, Savings of between 30% and 40% on heating bills are fairly typical. (Devsan Timber Frame Homes 2009) In relation to further savings in the future with timber frame, It is estimated that the heating cost of a timber frame home can be 30% lower than that of a masonry dwelling, and the rapid rise in energy costs these costs look set to increase. Sunday Business Post Newspaper 2007) In conclusion the savings to be made with the timber frame method of domestic construction in relation to heating and energy use are extensive over its masonry counterpart Time of Construction Introduction From a time to construct perspective the length of time it takes to build and finish both forms of construction differs. The construction of a traditional masonry dwelling has a longer time programme than its timber frame counterpart. The main factors contributing to the difference in construction times include. Programme of works The programme of works for both methods has a time difference of approximately seven weeks from foundation stage to decorating and moving in stage. Derek Moore of Timberline building contractors states, In terms of build speed, timber frame can deliver a significant 30% reduction on traditional construction times, which affect cash flow and reduces local disturbance. (Pick a Pro 2009) The view of another Irish timber frame supplier is the construction time of both methods of construction is even larger depending on the building, Construction time is cut by almost 40% as your timber frame structure is erected on site within days depending on size and complexity of building. (Clark Group 2008) Building Finishes During the stage whereby the timber frame unit is erected the internal first fixing work can commence. This work can proceed inside the house as the masonry skin is being built, in comparison no internal work can commence on the masonry house while the block work element is being constructed. The long drying out period associated with traditional masonry construction is also a disadvantage in comparison to the timber frame method. Apart from the obvious labour saving, timber frame doesnt need any drying-out time, unlike a standard masonry construction, which needs up to 1,500 gallons of water to evaporate before it is dry. (Sunday Tribune 2001) To reiterate this a leading Irish timber frame supplier states, Timber frame aids internal finishes, all walls are straight and plumb, corners are square and true. With timber frame there are less of the wet trades, plasterboard needs only to be skimmed and paint, decorative materials and floor coverings can be applied sooner to dried surfaces. (Castle Timber Frame Homes 2009) Heat Loss in Buildings Introduction For the purpose of this dissertation the author compared the U Value of the external walls of both a timber frame and masonry constructed dwelling, the author also decided to obtain the Building Energy Rating (BER) for both methods of construction so as to make an accurate comparison. Both the U Value calculation and the Building Energy Rating are based on the house plans. With the expertise of Michael Sweeney of Sweeney Energy the U Value and BER calculations were compiled and the results are as follows. U-Value Calculation A U-value is the term given to the measure of heat loss through sections of a building. It measures the rate that heat transmits through a component or structure when there is a difference in air temperature at both sides. U Values are expressed in Watts per metre Kelvin which is the rate of heat transfer in watts through 1m2 of the structure for one unit of temperature difference between the air on the two sides of the structure. (Roy Chudley 2002) U-Value Terms The following are terms associated with the calculation of the U-Value. Thermal Conductivity It is the measure of a materials ability to transmit heat and is expressed as the energy flow in watts per square metre of surface area. (Roy Chudley 2002) Thermal Resistance This is symbolized by the letter R, as representative of a materials thermal resistance achieved by dividing its thickness in metres by its thermal conductivity. (Roy Chudley 2002) Findings Traditional Masonry Cavity Wall Fabric Thickness Conductivity Thermal Resistance External Res. 0.04 Render 0.015 0.57 0.03 Ex. Block 0.1 1.33 0.08 Cavity 0.18 60mm Insulation 0.06 0.027 2.22 Internal Block 0.1 0.57 0.18 Plaster 0.015 0.43 0.03 Internal Res. 0.13 2.88 U-value = 0.35 W/m ²K Table Traditional Masonry U-Value Calculation Timber Frame External Wall Fabric Thickness Conductivity Thermal Resistance External Res. 0.04 Render 0.015 0.57 0.03 Ex. Block 0.1 1.33 0.08 Cavity 0.18 Insulation 0.1 0.021 4.76 Plasterboard 0.019 0.25 0.08 Internal Res. 0.13 5.29 Table Timber Frame U-Value Calculation Timber Frame External Wall Cont. Fabric Thickness Conductivity Thermal Resistance External Res. 0.04 Render 0.015 0.57 0.03 Ex. Block 0.1 1.33 0.08 Cavity 0.18 Timber Studs 0.1 0.13 0.77 Plasterboard 0.019 0.25 0.08 Internal Res

Safety in plastic manufacturing

Safety in plastic manufacturing INTRODUCTION: Plastic manufacturing is becoming one of the most important fields in manufacturing (Makin 1987). All manufacturers are trying to reduce their cost by putting plastic into their machines or computers. Plastic Manufacturing started from producing combs and buttons till it reached different fields of production such as: automotive, medical equipments, aerospace, construction and consumer goods as well as toys and packaging. The most important threat that has been facing the advance of this technology is health and safety. Safety in plastic manufacturing is critical because you deal with different areas such as: the machinery, raw materials (generally petrochemical materials) which are mostly flammable and lately there has been environmental issues of concern arising from the manufacturing of plastics thats why It needs to be considered during the design phase of a factory before starting the manufacturing phase. With more and more automation and advanced machinery being applied to this industry, and greater application of new technologies being implemented with increased capability for providing flexibility to the process and operations, greater attention has to be given to safety. This research aims to capture what level of safety is there in plastic factories. And what it lacks for and what is needed to implement health and safety inside these factories and protect the workers and the owners of the factory in addition of comparing the cost of a safety program in a factory to the money spent in case accidents happen because of the low level of safety. The study will briefly review the impact of this industry on the environment and the importance of recycling to cut-down these impacts. Studies have been conducted in different industrial countries like: The United kingdom and The United States of America and comparing that to an industrial developing country like Saudi Arabia. KEY QUESTIONS: There are several questions to be exploded in this topic of research because as mentioned earlier safety in plastic factories is critical because it is attached to different sectors like: machinery, raw materials, and environmental issues. So the main question can be: How to implement a safe environment in a plastic factory? This main question can be specified by using the following questions: 1- What are the most common accidents and injuries that happen in plastic factories? 2- What are the reasons that cause accidents in plastic factories? 3- Why is plastic manufacturing threatening the environment? What are the solutions to reduce this risks and accidents caused by this industry? 4- How can you develop safety in plastic factories in developing countries like Saudi Arabia? AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This research will aim to capture the main reason of accidents in plastic factories and how to implement health and safety in this industry in all phases. These aims can be specified to the following: * Decreasing the risks that plastic manufacturing causes in the environment, and developing the ways to prevent pollution caused by this industry such as plastic recycling. * Cutting down the number of accidents during work by applying advanced safety plans and precautions in Saudi Arabia. * Analysing the most common accidents and their reasons and link them together statically. * Implementing computers and networks in emergency management inside and outside the factories. Generally, this study will embrace the ways of having a healthy and safe environment in plastic factories and how to reduce accidents and risk that are caused by this industry. LITERATURE REVIEW: In 1868 John Wesly Hyatt developed plastic material called celluloid he used it to substitute ivory which was becoming more expensive and difficult to obtain after improvements ,from that plastic industry was born (Bryce 1999). During the next 40-50years others began to investigate this new process and used it for manufacturing. During 1940s the plastic injection moulding industry became more popular because of the demand created for inexpensive mass produced products after the World War II. The makers of Bakelite, the first synthetic plastic called it the material of the thousand uses and used the mathematical symbol of infinity [à ¢Ãƒâ€¹Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¾] as a trademark (Bryce 1999). In general applying safety to your factory and keeping your workers healthy and safe does not happen by chance there are different things to be done from electrical and machinery safety to dust handling requirements for example: careful management processes, commitment throughout the organisation in addition to safety management including risk assessments, engineering controls, and emergency procedures and training. Good management processes in plastic manufacturing includes carefully evaluating raw materials and implementing controls such as containers, safe handling procedures and use of appropriate personal protective equipment, because as mentioned before plastics are petrochemical materials that must be dealt with carefully. It is always recommended to have a good communication with the raw material companies in case any information is needed. Prevention of pollution is essential too; it can be by controlling techniques for emission such as optimising processing conditions for h andling and mixing dry additives and storing of these materials. Health and safety associations such as Health and Safety Executive (HSE) work to improve safety in a wide variety of sectors in this industry. Firstly, machines new or old should comply with its regulations and meet the requirements needed. About the workers; government regulations in Europe and North America require that operators be protected from moving parts of machinery, while machinery parts that require a tool to open must be opened by trained personnel following appropriate safety procedures (British Plastic Federation 2009; Health and Safety Executive 2009). To avoid hand injury which is almost 25-50% of the total injuries in this industry according to the HSE statistics survey, robots and automation are implemented to protect workers from injury during manual handling although it is difficult to eliminate manual handling but they are trying to cut it down. Safety of using these robots should be encountered too because there are not reliable and safe 100%.There are several accidents reported from using robots and automation, the first robot fatality occurred in Japan in 1981 the robot stabbed an employee to death the employee didnt use the safeguards (Makin 1987). Nearly 80 accidents in blow moulding factories were investigated by inspectors from HSE during 1986-1996.It was found that 50% of these accidents happen because inadequate or damaged safe guarding about another 25% were because of defeated safeguards (Health and Safety 2009). To avoid these kinds of accidents it is recommended to: provide the right safer guarding and check it is kept in the position and working effectively. Plastics are created by refining common petroleum products the most common are crude oil and natural gas. Fire in plastics manufacturing may generate black acrid smoke and poisonous gases including carbon monoxide. The fires may spread quickly and be difficult to extinguish. Sources of ignition should be controlled by prohibiting smoking and hot work in high risk areas. A key to safe operation is safety awareness and putting safety as a priority at all levels, from the operator to the manager. Mr.Seeberg the safety director at Clariant says that workers will notice if their site manager or supervisor is only concerned with the output or is also concerned with safety (Science Direct 2009). Before safety training can be effective, top management must show a clear commitment and interest in safety. Some managers say that their major concern is that they do not have the resources to have a full time safety person in this case they can rent a safety supervisor in-order to reduce the cost. In general the employers duties can be summarised in: * Making the workplace safe without risks to health. * Ensuring the plant and machinery are safe and that systems of work are set and followed. * Giving the information instructions, training and supervision necessary for health and safety. The successful implementation of management system for both occupational health and safety and return to work programmes will result in positive change in business and safety cultures in the industry and there will be a considerable opportunity to reduce costs in manufacturing. The plastic industry faced a lot of threats in its beginning a lot of people tried to link it with cancer. The waste and littering caused by plastic products in the world especially in sea shores (Meikle 1995).Plastic bags are light weight and moisture resistant meaning that it can float in air and water easily and travel long distances. Every year more than six million tons of trash is dumped into seas and oceans more than 80% are plastic like plastic bags and bottles. Sea creatures eat the plastic thinking it was food which can cause their death, some blamed plastic bags for the death of kids by suffocation too (Clean Up 2009). To avoid plastic waste and cut from its effects high fines are applied now; in the USA the cruise ship Royal Princess was fined  £311,000 for dumping 20 bags of garbage overboard( British Plastic Federation 2009). In-order to face these threats plastic associations are implementing recycling in every home so the impacts of this manufacturing can be prevented. Most of the plastics can be recycled and has its own way of recycling, thats why in the bottom of every plastic product you can find the initials for its name and type like PP for polypropylene and HDPE for high density polyethylene as shown below in Figure(1). In the UK five million tonnes of plastic are used annually only 19% is getting recycled but it is planned to reach 25%by 2010.There are a lot of benefits from recycling plastic, to sum it up we can say: less used plastic, less oil used for plastic production and less energy consumed which will affect the plastic industry positively. REASEARCH METHOD: In this part I will introduce the methods used in this study and explain the techniques used and where this research fit into. Generally this research is a combination of both methods; quantitative and qualitative which is also known as the mixed method. Firstly, the quantitative method which mostly deals with numerical data to develop theories and hypothesis (Creswell 2003). In-order to obtain information to develop the safety in plastic factories we are going to design questionnaires and surveys to seek answers for a couple of question that will help us fill the gap. Some of these questions are open-ended and that is where the qualitative method combines. Secondly the qualitative method is a method of inquiry used for different scientific and academic fields, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research (Creswell 2003). It also investigates how and when a decision can be made we will make some interviews with workers, factory managers, and people from health and safety organizations. Usually in social sciences quantitative research is contrasted with qualitative for the purpose of discovering meaning and models of relationships. Although when it comes to their aspects of scientific investigation there is a difference (Creswell 2003), it is said that both are attached and help each other as Kuhn (1961:152) says large amounts of qualitative work usually been prerequisite to fruitful quantification in the physical sciences. Qualitative research is used to explore a phenomenon and form theories then we can test these theories by using quantitative research. In this research in-order to obtain useful information that can help in applying health and safety in plastic factories and have a safe environment, we will have around 200 questionnaires distrubted to different types of people who in this industry such as: workers, engineers, managers, etc. There will be interviews with people from health and safety organisations in the UK, like the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Plastic Processors Health and Safety Liaison Committee (PPHSLC). Also there will be four factories from Saudi Arabia as case study and compare the safety of these factories to the safety requirements in the UK and try to develop the safety there to the same level in the UK. All the data taken from the questioners, survey, and interviews will be analysed by using SPSS to determine the relationships by manipulating factors thought to influence safety in plastic manufacturing. There are several studies done before in how plastic manufacturing is effecting the enviro nment we will see where these studies reached and modify their approaches. TIMETABLE: TASK DURATION Proposal Preparation 18Nov-1 Dec Literature Review 1Dec-1 March Fieldwork 1Feb-15 March Data Analysis 15 March-22 March Presentation 22 March-1 April Final Report 1 April-30 April CONCLUSION: As a conclusion for this study we will find the gaps in safety in plastic manufacturing and help having a safe environment by developing safety procedures and observe the threats that are effecting the environment. Also, the safety in plastic factories in Saudi Arabia will be studied, and determine what it lacks for and how can it be developed to reach the appropriate level of safety. As all studies in this field this study benefited from the relevance of previous researches and assumptions of many experts. The analysis of the data and surveys will show how much people are concerned about safety. Hope this study cans be effective in the development of safety in plastic manufacturing and helps other researches in the future in this topic to obtain what safety in plastic factories lacks. REFERENCES: British Plastic Federation (2009), Health and Safety [online] available from [21 November 2009] Bryce, Douglas M. (1999) Plastic Injection Moulding. Clean Up Australia Ltd (2009) Plastic Recycling Fact Sheet [online] available from [22 November 2009] Creswell, J.W. (2003) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and mixed method approaches. Cross Plastics (2008) Domestic Recycling Symbols [online] available from [30 November 2009] Health and Safety Executive (2009) [online] available from [17 November 2009] Meikle, Jeffry I. (1995) American Plastic a Cultural History. Kuhn, T. (1961) The Function of Measurement in Modern Physical Science Makin, P. (1987) Safety in Advanced Manufacturing, Journal of Proceeding of the Advanced Manufacturing international seminar 14,(1) 1-4 Markarian, J. (2008) Worker Health And Safety in Plastics Compounding. Journal of Plastic Additives and Compounding [online] 10,(1) 26-29.Available from [28 November 2009]