OSHA and Machine Safeguarding Essay Example for Free

OSHA and Machine Safeguarding Essay Guidelines on machine guarding – In most industries, small and large machines are used to perform various functions. The moving parts of these machines can cause injuries such as amputations, burns, lacerations, or crushing (Safety and Health Topics). OSHA has brought about certain guidelines, which are mandatory for employers to follow while using machines in their workplace to protect employees from injuries. Two OSHA regulations apply to all machining operations. These are:  · OSHA standards for machine guarding – Standard 1910. 211 – 1910.222  · OSHA lockout/tagout standards – Standard 1910.147 and 1910.331 OSHA regulations require that measures be taken to protect operators and other employees in the workplace from hazards created by rotating parts, flying chips and sparks, by contact with a moving machine part, chemical and hot metal splashes, and machine malfunction due to mechanical and electrical faults. OSHA recognizes that most mechanical mishaps occur due to dangerous moving parts in three areas – the point of operation, power transmission apparatus, and other moving parts of a machine. Besides these, there are some mechanical motions and actions that are hazardous, such as rotation, reciprocation, cutting, shearing, and bending (Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding). Some non-mechanical factors also cause hazards, such as the power source of a machine. Some of the safeguards that are required by OSHA to be followed for all machines are as follows:  · The point of operation of a machine, which causes a risk of injury to the operator will be guarded.  · To prevent the operator from putting his hand in a danger zone, special tools for putting and retrieving raw materials and finished products will be used.  · Revolving drums and containers will be guarded by enclosures to prevent injury.  · Blades that are less than seven feet above the floor will be guarded.  · Fixed machines will be anchored securely to prevent them from moving accidentally.  · Proper lockout and tagout systems will be implemented to prevent machines from being turned on by unauthorized personnel.  · Power sources will be properly grounded and old, frayed wires will be replaced.  · Besides these, OSHA has devised specific guidelines for machines belonging to industries such as woodworking machinery, cooperage machinery, mechanical power presses, etc. (Regulations, Standards 29 CFR). Machine guarding compliance – Besides formulating regulations, OSHA also enforces compliance with these regulations. Punitive measures are taken against businesses not in compliance with OSHA regulations, which include cancellation of licenses. To encourage compliance, OSHA provides training and tools to assist business owners. OSHA has developed software packages called â€Å"e-Tools† that are interactive web-based tools that provide information on various OSHA regulations, including machine guarding. The content is illustrated through graphics and helps employers know how OSHA guidelines apply to their particular business. This tool is available on the OSHA website at http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/oshasoft/index.html. Besides these, OSHA has developed powerpoint presentations and compliance checklists to help business owners with compliance. Workmen can lodge complaints against business owners through OSHA’s website (OSHA eTools and Electronic Products for Compliance Assistance).

Reflection on Task Management in Nursing

Reflection on Task Management in Nursing Description: what happened. Whilst working on a medical ward with a senior staff nurse as a mentor, I identified certain competencies which needed achieving around management of care, and negotiated these with the mentor. Accordingly, the mentor suggested that I take charge of the patient workload we had been allocated for that shift, and both prioritise the care and nursing tasks, and also attend the ward round with the medical teams, providing the nurse liaison and taking the instructions from the consultants in relation to ongoing patient care and case management. Accordingly, I agreed on the prioritisation of patient tasks and allocated the workload to the members of staff in our team, and when the ward rounds began, my mentor and I attended. However, when the doctors communicated with us, they automatically addressed her, and although she turned to me to provide key information, they continued to chiefly communicate with her, and she did not correct this. Subsequently, she took charge of the ward rounds and I remained as an observer. At the end of the ward rounds, it should have been my role to take the instructions given and to implement them in changing care plans and in directing or implementing clinical tasks. However, my mentor continued to take charge of this for the rest of the time, giving me little opportunity to experience this aspect of the role for myself. Feelings There is a great sense of responsibility associated with management tasks, which extends beyond being responsible for individual patients to being responsible for a group of patients, and for the actions of some staff allocated to their care. I felt very strongly motivated towards achieving management competencies, but also very nervous and concerned that I would do this effectively without compromising patient care. I felt that I was achieving well under supervision until the ward rounds, where the mentor ‘took over’ and did not discuss why she had done this. I then felt as if I was unable to fulfil my competencies, and that I must have failed in some way because she did not allow me to continue in the role. Evaluation It was very positive to take charge of some management tasks and to complete these effectively. In particular, other staff responded well to me taking on this responsibility (in liaison with my mentor), and this positive feedback gave me more confidence to continue in this role. However, the way that my mentor just stepped in and took charge during the ward rounds undermined my confidence and was very challenging to deal with. I felt that I should have been more assertive at this point, but did not feel I had the confidence to do this. Analysis The acquisition of the complex skills associated with the staff nurse role have always been problematic (Gerrish, 2000). However, the literature seems to suggest that nurses are learning to perform this role in a rather haphazard manner,in the light of what they perceive to be inadequate preparation and lack of support (Gerrish, 2000). Bradshaw (1998) suggests that this is partly because nursing competency is only vaguely and broadly defined, which means that preparation and assessment of competency is both haphazard and unstructured. This also suggests there may be a potential safety hazard for both patient and nurse (Bradshaw, 1998). This would certainly seem to be the case here, where the inability to fully engage with management roles does not support the student in becoming competent. Baillie (1999) in an action research study of the topic found that preparation of students for their management role as staff nurses benefits from being closely linked to practical experience, with clear learning outcomes and supportive clinical staff. In this instance, staff were generally supportive, and clear learning outcomes set, but the mentor failed to follow through to meet these outcomes completely. This may have been because the mentor felt that there was a risk to patient care and safety, but this was not communicated to the student and there may have been other ways in which this could have been managed. However, there may be other reasons for this occurrence. Cahill (1996) in a small study found there to be a type of ward culture that not only separates those with knowledge from those who need to learn, but also reinforces the position of the student through both covert and overt mechanisms of control. If such a finding were applicable in this case, then it would suggest that the mentor may have been (consciously or subconsciously) reasserting her own authority and position of power and greater knowledge. The position of student nurses may also be such that they adhere to these cultural practices in order to ensure they receive a favourable report at the end of the placement (Cahill, 1996). Lofmark and Wikblad (2001), in a study of facilitating and obstructing factors for development of learning in clinical practice, found that responsibility and independence, opportunities to practise different tasks, and receiving feedback were facilitating factors for learning. In this case, it w ould appear that responsibility was offered, but not fully, and it is problematic to see how a student can achieve true independence whilst being supervised. In Lofmark and Wikblad’s (2001) study, other perceived promoting factors included perceptions of control of the situation and understanding of the total picture. Here it would have been useful perhaps if the staff nurse had explained to the student why she retained control and why she did not follow through on her promise to allow the student to take charge. Such behaviour was found in the Lofmark and Wikblad study to be one of the obstructing factors to learning, where the nurses as supervisors did not rely on the students. Other obstructing factors were supervision that lacked continuity and lack of opportunities to practise Lofmark and Wikblad, 2001). Perception of their own insufficiency and low self-reliance were drawbacks for some students (Lofmark and Wikblad, 2001), which is also true in this reflection, but these perceptions seem to be linked to the ways in which mentors and other staff perceive and interact with students. It also appears that the NMC Code of Conduct (2004) works both to support students here but also restricts their opportunities to engage in practice, due to the need to primarily protect and support the wellbeing of the patients. Conclusion The learning that has taken place here is vitally important for continued functioning and the acquisition of confidence as a staff nurse in future. Not only do ward cultures play a large part in student experiences, but relationships are the fundamental component of how nurses function in their environment. Some aspects of the nurse-mentor relationship, while perceived as challenging, may be necessary or inevitable, and it has not become clear to me through this reflection how this can be changed, other than to raise these issues honestly with mentors during initial and mid-point interviews to acknowledge them and how they will affect the learning experience. Action Plan Explore dimensions of the nurse-mentor relationship further Raise issues of independence, power and control during initial placement interviews. Seek out ways to develop management competencies through a variety of mechanisms and experiences. Identify communication issues and potential means of addressing them. Engage in more management activities, daily, until other staff members gain trust in my ability to fulfil these roles. Attend all ward rounds to gain confidence in this area. Engage in future cycles of reflection. References Baillie, M. (1999) Preparing adult branch students for their management role as staff nurses: an action research project. Journal of Nursing Management 7 (4), 225–234. Bradshaw, A. (1998) Defining competency in nursing: an analytical review. Journal of Clinical Nursing 7 (2), 103–111. Cahill, H.A. (1996) A qualitative analysis of student nurses experiences of mentorship Journal of Advanced Nursing 24 (4), 791–799. Gerrish, K. (2000) Still fumbling along? A comparative study of the newly qualified nurses perception of the transition from student to qualified nurse Journal of Advanced Nursing 32 (2), 473–480. LÃ ¶fmark,A. Wikblad, K. (2001) Facilitating and obstructing factors for development of learning in clinical practice: a student perspective Journal of Advanced Nursing 34 (1), 43–50. Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2004). The NMC Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for Conduct, Performance and Ethics . London. Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Essay --

The International Workers of the World, or the IWW is a leftist federation of unions which made major contributions to the American labor movement in the early twentieth century after its June 1905 founding form the amalgamation of several smaller unions. It has been the subject of historical, inquiries, discussions, and debates; but despite considerable attention, the historical understanding of the unique and radical brand of politics exercised by IWW members, or ‘Wobblies’, remains fluid. Controversies persist from the earliest attempts by scholars to define and understand the IWW agenda and the place it had in the progress of the labor movement. Current historical inquiry fails to examine the early ideological formation of Wobbly thought and how these underpinning influences affected the growth and activities of the union. Modern scholarship relating to the IWW relies overwhelmingly on the aspects of the union as an institution, despite the decentralised nature of th e Wobblies and American labor as a whole, and this stems from the work of earlier historians. While looking more deeply into the aspects of the organisation and what they accomplished, the focus remains upon the institution. The individual members and their sociocultural experiences have been lost and repeatedly overlooked by the emphasis on the structure and effects of the IWW. Scholarship which attempts to analyze and understand the formative days of the IWW and their radical ideology has been largely stymied due to the lack of primary sources available from the Union at its height in the 1917, and before. This dearth of firsthand material was left by the widespread governmental crackdown on ‘subversive’ organisations that came with America's entry into the First... ...hers’ at the beginning of the twentieth century through immigration restrictions the deportation of radicals. Most interestingly, it is argued the government crushed the IWW because of public demand, â€Å"to calm [the public] by fighting crime in whatever form they might imagine it† (192-193.) Similarly, Paul Murphy’s 1979, World War I and the Origin of Civil Liberties in the United States, examined the repression of free speech and assembly during the war as birthing the judicial enforcement of these rights by their decisions. For example the dissenting opinion of Justice Brandeis in Gilbert v Minnesota over the similarly anti world war Non Partisan Leagues actions had become the majority opinion by Gitlow v New York after repeated abuses, particularly aimed at labor and the IWW convinced the Federal Courts that it was their obligation to protect minority groups. (268.)

Financial Ratios for Dell Inc. Essay -- Finances Accounting Computer S

Financial Ratios for Dell Inc. Team D selected Dell Inc. as our company for the team project. Why was Dell chosen? Dell Inc. with annual revenue of $41.4 billion, is a premier provider of computing products and services. Because of its direct business model, Dell was the leading seller of computer systems worldwide and the number one seller in our customer segments in the United States during calendar year 2003. Michael Dell founded the company in 1984 on a simple concept of selling computer systems directly to customers. Using this technique, Dell could best understand customer needs and efficiently provide the most effective computing solutions to meet those needs. Dell’s climb to market leadership is the result of a relentless focus on delivering the best customer experience by selling computer system and services directly to customers. Dell, a Delaware corporation, is based in Round Rock, Texas and conducts operations worldwide through wholly owned subsidiaries. The company’s business strategy combines its direct customer model with a highly efficient manufacturing and supply chain management organization and an emphasis on standards-based technologies. This strategy enables Dell to provide customers with superior value high quality, relevant technology customized systems; superior service and support; and product and services that are easy to buy and sell. (Form 10K, 2004) A company with an annual revenue of $41.4 billion must be financially sound, right? The answer is†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"not necessarily!† However, there are tools available that will help determine if our selected company is financially sound. Ratio analyses are those tools used to evaluate the performance of a business and identify potential problems. Financial Ratios Financial ratio analysis can teach so much about Dell’s accounts and business. For example, using ratio analysis, we can conclude the profitability of Dell. We can also determine if Dell has enough money to pay its bills. Ratio analysis can check whether Dell is performing better this year than it was last year. Additionally, ratio analysis can alert us if Dell is doing better or worse than other businesses selling the same or similar products. http://www.bized.ac.uk/compfact/ratios/intro1.htm Table 1.1 lists the ratios we feel are important for our selected company. Dell Incorporated Profitability Ratios 01/30/2004 ... ...05 from http://www.133.americanexpress.com/osbn/tool/ratios/htm Financial Ratios-Formulas and Examples. (2004). Retrieved on March 3, 2005 http://beginersinvest.about.com/od/financial ratio/ Form 10-K, (2004). Dell Inc. Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Retrieved on March 5, 2005 from Mergent database. Net Profit Margin Ratio. (2005). Retrieved on March 4, 2005 http://beginersinvest.about.com/od/financial ratio/ Quick Ratio. (2005). Retrieved on March 5, 2005 from http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/biz/bizcalcs/ratioquick.asp University of Phoenix (ED.) (2001). Fundamentals of Corporate Finance. {University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text}. New York: McGraw-Hill Custom Publishing. Retrieved on March 6, 2005 from the University of Phoenix, resource, FIN/544-Finance for Managerial Decision Making website: https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp. Welcome to Ratio Analysis! (2004). Retrieved on March 3, 2005 from http://www.bized.ac.uk/compfact/ratios/intro1.htm Working Capital Ratio. (2005). Retrieved on March 5, 2005 from http://www.investopedia.com/university/ratios/workingcapital.asp.

The Unprincipled Family :: essays research papers

The Unprincipled Family Fredrick Per8 Interrelated arts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The dangerous relationship of Claudius, the king, and Hamlet, the king’s nephew and stepson, contain two elements that are pervasive enough to categorize it as such. Treachery and paranoia are those traits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Treachery is one of the basic unprinciples of the relationship, as is shown in the scene of the fencing match and the planning that goes around it. In a scene that relates to the planning of the match itself, the king and Laertes, a man whose family is dead because of Hamlet, have plotted the death of Hamlet through various things. All of which are to happen to Hamlet in the course of the match: King.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦And wager on your heads. He, being remiss, Most generous, and free from all contriving, Will not peruse the foils, so that with ease, Or with a little shuffling, you may choose A sword unbated, and, in a pass of practice, Requite him for your father. Laertes.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I will do’t And for that purpose I’ll anoint my sword. I bought an unction of a mountebank, So mortal that, but dip a knife in it, Where it draws blood, no cataplasm so rare, Collected from all simples that have virtue Under the moon, can save the thing from death That is but scratched withal. I’ll tough my point With this contagion, that, if I gall him slightly, It may be death.†(IV, vii, 134-148) So in fact, within this quote there are two foul plans, the use of an ‘unbated ’ foil, which is more than technically cheating in a fencing match, but then, adding insult, the use of a poison tipped foil. With the use of ‘contagion’ and the ‘unbated’ foil, Claudius and Laertes are making sure that they win. This is still not enough for them, however they move on to another backup scheme to win: a poisoned chalice: King.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦When in your motion you are hot and dry- As make your bouts more violent to that end- And that he calls for a drink, I’ll have prepared him A chalice for the nonce, whereon but sipping, Our purpose may hold there. -†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (IV, vii, 157-162)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Claudius introduces a poisoned chalice, which, as the third option, or in better terms, the third method is used to kill Hamlet. After being stabbed by Hamlet, Laertes, in his final breaths pronounces the treachery of the king: Laertes.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦The treacherous instrument is in thy hand, Unbated and envenomed. The foul practice Hath turned itself on me. Lo, here I lie, Never to rise again. Thy mother’s poisoned I can do no more. The King, the King’s to blame.

Grimshaw V. Ford Motor Company Essay

Facts: 1. Ford developed a new model, later to be known as the pinto, changing the design drastically. 2. Ford discovered that the fuel tanks position was in a ‘vulnerable place’ and the car failed to met crash safety standards. 3. Ford was aware of the small cost to help the fuel tanks meet standards but refused to use them due to the slight delay in production that might occur and approved production of the prototype. 4. A 1972 Ford Pinto was involved in a rear ending when it unexpectedly stalled causing the care (presumably the fuel tank) to burst into flames. 5. A Mrs. Lilly Gray was died as result and her son 13 year-old Richard suffered severe and permanently disfiguring burns to his face and entire body. Legal Procedure/History: 1. Grimshaw sued the Ford Motor Company for punitive damages. 2. Grimshaw awarded damages in the amount of about $3.5 million. 3. Ford appeals punitive damages. 4. Appeal is denied and decision to award punitive damages up held. Issues (Holdings): 1. Did Ford exhibit â€Å"malice† which is necessary to establish in order to award punitive damages? (Yes) 2. The punitive damages awarded are too high for current Californian law, is this unlawful? (No) Reasoning: 1. Malice has been also interpreted to mean â€Å"a conscious disregard of the probability that the actor’s conduct will result injury to others.† 2. Although higher than monetary penalties under government regulations, the punitive damages are to prevent firms in the future from disregarding safety and possible negative consequences. Rule of Law: 1. The primary reason for having and awarding punitive damages is to â€Å"punish and deter the conduct by wrongdoers and others.† Your Response: I completely agree with the decision. Questions 1. Punitive damages were awarded due to the fact that Ford was found to have acted with malice in regards to their production of the Pinto. It has been also interpreted to mean ‘a conscious disregard of the probability that the actor’s conduct will result injury to others.† And this is exactly what Ford did when they disregarded the fuel tank findings and refused to add the safety precautions to the fuel tank. Although higher than monetary penalties under government regulation, the punitive damages were high in order to set an example so that firms in the future would be deterred from disregarding safety and possible negative consequences when producing their products. 2. Although the cost is higher than the saving in the short run I believe it would be to Ford’s benefit to take on the cost of adding the additional safety measures due to the fact that in the long run with more and more deaths attributed to what could be called the ‘greedy, callous’ nature of Ford, sales could decrease. By absorbing the $137.5 million and allowing the public to know of Ford’s action (due to our concern over their safety) could possibly generate a good amount of future sales. On the other hand should the public discover that deaths could have been prevented public trust in the company could decline causing Ford’s sales to suffer the same fate. 3. First the actual cause of Holmes accident should be verified, if it was indeed due to the tires, then yes he should be allowed to appeal for a trial. 4. First of all, even though they bare the heaviest blame (in my opinion) they weren’t the only ones responsible for the advancement of the Pinto’s design. Putting them in jail would just make way for Ford to replace them with others who could potentially make the same decision. It would also be sending the message to other firm’s officers to make sure that they aren’t the ones holding the bag at the end of the day. This only put a few in the industry on guard. Having the entire company pay punitive damages causes the entire industry to be on guard and makes all within the company liable. On the other hand, having to pay such exorbitant amounts could potentially cause a company to go out of business or cause them to downsize (fire employees to save money) effecting all that work there, whether or not they were involved in the design and decision making process. (I.e. they could fire janitors that work at their offices.)

Information Technology Acts Paper Essay

Have you ever been sitting at home relaxing when the phone rings and it is a telemarketer on the other line trying to sell you something? You didn’t reach out to the company on the other line prompting this intrusion. Most of the time, you don’t even want the product they are selling. This is an issue that has plagued millions of people across the United States since the mid-to-late eighties when businesses started using the telephone in order to market and sell their products. Two Acts in particular have been passed in order to help battle telemarketers and maintain residencies’ privacy when it comes to the telephone. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was passed in 1991 was implemented because of the increasing amount of commercial solicitation calls consumers were receiving. The act laid out rules that companies must abide by when marketing through the telephone. Some of these rules consisted of providing the solicitor’s name, the name of the entity whose behalf the call is being made, and a telephone number or address where they can be contacted. Another is that solicitation calls can only be made between the hours of 8 am and 9 pm. Finally telemarketers must abide by any do not call requests from consumers. According to â€Å"Unwanted Telephone Marketing Calls† (2013), â€Å" In June 2003, the FCC supplemented its original rules implementing the TCPA and established, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the national Do-Not-Call list. † George W. Bush signed the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act into law on June 11th, 2003. This Act in conjunction with the TCPA, the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act is also here to protect the consumer from unwanted phone calls. There is a grace period of 31 days that the consumer has to put their phone number on this list from the day the number is registered. Companies can be sued by individuals for not upholding rules by which these to Acts represent. States can also initiate civil action against offending companies. Individuals can also file complaints through the FCC. These are a few of the ways the TCPA and Do-Not-Call Implementation Acts can be enforced. They are only here to protect the consumer and we are all better off for them.