Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Youth Problems Essays -

Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Youth Problems Of the many emotions a gay man or woman feel, perhaps the most powerfully pervasive is fear. The fear of being found out is real enough, but the worry does not end there. There also lurks the fear of being called names, being assaulted, perhaps even killed. For adults these fears are horrible enough. For a lesbian and gay teenager, who lack experience and life skills to cope with them, such fears can be overwhelming. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth face many problems as they realize they are homosexual. Often they don't know even one other homosexual person and feel very alone and misunderstood. They see very few role models, no one to identify with. No one knows their secrets, no one shares their pain. No one will stop others from name calling if the name calling is about homosexuality. Who would dare to speak up? No one speaks up, not in junior high and high school. College, perhaps; pride events are more easily seen then, but in high school no one speaks up. Imagine dearly loving someone else and having to keep it totally secret because if you don't you will be punished -- cast out of your home by your family, ostracized by your friends, perhaps losing your job. This is the world of the lesbian and gay young person. The feelings homosexual youth face are only the beginning of the problem. As they recognize that they are different and discriminated against, they lose self esteem and become depressed. Many become suicidal and develop a feeling of extreme depression and helplessness. Those who don't commit suicide live an adolescence of silence and oppression, rarely being able to speak up without being struck down by peers. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Task Force on Youth Suicide issued a report in January of 1989 concluding that lesbian and gay youth may constitute up to thirty percent of completed suicides annually and that homosexuals of both sexes are two to six times more likely to attempt suicide than are heterosexuals. Homosexual youth can not speak up because of fear and misunderstanding. And when no one speaks up for them, no one stops the pain, many teens can not handle it and commit suicide. This is the meaning of the commonly known phrase, Silence equals deat h. Not only do they face unrestricted discrimination and harassment at school, they often face similar or worse homophobia at home. Parents, unaware of their children's sexual orientation, often make cutting remarks about homosexual television characters, community members, or the orientation in general. They may not even recognize their comments, but the child (or children) is hanging on to every word, looking for at least a tiny bit of acceptance from family. Many times they find hate instead of acceptance, sometimes to the point of being kicked out of the house at age 14 or 15 when a homophobic parent does find out. This leaves them with nowhere to turn. Many of these teens are themselves suffering from the same prejudices that the rest of their family may share. Or perhaps they've gotten past that, and started to forge a new identity, where being gay or lesbian is something of which they can be proud. Sometimes, what makes it so especially hard for gay teens is the very thing that protects them, their invisibility. What African-American parent would be making jokes about black people at the kitchen table? What Jewish family would sit around casually commenting on how God condemns the Jews? But the lesbian, gay or bisexual teen, sitting there in their cloak of presumed heterosexuality, laughs outwardly, or joins in expressing shared disgust, while yet another chunk of their self-esteem has been chiseled away. Homosexual teens can not confide in parents, friends, or often even the church. Most Christian churches condemn homosexuality and back up their beliefs with the Bible. However, the major references to homosexuality in the Bible are badly mistranslated. Nowhere does the Bible mention same-sex love negatively; it only mentions prostitution, specifically in reference to local cults. More information can be found at the URL http://cent1.lancs.ac.uk/lgb/eight.html which is a detailed retranslation of eight major Bible passages used to

How Will You Contribute To Diversity?

How Will You Contribute To Diversity?In your Medical School Application Writing Sample, you'll be asked to write about how you'll contribute to diversity. The medical field is pretty diverse but it isn't as diverse as other fields such as the scientific or engineering fields. Because of this, the profession has to work harder and a student who wants to go into the field should know how to make an impact in the community.The answers you give in your Medical School Application Writing Sample should be based on your experience as a doctor. However, you'll need to explain the difference between medical staff who is solely concerned with patients and those who are dedicated to the needs of those who live and work in the hospital. You also need to show how you see the hospital as a place that provides services that serve a community or the broader society.The next thing you need to do is examine diversity not only within the workplace but outside of it. There is a lot of diversity outside of the hospital environment. Take an example of a hospital where a large percentage of the staff consists of nurses and doctors. While the professionals are obviously concerned with patients, they also care for the community as well.You should not limit yourself to your own workplace when writing your Medical School Application Writing Sample, however. If you have a knack for writing or are already engaged in some type of non-medical writing, you could consider writing a book or other type of project that would require you to be active in the community. Not only would you add diversity to your resume but you would also enjoy writing about a subject that interests you.Write about how you will contribute to diversity in your sample essay. Focus on what it is that you are doing that will contribute to making the world a better place. While you should spend some time on how you feel about different races and ethnicities, this section of your application should focus on the benefit that you will provide to the world through your participation. It doesn't matter if you've worked in a non-medical setting before or if you're a nurse, you should focus on the overall benefits that you'll be able to bring to the world.You should also consider your education as a student that will reflect the communities that you will be traveling to most. Students from outside of the United States often cannot have much experience with non-English-speaking cultures, so you should be sure to include cultural awareness. Include things like how you know the importance of caring for the environment and how you have participated in projects that have been outside of your country of origin.When you write your Medical School Application Writing Sample, you should also consider how your values and beliefs will help to make the world a better place. While you may be an advocate for workers' rights and other social issues, you may still find that many people in the world do not share your views. L earn how you can reach out to others by taking a leadership role and reaching out to the rest of the world.While there are plenty of sections to discuss on diversity, the importance of how will you contribute to diversity cannot be overstated. It will provide you with a foundation for the rest of your career and make you an excellent leader.

Enthusiasm and Enthuse

Enthusiasm and Enthuse Enthusiasm and Enthuse Enthusiasm and Enthuse By Maeve Maddox The English word enthusiasm derives from Greek entheos, â€Å"possessed by a god.† A person filled with enthusiasm was filled with a divine frenzy. An early meaning in English was â€Å" poetic or prophetic frenzy.† An â€Å"enthusiastic preacher,† for example, was what a modern speaker might call a â€Å"charismatic speaker.† From describing religious fervor, the use of enthusiasm extended to passionate feelings expressed in other areas, like politics. In the rational 18th century, the word’s religious application acquired the negative connotation of irrational or delusional. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), himself a deeply religious man, was suspicious of people who claimed to be privy to the divine will. In his dictionary, he defined enthusiasm as â€Å"a vain confidence of divine favour or communication.† The meaning he attached to vain was not the one now current; by vain, he meant â€Å"unprofitable, pointless, futile.† In his essay on the poet Abraham Cowley (1616-1667), however, Johnson used the word with the meaning of â€Å"poetic inspiration†: He [Cowley] was the first who imparted to English numbers the enthusiasm of the greater ode, and the gaiety of the less.–Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets. The verb enthuse is documented from 1827. The OED etymological note calls it â€Å"an ignorant back-formation.† Merriam-Webster, as one might expect, is less judgmental: Enthuse is apparently American in origin, although the earliest known example of its use occurs in a letter written in 1827 by a young Scotsman who spent about two years in the Pacific Northwest. It has been disapproved since about 1870. Current evidence shows it to be flourishing nonetheless on both sides of the Atlantic, especially in journalistic prose. As a transitive verb, enthuse is used with the meaning â€Å"to kindle with enthusiasm†: The liveliness of the dance enthused the audience. Used intransitively, enthuse has the meaning â€Å"to grow enthusiastic; to go into ecstasies†: Here I caught up with Parallels chairman David Ciclitura and group managing director Stewart Mison and listened as they enthused about the business potential offered by professional golf tournaments. Flourishing or not, enthuse is a word that continues to raise hackles, so it’s best to avoid its use in a formal context. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph Examples80 Idioms with the Word TimeEbook, eBook, ebook or e-book?

How to Write Dialogue 10 Simple Rules (Plus 5 Mistakes to Avoid!)

How to Write Dialogue 10 Simple Rules (Plus 5 Mistakes to Avoid!) How to Write Dialogue: 10 Simple Rules (Plus 5 Mistakes to Avoid!) No matter what your genre, learning how to write dialogue effectively is a vital part of any writer’s education. Poor dialogue can make readers put your book down in disgust - but great dialogue can transform your characters into truly believable people, and your readers into satisfied customers.Of course, the best kind of dialogue isn’t just believable. It also provides exposition, involves distinct language depending on who’s speaking, and - perhaps most crucially - moves the story along. Without dialogue, you’d just have pages and pages of description with barely any character dynamics or interpersonal drama. How boring would that be?Because dialogue is essential to a strong narrative, we want to help you get it exactly right. To that end, we’ve put together this list of rules, examples, and more that will have you writing sparkling conversation in no time! We’ll also cover in detail how to format and punctuate dialogue, for those who a ren’t sure exactly what goes where.If you’re especially curious about formatting, go ahead and skip to #10 using the table of contents on the left - otherwise, let’s jump right in with dialogue rule #1.1. Enter the conversation lateAlfred Hitchcock once said that â€Å"drama is life with all the boring bits cut out.† Comparably, we could say that good dialogue is like a real conversation without all the fluff. And one of the best ways to cut out that boring fluff is to enter the conversation as late as possible.Think about it: few "classic" scenes start with characters going, â€Å"Hey buddy! How are you doing? Wow, long time no see.† This is because people enjoy making inferences based on details in action and speech - and the last thing you want to do is insult their intelligence by spelling everything out for them.For a more tangible taste of this technique, here’s screenwriter Aaron Sorkin talking about the first scene of his Oscar-win ning screenplay for The Social Network:â€Å"We started at 100 miles an hour in the middle of a conversation, and that makes the audience have to run to catch up. The worst crime you can commit with an audience is telling them something they already know. We were always running ahead.†Sorkin's ability to give the audience just the right amount of detail is a huge strength, and something all writers should strive for. So don’t slow down to accommodate your readers - make them catch up to you. id=attachment_19354 style="width: 1047px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">Now that you know exactly what to do when it comes to writing dialogue, let’s talk about what not to do - with these five critical mistakes to avoid.5 dialogue mistakes to avoid1. Too many dialogue tagsAs you may have already gathered, one of the most egregious errors you can make when writing dialogue is using too many dialogue tags. Constantly repeating â€Å"he said,† â€Å"she said,† and so on is boring and repetitive for your readers, as you can see here:â€Å"Hey, how’s it going?† Billy said.â€Å"Not bad,† said Ann. â€Å"Just warming up for the day.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ah. Liquid courage,† said Billy.â€Å"Yeah, those customers aren’t going to yell at themselves,† Ann said.So keep in mind that you can often eschew dialogue tags if you’ve already established the speakers, like so:Billy approached Ann as she was pouring a cup of coffee.  "Hey, how’s it going?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Not bad.† She gestured to the cup. â€Å"Just warming up for the day.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ah. Liquid courage.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yeah, those customers aren’t going to yell at themselves.†One can tell from the action beats, as well as the fact that it’s a two-person back-and-forth conversation, which lines are Billy’s and which are Ann’s. Dialogue tags just distract from the conversation - although if you did want to use them, â€Å"said† would still be better than fancy tags like â€Å"announced† or â€Å"effused.†2. Lack of structural varietySimilar to the â€Å"too many tags† issue is the lack of structural variety that can sometimes arise in dialogue. Not sure what we’re talking about? Take a look at this:â€Å"This is going terribly. We need a new plan.† Sophie started erasing the blackboard.â€Å"Wait, stop! I have another idea.† Ethan grabbed her hand to stop her.â€Å"Oh yeah? When has that ever helped us before?† She glared at him, uncompromising.â€Å"I mean it this time. I think this could really work.† He grabbed the chalk from the table and began to write.Now, action beats are great, but here they’re used repeatedly in exactly the same way - first the dialogue, then the beat - which looks odd and unnatural on the page. Indeed, any recurrent structure like this (which also includes putting dialogue tags in the same place every time) should be vehemently avoided.Luckily, it’s easy to rework repetitive structure into something much more lively and organic, just by shifting around some of the action beats and tags:â€Å"This is going terribly. We need a new plan.† Sophie started erasing the blackboard.â€Å"Wait, stop!† Ethan shouted, grabbing her hand. â€Å"I have another idea.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oh yeah? When has that ever helped us before?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I mean it this time. I think this could really work.†3. Restating the obviousAnother common dialogue mistake is restating the obvious - i.e. information that either the characters themselves or the reader already knows. For example, say you want to introduce two brothers, so you write the following exchange:â€Å"Say, Gary, how long have we been brothers?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thirty-five years, Barry. Ever since Ma gave birth to two bouncing baby boys in ‘84.†This is clearly awkward and a bit ridiculous, as the characters obviously know how old they are. It also insults the reader’s intelligence - even if they didn’t already know that Barry and Gary were thirty-five-year-old brothers, they wouldn’t appreciate being spoon-fed like this.If you wanted to convey the same information in a subtler way, you might write it into a different conversation, like:â€Å"Hey, Gary - Raiders of the Lost of Ark came out in 1984, right? Wasn’t Ma was about to see it when she went into labor with u s?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"That was Temple of Doom, Barry. No wonder we keep losing at trivia night.†This makes the dialogue more about Indiana Jones than the brothers’ age, sneaking in the info so readers can figure it out for themselves.4. Unrealistic smooth-talking and clichà ©sThough you want your dialogue to flow, you don’t want it to flow so smoothly that it sounds fake. Unfortunately, there’s a fine line between enthralling, Sorkin-esque dialogue and unrealistic smooth-talking, so be careful!Saying your dialogue out loud, as we mentioned in rule #8, should help with this problem. It can also be helpful to record dialogue (with the participants’ permission, of course) and study it for natural speech patterns and phrases. Of course, we’re not saying you should include every â€Å"um† and â€Å"er† that people say in real life - only that authentic-sounding written dialogue reflects real life.In a similar vein, you want to watch out for clichà ©s in your dialogue as much as in the rest of your writing. While it’s certainly true that people sometimes speak in clichà ©s (though this is often tongue-in-cheek), if you find yourself writing the phrase â€Å"Are you thinking what I’m thinking?† or â€Å"Shut up and kiss me,† you may need a reality check.For a full roster of dialogue clichà ©s, check out this super-helpful list from Scott Myers.5. Disregarding dialogue entirelyFinally, the last mistake you can make when writing dialogue is†¦ well, not writing it! Circling back to one of the very first points we made in this article, dialogue is a super-important element in almost any story - it provides exposition, indicates personality and character relationships, and may even reveal a major plot twist during the climax. Suffice to say, if your story doesn’t have enough dialogue, it’s not going to have many readers either.We know that writing dialogue can be intimida ting, especially if you don’t have much experience with it. But that should never keep you from including it in your work! Just remember that the more you practice, the better you’ll get. And with the help of the tips and in this article, you should already be a little bit (if not a lot!) closer to writing dialogue that captivates your readers just as much as their real-life conversations. ðŸâ€" £We hope you enjoyed this post on how to write dialogue! If you’d like to learn even more, check out our course on Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character. How to Write Dialogue 10 Simple Rules (Plus 5 Mistakes to Avoid!) How to Write Dialogue: 10 Simple Rules (Plus 5 Mistakes to Avoid!) No matter what your genre, learning how to write dialogue effectively is a vital part of any writer’s education. Poor dialogue can make readers put your book down in disgust - but great dialogue can transform your characters into truly believable people, and your readers into satisfied customers.Of course, the best kind of dialogue isn’t just believable. It also provides exposition, involves distinct language depending on who’s speaking, and - perhaps most crucially - moves the story along. Without dialogue, you’d just have pages and pages of description with barely any character dynamics or interpersonal drama. How boring would that be?Because dialogue is essential to a strong narrative, we want to help you get it exactly right. To that end, we’ve put together this list of rules, examples, and more that will have you writing sparkling conversation in no time! We’ll also cover in detail how to format and punctuate dialogue, for those who a ren’t sure exactly what goes where.If you’re especially curious about formatting, go ahead and skip to #10 using the table of contents on the left - otherwise, let’s jump right in with dialogue rule #1.1. Enter the conversation lateAlfred Hitchcock once said that â€Å"drama is life with all the boring bits cut out.† Comparably, we could say that good dialogue is like a real conversation without all the fluff. And one of the best ways to cut out that boring fluff is to enter the conversation as late as possible.Think about it: few "classic" scenes start with characters going, â€Å"Hey buddy! How are you doing? Wow, long time no see.† This is because people enjoy making inferences based on details in action and speech - and the last thing you want to do is insult their intelligence by spelling everything out for them.For a more tangible taste of this technique, here’s screenwriter Aaron Sorkin talking about the first scene of his Oscar-win ning screenplay for The Social Network:â€Å"We started at 100 miles an hour in the middle of a conversation, and that makes the audience have to run to catch up. The worst crime you can commit with an audience is telling them something they already know. We were always running ahead.†Sorkin's ability to give the audience just the right amount of detail is a huge strength, and something all writers should strive for. So don’t slow down to accommodate your readers - make them catch up to you. id=attachment_19354 style="width: 1047px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">Now that you know exactly what to do when it comes to writing dialogue, let’s talk about what not to do - with these five critical mistakes to avoid.5 dialogue mistakes to avoid1. Too many dialogue tagsAs you may have already gathered, one of the most egregious errors you can make when writing dialogue is using too many dialogue tags. Constantly repeating â€Å"he said,† â€Å"she said,† and so on is boring and repetitive for your readers, as you can see here:â€Å"Hey, how’s it going?† Billy said.â€Å"Not bad,† said Ann. â€Å"Just warming up for the day.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ah. Liquid courage,† said Billy.â€Å"Yeah, those customers aren’t going to yell at themselves,† Ann said.So keep in mind that you can often eschew dialogue tags if you’ve already established the speakers, like so:Billy approached Ann as she was pouring a cup of coffee.  "Hey, how’s it going?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Not bad.† She gestured to the cup. â€Å"Just warming up for the day.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ah. Liquid courage.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yeah, those customers aren’t going to yell at themselves.†One can tell from the action beats, as well as the fact that it’s a two-person back-and-forth conversation, which lines are Billy’s and which are Ann’s. Dialogue tags just distract from the conversation - although if you did want to use them, â€Å"said† would still be better than fancy tags like â€Å"announced† or â€Å"effused.†2. Lack of structural varietySimilar to the â€Å"too many tags† issue is the lack of structural variety that can sometimes arise in dialogue. Not sure what we’re talking about? Take a look at this:â€Å"This is going terribly. We need a new plan.† Sophie started erasing the blackboard.â€Å"Wait, stop! I have another idea.† Ethan grabbed her hand to stop her.â€Å"Oh yeah? When has that ever helped us before?† She glared at him, uncompromising.â€Å"I mean it this time. I think this could really work.† He grabbed the chalk from the table and began to write.Now, action beats are great, but here they’re used repeatedly in exactly the same way - first the dialogue, then the beat - which looks odd and unnatural on the page. Indeed, any recurrent structure like this (which also includes putting dialogue tags in the same place every time) should be vehemently avoided.Luckily, it’s easy to rework repetitive structure into something much more lively and organic, just by shifting around some of the action beats and tags:â€Å"This is going terribly. We need a new plan.† Sophie started erasing the blackboard.â€Å"Wait, stop!† Ethan shouted, grabbing her hand. â€Å"I have another idea.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oh yeah? When has that ever helped us before?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I mean it this time. I think this could really work.†3. Restating the obviousAnother common dialogue mistake is restating the obvious - i.e. information that either the characters themselves or the reader already knows. For example, say you want to introduce two brothers, so you write the following exchange:â€Å"Say, Gary, how long have we been brothers?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thirty-five years, Barry. Ever since Ma gave birth to two bouncing baby boys in ‘84.†This is clearly awkward and a bit ridiculous, as the characters obviously know how old they are. It also insults the reader’s intelligence - even if they didn’t already know that Barry and Gary were thirty-five-year-old brothers, they wouldn’t appreciate being spoon-fed like this.If you wanted to convey the same information in a subtler way, you might write it into a different conversation, like:â€Å"Hey, Gary - Raiders of the Lost of Ark came out in 1984, right? Wasn’t Ma was about to see it when she went into labor with u s?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"That was Temple of Doom, Barry. No wonder we keep losing at trivia night.†This makes the dialogue more about Indiana Jones than the brothers’ age, sneaking in the info so readers can figure it out for themselves.4. Unrealistic smooth-talking and clichà ©sThough you want your dialogue to flow, you don’t want it to flow so smoothly that it sounds fake. Unfortunately, there’s a fine line between enthralling, Sorkin-esque dialogue and unrealistic smooth-talking, so be careful!Saying your dialogue out loud, as we mentioned in rule #8, should help with this problem. It can also be helpful to record dialogue (with the participants’ permission, of course) and study it for natural speech patterns and phrases. Of course, we’re not saying you should include every â€Å"um† and â€Å"er† that people say in real life - only that authentic-sounding written dialogue reflects real life.In a similar vein, you want to watch out for clichà ©s in your dialogue as much as in the rest of your writing. While it’s certainly true that people sometimes speak in clichà ©s (though this is often tongue-in-cheek), if you find yourself writing the phrase â€Å"Are you thinking what I’m thinking?† or â€Å"Shut up and kiss me,† you may need a reality check.For a full roster of dialogue clichà ©s, check out this super-helpful list from Scott Myers.5. Disregarding dialogue entirelyFinally, the last mistake you can make when writing dialogue is†¦ well, not writing it! Circling back to one of the very first points we made in this article, dialogue is a super-important element in almost any story - it provides exposition, indicates personality and character relationships, and may even reveal a major plot twist during the climax. Suffice to say, if your story doesn’t have enough dialogue, it’s not going to have many readers either.We know that writing dialogue can be intimida ting, especially if you don’t have much experience with it. But that should never keep you from including it in your work! Just remember that the more you practice, the better you’ll get. And with the help of the tips and in this article, you should already be a little bit (if not a lot!) closer to writing dialogue that captivates your readers just as much as their real-life conversations. ðŸâ€" £We hope you enjoyed this post on how to write dialogue! If you’d like to learn even more, check out our course on Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character.

Management status Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management status - Essay Example This therefore implies that it is important to make sure that the workforce is satisfied and relating well with one another. A workforce that is well motivated, working as a team, and has a good working environment are all ingredients required for success of any business. It is upon the management to build of any business to ensure that there is team work I the organization, and that the workforce is motivated. In building employee motivation there is need for the management to create a strong foundation that should act as the main driving force of the employees. Building a foundation involves revisiting the organization’s mission, vision and objectives. It is important to make sure that all employees are fully aware of the organization’s vision, mission, and objectives. This is important since it gives a guideline on what the organization as a whole is working towards. Additionally, knowledge of the mission, vision, and objectives is important for employees to make a self-assessment to determine if they are in correspondence with individual career goals and aspirations. Correspondence of individual career goals with goals of the organization brings a sense of belonging and therefore there are higher chances of feeling motivated. This should be done frequently new employees joining the organization in order to ensure that the entire workforce is well motivated. It is upon the management to build a conducive and welcoming atmosphere within the organization in a bid to motivate the workforce. A good working environment motivates employees and there are hardly any cases of absenteeism. This is because a conducive atmosphere in work places makes employees feel important and comfortable. It is extremely easy to handle all forms of work related challenges when employees are in a comfortable environment. The management should ensure that employees feel comfortable to approach them with all questions regarding work. For instance, the

E Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

E - Essay Example Low interest rates have several impacts on the state of the economy. When interest rates are low, savers get very little returns; hence, they are discouraged from holding money, thus, prefer to spend it. It also makes borrowing cheap meaning that individuals and firms will be encouraged to borrow more and spend on investment. In addition, the low interest rates will lead to depreciation of the currency value, as people would prefer to save in another country with better interest rates. The high spending will lead to an increase in aggregate demand, which will in turn lead to an increase in the rate of inflation. Keeping the interest rates low can be a means of stimulating economic growth. In the recent past, the global rate of economic growth has been low. By keeping the interest rates low, there will be a decrease in the value of the dollar. This will make importing more expensive, thus, encourage people to buy locally produced goods, leading to an increase in aggregate demand of domestic products that will in turn lead to an increase in output, productivity and employment. Therefore, when there is a high rate of unemployment, the Feds can keep the interest rates low, a factor that will have an eventual impact of stimulating growth of the economy. The amount of investment in bonds and treasury bills will be affected by the current and expected rate of interest. Investors will invest their money on the stocks or bonds that they expect will have the highest rate of return. If the rate of interest is expected to remain low, investors will tend to invest more as they expect aggregate demand to increase which in turn will translate to higher business earning and returns. If they expect the rate of interest to rise, they will tend to invest in short term bills. Interest rates have an effect on the price of bonds. The price of the bond is inversely related to the interest rate. As the rate of interest rises, the price of the bonds

Procedures In Accident Investigation And Reporting Practiced Construction Essay

Procedures In Accident Investigation And Reporting Practiced Construction Essay Chapter 1 Introduction Background of the Problem Section 15 (1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514) says It shall be the duty of every employer and every self-employed person to ensure, so far as is practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of all his employees. It is a well known fact that no matter how good and well established a site safety program is, accidents do happened from time to time. There are many factors that contribute to these accidents, not to mention the degree of severity and it is the job of the Safety and Health Officer to determine precisely what really happens when an accident occur. It is important to conduct accident investigations with accident prevention in mind. Investigations are NOT to place blame. Too often investigations degenerate into fingerprinting, blame fixing and fault-finding exercises because the persons involved do not understand the reasons for or real value which can be gained from good accident investigations. Accident/incident investigations are a tool for uncovering hazards that either were missed earlier or have managed to slip out of the controls planned for them. It is also important to have a standardized and proper structure of accident investigation and reporting in order to get an accurate picture of what really transpired in an accident. Inaccuracies will most likely point to the wrong cause of accidents and this will inadvertently cause errors in deduction and also the wrong recommendations being made for the mitigation steps. In order to get a true representation and a clear picture of what causes an accident, there must be a standard in carrying out investigation, standard perfoma to be used, a set of general questions to be asked and equipments to help a Safety and Health Officer in carrying out his duties. By having a standard operating procedure for accident investigation and reporting, and with the help from the Department of Safety and Health (DOSH), statistics could be derived and major contributors to accidents could be identified and properly studied mitigation steps could be formulated. This will undoubtedly benefit the industry as a whole. Problem Statement What is an accident? Accident can be defined as an unplanned and uncontrolled event that led to, or could have led to injury to persons, damage to property/plant/equipment, and impairment to the environment or some other loss to the company. Problem that was observed at the Senai Pasir Gudang Desaru Expressway with regards to accident reporting is the communication breakdown that occurs; where the personnel involved does not know whom to call in a case of an emergency or fatality. Could this be because of insufficient training? Neglected induction courses? Ineffective tool-box meeting? This paper will try to find the root cause of this communication breakdown and in doing so will hopefully improve on the accident reporting and investigation procedures. The Research Framework We need to have a good understanding of the existing research results, on which to build new and relevant research activities for Occupational Safety and Health approaches. We also need to understand the appropriate research approaches for producing new knowledge. To make these activities manageable, we use a research framework. A research framework defines the categories of outputs that research can produce. It also defines a set of different research activities. Moreover, it defines what kind of research activities can be used to produce specific outputs. In tackling the questions brought herewith, a combination of primary data obtained from real research undertaken at site in the form of questionnaires and interviews involving personnel from specific department of a company and secondary data from materials taken from magazines, newspapers, internet etc will be used. Data derived from both of these data acquisition activities will hopefully answers some of the questions to the problems faced by the Safety Officers and Supervisors at site. Objective of Study The objectives of the study undertaken are to: To standardized the accident or incident reporting and investigating procedures practiced at site To address any shortcomings concluded from the study undertaken To ascertain the accident report mechanism currently practiced at site Research Questions Special consideration has to be taken in asking questions about accidents reporting and investigation. In order to ascertain where the communication breakdown occurs in an event of an accident, the main question that needs to be asked is: Do you know whom to call in case of an emergency? Is the Emergency Contact List prominently displayed at the site office or the work place? Have you been given proper induction training before starting work? Have you been given talks on what to do in an accident at your workplace? These questions have to be asked to workers of many ethnicity and considerations have to be given to the sensitivity of different cultures and religions. Significance of Study It is hoped that after conclusions have been made from the study undertaken, the accident reporting and investigation procedures could be further improve in line with the Occupational Safety and Health Management principles. Scope of Study This study encompasses the accident reporting and investigation procedures practiced at the Senai Pasir Gudang Desaru Expressway project. Two fatalities have been recorded at the worksite thus far and improvement to the overall work safety is of paramount importance to avoid any more fatalities. Accidents can yield positive results if we learn from what went wrong and prevent a reoccurrence. To achieve this we need to investigate the circumstances that led to the accident and report, record, analyses and correct its effects. Definition of Terms Below are the definitions of terms used for the purpose of this study. SAFETY AND HEALTH OFFICER a person appointed by the contractor at site to be responsible for maintaining safety and protection against accidents. This person shall have the authority to issue instructions and take proactive measures to prevent accidents. HOT WORK use of open flames, other heat sources and/or spark-producing devices where there is a potential for explosion or fire. INCIDENT an undesirable event, which has the potential to cause a serious accident. LOSS PREVENTION a before-the-loss procedure designed to identify and correct potential causes of accidents before they result in actual injuries or financial loss. MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET a summary sheet supplied by the chemical manufacturers that identifies the hazards, proper handling procedures and emergency treatment for a particular chemical. REGULATION a rule, ordinance, law, legal regulation or device by which conduct or performances is controlled. SAFE WORK PERMIT a permit issued as a written record by which the employer or employee in charge of a unit, equipment, building or area authorizes a worker and/or crew to do a specific job at the worksite. It identifies the safe work practices required for the type of work to be performed in the specified job location. SERIOUS INCIDENT a life endangering event to people, property and environment, such as major collapse of structure or plant or any incident causing multiple injuries to workers. SUB-CONTRACTOR a business, firm, partnership, consultant or individual hired by the Contractor to perform a specific task or job; or any business, firm, partnership, consultant or individual, other than employees of the Contractor, working on or around Contractors property. VISITOR any person temporarily on the worksite who is not regularly involved in the daily worksite activities. This includes, but is not limited to, delivery personnel, invited guest, the general public, etc. WILL, SHALL OR MUST to be understood as a mandatory condition. Chapter 2 Accident Investigation and Reporting Introduction The failure of people, equipment, supplies, or surroundings to behave or react as expected causes most of them. Accident investigations determine how and why these failures occur. By using the information gained through an investigation, a similar, or perhaps more disastrous, accident may be prevented. It is important to conduct accident investigations with prevention in mind. Definition of Accident Investigation and Reporting The term accident can be defined as an unplanned event that interrupts the completion of an activity, and that may (or may not) include injury or property damage. An incident usually refers to an unexpected event that did not cause injury or damage this time but had the potential. Near miss or dangerous occurrence is also terms for an event that could have caused harm but did not. Accidents occur when hazards escape detection during preventive measures, such as a job or process safety analysis, when hazards are not obvious, or as the result of combinations of circumstances that were difficult to foresee. A thorough accident investigation may identify previously overlooked physical, environmental, administrative, or process hazards, the need for new or more extensive safety training, or unsafe work practices. The primary focus of any accident investigation should be the determination of the facts surrounding the incident and the lessons that can be learned to prevent future similar occurrences. Importance of Accident Investigation and Reporting The first priority whenever an accident occurs is to deal with the emergency and ensure that any injuries or illnesses receive prompt medical attention. The accident investigation should begin immediately thereafter. This ensures that details of what occurred will be fresh in peoples minds and that witnesses dont influence one another by talking about the accident. It also minimizes the likelihood that important evidence is not moved, lost, taken, destroyed, or thrown away before the scene has been thoroughly inspected. There are indeed significant gains from good quality accident investigations. Most importantly, accident investigation are carried out to find out the cause of accidents and to prevent similar accidents in the future. Apart from this, accident investigation is also carried out to learn from what went wrong. Determination of the cause of the accident is also an important factor. Preventing recurrence of the accident, improving the work environment, compliance of regula tory requirements, finding out the cost of the accident, to fulfil moral obligation, defining trends, provision of information in case of litigation, reduction of operating costs by control of accidental losses and to express concern by the management are some of the importance of carrying out an effective accident investigation and reporting. Conclusion All accidents should be investigated. The depth and complexity of the investigation will vary with the circumstances and seriousness of the accident. The Safety Officer or other individual responsible for operations involved in an accident should ensure that an investigation is conducted and that when appropriate, corrective actions are taken. Incidents that involve no injury or property damage should still be investigated to determine the hazards that should be corrected. The same principles apply to a quick inquiry of a minor incident and to the more formal investigation of a serious event. Note: The term incident is used in some situations and jurisdictions to cover both an accident and incident. It is argued that the word accident implies that the event was related to fate or chance. When the root cause is determined, it is usually found that many events were predictable and could have been prevented if the right actions were taken making the event not one of fate or chance (thus, the word incident is used). For simplicity, we will use the term accident to mean all of the above events. When accidents are investigated, the emphasis should be concentrated on finding the root cause of the accident rather than the investigation procedure itself so we can prevent it from happening again. The purpose is to find facts that can lead to actions, not to find fault. Always look for deeper causes. Do not simply record the steps of the event. Chapter 3 Methodology Introduction The important criteria in adopting a research methodology should depend on what information we need to collect in order to make an informed conclusion to questions that arises from problems that needs to be addressed. The more focused we are about what we want to gain by our research, the more effective and efficient we can be in our research, the shorter the time it will take us and ultimately the less it will cost us (whether in your own time, the time of your employees and/or the time of a consultant). There are trade offs, too, in the breadth and depth of information we get. The more breadth we want, usually the less depth well get (unless we have a great deal of resources to carry out the research). Study Location The study location would be the project site of the Senai-Pasir Gudang-Desaru Expressway with emphasis on the personnel involved at the work site. These personnel would be the Safety and Health Officer and Supervisor, the work supervisors and foremen whom are responsible over several workers. Questionnaire Questionnaires are an inexpensive way to gather data from a potentially large number of respondents. Often they are the only feasible way to reach a number of reviewers large enough to allow statistically analysis of the results. A well-designed questionnaire that is used effectively can gather information on both the overall performance of the test system as well as information on specific components of the system. If the questionnaire includes demographic questions on the participants, they can be used to correlate performance and satisfaction with the test system among different groups of users. For the purpose of this study, I have prepared a simple questionnaire directed at key personnel at the work site with questions encompassing various aspects of occupational safety and health such as written safety and health program, managers responsibility, supervisors responsibility, safety managers role, employees, safety committees, safety and health inspection, regulatory compliance, safety and health training, injury and illness prevention activities, accident investigation and reporting and lastly on emergency preparedness. A sample of this questionnaire is attached together with this project paper in appendix 1. Analysis of Data When analyzing data from questionnaires, always start from review of the research goals, i.e., the reason we undertook the research in the first place. This will help us organize our data and focus our analysis. For example, if we want to improve a program by identifying its strengths and weaknesses, we can organize data into program strengths, weaknesses and suggestions to improve the program. If we want to fully understand how our program works, we could organize data in the chronological order in which customers or clients go through our program. If we are conducting a performance improvement study, we can categorize data according to each measure associated with each overall performance result, e.g., employee learning, productivity and results. Chapter 4 Research Results Introduction A total of 10 questionnaires have been distributed to Safety Officers/Supervisors at the Senai Pasir Gudang Desaru Expressway project site and various other project sites in Melacca and Kuala Lumpur to gauge the accident investigation and reporting mechanism. Out of the 10 questionnaires given out, 8 responded. The sample of the questionnaire can be found in Appendix I. Respondence Background All of the respondence are qualified Safety Officers and Safety Supervisors appointed by their respective companies and are registered with the Department of Safety and Health Malaysia (DOSH) or at least have attended courses conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Malaysia. They were chosen as respondence base on their vast experience and knowledge on Construction Safety and Health issues. It is hoped that their valuable feedback could improve the accident reporting and investigation procedures practiced at their respective site. Research Outcome Response from the questionnaires is tabulated and the result is shown in the spreadsheet below. No Description Respondent YES NO YES % 1 Written Safety a. Management commitment 8 8 0 100 b. Safety performance standard 8 5 3 62.5 c. Employee involvement 8 8 0 100 d. Written safety rules/procedures 8 8 0 100 e. Safety inspection 8 7 1 87.5 f. Loss prevention 8 8 0 100 g. Regulatory compliance 8 8 0 100 h. Safety and health training 8 8 0 100 i. Accident reporting/investigation 8 6 2 75 j. Safety and health promotion 8 8 0 100 k. Return to work policy 8 1 7 12.5 Average YES 85.2 2 Do Managers: a. Conduct/attend safety meetings 8 6 2 75 b. Review serious accidents/near misses 8 8 0 100 c. Ensure supervisors accountable 8 4 4 50 d. Conduct safety inspection 8 6 2 75 e. Recognize safety performance 8 2 6 25 f. Attend safety training session 8 2 6 25 g. Talk to employees about safety 8 6 2 75 h. Follow safety rules and procedures 8 7 1 87.5 i. Require supervisors to complete one safety project/year 8 0 8 0 j. Encourage supervisors to attend outside safety training 8 6 2 75 k. Provide adequate resource for accident prevention 8 5 3 62.5 l. Include safety in supervisors job description/performance 8 4 4 50 m. Review the quality of accident investigation reports 8 6 2 75 Average YES 59.6 3 Do Safety Officers/Supervisors: a. Conduct safety meetings with their employees 8 8 0 100 b. Perform safety inspections of their department 8 8 0 100 c. Take appropriate action(s) to correct safety rules 8 8 0 100 d. Talk to their employees 8 8 0 100 e. Promptly complete and submit accident investigation reports 8 8 0 100 f. Attend supervisory safety training programs 8 8 0 100 g. Conduct periodic planned safety observations 8 8 0 100 h. Identify and complete at least one safety project annually 8 3 5 37.5 i. Review and respond promptly to employee suggestions 8 8 0 100 j. Initiate immediate action(s) to correct unsafe conditions/acts 8 8 0 100 Average YES 93.75 4 Do Safety Manager: a. Conduct formal safety and health inspections 8 4 4 50 b. Encourage employees to submit safety suggestions 8 0 8 0 c. Attend at least one departmental safety meeting each quarter 8 8 0 100 d. Participate in investigation of serious injuries/near misses 8 8 0 100 e. Coordinate regulatory compliance activities 8 4 4 50 f. Conduct safety training for employees/supervisors 8 2 6 25 g. Conduct induction training 8 8 0 100 h. Attend 1-2 professional development courses annually 8 8 0 100 i. Review accident statistics and workers compensation costs 8 8 0 100 j. Serve as Chairperson or member of the Safety Committee 8 8 0 100 Average YES 72.5 5 Do employees: a. Follow all established safety rules and procedures 8 6 2 75 b. Report unsafe conditions/accidents to their supervisor 8 7 1 87.5 c. Attend all required safety training programs 8 8 0 100 d. Submit safety suggestions 8 2 6 25 e. Maintain proper housekeeping at their work place 8 6 2 75 Average YES 72.5 6 Safety Committees a. Do your company have an active safety committee 8 8 0 100 b. If yes, does the Safety Committee i. Perform safety inspections 8 8 0 100 ii. Meet at least quarterly 8 8 0 100 c. Review all serious accidents 8 8 0 100 i. Recommend safety program improvement 8 8 0 100 ii. Monitor safety program effectiveness 8 8 0 100 iii. Take timely action on safety suggestion 8 6 2 75 iv. Maintain and publish minutes of each meeting 8 8 0 100 Average YES 96.9 7 Injury/Illness Prevention Activities a. Does your company use engineering controls and/or administrative controls to prevent or control workplace injuries and illnesses 8 8 0 100 b. Does your company use safety posters, health fairs etc to promote health and safety 8 8 0 100 c. Has a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) been completed for each hazardous job 8 8 0 100 d. Has your company developed an effective ergonomics program 8 2 6 25 e. Are safety and health requirements and concerns considered when purchasing new machines, equipment and chemical products 8 8 0 100 Average YES 85 8 Accident Reporting and Investigation a. Are all workplace injuries and illnesses reported and investigated 8 8 0 100 b. Are near misses and vehicle-related accidents reported and investigated 8 8 0 100 c. Have all supervisors and managers been trained in accident investigation procedures 8 8 0 100 d. Are Safety Officers/Supervisors required to complete a separate Accident Investigation Report 8 8 0 100 e. Are incomplete reports returned to the appropriate Safety Officers/Supervisors 8 8 0 100 f. Are accident prevention programs and activities based upon an analysis of accident reports and injury and illness rates 8 6 2 75 Average YES 95.8 9 Emergency Preparedness a. Does your company have a current Emergency Response Plan 8 8 0 100 b. Are emergency phone numbers and building maps/site maps posted 8 8 0 100 c. Do all personnel know how to respond to an emergency such as fire 8 6 2 75 d. Do your company conduct periodic disaster drills 8 4 4 50 e. Are alarms tested at least once per month 8 8 0 100 Average YES 85% Main Elements Studied The main elements studied are the Accidents Investigation and Reporting procedures. The targeted questions with respect to this area are as below:- Does your company have a current written safety and health program that addresses the following elements? i. Accident reporting and investigation? (75% answered YES) Do managers m. Review the quality of accident investigation reports? (75% answered YES) 3. Do safety officers/supervisors e. Promptly complete and submit accident investigation reports? (100% answered YES) 4. Do safety managers d. Participate in the investigation of serious injuries and near misses? (100% answered YES) 5. Do employees b. Report unsafe conditions and accidents to their safety officers/supervisors? (87.5% answered YES) 6. Safety committees c. Review all serious accidents? (100% answered YES) 8. Accident reporting and investigation All questions in this section are relevant to the topic discussed. (Average YES 95.8%) 9. Emergency Preparedness All questions in this section are relevant to the topic discussed. (Average YES 85%) Generally almost all of the respondents reported positively on aspects of accident investigation and reporting in their respective companies. From having a clear written policies to having an emergency response plan in place are sure signs that accident investigation and reporting are taken seriously and thus, the standards of safety and health could only improve. Chapter 5 Conclusion Introduction With every company taking a serious stand on aspects of safety and health at the work site, so does accident investigation and reporting procedures. From the feedback gathered through questionnaires, the accident investigation and reporting mechanism are properly in placed and practiced. Discussion Accidents are usually complex. An accident may have 10 or more events that can be causes. A detailed analysis of an accident will normally reveal three cause levels: basic, indirect, and direct. At the lowest level, an accident results only when a person or object receives an amount of energy or hazardous material that cannot be absorbed safely. This energy or hazardous material is the DIRECT CAUSE of the accident. The direct cause is usually the result of one or more unsafe acts or unsafe conditions, or both. Unsafe acts and conditions are the INDIRECT CAUSES or symptoms. In turn, indirect causes are usually traceable to poor management policies and decisions, or to personal or environmental factors. These are the BASIC CAUSES. In spite of their complexity, most accidents are preventable by eliminating one or more causes. Accident investigations determine not only what happened, but also how and why. The information gained from these investigations can prevent recurrence of similar or perhaps more disastrous accidents. Accident investigators are interested in each event as well as in the sequence of events that led to an accident. The accident type is also important to the investigator. The recurrence of accidents of a particular type or those with common causes shows areas needing special accident prevention emphasis. The actual procedures used in a particular investigation depend on the nature and results of the accident. The agency having jurisdiction over the location determines the administrative procedures. In general, responsible officials will appoint an individual to be in charge of the investigation. The investigator uses most of the following steps: 1. Define the scope of the investigation. 2. Select the investigators. Assign specific tasks to each (preferably in writing). 3. Present a preliminary briefing to the investigating team, including: a. Description of the accident, with damage estimates. b. Normal operating procedures. c. Maps (local and general). d. Location of the accident site. e. List of witnesses. f. Events that preceded the accident. 4. Visit the accident site to get updated information. 5. Inspect the accident site. a. Secure the area. Do not disturb the scene unless a hazard exists. b. Prepare the necessary sketches and photographs. Label each carefully and keep accurate records. 6. Interview each victim and witness. Also interview those who were present before the accident and those who arrived at the site shortly after the accident. Keep accurate records of each interview. Use a tape recorder if desired and if approved. 7. Determine a. What was not normal before the accident? b. Where the abnormality occurred. c. When it was first noted. d. How it occurred. 8. Analyze the data obtained in step 7. Repeat any of the prior steps, if necessary. 9. Determine a. Why the accident occurred. b. A likely sequence of events and probable causes (direct, indirect, basic). c. Alternative sequences. 10. Check each sequence against the data from step 7. 11. Determine the most likely sequence of events and the most probable causes. 12. Conduct a post-investigation briefing. 13. Prepare a summary report, including the recommended actions to prevent a recurrence. Distribute the report according to applicable instructions. An investigation is not