Investigating mass surveillance

Investigating mass surveillance (How) Is Big Brother Watching Us? Big Brother is a fictional character in George Orwells dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, which tells the story of one mans attempt to rebel against the totalitarian state in which he lives. In the society that Orwell describes, everybody lives under complete twenty-four hour surveillance by the governing authorities. Since the publication of Nineteen Eighty-Four, the phrase Big Brother has entered the English language, to describe any attempts by governments to use mass surveillance.[1] The main surveillance tool described in Orwells novel is the imaginary telescreen, a cross between a television and a security camera[2], and in the past decade growing comparisons have been drawn between the imaginary telescreen and the Internet-connected personal computer that is in many modern homes. The purpose of this essay is to investigate the mass surveillance of Internet communications carried out by western governments today, and the technologies used to carry out that surveillance. The essay will first look at the current privacy landscape in the USA, the European Union, and the UK, in terms of policies and legislation. Then it will discuss some of the most interesting technical methods used to carry out mass Internet communications surveillance. The terrorist attacks on New Yorks World Trade Centre, of September 11th 2001, heralded the dawn of a new global political era. Following those atrocities and subsequent attacks in Egypt, the United Kingdom, Spain, Bali, Russia, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia, governments around the world have responded by tightening existing legislation and creating new anti-terror laws. Many of the countries that changed their laws to combat terrorist threats also increased the powers of their law enforcement and national security organisations to perform communications surveillance and carry out electronic data search and seizure. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, more commonly known as The Patriot Act, was signed into law less than seven weeks after the Twin Towers attacks. The Act is organised into ten titles, including Title II: Enhanced Surveillance Procedures, and Title IX: Improved intelligence. The Patriot Act, which was Americas legislative response to the September 11th attacks, hugely increased American law enforcement and national security services authority both in the USA and abroad. The Patriot Act strengthened immigration, banking, and money laundering laws. The Patriot Act also amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978, which includes subchapters covering electronic surveillance and trap and trace devices (used to capture non-content information regarding electronic communication). FISA was also expanded by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.[3] In July of 2002 the European Union passed the Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications'[4]. This directive was amended in 2005 by the Electronic communications: personal data protection rules and availability of traffic data for anti-terrorism purposes directive.[5] These directives will lead to European telecom firms being required to store data regarding the time and duration of all fixed line, internet, and mobile telephone calls, the location of mobile telephone calls, and details of all internet connections and e-mail messages (although e-mail content is not recorded). The UK government was the prime mover in lobbying for this directive, stating that data was the golden thread in terrorist investigations.[6] We have seen then that current privacy landscape has been heavily influenced by the changing global political situation with specific reference to global terrorism. We know that legislation exists that allows western governments to carry out mass surveillance, but what do they actually do and how do they do it? Mass surveillance can take many forms, including physical surveillance in the form of identity systems, audio, video, RFID and satellite surveillance. Data surveillance can also be used in the areas of electronic commerce and public records.[7] For the purpose of this essay we will look specifically at some of the most interesting technologies (allegedly) used by government organisations to carry out mass surveillance of Internet communications. One of the most infamous alleged mass electronic communication surveillance technologies is ECHELON, a top-secret Anglo-American collaboration tasked with gathering signals intelligence around the world. Although its existence is still officially denied the European Parliament commissioned a report in 2001 entitled on the existence of a global system for the interception of private and commercial communications (ECHELON interception system)'[8]. They were sufficiently convinced of ECHELONs capabilities to recommend that European citizens and businesses should routinely encrypt their communications in order to maintain privacy[9]. The idea of the ECHELON network was supposedly agreed between London and Washington as far back as 1948, although its existence was not brought to public attention until the publication of New Statesman article in 1988. ECHELONs capabilities are the subject of much debate; some estimates report that it can sift through 90% of Internet traffic, though the European Union found that the technical capabilities of the system are probably not nearly as extensive. The hardware used to collect the information also remains something of a mystery, with some sources claiming that ECHELON controls over one hundred satellites and dozens of ground based listening stations. Others point out that very little (

Features of Location Strategy Planning

Features of Location Strategy Planning The location of a plant or facility is the geographical positioning of an operation relative to the input resources and other operations or customers with which it interacts. Andrew Greasly (2003) identified three main reasons why a location decision is required. The first reason is that a new company has been created and needs a facility to manufacture products or deliver a service to its customers. The second reason is that there is a decision to relocate an existing business due to a number of factors such as the need for larger premises or to be closer to a particular customer base. The third reason is relocate into new premises in order to be able to expand operations. Decisions with regards to where an organisation can locate its plant or facility are not taken often, however they still tend to be very important for the firms profitability and long-term survival. An organisation which chooses an inappropriate location for its premises could suffer from a number of factors, and would find it difficult and expensive to relocate. Location decisions tend to be taken more often for service operations than manufacturing facilities. Facilities for service related businesses are usually smaller in size, less costly, and are located in a location that is convenient and easily accessible to customers (Russell and Taylor, 2003). When deciding where to located a manufacturing facility different reasons apply, such as the cost of constructing a plant or factory. Although the most imporant factor for a service related business is access to customers, a set of different criteria is important for a manufacturing facility (Russell and Taylor, 2003). These include the nature of the labor force, proximity to suppliers and other markets, distribution and transportation costs, the availability of energy and its cost, community infrastructure, government regualtions and taxes, amongst others (Russell and Taylor, 2003). Location Strategy The facilities location problem is one of major importance in all types of business. It is important to notice the different problems that may arise whilst trying to choose a suitable location; which is the general area, and site; which is the place chosen within the location. Normally, the decision on siting proceeds in two stages: in the first, the general area is chosen; and then a detailed survey of that area is carried out to find suitable sites where the plant or facility could be located (Oakland and Lockyer, 1992). However, the final decision as to where to locate a facility is made by taking into consideration more detailed requirements. The following are a number of factors which might influence the choice of location (Oakland and Lockyer, 1992). Proximity to market: organisations may wish to locate their facility close to their market, to be able to lower transportation costs, and most importantly, to be able to provide their customers with a better service. If the plant or facility is located close to the customer, the organisation would be in a better position to provide just-in-time delivery, to respond to fluctuations in demand and to react to field or service problems. Availability of labour and skills: a number of geographical areas have traditional skills but it very rare that an organisation would be able to find a location which has the appropriate skilled and unskilled labour, both readily available and in the desired proportions and quantities. Even so, new skills can be tought, processes simplified and key personnel moved from one area to another. Availability of amenities: organisations would prefer to locate their facilities in a location which provides good external amenities such as housing, shops, community services and communication systems. Availability of inputs: a location which is near main suppliers will help to reduce cost and allow staff to meet suppliers easily to discuss quality, technical or delivery problems, amongst others. It is also important that certain supplies which are expensive or difficult to procure by transport should be readily available in the locality. Availability of services: there are six main services which need to be considered whilst a location is being chosen namely; gas and electricity, water, drainage, disposal of waste and communications. An assessment must be made of the requirements for these, and a location which provides most or all of these services will be more attractive than another which does not. Room for expansion: organisations should leave room for expansion within the chosen location unless long term forecast convey very accurately that the plant will never have to be altered or expanded. This is often not the case and thus adequate room for expansion should be allowed. Safety requirements: certain production and manufacturing units may present potential hazards to the surrounding neighbourhood. For example certain plants such as nuclear power stations and chemical factories should be located in remote areas. Site cost: the cost of the site is a very important factor, however it is necessary to prevent immediate benefit from jeopardising the long-term plans of an organisation. Political, cultural and economic situation: it is also important to consider the political situation of potential locations. Even if other considerations demand a particular site, knowledge of the political, cultural and economic difficulties can assist in taking a number of decisions. Special grants, regional taxes and import/export barriers: it is often advantegous for an organisation to build its plant or facility in a location where the government and local authorities often offer special grants, low-interest loans, low rental or taxes and other inducements. Location Selection Techniques The location selection process involves the identification of a suitable region/country, the indentification of an appropriate area within that region and finally comparing and selecting a site from that area which is suitable for an organisation. The following are a number of analytical techniques from the several that have been developed to assist firms in location analysis. Weighted Score The weithed scoring technique tries to take a range of considerations into account, including cost. This technique, which is also referred to as factor rating or point rating, consists of determining a list of factors that are relevant to the location decision. Each factor is then given a weighting that conveys its relative importance compared with the other factors. Each location is then scored on each factor and this score is multiplied by the factor value. The alternative with the highest score is then chosen. Locational Break-Even Analysis This technique makes use of cost-volume analysis to make an economic comparison of location alternatives. An organisation would have to identify the fixed and variable costs and graphing them for each location, thus determining which one provides the lowest cost. Locational break-even analysis may be carried out mathematically or graphically. The procedure for graphical cost-volume analysis is as follows: Determine the fixed and variable costs for each location. Plot the total cost (i.e. the fixed + the variable) lines for the location alternatives on the graph. Choose the location with the lowest total cost line at the expected production volume level. Plant Layout According to Andrew Greasly (2007), the layout of a plant or facility is concerned with the physical placement of resources such as equipment and storage facilities, which should be designed to facilitate the efficient flow of customers or materials through the manufacturing or service system. He also noted that the layout design is very important and should be taken very seriously as it can have a significant impact on the cost and efficiency of an operation and can involve substantial investment in time and money. The decisions taken with regards to the facility layout will have a direct influence on how efficiently workers will be able to carry out their jobs, how much and how fast goods can be produced, how difficult it is to automate a system, and how the system in place would be able to respond to any changes with regards to product or service design, product mix, or demand volume (Russell and Taylor, 2003). In many operations the installation of a new layout, or redesign of an existing layout, can be difficult to change once they are implemented due to the significant investment required on items such as equipment. Therefore, it is imperative to make sure that the policy decisions relating to the organisation, method and work flow are made before the facilities are laid out rather than trying to fit these three into the layout. This is an important area of production and operations management since it is dealing with the capital equipment of the organisation which, in general, is difficult to relocate once it has been put into position. Keith Lockyer (1992), in his book Production and Operations Management, explained that the plant layout process is rather complex, which cannot be set down with any finality, and one in which experience plays a great part. The author also explained that it is impossible for an organisation to design the perfect layout, however he discussed a number of criteria which should be followed to design a good layout. These criteria are discussed in brief below. Maximum Flexibility A good layout should be designed in such a way that modifications could rapidly take place to meet changing circumstances, and thus should be devised with the possible future needs of the operation in mind. Maximum Co-ordination The layout should be designed in such a way that entry into, and disposal from, any department or functional area should be carried out in the most convenient way to the issuing and recieving departments. Maximum use of volume The facility should be considered as cubic devises and maximum use is to be made of the volume available. This principle is useful in stores, where goods can be stored at considerable heights without causing any inconvenience, especially if certain mordern lifting machinery is available. Maximum visibility Locker further insists that all the workers and materials should be readily observable at all times and that there should be no hidden places into which goods or information might get misplaced and forgotten. Organisations should be careful when they make use of partitioning or screening as these may introduce undesirable segregation which reduces the effective use of floor space. Maximum accessibility The machinery, equipment and other installations should not in any way obstruct the servicing and maintenance points, which should be readily accessible at all times. Obstructing certain service points such as electricity and water mains could hinder the production process in place. Minimum distance and Material handling All movements taking place within the plant should be both necessary and direct. Handling work does add the cost but does not increase the value, thus any unecessary movement should be avoided and if present, eliminated. It is best not to handle the material and information, however if this is necessary it should be reduced to a minimum by making use of appropriate devices. Inherent Safety All processes which might constitute a danger to either the staff or customers should not be accessible to the unauthorised. Fire exists should be clearly marked with uninhibited access and pathways should be clearly defined and uncluttered. Unidirectional Flow All materials which are being used in the production process should always flow in one direction, starting from the storage, passing through all processes and facilities, and finally resulting in the finished product which is later dispatched for storage or sold directly to the customer. Management Coordination Supervision and communication should be assisted by the location of staff and communication equipment in place within the chosen layout. The Basic Layout Designs After choosing the process type which will be used within the plant, it would be necessary to select the layout of the operation. Presently, there are four basic types of production layouts, each with their own set of characterisitcs which are briefly discussed below. Fixed Position Layout A fixed position layout design is used when the product being produced is either too fragile, bulky, or heavy to move and so the conversion process would have to take place at the location where the product is created. Figure 2.7 conveys an example of a fixed position layout within a full service restaurant. In this particular type of layout, all resources and factors of production used to produce a particular product must be moved to the location where the product is to be produced. Scheduling and coordination of the required resources are important characterisitics of this layout, since these resources have to be available on the site where the product is to be produced in the required amounts at the required time (Andrew Greasley, 2007). For example, certain activities that are carried out in construction sites are only able to take place after the completion of other activities. The utilization of equipment in such a layout is often low, since it is cheaper to leave equipment idle at a location where it will be used during subsequent days than to move it back and forth (Russell and Taylor, 2003). Process Layout In process layouts, also termed as functional layouts, similar activities are grouped together in departments or work centers according to the process or function that they carry out. Figure 4.8 conveys a process layout in a manufacturing facility, were different processes and machines are located within their respective work center. This type of layout is characteristic of intermittent operations, service shops, job shops, or batch production, were different customers with different needs are served (Russell and Taylor, 2003). Equipment found in this particular layout is often general purpose, and workers are usually trained to make use of equipment in their department. One of the advantagous of this system is flexibility, however a high level of inefficiency takes place. This inefficiency arises since jobs and customers do not flow through the system in an orderly manner, movement from one department to another could take a long time, and queues tend to be developed (Russell and Taylor, 2003). Product Layout In product layouts, which are also known as assembly lines, activities are set up in a line according to the sequence of operations that have to take place in order to produce a particular product. Therefore, each product being produced must have its own line, which is designed in a unique way to meet its requirements (Russell and Taylor, 2003). The flow of work is carried out in an orderly and efficient manner, moving from one particular processing station to the next down the assembly line until the product is successfully produced (Russell and Taylor, 2003). These type of layouts are often incorporated for mass production or repetitive operations, where demand is normally stable and volume is high. In such cases, the product being produced is standard, and one which is produced for the general market. Figure 2.9 conveys a simplified configuration of a product layout. The product or line layout is known to be a very efficient production system because the use of dedicated equipment in a balanced line allows a much throughput time than in any other layout used (Andrew Greasly, 2007). However, this particular layout often lacks the flexibility found in the process layout since it only able to produce a standard product or service. Another issue which often concerns manufacturing companies is that if any particular processing station fails, the output from the whole line is lost. Therefore, it lacks the robustness to loss of resources such as equipment failure or staff which are not present at work that the process layout provides (Andrew Greasly, 2007). Cellular Layout A cell layout tries to combine the flexbility found in the process layout together with the efficiency found in the product layout. Machines and activities which are unalike are grouped into work centers, referred to cells, in order to create groups of parts or customers which have similar requirements (Russell and Taylor, 2003). The aim of this layout is to arrange different cells in such a way that materials movement is minimized. Figure 2.10 conveys how a process layout which has similar resurces has been grouped into three different cells. Through this redesigning, the routing of products has been simplified and products can now be processed in a single cell and need not be transported between different departments. 2.2 Quality Management There is a widespread acceptance that organisations view quality as an important strategic core competence and a vital competitive weapon which should be used to gain a competitive advantage at the expense of rivals. Several organisations have been able to reep a number of benefits, such as substanstial cost savings and higher revenues, after implementing a quality improvement process into their operations. Subsequently, this led them to invest substantial amounts of money yearly on implementing and sustaining quality programmes and intiatives. The American National Standards Institution (ANSI) and the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) define quality as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy given needs. Similarily, Feigenbaum (2005), who is an American quality control expert, has defined quality as the total composite product and service characteristics of marketing, engineering, manufacture, and maintenance through which the product and service in use will meet the expectation by the customer. Put simply, this refers to an organisations ability to manufacture a product or deliver a service which satisfy the customers requirements and needs, and which conform to specifications. Keith Lockyer, in his book Production and Operations Management (1992), noted that organisations must be dedicated to the continous improvement of quality and must implement systematic control systems that are designed to prevent the production or delivery of products or services which do not conform to requirements. To facilitate this process, organisations should first set up a quality policy statement which describes their general quality orientation and which is used to assist as a framework for action. Once set up, top management would be required to: ensure that is it understood at all levels of the organisation; identify the needs of the organisations customers; evaluate the organisations ability to meet these needs; make sure that all the materials and services supplied fit the required standards of efficiency and performance; continously train the workforce for quality improvement; assess and monitor the quality management systems in place. Quality Control and Assurance in the Conversion Process Ray Wild (2002) has noted that the capability of the conversion process directly influences the degree to which the product or service conforms to the given specification. If the conversion process is capable of producing products or services at the specified level, then the products or services are provided at the desired quality level. Once the specification of the output is known and an appropriate process is available, management must ensure that the output will conform to the specification. In order to achieve this objective Ray Wild (2002) has defined three different stages which are outlined in figure 2.4; each discussed below. Control of Inputs Before accepting any items as inputs, organisations must make sure that they conform to the required specifications and standards. Normally, before items are supplied to an organisation, they are subjected to some form of quality control by the supplier. The organisation might also ask its suppliers for information about the quality of the items whilst they are being prepared, ask for a copy of the final inspection documentation, or ask a third party such as an insurance company to make sure that all the items supplied conform to the required quality standards. Even so, organisations still find the need to inspect the items supplied once they are recieved and before they are inserted into the conversion process. This inspection can be carried out by either inspecting every item recieved from suppliers, or by making use of the acceptance sampling procedure, which consists of taking a random sample from a larger batch or lot of material to be inspected. Organisations might also make use of the vendor rating procedure whereby suppliers are rated by taking into account a number of quality related factors such as the percentage of acceptable items recieved in the past, the quality of the packaging, and the price. Control of Process All manufacturing organisations must make sure that appropriate inspection is carried out during operations to ensure that defective items do not proceed to the next operations, and also to predict when the process is most likely to produce faulty items so that preventive adjustments could be adopted (Ray Wild 2002). The quality control of the production process is facilitated by making use of control charts, which convey whether the process looks as though it is performing as it should, or alternatively if it is going out of control. One of the benefits of this procedure is that it helps management to take action before problems actually take place. Ray Wild (2002) also notes that organisations should establish procedures for the selection and inspection of items which are used in the conversion process, for the recording and analysis of data, scrapping of defectives, and for feedback of information. Control of Outputs Organisations must ensure that the qulity inspection of output items is carried out effectively since any undetected defective items would be passed on to the customer. The inspection of output items is normally carried out by making use of a sampling procedure, such as acceptance sampling, or by carrying out exhaustive checks. Ray Wild (2002) notes that it is vital for an organisation to have in place suitable procedures designed for the collection and retention of inspection data, for the correction, replacement or further examination of defective items, and for the adjustment or modification of either previous inspection or processing operations in order to eliminate the production of defective items. HACCP Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Nowadays, the food industry is responsible of producing safe products and also for conveying in a transparent manner how the safety of food is being planned, controlled and assured. In order to do so, organisations in the food industry need a system which will ensure that food operations are designed to be safe and that potential hazards are taken into account (Bob Mitchell 1992). One such system is the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points which is a scientific and systematic method used to assure food safety, and a tool for the development, implementation and management of effective safety assurance procedures (Ropkins and Beck 2000). The HACCP is known to be one of the best methods used for assuring product safety and is considered as a prerequisite for food manufacturing companies who wish to export their products into international markets. The objective of the HACCP system is to guarantee that the safe production of food by implementing a quality system which covers the complete food production chain, from the promary sector up to the final consuming of the product (Fai Pun, Bhairo-Beekhoo 2007). It is capable of analysing the potential hazards in a food operation, identifying the points in the operation where the hazards may take place, and deciding which of these may be harmful to consumers (Bob Mitchell 2002). These points, which are referred to as the critical control points, are continously monitored and remedial action is effected if any of these points are not within safe limits. The HACCP is the system of choice in the management of food safety; one which is highly promoted by the food safety authorities in the United States, Canada and European Union. Just-In-Time Scheduling Scheduling in Manufacturing Decision making with regards to scheduling has become a very important factor in manufacturing as well as in service industries. Scheduling is a decision making process whereby limited resources are allocated to specific tasks over time in order to produce the desired outputs at the desired time (Psarras, Ergazakis 2003). This process helps organisations to allocate their resources properly, which would further enable them to optimise their objectives and achieve their goals. A number of functions, conveyed in figure 2.5, must be performed whilst scheduling and controlling a production operation. In manufacturing systems, scheduling is highly dependent on the volume and variety mix of the manufacturing system itself. Mass process-type systems, which normally make use of a flow (product) layout where a standard item is produced in high volumes, make use of specialised equipment dedicated to achieve an optimal flow of work throughout the system (Andrew Greasly 2006). Greasly notes that this is very important since all items follow the same sequence of operations. One of the most important objectives of a flow system is to make sure that production is kept at an equal rate in each production that takes place. This could be ensured by making use of the line balancing technique, which makes sure that the output of each production stage is equal and that all resources all fully utilised (Andrew Greasly 2006). Just-In-Time The Just-In-Time Philosophy in Operations The just-in-time philosophy originated from the Japanese auto maker Toyota after Taiichi Ohno came up with the Toyota Production System whose aim was to interface manufacturing more closely with the companys customers and suppliers. This particular philosophy is an approach to manufacturing which seeks to provide the right amount of material when it is required, which in turn leads to the reduction of work-in-progress inventories and aims to maximise productivity within the production process (Singh, Brar 1991). The authors, Slack, Chambers and Johnston, of Operations Management (2001) defined the JIT philosophy as a disciplined approach to improving overall productivity and elimination of waste. They also state that it provides for the necessary quantity of parts at the right quality, at the right time and place, while using a minimum amount of facilities, equipment, materials and human resources. Thus, put simply the JIT system of production is one based on the philosophy of total elimination of waste, which seeks the utmost rationality in the way production is carried out. Bicheno (1991) further states that JIT aims to meet demand instantaneously, with perfect quality and no waste. In order to achieve this, an organisation requires a whole new approach in how it operates. Harrison (1992) identified three important issues as the core of JIT philosophy, namely the elimination of waste, the involvement of everyone and continous improvement. The following is a brief description of these three key issues (adapted from Operations Management by Andrew Greasly). Eliminate Waste Waste may be defined as any activity which does not add value to the operation. Ohno (1995) and Toyota have identified seven types of waste, which apply in many different types of operations, in both manufacturing and service industries. All of these types of wastes are displayed in figure 2.6 below. The involvement of everyone Organisations that implement a JIT system are able to create a new culture where all employees are encouraged to continously improve by coming up with ideas for improvements and by performing a range of functions. In order to involve employees as much as possible, organisations would have to provide training to staff in a wide range of areas and techniques, such as Statistical Process Control and more general problem solving techniques (Andrew Greasley 2002). Continuous Improvement Slack and Johnston (2001) note that JIT objectives are often expressed as ideals. Futhermore, Greasly (2002) states that through this philosophy, organisations would be able to get to these ideals of JIT by a continuous stream of improvements over time. The Benefits of Just-In-Time According to Russell and Taylor (2003), after fives years from implementing JIT a number of U.S. manufacturers were able to benefit from 90 percent reductions in manufacturing cycle time, 70 percent reductions in inventory, 50 percent reductions in labour costs, and 80 percent reductions in space requirements. These results are not achieved by each and every organisation that implements a JIT system, however JIT does provide a wide range of benefits, including: Reduced inventory Improved quality Lower costs Reduced space requirements Shorter lead time Increased productivity Greater flexibility Better relations with suppliers Simplified scheduling and control activities Better use of human resources Increased capacity More product variety Health and Safety Management The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) define occupational health as the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; the prevention amongst workers of departures from health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; and the placing and maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physiological and psychological capabilities. Many countries have introduced legislation which requires employers to manage the health and safety of their employees, and others who might be affected (Alan Waring, 1996). To honour health and safety legislation, organisations have found it necessary to introduce active programmes of accident prevention. The preparation of a properly though-out health and safety policy, which is continously monitored, could dramatically reduce or eliminate injuries and damage to health (Oakland and Lockyer, 1992). Responsibilities for Safety All employees in an organisation should be active in creating and maintaining healthy and safe working conditions which are aimed to avoid accidents. Once a health and safety policy is established in an organisation, roles and responsibilities should be allocated within the management structure (Oakland and Lockyer, 1992). As with other areas such as quality and production within an organisation, health and safety would only be able to progress successfully if all employees are fully co-operative and committed in doing so. A number of organisations have encouraged this total involvement by creating safety representitives, committees, and group discussions w

Smoking and The Human Body Essay -- essays research papers

Smoking is a bad habit which plagues the young, as well as the old. It is the largest source of preventable mortality in North America1. Not only does smoking lead to an early grave, but it can also influence one's daily life. Many studies have revealed links between smoking and reduced endurance capacity2. Nicotine, the addictive agent found in cigarettes, can also be used to control weight gain. Both of these factors can have considerable effect on the sporting world. There have been many studies done, indicating that if you smoked, you did less physical activity. It has also been shown that the more you smoke, the less activity you do. In one experiment done on smokers and non-smokers, the subjects were tested while running a marathon. The experimenters took a large group of mainly non-smokers and army conscripts and measured their performance. It was found that the distance covered in the race was inversely related to daily cigarette consumption3. That is, the more you smoked, the less distance you ran. The longer the participant in the race had been smoking, the worse he/she performed. For example, the average non-smoker could cover 2613 meters in 12 minutes, while a smoker of less than 2 years who smoked 21+ cigarettes a day could only cover 2284 meters. A smoker of more than 4 years who smoked 21+ cigarettes a day could only cover 2188 meters4. These results show how performance decreases the more a person smokes in their lifetime. An experiment performed by Robert C. Klesges et al. found that although smokers did fewer sports, and leisure time activities, they did the same amount of anaerobic activities5. The study also found that smokers had the same energy intake as non-smokers, indicating that eating habits were not a factor in the fitness levels. Smokers average 30-35 kcal per day less of high intensity activity than non-smokers6. This reduced aerobic physical activity can be attributed to the fact that smoking causes an increase in carboxyhemoglobin which decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, which would cause relative hypoxia in tissues and lead to reduced performance during maximal physical exertion7. Since smoking is so detrimental to the oxygen transport system, it effects endurance capacity more than any other element of fitness such as muscle strength or speed. This must be taken in consideration if an athlete wishe... ...scripts and 4,100 Joggers," Preventive Medicine v17 (1988), p89. 9 Winders, Suzan E. and Neil E. Grunberg. "Effects of nicotine on body weight, food consumption and body composition in male rats," Life Sciences v46 no.21 (1990), p1523. 10 Winders, Suzan E. and Neil E. Grunberg. "Effects of nicotine on body weight, food consumption and body composition in male rats," Life Sciences v46 no.21 (1990), pp1528-1529. 11 Klesges, Robert C. et al. "Smoking Status: effects on dietary intake, physical activity, and body fat of adult men," American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition v51 (May 1990), p786. 12 Waldum, Helge L. et al. "Long-Term Effects of Inhaled Nicotine," Life Sciences v58 no.16 (Mar. 1996), p1345. 13 Waldum, Helge L. et al. "Long-Term Effects of Inhaled Nicotine," Life Sciences v58 no.16 (Mar. 1996), p1345. 14 "Smoking To Stay Thin--The Body-Image Connection," OPHEA Journal Autumn, 1996, p17. 15 "Smoking To Stay Thin--The Body-Image Connection," OPHEA Journal Autumn, 1996, p17. 16 Waldum, Helge L. et al. "Long-Term Effects of Inhaled Nicotine," Life Sciences v58 no.16 (Mar. 1996), p1346. 5

Old Leisure - Literary Devices :: essays research papers

History has seen advancements in technology, philosophy, and industry, all of which radically changed the lives of those witnessing such developments. Slower, more relaxed lifestyles have given way to lifestyles of a faster paced nature. George Eliot describes her preference for the leisure of the past, conveying the message that the rushed leisure of her time is hardly leisure at all. She accomplishes this by using several stylistic devices, including personification, imagery, and diction. The most obvious stylistic device used by Eliot is that of personification. She uses this device to create two people from her thoughts on old and new leisure. The fist person is New Leisure, who we can infer to be part of the growth of industry in the 19th century. He is eager and interested in science, politics, and philosophy. He reads exciting novels and leads a hurried life, attempting to do many things at once. Such characteristics help us to create an image of New Leisure as Eliot sees him. Old Leisure is quite contrasting to New Leisure. Being a stout country squire of the 18th century, he is laid back, simple minded, well fed, and financially well off. He reads but one newspaper and favors Sunday services that "allow him to sleep." "He never went to Exeter Hall, or heard a popular preacher, or read Tracts for the Times or Sartor Resartus." He is not bothered by his "inability to know the causes of things" and sleeps "the sleep of the irresponsible." Eliot describes Old Leisure more than New Leisure because today's readers are familiar enough with living a life as hurried and fast paced as New Leisure's. Her description of Old Leisure is nostalgic of a slower paced way of life. While Eliot uses human characteristics and actions to describe Old and New Leisure, she also creates images of both personages to further depict their contrasting lifestyles. The images of Old Leisure include him "scenting the apricots when they were warmed by the morning sunshine." They also depict portraits of life in Old Leisure's era as "slow waggons," "spinning wheels," and "pedlars, who brought bargains to the door on a sunny afternoon." They also tell of how Old Leisure "fingered the guineas in his pocket" and was "fond of sauntering by the fruit-tree wall." New Leisure, on the other hand, does not live in a world where such images are present. He is ""prone to cursory peeps through microscopes" and is "prone to excursion- trains, art museums, periodical literature, and exciting novels.

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Hydraulic fracturing, or â€Å"fracking† is a process in which natural gas and oil are extracted from shale rock layers deep within the earth by creating fractures below the earth’s surface. This is done by injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into wells. There are a number of environmental concerns related to hydraulic fracturing. One concern is the amount of water it takes to extract these resources – it could involve up to 5.9 billions gallons of water per day. In order for these fracking sites to get all that water 200 trucks are needed in order for this to happen. In drought prone areas of the country, this could create additional strain on the environment. The areas that are most prone to drought are areas like Texas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Virginia, and Kentucky along with other states surrounding them. Droughts take place all over the United States but most severely in the south as shown in this map. The dark, dark red are the states that have the most number of drought evens occur per year. The chemicals that are involved in the process are al...

Providing Free Wi-Fi to New York City

Providing Free Wi-Fi to New York City Defining the Solution: New York City is a city with a large population of people, lots of skyscraping buildings, numerous businesses, and a lack of available free WI-FI service. Today we will be working on developing a way to provide free WI-FI to all of New York City. First we have to look at the reasons, resources needed, and problems which will be on the road to providing such service to New York City. To define the problem a little in depth, we need to find out the necessities needed. 1.There needs to be a study conducted to figure out how a system can be placed in a city that is so rich in life, but cluttered with buildings and minimal available space for equipment installation. 2. The city needs to campaign a project, letting the people know what they are trying to do to bring such service to them. 3. Bring in network companies to provide the service. 4. Chart a project cost budget: i. e. -material cost, man power, and location cost. 5. Sur vey areas where service will be needed most. 6. Survey and gather information from the population on what service provider they use and service plans are used most.This will ensure that there are no network conflicts when the free WI-FI project is completed. 7. Schedule meeting with companies and experts in these technical areas to gather information. This will be information that can be charted or graphed. 8. Analyze all information, graphs, and charts that they have, to see problem areas and solutions to other problem areas. I am expecting that there will be many roadblocks to the road success. There will be many obstacles that will have to be problem and we will overcome these problems.But to develop a way to make WI-FI available to all of New York City will be tough project. It will be a tough project, however with great organization it can be a successful project. I believe with reliable and professional teamwork, it will be available in the future. Generating a Solution: Defin ing the problem for developing a solution to provide free WI-FI for all of New York City has been addressed. We have categorized where the problems lay and discussed what is needed to show the problems that exist. Now that the problems are defined, solutions need to be generated to piece together he problems. In order to generate a solution, a team comprised of technology professionals, state officials, city officials, private and non-profit developer organizations, the voice of the people, and a list of detail equipment needed and the cost of the equipment will need to be brought together as one. First is to assemble a group of broadband and wireless experts, so we can gather possible answers to the defined problem. After getting a starting point, data needs to be portrayed on charts, reports, and diagrams. This information can then be brought to the attention of city and state officials.The voice of the people can be a key to what is being used and what is needed to suit their nee ds for wireless connection. So surveys need to be sent out, public hearing need to be set up, and gather information from wireless companies to see what is being used today by the people. When setting up a public hearing, a panel of expert will be needed to answer the question that the people may have. Also to seek answers the experts will have for the people so they can configure the amount of technology is needed to make the project possible.The roles of the city government and the private and non-profit developers can be a major factor on how and where to start the wireless project. We would need the approval from these groups to have a starting point. Also we would see what resources the city already have and what is needed to included in a report for financial purposes. The financial report is essential to show what is already available for use in the project and what resource is needed plus the cost for the needed equipment. Then a starting location(s) will be needed to begin the project.Possible locations (ie: city parks) for wireless hotspots can be a good starting expansion point. To generate a solution we need: 1. Broadband and Wireless Experts 2. Approval from the City Government 3. Private and Non-Profit Development Organizations 4. State Agency Resources 5. The voice of the people 6. Locations 7. Financial Resources 8. Financial Report of Resource and Equipment Cost The next step is to gather all the possible solution information and analyze the data. Deciding a Course of Action:In generating a solution, we have learned that there are a variety of resources that have to be looked at in order for a solution to be found. We found that a team of technical professionals (ie: wireless carrier companies, IT organizations, and city electrical development department) is needed for wireless development. The voice of the people; to see what wireless carriers are being used, to survey where they use it more, and where they would like to use the wireless serv ice at. State and city officials are needed to help implement the project by vote of approval. Private and non-profit organizations are needed to fund this project.Last is to purchase the equipment for wireless capability. Deciding a course of action for the solution means that we need to take a look at what is at the top of the priority list. At the top of the priority list would be to speak with technical professionals, to see if it is possible to supply the wireless without any possible signal problems to disrupt the use of wireless service. Through this we can generate a list of resources that are needed. After speaking with various technical professionals, we see that location is also a factor when it comes to wireless service.After conducting a grid survey, a decision is made to use local and state parks as areas for project development. Through this detailed reports and charts are made for state and city officials and private and non-profit development organizations to view t he results. Next a survey is sent out to the people to see if the technical professionals and grid survey team studies are correct. As the surveys are collected and read, it is determined that the studies are correct and the parks will be accurate locations for project development. With the completion of the surveys from the people, the information is then added to the project report.In addition to the report, survey charts are created to show the mapped locations for possible WIFI development service. Plus, bar and line charts will show why these locations were chosen, as well as additional charts to show the results of the surveys sent out to the people. Third course of action is to petition to speak with the state and city officials and present the report that can provide the Free WIFI access to the city and its people. By doing this, we can seek approval to start the development and to seek the both private and non-profit development organizations.These development organizations will help finance the development project and make it a reality. After attending numerous meetings with state and city officials, technical professionals, development organizations, and getting the approvals that is needed to start development. The last course of action is to purchase the equipment that will provide the WIFI service. The WIFI project will only give access in state and local park areas, this type of WIFI access service will be considered Hotspots or Hotzones for the free WIFI access. Implementing the Solution:Deciding the course of action has shown what the top priorities are and has helped develop the steps to getting started. Next is to implement the solution to make it a reality. A proposal was submitted to address state officials and local city council about the proposed project development. In turn we received a response from these governing offices that we will be heard on the subject of providing the Wi-Fi service to the city. Before we attend the scheduled d ay, we must overlook the project report and charts, to see that all the information is correct and formal.By going back and double checking everything will help us be more confident when we sell the idea, plus we will be well prepared to answer any questions that may be addressed. After looking over all the charts and the project report, it was noted that a project schedule timeline and a budget chart was not created. So we decided to send out a research team to determine how much time will be needed to complete the project and at what cost. First a Gantt chart is created to show the activity process, along with the months and year that each activity will be taking place.We can also have a visual schedule to see what task is in development and at when the deadline should be. Next is to create a budget list (chart). The chart will show the cost for employment of personnel (salaries& contracted personnel), equipment use (purchased or rented), Travel expenses (if any), technology suppl ies and equipment, and last is to show the projects overhead cost. A budget chart is vital when speaking to government officials and organizations funding the project. The project budget cost can be a factor if we get the funding and/or approval.Now that project report is completed and all the required information is within the report, we are now ready to present it to the government officials. As the day comes and all the important variables are presented to the council of officials, we wait till they discuss the development project. The development project finally receives the approval, which moves the project to the next part of the implement stage. Checking the Gantt chart, we see that we need to employ a development team. This team needs to consist of IT experts and professionals, project managers, and a team of hands on working professional.We also need to purchase all the necessary technological (laptops, desktops, software, and communication devices) and development equipmen t needed to start the project. Next we need to schedule several meeting with the major wireless carriers to introduce to project in development and to try to influence them to be the wireless provider company. In order to choose the right companies to contact, we will schedule a public meeting to speak with NYC residents. By doing this we can see who is the major providers that the public use.Through several public meetings, we find out that AT&T and Verizon is the two providers that are used to most. So we call and schedule a meeting with the board of directors from both companies. Plus we have to schedule the proper flights to get to the corporate offices for these companies. After several physical and telephone conference meetings, both corporate providers agree to be involved in the development and would immediately put together a team to assist our development team in installing the necessary networks that we need. Through this, a change is made on the Gantt chart to include th ese companies and their team.Plus any cost will also include into the budget chart. With all the project resources that is needed for this project have been brought together, the deployment stage of the project needs to be started. Several meetings are set up to introduce all the executives, project management, government officials, and funding organizations. Construction crews and technical personnel need to be hired. Equipment needs to be ordered and purchased before the start of the project. Checking the development location charts, it has been determined that wireless systems need to be placed on high level areas.So checking city maps and blueprints, we choose city skyscrapers that have the high altitude we need. Checking with the buildings management and owners, we started to implement the wireless system construction. As the project goes through the various stages of the development; we consistently monitor the Gantt chart to make sure that the project is on schedule, continue to check for any potential paradigm shifts that can cause a delay, make sure that there is coordination of all tasks and personnel, and evaluate each completed task along the way.Experimental test are conducted throughout the development stages, to make sure that all equipment if properly functioning and compatible with our needs. To avoid any possible setbacks, contingency plans are implemented and alternate plans are made. Any changes to the project must always be reported and charted to keep all departments updated and informed. As we can see, this development project has many variables while implementing any solutions. We have to keep on track during the process and evaluate all solutions as they presented.Evaluate the Solution With the implementation of the project development, we need to consistently evaluate the solution. By doing this we will see: if the solution is logical and solves the real problem, if the solution is (economically, environmentally, politically, and ethn ically) responsible and safe, does it meet all the criteria and constraints, is it blunder-free, have we argued the positive and negative sides of the project, and check the procedure and logic of the arguments.We also have to create an ethics checklist to see if it is legal (will it violate civil law or company policy? ), will it be a win/win situation, will it be fair to all concerned in both the short term and long term, and will I be proud during the development stages and/or conclusion. We also have to remind ourselves about â€Å"purpose†. What is the purpose of why we started this project and what is the purpose of seeing this thru till the end? I see this as a motivation tool to make sure that we maintain the excitement of the project.While we are evaluating the solution, we need to implement a contingency plan for each stage of the development process. This will ensure that there is a back-up plan if we experience a paradigm shift or the project is at a development d own fall. After conducting a thorough evaluation of the solution and development process, we come to the conclusion of the project. By taking the steps to seeing the project through from defining the solution to evaluating the

Proposal and Restructuring of the Middle Management

We propose a restructuring at the middle management level that will allow an increase in budget funds for i. e. pay raises, faster decision making process, and overall increase in employee morale, which in most cases equals higher productivity. In this proposed structure there would be an increase in responsibility for the general manager, office manager, and supervisor. Create a faster decision-making rocess, and a better working environment. By dissolving the sales, and rental manager†s positions. It would free up excess of $ 70,000 per year and the staff would report to one manager. The office manager†s responsibilities would increase, and the staff would now consist of approximately six individuals. He would report directly to the general manager. By dissolving the operations manager†s position it would free excess of $ 45,000 per year. The supervisor would inherit his duties and responsibilities, which are almost identical without the expensive price tag, and his staff would consist of twelve technicians. He would report directly to the general manager. By restructuring in this manner, the decisions making process will become more fluid, overall responsibilities will and should be increased, and finally morale and productivity will increase. Which will benefit the company short and long term.