Design Aspects of a Green House

Design Aspects of a Green House

Everybody wants to have a house of their own to lead a comfortable life. It is normally one’s cherished dream – a beautiful dream house. Different options are available in this connection – purchase an exiting house and modify and renovate it;  have a new ready made flat; construct a new one according to own wish and layout. But before going for the final selection, one has to do some market survey with regard to the location and plan of the house that suits one’s budget.

 In this connection it will be interesting to know about a particular incident. Baby purchased a plot and constructed a house. The house warming ceremony was celebrated in a grand scale. He had invited all his relatives and friends on the occasion. After a couple of months, monsoon started. That day there was a heavy down pour. As usual in the evening, both Mrs and Mr Baby returned from office together. When they reached their home, to their utter dismay, they found that they were not in a position to enter their home, as the area was flooded, and water had entered their home. They were compelled to shift to their friend’s home for a couple of days as their house  was not habitable. Shortly afterwards, they disposed that house and purchased another house in a different locality.

What was the problem there? Baby got the plan of the house made from an architect; engaged a contractor and constructed the house according to the plan. But  unfortunately  neither the architect, builder or Baby enquired about   the conditions of the locality of the house. Actually that area was susceptible for floods during heavy rains.

 Lesson learnt - Before constructing a new house, it is very essential to enquire about the site conditions from the persons in and around that place and also observe the seasonal variations for at least one year

 GB-02-250211.

Environment and Health

  Basic environmental needs are clean air, pure water, balanced food , proper clothing and decent accommodation. Population growth coupled with the exploitation and wastage of natural resources are threatening the environmental integrity inter alia affecting the health of the people.

 Health is an outcome of the interaction between people and the environment. Better environmental management is essential for sustaining the health of the people. While on one hand economic growth along with industrialization and urbanization have changed the life style of the people, overcrowding and increase in the different diseases have generated lot of problems. Heavy traffic on the road and the consequent air pollution have led to an increase in the asthma patients. Use of too many pesticides in agriculture has affected the farmers and those who consume such products.

 Environmental Health – an over view

World Health Organization (WHO) defines environmental health as comprising different aspects of human health. These are physical, chemical, biological, social and psychological factors in the environment. It also refers to the practice of assessing, correcting, controlling and preventing those factors in the environment that affect the present and future generations.

 Climate and weather affects human health. Natural disasters such as floods, storms, hurricanes and earthquakes kill many people. New strategies will have to be evolved to counteract these natural disasters and mitigate the sufferings of the affected people..

 People and Environment Links

The health of the people is closely linked with the environment in different ways.

 -         Due to the consumption of contaminated water / food, many are affected by diarrhea leading to death. Untreated waste water and sewage sometimes enter water sources contaminating the drinking water. Usage of this water leads to gastrointestinal diseases. Malaria is anther epidemic caused due to unhygienic environment.

-         Living in ill-ventilated homes leads to respiratory diseases including lung cancer and tuberculosis. Motor vehicle exhaust fumes, tobacco smoke and industrial fumes also cause respiratory diseases.

-         A large number of people die every year due to road accidents.

 Remedial Steps

-Arrangements   must be made to make available clean drinking water, nutritious food, and neat and clean surroundings and habitable shelters to one and all.

-Provide clean energy sources.

-Reduce environmental pollution from industries and transportation.

-Shift agricultural patterns from usage of harmful pesticides, insecticides and herbicides to non-toxic substances.

- Control population explosion and consequent damage of natural resources.

- Poverty is closely linked to health. An inequitable sharing of natural resources should be followed.

Env-02-03-11

Root Cause Analysis as a Management Tool

Root Cause Analysis as a Management Tool

Root cause analysis is a method of problem solving. Its purpose is to identify the basic resons of the problems and then take steps to solve it immediately. Also take  steps  to prevent the recurrence of such problems in future. Of course it is very difficult to prevent completely such recurrences.

 General Principles of Root Cause Analysis:

RCA is a method of identifying causes and solving them. Analysis is done after an event has occurred.  RCA can also be used to forecast or predict probable events even before they occur.

General Principles of Root Cause Analysis:

-The purpose of identifying different solutions to a particular problem is to remove it and to  prevent its recurrence. The solution should be simple and cost effective.

 -There can be more than one root cause for a problem.

 -RCA must be done systematically and in the investigation report the causes must be clearly identified with supporting documents.

 -The analysis should establish the sequence of events and their inter relationships.

RCA can be done by different approaches: safety-based, production-based, process-based, failure-based, and systems-based.

Approaches
The analysis can be done in different ways. One method is a question-answer session.
Example: Washing machine is not working.
The probable question answer session can be:
When the machine stopped working?
Was there any unusual sound during the working?
Was there sufficient water inflow?
Was the front cover closed properly?
Was the soap powder of recommended quality?
Like that the questions can be increased and its answers found out. The solution may crop up in between.
Synopsis
In short ,the root cause analysis comprises the following steps:-
What is the problem?
When it happened?
How the problem happened?
Analyze and find the solution.

                                                   ******************

.

Technical Documentation

Principles of Technical Documentation and Writing

Technical documentation and writing is a specialized field requiring knowledge and experience in it. The steps of technical are:

1. Preparation
2. Research
3. Organization
4. Writing the draft
5. Revision

Preparation

Preparation involves defining the purpose of the document, identifying the audience and determining the scope.

Research

The purpose of documentation is to convey information. In order to convey information, one must understand it thoroughly..

Organization

Here consider what you need to tell users, and how that information can best be conveyed.

Writing a Draft

A document has three parts:

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

Before starting writing, have an outline prepared. Expand the outline in small paragraphs and then complete the draft.

Revision

During revising, check for completeness and accuracy. See that writing is concise, and covers the topic clearly. Then check for spelling and grammar. Also see that abbreviations and acronyms are expanded.

                       

Alzheimer's Disease

Dementia  is a loss of  functioning of the brain. This occurs with certain diseases. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one form of dementia. It affects memory, thinking, and behavior.
Memory impairment, problems with decision-making ability, judgment, and personality are other features of this disease.

Causes

Age and family history are risk factors for AD.

·         Though developing Alzheimer's disease is not a part of normal aging, the risk of developing AD goes up with old age.

·         Having a close relative such as a brother, sister, or parent who has AD increases your risk.

There are two types of AD -- early onset and late onset.

·         In early onset AD, symptoms first appear before the age of 60. Early onset AD is much less common than late onset.

·         Late onset AD, the most common form of the disease, develops in people age 60 and older.

When nerve cells (neurons) are destroyed, there is a decrease in the chemicals that help nerve cells send messages to one another (called neurotransmitters). As a result, areas of the brain that normally work together become disconnected.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of dementia are the difficulties with many areas of mental functioning:

·         Language

·         Memory

·         Perception

·         Emotional behavior or personality

·         Cognitive skills such as calculation, abstract thinking, or judgment

Dementia usually first appears as forgetfulness.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the stage between normal forgetfulness due to aging, and the development of AD. People with MCI have mild problems with thinking and memory that do not interfere with everyday activities.

Symptoms of MCI include:

·         Forgetting recent events or conversations

·         Difficulty performing more than one task at a time

·         Difficulty solving problems

·         Taking longer to perform more difficult activities

The early symptoms of AD can include:

·         Language problems, such as trouble finding the name of familiar objects

·         Misplacing items

·         Getting lost on familiar routes

·         Personality changes and loss of social skills

·         Losing interest in things previously enjoyed, flat mood

·         Difficulty performing tasks that take some thought, but used to come easily, such as balancing a checkbook, playing complex games (such as bridge), and learning new information or routines

People with severe AD can no longer:

·         Understand language

·         Recognize family members

·         Perform basic activities of daily living, such as eating, dressing, and bathing

Signs and tests

AD can often be diagnosed through a history and physical exam by a skilled doctor or nurse. A health care provider will take a history, do a physical exam (including a neurological exam), and perform a mental status examination.
Tests may be ordered to help determine whether other medical problems could be causing dementia or making it worse. These conditions include:

·         Thyroid disease

·         Vitamin deficiency

·         Brain tumor

·         Stroke

Healthy Life Style

Healthy Life Style

 

 Everybody in this world wants to lead a healthy, happy and long life.

But how to lead such a life?

A big question indeed!

For this, a healthy life style both in the physical and spiritual plane has to

be maintained.

 Physical Plane

Balanced food and adequate physical exercise are the two basic requirements for

keeping fit and healthy. Avoid oily and spicy food but include more fruits and

vegetables in one’s diet. Avoid overeating and have your meals at the proposed time

and correct intervals.

 The type and amount of physical exercise depends on the age and physical conditions

of the particular individual. The exercise can be brisk walking, swimming, cycling, jogging or playing. The exercise not only helps to maintain a sound health but will mitigate the problems arising out of diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol etc. Regular medical check up should be done under the guidance of a qualified medical practitioner to identify any disease and have proper treatment before aggravating the condition.

 Mental Plane

Body and mind go together. The proverb a sound mind in a sound body is perfectly apt.

Every attempt should be made to a perfectly healthy mind set devoid of worry, anxiety and tension. It will; be extremely difficult to have a completely tension free life in the present day busy and hectic life, but it should be seen that the amount of tension is kept at the minimum level. Yoga, meditation, cordial social and family relationships etc are some of the factors for having good emotional and mental health.

280411

Safety in Building Construction

Quite often accidents occur during construction of buildings. There can be various reasons for these accidents. These can be carelessness on the part of workers, improper planning and wrong sequence of operations, poor quality of the materials, bad workman ship, inadequate training with respect to handling of the machinery and equipments. The accidents can be minor or major causing loss of life or impairment to human body. In turn, there can be financial losses and delay in the completion of the project.

 As such, it is very essential to ensure the safety of workers engaged in the construction of buildings and to protect them from the injuries arising out of the accidents. In olden times,  buildings  were normally of smaller  size and height. But now a days large number of multi story buildings are being constructed for both residential and office purposes. The chances for accidents are more in the case of construction of high rise buildings. The available statistics reveal that about 11 % of all the occupational injuries are from construction industry.

 
 Causes of Accidents

There are many causes for accidents. These are carelessness of workers in handling of the equipments, technical defects in the equipments, defects in the system planning, bad quality scaffolding and formwork etc. These defects can be broadly classified into-

 Execution of work:

Use of defective materials

Construction defects

Wrong processing of materials

Role of workers

Carelessness

Unauthorized acts

Unskilled working

Equipment

Defects in the equipment

Insufficient maintenance

Improper handling

Planning

Award of work to incompetent agencies

Lack of proper supervision

Absence of coordination

Classification of Accidents

The accidents can be grouped under the following heads:

 According to the severity of the injury

Major accident

Minor accident

Accidental hazard

 According to the nature of the injury

Death

Temporary disablement

Permanent disablement

Partial disablement

 According to the cause of accident

Equipment fault

Construction site falls

Trench collapse

Crane failure

 
             Safety Helmet

 Role of Various Agencies in Safety Management

For ensuring safety in construction, everybody involved has to play their role effectively. However, the primary responsibility is that of the management. They have to coordinate the work of different groups. The concerned groups are:

1.Employer

The employer should hold the equipments, premises and the passages in such a manner that the workers can work without any hazard and sufficient precautions have to be taken to avoid any accident. The employer should ensure that the work is supervised properly and the safety regulations are scrupulously followed. Particular attention should be taken to ensure that persons having physical or mental disorders are not employed.

 2.Workers

Workers should take all possible steps to protect their individual safety as well as that of their co - workers. They should wear proper dresses, helmets, hand gloves etc. They should be conversant with the safety regulations especially when operating machineries.

3.Designers

The designer should take into consideration the relevant codes of the region   when designing the structures. The quality of the materials used for fabrication should be clearly spelt out and the specifications should be written with out any ambiguity.

 4. Manufacturer

The manufacturer of the equipments and machineries should ensure that the materials used are of  good  quality and due care was taken in every stage of manufacture and assembling.

 Safety In various stages of construction

Excavation

Excavation shall be done with proper care to the safety of workers, avoiding disturbance to adjoining property, under ground electric cable, water supply lines, sewage pipes etc. The excavated   materials and other items should be removed from the work site as early as possible so that it should not act as a hindrance to the ongoing work and workers can move freely. Proper signals and warning boards should be erected so that people will be aware of the work and will take necessary precautions.

 Piling for foundations

Piling is adopted for deep foundations of high rise buildings. There are bored piles and driven piles. Sufficient precautions should be taken so that no damage is caused to the adjoining structures.

 Walls

Scaffolding used for wall construction should be checked to see their strength and stability. Platforms must be rigid and non slippery. The ladders should also be fabricated from strong and sturdy materials and the joinery and bracing are properly done.

 Form work of roofing

The form work should be designed and fabricated properly so that they do not collapse during the course of construction. All vertical members shall be properly joined and braced.

 Safety Benefits

Accidents cause financial hardships to the worker as well as to the contractor. The worker will have to meet the expenses towards the treatment while the contractor will have to replace the defective equipments and machineries. The accidents may retard the progress of work which will lead to price escalation.

In addition to the financial losses, the injured worker will have to undergo both physical and mental hardships. This to a certain will keep the morale of the workers down and also in the eyes of the general public, the image of he company will be at a lower ebb.

 Safety Measurement

Injury severity Rate (ISR)

This is defined as the number of days lost due to injuries for 100 man hours worked.

ISR = Number of days lost   x 1000

        _______________________

       Number of man hours worked

Injury Frequency Rate (IFR)

This is defined as the number of disabling injuries per one- lakh of man hours worked.

IFR = Number of disabling injuries x 100000

        ________________________________

        Total number of man hours worked

Injury Index

Injury Index= (ISR x IFR )/ 1000

 Synopsis

Safety is of paramount importance in the construction of buildings. Lack of safety measures will lead to accidents which in turn will culminate in the loss of life, injury, financial losses, delay in the completion of the project etc.

 Reference

1. Architectural Hand Book by Institution of Engineers, Calicut, 1999

Save Energy, Save Planet

Save Energy, Save Planet

                            Tags: energy, savings, shut down computer, use LED lights

 Energy saved is money saved. The following steps will help in saving energy and also help in having a clean and green surroundings.

 Shut down your computer:

Considerable energy can be saved if the computers are   shut down when not in use.

 Cover the vessels when cooking:

 By covering the vessels when cooking, heat will stay inside the vessel, leading to saving of energy.

Use LED lights:

Instead of ordinary bulbs, use LED lights. This will reduce the energy consumption. This will also lead to saving in electricity charges and also saving in purchase of lights as  LED lights last longer. The heat released to the atmosphere will also be reduced.

Plant trees:

Plant more trees in the surroundings depending on the availability of space. A tree is supposed to absorb one ton of carbon di oxide in its lifetime. The shade provided will make the environment cooler and thus reduces the consumption of electricity for the air conditioners up to 15%.

Use clothesline instead of a dryer.

One dryer releases an average of 500 kgs of carbon di oxide into the atmosphere every year. If you use a clothesline for drying, you will be able to reduce considerable amount of carbon di oxide release and also reduce the energy consumption.

  www.beingearthly.com/small_steps.html

 2 February 2011

22 May 2011

Reverse aging through Exercise

Exercise is very important in all ages. But in old age, it has got a very special role to play. It helps to reduce the many problems of old age and assists in keeping good health. It produces fitness and helps in the reversal of ageing. The fitness got from exercise will help in maintaining vitality and youthfulness.

 Benefits of Exercise

-          It produces a stronger heart and healthier lungs.

-          Body muscles become more efficient by converting stored fat to muscle and energy

-          Leads to a slowing down of ageing

-          Reduces old age health problems and joint pains

-          Increase efficiency of all internal body organs

-          Reduces blood pressure, blood cholesterol

-          Helps in body weight reduction

-          Helps to prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures

-          Reduces chances for breast cancer in ladies

-          Eliminates toxin and improves elasticity of skin

-          Helps in reducing stress and depression

-          Increases overall vitality, confidence, creativity and optimism

      -    Rejuvenates body and mind

 Time for exercise

There is no fixed time for exercise; it depends on the convenience of the individual concerned. Early morning and evening time are both suitable for exercise.

 Types of Exercises

The different types of exercise are: Brisk Walking, Cycling, Jogging, Swimming and Skipping

To achieve optimum fitness, one  need  to exercise for  about 30 minutes.

 Walking

Out of all the exercises mentioned above, brisk walking is the most ideal especially for senior citizens. It is the simplest form of exercise. It helps to reduce weight, lowers blood sugar and blood pressure. It is a powerful  therapeutic tool to refresh the mind and body.

Walking is a fun and helps to manage and control tension, back ache, head ache and emotional fatigue. It is the cheapest exercise program as it does not require costly tools or equipments except a pair of .good shoes. It is ideal for conditioning  the hips, thighs and stomach muscles.

 LS-02

270511

http://raamachandran.blogspot.com/

Deep sleep to gain full vitality

Just like food and exercise, sleep is very essential for all to maintain good physical and mental health. Sleep serves as a rejuvenating factor for human body.

 The vigor and freshness obtained after a night’s sleep is unexplainable. After a day’s strenuous work, tiredness follows and   both body and mind requires rest which is only obtained through sleep. The nervous system will function smoothly after a good sleep.

 During sleep, toxins from the body are eliminated and tissues got rebuilt. Also stress is released.

 Duration Of Sleep

The duration of sleep depends on the age, physical and mental condition of the individual concerned. On an average an adult requires 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day. Children require more sleep as they need extra energy for their growth.

 Requirements for a good sleep

        -   A light meal is recommended for the night since a heavy meal requires lot of          

      energy to digest. People will have a tendency to wake up late without a feeling of

      freshness. The diet should be balanced with sufficient nutrition value. Include  

       plenty of  vegetables and fruit in the meal.

-          Aerobic exercise will help to get good sleep

-          The saying’ Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy and wise’ is perfectly right. Try to avoid ‘burning the midnight oil’ and late night outings.

-          Keep the bed room airy with good ventilation. Keep the widows open. If the windows are shut, stale air will remain inside the room causing a nauseating experience.

-          A firm bed with out a sag is recommended.

-          A hot water  bath  just  before retiring in the night will help in having the muscle relaxed and serves to get a sound sleep.

-          Take a short walk in the evening along with family members which will help in exchanging the thoughts about day’s activities and solving personal problems and removing tensions.

 Don’ts

-          Avoid coffee in the night. Coffee contains caffeine which reduces the intensity of sleep.

-          Alcohol in excess will give a bad night’s sleep. It produces a drugged sleep and not a natural sleep.

-          Sugar should  be limited as too much sugar excites the nervous system causing irritability.

-          Don’t drink too much water in the evening as this will necessitate to get up to relieve the bladder.

LS-03

290511

Problems of Pot Belly

 Everybody wants to have a good physique with a pleasing personality. A protruding tummy or a pot belly is not a good sign. This is more prevalent on males than females.

The main cause of pot belly is the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area.

According to WH O (World Health Organization), pot belly is that for which the abdominal circumference is more than 90 cms for male and  80 cms for females.

 Causes for Pot Belly

-         Consumption of more calories than required. The excess calories get converted to fat and accumulate in one’s belly.
- Sedentary life style. This reduces the basal metabolic rate and people spend less energy than they consume.

 Bad Effects of Pot Belly

The major health hazards are diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney and cardiovascular diseases.

Steps to remove Pot Belly

Proper diet and exercise are the two requirements to get rid of excess fat from the stomach area. The excess calories should be burnt out.

 About 30 minutes of abdominal exercises must be supplemented with swimming, cycling or running.

 Do’s

     - Eat small quantities of food at close intervals
     - Leave a gap of two hours between dinner and sleep time.

 Don’ts

Avoid excess eating.
Avoid high calorie and high fat foods especially animal meat.

Avoid foods made of refined products made up of maida

Avoid fried products.
Avoid aerated drinks and sweets

Be Young in old Age

Young in old age!  Quite  interesting to hear. But is it possible to remain young in old age?  Difficult to believe.

Hours roll into months, days into months and months to years. The old saying ‘Time and tide wait for no man’ is perfectly apt.

 We can’t stop time ticking off. As days pass on, we get older. Our thinking changes, our attitude changes and our physical body changes.

 Aging is a natural process. We can’t completely change the effects of old age; but we can, of course retard the deterioration of the body to a certain extent by leading a healthy and positive life style.

 Effects of Aging

As we get older, changes take place both in the physical and mental levels. Increased blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, diabetes, cholesterol, cancer …. are some of the

major common problems of old age.

The body cells start deteriorating and function less effectively; the skin loses elasticity, tissues break down, muscles weaken, eye sight reduces, hearing becomes weak, decayed teeth, increase in degenerative disease- all manifestations of old age.

 The absence of care, love and affection from children and other close relatives and friends further add chances for depression and increased mental tension.

 Causes of Aging

As discussed earlier, aging is a natural process and we can’t completely reverse the process of aging. The main causes of aging are:

 Faulty Life style:

Improper food, lack of physical exercise, increased mental tension- these all come under the category of faulty life style.

 Heredity

The genes inherited from parents have got an important effect on aging. However one can’t do anything to influence the genes.

 Free Radicals

Free radicals are highly corrosive oxidizing molecules. It is considered that free radicals are the main cause of aging and to a certain extent to cancer. The causes of these free radicals are – poor nutrition, cigarette smoking, strong sun light and air pollution.

 Reversing the Process of Aging

The aging process can be reversed to a certain extent by taking the following steps.

-          Have balanced ,nutritious food

-          Take anti oxidants : Vitamins A, C & E and the mineral selenium

-          Proper physical exercise

-          Sufficient rest and sleep

-          Avoid mental tension and worry

-          Engage in some sort of mental activity

-          Have a positive attitude

-          Involve in  creative social activity

LS-01

     260511