Fire Hazards And Precautions

Fire Hazards And Precautions A first line support technician must be aware of the potential risks in an environment that uses computers and their peripherals. The technician should also be aware of safe working practices. This includes not only taking care of the human element within a workplace but also the proper care and handling of equipment. Health and safety issues range from the straightforward, e.g. common sense placement of a single computer, to the complex, e.g. hundreds of computers and other devices that have to be networked together. Generally, computers are regarded as being safe devices that do not suddenly blow up or burst into flames. However, because all devices that use electricity have a potential to become dangerous coupled with the rapid strides in technology that has made computers faster and more powerful there are components within a computer system that can get very hot. In most instances, the safety devices built within the computer system should prove adequate, e.g. fuses and circuit breakers but there may be cases when, due to unforeseen circumstances, a fire happens. In the case of a fire there are steps that can be taken that will minimise human injury and computer damage. Fire Awareness Tips Due to the serious nature of fire and its consequence it is vital that you are aware of what is best to do if you discover a fire. Every workplace is legally bound to provide its staff with details of fire exits, meeting points, and other guidelines about what to do in the event of a fire. It is the employees responsibility to familiarise themselves with this information. The following are a general list of advice that you should follow if you discover a fire: You should try to put a fire out only if you discover it in its early stages and you are completely confident that you can put it out. Be aware, however, that even a small fire can spread quickly and soon become out of control. You safety and your fellow workers safety comes first. If you do decide to tackle the fire, make sure that if you cant control it that you can still escape and that your exit is not blocked. Also be aware that fire extinguishers are only designed to fight fires in their very early stages and that the extinguisher may not be adequate if the fire spreads and the room becomes filled with smoke or fumes. If you believe that the fire cannot be easily dealt with you should immediately set off the nearest fire alarm by breaking the glass and then leave through the appropriate fire exit. The fire brigade should be contacted immediately. Fire Prevention Tips There are many common sense approaches with regards to cutting down the risk of fire with relation to computer equipment, including: Regular cleaning and maintenance of equipment, e.g. to cut down the build up of dust in a system. Taking care not to expose computer equipment to water or other possibly damaging liquids, e.g. refraining from placing potted plants that have to be watered on top of computing equipment. Making sure that ventilation ducts are clear and free from obstruction. Making sure that cables are not frayed or damaged in any way. Fire Extinguishers It is vital that first line support technicians have an awareness of the different types of fire extinguishers that are available, the purpose of each and how to use them. The first thing to note regarding fire extinguishers is that they are only designed to fight fire in its early stages. There are many types of fire extinguisher that are designed to suit different situations in which a fire may occur and it is important that the correct extinguisher is used for the type of fire being fought. Classes of Fire Depending on the country you are in there are slightly different categorisations of fire, .e.g. USA and Europe. We will examine the European classifications. In Europe, fires can be divided into six classes: Class A: These are fires involving flammable solids, e.g. wood, cloth, rubber, paper, and some types of plastics. An example of this type of fire would be a campsite fire. Class B: These are fires involving flammable liquids or liquefiable solids, e.g. petrol, oil, paint and also some waxes plastics, but not cooking fats or oils. Class C: These are fires involving flammable gases, e.g. natural gas, hydrogen, propane, butane. Class D: These are fires involving combustible metals, e.g. sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Class E: These are fires involving any of the materials found in Class A and B fires, but including electrical appliances, wiring, or other electrically energized objects in the vicinity of the fire, with a resultant electrical shock risk if a conductive agent is used to control the fire. Class F: These are fires involving cooking fats and oils. The high temperature of these types of fats and oil when on fire far exceeds that of other flammable liquids which means that normal fire extinguishers should not be used. Extinguisher Maintenance Al fire extinguishers should be regularly checked to make sure that they are fully functional and ready to use if required. In the UK, there are three types of maintenance required: Basic Service All extinguishers require this service annually and it includes checking pressure, weight and any other indication of damage. Extended Service Water, wet chemical, foam and powder extinguishers have to be serviced every five years and the examination is more detailed than the basic service and includes a test discharge. Overhaul CO2 extinguishers require a thorough service every ten years. Each of the services includes the examiner signing and date stamping that the service has taken place. There are other items that can be used to fight fire such as fire blankets and hose reels but these are outside the remit of the course. Types of Extinguisher We will look at the following types of fire extinguisher: Water and Foam Carbon Dioxide Dry and Wet Chemical Powder Water and Foam Water extinguishers work by quickly removing the heat from the fire. Water extinguishers are only suitable for fighting Class A fires that involve materials such as wood, paper and textiles. Water should not be used to fight Class B fires because flammable liquids could be spread by the steam from the water, neither should they be used for Class E electrical fires because water conducts electricity there is a risk of electrocution. Foam extinguishers work by quickly removing heat and oxygen from the fire. Foam extinguishers are suitable for Class A and Class B fires. They are especially suited for controlling Class B flammable liquid fires because the foam has a blanketing effect that smothers the flames without spreading the fire. Carbon Dioxide Carbon Dioxide (CO2) extinguishers work by removing the oxygen element from the fire. Carbon Dioxide extinguishers are suitable for Class B and Class E fires, i.e. involving flammable liquids and electricity respectively Carbon dioxide extinguishers should not be used in confined spaces because they reduce the oxygen in the air. Also, do not hold the nozzle while using because this may lead to injuries such as cold burns because the CO2 is released at extremely low temperatures. Wet and Dry Chemical Wet chemical extinguishers work by removing the heat from the fire and by creating a barrier between the fuel and oxygen. Wet chemical extinguishers are suitable for Class F fires, i.e. cooking oil and fats, which can reach extremely high temperatures. Dry chemical extinguishers work by removing the chemical reaction of the fire. Dry chemical extinguishers are suitable for Class A, Class B and Class C fires, i.e. involving flammable liquids and electricity respectively Powder Powder extinguishers work by removing the heat from the fire or by separating the fuel and oxygen. Powder extinguishers are suitable for Class A, Class B and Class E fires. Fire Extinguishers Task Go to this website and have a look through this resource on Fire Extinguishers. Have a go at the quiz at the end of it to see how much you have learned. Good Luck. Click on this link for a useful flash tutorial on fire extinguishers. Electrical Hazards Anything that uses electricity to work contains a risk that if it is faulty then it could lead to an electric shock. There are certain devices that are considered more dangerous than others and users should be warned that trying to fix these would be best left to professional electronic engineers, e.g. a computer monitor should not be opened even after mains power has been switched off because a dangerous electrical charge remains. Computers and their associated peripheral, such as printers, scanners are powered from the mains and as such are a potential hazard. Therefore, the risk of electric shocks applies to all users and not just technicians who have the systems opened while they are working with them. Greater care must be exercised when a technician is working with an open system. It is advised that all of the equipment under repair or modification is disconnected from the mains supply during the entire process. Hazard Protection There are different hardware devices that can be used to guard against human injury and damage to expensive equipment. These include: Fuses Circuit Breakers Residual Current Devices These devices are designed to carry out one or more of the following: Reduce the risk of fire Reduce the risk of electrical shock Reduce the risk of equipment damage Fuses Fuses and circuit breakers are devices that protect an electrical system from overload and short circuits. These devices are designed to protect equipment rather than users. These devices are current sensitive which are designed to cut power if the current rises above a preset limit. Fuses are a very common way of protecting equipment from power overloads and can be found in many places including the home. Any device, e.g. TV and Video, which connects to the mains, will have a fuse in the plug. If you open a fuse you would see a thin wire or foil which will vaporise quickly if an overload of current goes through it. The fuse must then be replaced in order for the device to work again. Circuit Breakers A circuit breaker is an electromechanical device that carries out a very similar job as a fuse. They are designed to make circuits under normal conditions and to break circuits in the event of an overload, .e.g. a short circuit. The key difference between a fuse and a circuit breaker is that once a fuse has performed it duty it needs to be replaced, whereas a circuit breaker can be reset. Modern electricity supplies use circuit breakers rather than fuses and these will be located at different locations in a building. In the event of a circuit breaker tripping and cutting power, then this will allow an engineer to check the equipment for any faults before the circuit breaker can be safely reset. Another advantage of circuit breakers is that they can be switched off manually to allow safe repair and maintenance. Residual Current Devices (RCD) This is a device for human safety rather than solely protecting computer equipment and its function is to minimise the possibly of injury through electric shock. An RCD works by detecting if electricity is leaking from a circuit and if so it breaks the circuit. Most RDCs are combined with a circuit breaker and so will protect equipment in the case of an overload. Typically, RCDs can be tested by pressing a testing button with should cause the device to operate as if a dangerous leakage had occurred. If the device operates properly, it can be used in a live environment and will perform its function. RCDs should be checked on a regular basis to make sure that they are still functioning properly. PAT Regulations Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is part of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 legislation. This legislation places legal implications on employers to ensure the safety of electrical devices in the workplace and the person most likely to carry out this kind of testing the first line support technician. The portable refers to any electrical item that can be moved from one location to another and therefore includes PCs, printers, scanners and many other electrical objects that can be found in the workplace. There are three parts to PAT: Visual inspection Earth continuity test Insulation test PAT testing should be carried out a regular intervals, however, a common time frame is every 12 months. Electro Static Discharge (ESD) Electro Static Discharge (ESD) can cause a lot of damage to electronic components, such as those found in computer systems, e.g. the processor and RAM. The amount of ESD required to destroy or damage a computer component would not register with a human and at most a person would feel a little shock. Many of the semiconductor chips (integrated circuits) and other components in a computer system operate at a low voltage and can be irreparably damaged by ESD2-5 volts and can be damaged by as little as 40 volts ESD. The causes of ESD include: People moving about normally Equipment being moved Low humidity Poor connections Unshielded cables Improper grounding Minimising ESD Steps should be taken to minimise ESD, particularly by technicians working with components that are most susceptible to damage by it. Example solutions could include: Installation of humidifiers to cut down on low humidity conditions Changing the work environment, e.g. removing carpets Training of staff to make them aware of the problem The use of devices or equipment to minimise ESD Anti-Static Precautions and Safety Hazards Probably the most common guard against ESD when working with computer components is an anti static wrist strap. This is a conductive strap that has a wire attached. The wire is typically attached to the computers casing or could be connected to a special plug inserted into an ordinary mains socket or to an anti static work mat. An alternative to a wrist strap is an anti static heel strap which performs the same function but will be connected to a anti static floor mat. Warning: an important safety issue when using an antistatic device is not to work on any equipment where there is a possibility of touching a live or high voltage component. The anti static device will form an excellent path for the electricity to flow to ground through your body, and that would be extremely dangerous. It is also important that when touching components, such as processors and LSZH Sheathing Cable Protection Low Smoke Zero Halogen is a special type of cable sheath used by manufactures for a variety of types of cable, including network cables. Unlike the normal PVC cable covering used that can produce toxic and corrosive gases when it burns, this type of cable covering does not release dangerous gases when it burns. Many organisations structured cabling schemes require that several cables be run together. This can be extremely dangerous in the event of a fire because of the greater amount of PVC burning result in an increase in life threatening fumes. Generally, when this is the case, organisations will choose to install LSZH cabling.

Is Censorship Justified? Essay -- social issues

Is Censorship Justified? Ever wondered the reason behind racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, children committing crime or violence? The main reason is that censorship is not properly imposed or there is a need of censorship in the society. Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain people, individual, groups or government officials find it objectionable, offensive or dangerous on others. There are varieties of other definitions but all have in common the concept of withholding information and/or resources from those who seek it. Hence censorship is essential in society to eliminate discrimination on basis of race and sex, protect children, maintain stability and restore what censor sees as lost moral values. Censorship occurs when expressive materials like books, magazines, movies, videos, music or work of art are restricted to particular audiences based on their age or other characteristics. (http://www.ala.org/oif/intellectualfreedeomandcensorship.html) Censorship is not a recent development. It wasn’t imposed properly or there weren’t strict regulations before. In the article â€Å"Hate Radio† by Patricia J. Williams, the writer says that radio was a powerful source of media. It had influenced a lot of people. The power of media can change the course of history. The host on the radio such as Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern were also influencing a lot of people. The theme was not merely the specific intolerance on hot topics as race and gender, but a much more general contempt for the world, a verbal stoning of anything different. Most of the audience on this radio shows were white and male. Most of the callers have spent their lives walling themselves off from any real experience with blacks, feminists, lesbians or gays. Rush Limbaugh tell his audience â€Å"what you believe inside, you can talk about it in the marketplace.† Unfortunately what’s inside is then mistaken for what’s outside, tr eated empirical and political reality. Most of the talks on the radio were being racist against the blacks. This had influenced so much that a statistics showed that 53 percent of people in America agree that blacks and Latinos are less intelligent than whites, and a majority believed that blacks are lazy, violent, welfare-dependent and unpatriotic. Hence this stereotype among the people was due to the lack of censorship.(Williams,502) ... ... between exposure to pornography and commission of violence, but this research was conducted in 1993 which is now outdated. Another point, which she emphasized, was that a greater availability of sexually explicit material seems to correlate with higher indices of gender equality. But when the sexually explicit material shows the subordination of women or women presented as sexual object who enjoy pain or humiliation, how can they be equal as men when the men are shown as the gender that enjoys subordinating women. (Strossen,550). Feminist author Diana Russell notes in her book Rape and Marriage the correlation between deviant behavior (including abuse) and pornography. She also found that pornography leads men and women to experience conflict, suffering, and sexual dissatisfaction. (http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/porno.html) Hence censorship is essential in order to maintain peace and stability in the society. It will decrease the crime rates. Children can be exposed to sexual matters in school in a different manner as education. Excessive amount of sexual explicit material would surely be harmful. Censorship does not have a downside and it will be a better society.

Barack Obama or Socrates for President

The United States of America’s presidential election is always been the major political event in the entire nation, on which set of prominent, outstanding and powerful politicians in the whole American nation are set to challenge each others capabilities. Under the unified goal, the list of clever American politician showcases their profound abilities and qualities to become the next president of the United States of America and rule the country for the succeeding years of their term, as the new head of entire states.United States presidential election, on the hand, is arguably he most significant event of the entire United States of America, as it is the critical episode in the whole country, on which the people and the entire American society is up to decide whether who to entrust the future of the whole nation and the entire American dreams. The 2008 United States presidential race is one of the historical elections, the Americans will have, on which it is the first time to happen that there are no incumbents from both presidential and vice-presidential position, since the 1928 presidential election.Technically, all the running politicians for presidency are equal, on which every running candidate have definite advantage over the other and has a fair share possibility to be the next head of the influential American nation. (Rate It All, Inc. ) Among the political person running for the 2008 United States presidential election, Barack Obama is one of the most politicians to receive positive feedbacks among the American public.Barack Obama, as one the United States presidential had been phenomenal to his political campaign, on which Obama had garner positive feedbacks on votes from most of the states in the entire United of America. In most of the political rallies Barack Obama, he often says America, as a united country must stand together and work together, on which everyone has a fair share of obligation to make the country productive and strong econ omically as well as socially.This is how Barack Obama envisions the United States of America should be, on which he carry the tag-line â€Å"change, we can believe†, together with his supporters in all of his political rallies. (Barack Obama. com) In ancient politics, however, the Greek classical philosopher, Socrates, is one of the most popular political advocates of their own definition of ideal government. As a philosopher, Socrates has a bunch of in-depth insights about many forms of government, on which he as a thinker has a profound definition of government.In principle, Socrates is an oppositionist of many forms of government, more specifically the democracy. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Just like Barack Obama, Socrates advocates his own version of an ideal government, on which he consistently pursue up to the last drop of his blood. Relating this to the current political situation of the United States, this classical argumentative paper will claim who would b e the better candidate for the United States of America’s presidential election in the year 2008, between one of the prime democrat candidate Barack Obama and the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.Technically, Barack Obama and Socrates differ with each other on their explanation of ideal state government. As an oppositionist of many currently existing form of government, Socrates’ representation of an ideal form of government is more strict and profound, on which the structure of his ideal governance in state government is totally an antagonism to the entire principle of democracy. In his ideal Government, Socrates states that his principle structure of perfect government is divided into three major parts, on which are Gold, Silver and Bronze.The Gold being the head of the state or government that their primary role is to rule and lead over its people: the silver is the army or soldier, on which their primary purpose or responsibility is to protect the welfare of the head of state or the government: and the last is bronze, as the common people who is classified by Socrates as the Laborer and the lowest least priority or part in his ideal government. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)Essentially, Socrates’ model of his ideal government for the state disagrees with the principle of democracy, on which most of the people, most especially those who belongs in the least bronze category do not have the same human rights as compare to the two more prominent division of Socrates’ ideal government. Nevertheless, the Greek philosopher Socrates’ model of ideal government do not cater to the needs and priority of the common people or the public of the state.Barack Obama, on the other hand, as one of the United Sates presidential candidate for the 2008 election, uses the principle of democracy for the entire United States of America, as his personal definition of ideal state government. As a contradict to the ideal government principl e of Socrates, the democrat prime candidate Barack Obama is an advocate of the so called democracy, as his primary definition of an ideal state government.A true democrat that he is, presidential contender Barack Obama believes that every American has its fair share of right to help the entire country of the United States grow bigger and stronger, economically and socially. (Barack Obama. com) Moreover, the ideal governance of Barack Obama for the entire United States of America caters the needs and prioritizes the sake of the people in the entire states of America.Barack Obama believes that every American or citizen of the state has its profound capability to protect and contribute to the future of the entire United States, on which the ideal government of Barack Obama gives every individual an equal share of freedom and right to do their share for the betterment of the entire American Nation. Nevertheless, Barack Obama’s ideal state government for the whole America centers to the good and better sake of all the Americans, towards the reconstruction of unified, strong and competent future of the whole United States of America.(Barack Obama. com) In every state or country, government head or leader is important. He or she is the one in-charge to take care of the future and welfare of the nation as well as to its people. Essentially, the leader of the state is the one in driver seat to further achieve and enhance the dream or the American dream for the United States. However, between the democrat leader Barack Obama and the ancient Greek leader Socrates, the American democrat Barack Obama is more deserving to be the best and the next country leader of the entire United States of America.I argue that Socrates as a philosopher and an oppositionist of the principle of democracy, his type of leadership is not suitable for a democratic country like the United States of America, which is better known for its outstanding freedom and equality in its states gover nment. More likely, the Leadership of Socrates is comparable to a dictatorial governance, on which he is the type of a leader that only practice personal self growth and motives, as against to the priority and sake of the entire country.Nevertheless, Socrates, as a leader is selfish in away he does not believe to the equal right or freedom of every people on a state, regardless of their status and role in life. Barack Obama, on the other hand, is the type of leader who believes and relies to the support as well as significance of the entire American people in rebuilding the nation and dreams of the whole United States. Barack Obama, as a leader is an advocate of equality of citizenry, on which he have the faith for the people to make their fair share to build and achieved to together the bright future of the entire United States.As the nation’s favorite democrat candidate for United States presidency, definitely Barack Obama is the deserving and best leader for the United Sta tes against Socrates, on which Barack Obama’s faith in the American people, as a critical player towards the change and improvement of the whole nation is a superb quality of a best leader to lead the country for the next generations. Nevertheless, Barack Obama is the type of leader whose goal is not for his own personal growth or sake, rather he centers more for priority of his people and nation.In every form of government, the people or the person in the state plays a significant role, no which the public or the people hold the key towards the success of the politician and its government in general. In Socrates’ ideal form of government, he depicts the primary role of the common people or person as the laborers or the least division in his ideal governance, on which his version of ideal government gives the least priority for the person in his government.Barack Obama, however, depicts the role of person in his ideal form of government as one of the important aspects towards the achievement of strong and bright future of the entire United States of America. Moreover, Barack Obama illustrated the person role as the primary way to change the current political situation and dilemma of the United States of America at the moment. Nevertheless, in Obama’s form of government, he believes to power of equality and significant of the person, as the catalysts of change in the state governance, towards the social and economical growth of the entire American nation.In the end, social contract is the best type of government for the United State of America, on which it has the profound capability to effect and implement equality on its people, regardless of their status and position in life. Social Contract, it is definite that no one is above the law or constitution of the land, with this it is fair enough to say social contract is the best for the entire United States of America to ensure fairness and equality of every Americans. Works Cited Rate It A ll, Inc.(2007), United States presidential election, 2008 – Candidates Reviews: Retrieved May 22, 2008 from http://www. rateitall. com/t-23139-united-states-presidential-election-2008–candidates-reviews. aspx Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2003), Plato's Ethics and Politics in The Republi: Retrieved May 22, 2008 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/plato-ethics-politics/ Barack Obama. com (2008), Im Asking You to Believe: Retrieved May 22, 2008 from http://www. barackobama. com/index. php

The World Is Growing At An Amazing Rate - 1521 Words

â€Å"Everything has to come to an end, sometime† (Baum). And the era we live in, is an era in which the biggest threat to human well-being, to other species and the earth, is the human existence itself. The blasting increase in human population means that with every increasing life, the demand for food, fresh water, energy and a whole lot more other items will increase simultaneously. The world is growing at an amazing rate. Currently, the Earth’s population is growing by 60,000 people every eight hours; that’s two children born every second somewhere around the globe (Shariatmadari). So in a sense, every one second the supply of basic amenities must also increase to cater the need of two more living human souls. Experts believe that if we†¦show more content†¦To truly grasp the horror of overpopulation and why it is a threat to human existence itself, it is important to know the how it all started. Before the industrial revolution, the birth rates and death rates were about the same, keeping the population stable. Although people had a large number of kids but many of them died before the age of 6 (Kinder). Then in 1800s came the industrial revolution. Industrial revolution marked the beginning of an upward increase in the exponential graph that represents total world population by reducing death rates in the time to come. It allowed us to achieve this feat through medical advancements, increases in agricultural productivity. Medical advancements have allowed for a decrease in mortality rate as it provided better measures to treat critical health illnesses, more effective ways to control epidemics, more effective solutions to infertility problems and safer pregnancies. Increased food production through intensive farming techniques, including heavy use of genetically modified seeds, mechanized farming processes and immense use of fertilizers and pesticides, have also played a significant role in allowing the current growth of the human population. Lastly, having a large of number of kids, if not for old traditions, is still considered a highly personal matter and for whatever reasons, people don’t like being told what to do in their personal lives. However, it is important to understand that every personal decision such