Bassetti Italy

There’s a leading thread tying together the long years or Bassetti’s activity, it’s the innovation challenge, a knowing plot of imagination and research that has woven, in time, an amazing story, made of constant evolutions and extraordinary creativity. It all started in Milan, in 1830. At 2 St. Stefano Square, a small textile emporium opens for business, managed by Carlo Barboncini, cousin of the Bassetti family. 10 years later, a hand waving manufacturing plant is opened in Rescaldina.It’s 1864 when Giovanni Bassetti, only 13 years old, buys the company for a little more than one hundred thousand liras. It’s a day that will change the history of the textile world. Giovanni Bassetti’s society has in fact a set destiny: to become the most modern plant in Europe for the most ancient art in the world. From the ‘30s Bassetti starts to organize a capillary network of warehouses and stores that allow the company to expand on the entire natio nal territory. They start talking about marketing and, in common knowledge, the Bassetti brand becomes synonym of technology and high quality.In the mid ‘50s Bassetti undertakes yet another choice in the name of innovation, putting into practice a planned advertising strategy . They concentrate on the Bassetti brand, sustained and divulged through high investments. This is how Bassetti is confirmed as a true business, with a well defined company policy aimed towards innovation: it â€Å"invents† a new house linen, ready made and packaged, ideal for women who are busy working outside the house, but not willing, for this, to give up the pleasure of being surrounded by good taste and high quality.In the ‘60s it begins to expand to European markets, conquering them in no time thanks to its unique creativity. Bassetti is one of the first companies capable of standing on the â€Å"woman’s side†, as a famous advertising claim says, creating products that ar e not just good looking, but also able to simplify housework and turn the home into a pleasant and personal nest, ideal for a free and dynamic life. In the late ‘80s Bassetti finds a new challenge. It starts a franchise project, with one-branded stores called â€Å"C’e Bassetti†: it’s the new way of marketing house linen.At the present time Bassetti is the most famous house linen and textile company, it has a network of shops across the whole national territory, it distributes its collections in Europe and exports in the whole world, promoting the value of the most qualified â€Å"made in Italy†, synonym of elegance and quality. Since 2001, Bassetti has merged with the Zucchi group. Always ready for challenges, Bassetti looks to the future, with ever increasing attention to distribution, the meeting point between producer and consumer.This is proved by the development of the franchising stores network that has reached the considerable number of 130 on the whole national territory and the policy of new store openings in Switzerland, Spain and Greece. AMBITION Dress the home with creativity It is our ambition, because we have always loved to play with imagination and creativity, and we like to think that in every home in Italy, our products express the taste and style of the people living there.Imagination is the ability to create and design products that cam make life â€Å"softer†; creativity, it’s our secret that makes then so loved. And those who love us find here their own creativity, discovering the simplicity of making. The Group today Bassetti is one of  Ã‚  Zucchi Group’s  most prestigious brands. The Group is comprised of series of production, creative and distribution facilities operating mainly in the home textile sector, dealing in finished product, semifinished textiles and ennobling services for third parties.The  Zucchi Group  also has a series of commercial subsidiaries operating in specific market niches and distributing abroad the four market leader brands in Italy and  France (Bassetti, Zucchi, Descamps and Jalla). A few prestigious Licenses complete the product range. [pic][pic]Bassetti Collections Playing with imagination, fantasy and colors, we create our collections to dress your home with ever new emotions!Live submerged in the wonderful landscapes, smells and sound of our La Natura, fill your hours of charm with the sensual and intriguing ideas of Granfoulard. Let the cheerfulness and vitality of Brio catch on to you, then surround yourself with the colors of In Tinta with your character and your life style! Discover the world of Bassetti Collections, where creativity and quality are woven together with experience and tradition, and choose the emotion in which to wrap yourself†¦ Bassetti lets the sunshine in — or shuts it out.The company manufactures a variety of natural and synthetic fiber textiles used in home-furnishing products such a s curtains and drapes, towels, and linens. Bassetti also markets its own home textile products, which it sells through retail outlets, including its own chain of C'e Bassetti stores. Brands for its products include Brio, La Natura, and Intina. Although the company sells its products throughout Italy, the company derives a substantial amount of its revenue from exports. Bassetti is a subsidiary of Italian textile group Vincenzo Zucchi . [pic]

Digital Fortress Chapter 85-87

Chapter 85 Greg Hale lay curled on the Node 3 floor. Strathmore and Susan had just dragged him across Crypto and bound his hands and feet with twelve-gauge printer cable from the Node 3 laser-printers. Susan couldn't get over the artful maneuver the commander had just executed. He faked the call! Somehow Strathmore had captured Hale, saved Susan, and bought himself the time needed to rewrite Digital Fortress. Susan eyed the bound cryptographer uneasily. Hale was breathing heavily. Strathmore sat on the couch with the Berretta propped awkwardly in his lap. Susan returned her attention to Hale's terminal and continued her random-string search. Her fourth string search ran its course and came up empty. â€Å"Still no luck.† She sighed. â€Å"We may need to wait for David to find Tankado's copy.† Strathmore gave her a disapproving look. â€Å"If David fails, and Tankado's key falls into the wrong hands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Strathmore didn't need to finish. Susan understood. Until the Digital Fortress file on the Internet had been replaced with Strathmore's modified version, Tankado's pass-key was dangerous. â€Å"After we make the switch,† Strathmore added, â€Å"I don't care how many pass-keys are floating around; the more the merrier.† He motioned for her to continue searching. â€Å"But until then, we're playing beat-the-clock.† Susan opened her mouth to acknowledge, but her words were drowned out by a sudden deafening blare. The silence of Crypto was shattered by a warning horn from the sublevels. Susan and Strathmore exchanged startled looks. â€Å"What's that?† Susan yelled, timing her question between the intermittent bursts. â€Å"TRANSLTR!† Strathmore called back, looking troubled. â€Å"It's too hot! Maybe Hale was right about the aux power not pulling enough freon.† â€Å"What about the auto-abort?† Strathmore thought a moment, then yelled, â€Å"Something must have shorted.† A yellow siren light spun above the Crypto floor and swept a pulsating glare across his face. â€Å"You better abort!† Susan called. Strathmore nodded. There was no telling what would happen if three million silicon processors overheated and decided to ignite. Strathmore needed to get upstairs to his terminal and abort the Digital Fortress run-particularly before anyone outside of Crypto noticed the trouble and decided to send in the cavalry. Strathmore shot a glance at the still-unconscious Hale. He laid the Berretta on a table near Susan and yelled over the sirens, â€Å"Be right back!† As he disappeared through the hole in the Node 3 wall, Strathmore called over his shoulder, â€Å"And find me that pass-key!† Susan eyed the results of her unproductive pass-key search and hoped Strathmore would hurry up and abort. The noise and lights in Crypto felt like a missile launch. On the floor, Hale began to stir. With each blast of the horn, he winced. Susan surprised herself by grabbing the Berretta. Hale opened his eyes to Susan Fletcher standing over him with the gun leveled at his crotch. â€Å"Where's the pass-key?† Susan demanded. Hale was having trouble getting his bearings. â€Å"Wh-what happened?† â€Å"You blew it, that's what happened. Now, where's the passkey?† Hale tried to move his arms but realized he was tied. His face became taut with panic. â€Å"Let me go!† â€Å"I need the pass-key,† Susan repeated. â€Å"I don't have it! Let me go!† Hale tried to getup. He could barely roll over. Susan yelled between blasts of the horn. â€Å"You're North Dakota, and Ensei Tankado gave you a copy of his key. I need it now!† â€Å"You're crazy!† Hale gasped. â€Å"I'm not North Dakota!† He struggled unsuccessfully to free himself. Susan charged angrily. â€Å"Don't lie to me. Why the hell is all of North Dakota's mail in your account?† â€Å"I told you before!† Hale pleaded as the horns blared on. â€Å"I snooped Strathmore! That E-mail in my account was mail I copied out of Strathmore's account-E-mail COMINT stole from Tankado!† â€Å"Bull! You could never snoop the commander's account!† â€Å"You don't understand!† Hale yelled. â€Å"There was already a tap on Strathmore's account!† Hale delivered his words in short bursts between the sirens. â€Å"Someone else put the tap there. I think it was Director Fontaine! I just piggybacked! You've got to believe me! That's how I found out about his plan to rewrite Digital Fortress! I've been reading Strathmore's brainstorms!† Brain Storms? Susan paused. Strathmore had undoubtedly outlined his plans for Digital Fortress using his BrainStorm software. If anyone had snooped the commander's account, all the information would have been available†¦ â€Å"Rewriting Digital Fortress is sick!† Hale cried. â€Å"You know damn well what it implies-total NSA access!† The sirens blasted, drowning him out, but Hale was possessed. â€Å"You think we're ready for that responsibility? You think anyone is? It's fucking shortsighted! You say our government has the people's best interests at heart? Great! But what happens when some future government doesn't have our best interests at heart! This technology is forever!† Susan could barely hear him; the noise in Crypto was deafening. Hale struggled to get free. He looked Susan in the eye and kept yelling. â€Å"How the hell do civilians defend themselves against a police state when the guy at the top has access to all their lines of communication? How do they plan a revolt?† Susan had heard this argument many times. The future-governments argument was a stock EFF complaint. â€Å"Strathmore had to be stopped!† Hale screamed as the sirens blasted. â€Å"I swore I'd do it. That's what I've been doing here all day-watching his account, waiting for him to make his move so I could record the switch in progress. I needed proof-evidence that he'd written in a back door. That's why I copied all his E-mail into my account. It was evidence that he'd been watching Digital Fortress. I planned to go to the press with the information.† Susan's heart skipped. Had she heard correctly? Suddenly this did sound like Greg Hale. Was it possible? If Hale had known about Strathmore's plan to release a tainted version of Digital Fortress, he could wait until the whole world was using it and then drop his bombshell-complete with proof! Susan imagined the headlines: Cryptographer Greg Hale unveils secret U.S. plan to control global information! Was it Skipjack all over? Uncovering an NSA back door again would make Greg Hale famous beyond his wildest dreams. It would also sink the NSA. She suddenly found herself wondering if maybe Hale was telling the truth. No! she decided. Of course not! Hale continued to plead. â€Å"I aborted your tracer because I thought you were looking for me! I thought you suspected Strathmore was being snooped! I didn't want you to find the leak and trace it back to me!† It was plausible but unlikely. â€Å"Then why'd you kill Chartrukian?† Susan snapped. â€Å"I didn't!† Hale screamed over the noise. â€Å"Strathmore was the one who pushed him! I saw the whole thing from downstairs! Chartrukian was about to call the Sys-Secs and ruin Strathmore's plans for the back door!† Hale's good, Susan thought. He's got an angle for everything. â€Å"Let me go!† Hale begged. â€Å"I didn't do anything!† â€Å"Didn't do anything?† Susan shouted, wondering what was taking Strathmore so long. â€Å"You and Tankado were holding the NSA hostage. At least until you double-crossed him. Tell me,† she pressed, â€Å"did Tankado really die of a heart attack, or did you have one of your buddies take him out?† â€Å"You're so blind!† Hale yelled. â€Å"Can't you see I'm not involved? Untie me! Before Security gets here!† â€Å"Security's not coming,† she snapped flatly. Hale turned white. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Strathmore faked the phone call.† Hale's eyes went wide. He seemed momentarily paralyzed. Then he began writhing fiercely. â€Å"Strathmore'll kill me! I know he will! I know too much!† â€Å"Easy, Greg.† The sirens blared as Hale yelled out, â€Å"But I'm innocent!† â€Å"You're lying! And I have proof!† Susan strode around the ring of terminals. â€Å"Remember that tracer you aborted?† she asked, arriving at her own terminal. â€Å"I sent it again! Shall we see if it's back yet?† Sure enough, on Susan's screen, a blinking icon alerted her that her tracer had returned. She palmed her mouse and opened the message. This data will seal Hale's fate, she thought. Hale is North Dakota. The databox opened. Hale is – Susan stopped. The tracer materialized, and Susan stood in stunned silence. There had to be some mistake; the tracer had fingered someone else-a most unlikely person. Susan steadied herself on the terminal and reread the databox before her. It was the same information Strathmore said he'd received when he ran the tracer! Susan had figured Strathmore had made a mistake, but she knew she'd configured the tracer perfectly. And yet the information on the screen was unthinkable: NDAKOTA = [email protected] â€Å"ET?† Susan demanded, her head swimming. â€Å"Ensei Tankado is North Dakota?† It was inconceivable. If the data was correct, Tankado and his partner were the same person. Susan's thoughts were suddenly disconnected. She wished the blaring horn would stop. Why doesn't Strathmore turn that damn thing off? Hale twisted on the floor, straining to see Susan. â€Å"What does it say? Tell me!† Susan blocked out Hale and the chaos around her. Ensei Tankado is North Dakota†¦. She reshuffled the pieces trying to make them fit. If Tankado was North Dakota, then he was sending E-mail to himself†¦ which meant North Dakota didn't exist. Tankado's partner was a hoax. North Dakota is a ghost, she said to herself. Smoke and mirrors. The ploy was a brilliant one. Apparently Strathmore had been watching only one side of a tennis match. Since the ball kept coming back, he assumed there was someone on the other side of the net. But Tankado had been playing against a wall. He had been proclaiming the virtues of Digital Fortress in E-mail he'd sent to himself. He had written letters, sent them to an anonymous remailer, and a few hours later, the remailer had sent them right back to him. Now, Susan realized, it was all so obvious. Tankado had wanted the commander to snoop him†¦ he'd wanted him to read the E-mail. Ensei Tankado had created an imaginary insurance policy without ever having to trust another soul with his pass-key. Of course, to make the whole farce seem authentic, Tankado had used a secret account†¦ just secret enough to allay any suspicions that the whole thing was a setup. Tankado was his own partner. North Dakota did not exist. Ensei Tankado was a one-man show. A one-man show. A terrifying thought gripped Susan. Tankado could have used his fake correspondence to convince Strathmore of just about anything. She remembered her first reaction when Strathmore told her about the unbreakable algorithm. She'd sworn it was impossible. The unsettling potential of the situation settled hard in Susan's stomach. What proof did they actually have that Tankado had really created Digital Fortress? Only a lot of hype in his E-mail. And of course†¦ TRANSLTR. The computer had been locked in an endless loop for almost twenty hours. Susan knew, however, that there were other programs that could keep TRANSLTR busy that long, programs far easier to create than an unbreakable algorithm. Viruses. The chill swept across her body. But how could a virus get into TRANSLTR? Like a voice from the grave, Phil Chartrukian gave the answer. Strathmore bypassed Gauntlet! In a sickening revelation, Susan grasped the truth. Strathmore had downloaded Tankado's Digital Fortress file and tried to send it into TRANSLTR to break it. But Gauntlet had rejected the file because it contained dangerous mutation strings. Normally Strathmore would have been concerned, but he had seen Tankado's E-mail-Mutation strings are the trick! Convinced Digital Fortress was safe to load, Strathmore bypassed Gauntlet's filters and sent the file into TRANSLTR. Susan could barely speak. â€Å"There is no Digital Fortress,† she choked as the sirens blared on. Slowly, weakly, she leaned against her terminal. Tankado had gone fishing for fools†¦ and the NSA had taken the bait. Then, from upstairs, came a long cry of anguish. It was Strathmore. Chapter 86 Trevor Strathmore was hunched at his desk when Susan arrived breathless at his door. His head was down, his sweaty head glistening in the light of his monitor. The horns on the sublevels blared. Susan raced over to his desk. â€Å"Commander?† Strathmore didn't move. â€Å"Commander! We've got to shut down TRANSLTR! We've got a-â€Å" â€Å"He got us,† Strathmore said without looking up. â€Å"Tankado fooled us all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She could tell by the tone of his voice he understood. All of Tankado's hype about the unbreakable algorithm†¦ auctioning off the pass-key-it was all an act, a charade. Tankado had tricked the NSA into snooping his mail, tricked them into believing he had a partner, and tricked them into downloading a very dangerous file. â€Å"The mutation strings-† Strathmore faltered. â€Å"I know.† The commander looked up slowly. â€Å"The file I downloaded off the Internet†¦ it was a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Susan tried to stay calm. All the pieces in the game had shifted. There had never been any unbreakable algorithm-never any Digital Fortress. The file Tankado had posted on the Internet was an encrypted virus, probably sealed with some generic, mass-market encryption algorithm, strong enough to keep everyone out of harm's way-everyone except the NSA. TRANSLTR had cracked the protective seal and released the virus. â€Å"The mutation strings,† the commander croaked. â€Å"Tankado said they were just part of the algorithm.† Strathmore collapsed back onto his desk. Susan understood the commander's pain. He had been completely taken in. Tankado had never intended to let any computer company buy his algorithm. There was no algorithm. The whole thing was a charade. Digital Fortress was a ghost, a farce, a piece of bait created to tempt the NSA. Every move Strathmore had made, Tankado had been behind the scenes, pulling the strings. â€Å"I bypassed Gauntlet.† The commander groaned. â€Å"You didn't know.† Strathmore pounded his fist on his desk. â€Å"I should have known! His screen name, for Christ's sake! NDAKOTA! Look at it!† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"He's laughing at us! It's a goddamn anagram!† Susan puzzled a moment. NDAKOTA is an anagram? She pictured the letters and began reshuffling them in her mind. Ndakota†¦ Kadotan†¦ Oktadan†¦ Tandoka†¦ Her knees went weak. Strathmore was right. It was as plain as day. How could they have missed it? North Dakota wasn't a reference to the U.S. state at all-it was Tankado rubbing salt in the wound! He'd even sent the NSA a warning, a blatant clue that he himself was NDAKOTA. The letters spelled TANKADO. But the best code-breakers in the world had missed it, just as he had planned. â€Å"Tankado was mocking us,† Strathmore said. â€Å"You've got to abort TRANSLTR,† Susan declared. Strathmore stared blankly at the wall. â€Å"Commander. Shut it down! God only knows what's going on in there!† â€Å"I tried,† Strathmore whispered, sounding as faint as she'd ever heard him. â€Å"What do you mean you tried?† Strathmore rotated his screen toward her. His monitor had dimmed to a strange shade of maroon. At the bottom, the dialogue box showed numerous attempts to shut down TRANSLTR. They were all followed by the same response: SORRY. UNABLE TO ABORT. SORRY. UNABLE TO ABORT. SORRY. UNABLE TO ABORT. Susan felt a chill. Unable to abort? But why? She feared she already knew the answer. So this is Tankado's revenge? Destroying TRANSLTR! For years Ensei Tankado had wanted the world to know about TRANSLTR, but no one had believed him. So he'd decided to destroy the great beast himself. He'd fought to the death for what he believed-the individual's right to privacy. Downstairs the sirens blared. â€Å"We've got to kill all power,† Susan demanded. â€Å"Now!† Susan knew that if they hurried, they could save the great parallel processing machine. Every computer in the world-from Radio Shack PCs to NASA's satellite control systems-had a built-in fail-safe for situations like this. It wasn't a glamorous fix, but it always worked. It was known as â€Å"pulling the plug.† By shutting off the remaining power in Crypto, they could force TRANSLTR to shut down. They could remove the virus later. It would be a simple matter of reformatting TRANSLTR's hard drives. Reformatting would completely erase the computer's memory-data, programming, virus, everything. In most cases, reformatting resulted in the loss of thousands of files, sometimes years of work. But TRANSLTR was different-it could be reformatted with virtually no loss at all. Parallel processing machines were designed to think, not to remember. Nothing was actually stored inside TRANSLTR. Once it broke a code, it sent the results to the NSA's main databank in order to – Susan froze. In a stark instant of realization, she brought her hand to her mouth and muffled a scream. â€Å"The main databank!† Strathmore stared into the darkness, his voice disembodied. He'd apparently already made this realization. â€Å"Yes, Susan. The main databank†¦.† Susan nodded blankly. Tankado used TRANSLTR to put a virus in our main databank. Strathmore motioned sickly to his monitor. Susan returned her gaze to the screen in front of her and looked beneath the dialogue box. Across the bottom of the screen were the words: TELL THE WORLD ABOUT TRANSLTR ONLY THE TRUTH WILL SAVE YOU NOW†¦ Susan felt cold. The nation's most classified information was stored at the NSA: military communication protocols, SIGINT confirmation codes, identities of foreign spies, blueprints for advanced weaponry, digitized documents, trade agreements-the list was unending. â€Å"Tankado wouldn't dare!† she declared. â€Å"Corrupting a country's classified records?† Susan couldn't believe even Ensei Tankado would dare attack the NSA databank. She stared at his message. ONLY THE TRUTH WILL SAVE YOU NOW â€Å"The truth?† she asked. â€Å"The truth about what?† Strathmore was breathing heavily. â€Å"TRANSLTR,† he croaked. â€Å"The truth about TRANSLTR.† Susan nodded. It made perfect sense. Tankado was forcing the NSA to tell the world about TRANSLTR. It was blackmail after all. He was giving the NSA a choice-either tell the world about TRANSLTR or lose your databank. She stared in awe at the text before her. At the bottom of the screen, a single line was blinked menacingly. ENTER PASS-KEY Staring at the pulsating words, Susan understood-the virus, the pass-key, Tankado's ring, the ingenious blackmail plot. The pass-key had nothing to do with unlocking an algorithm; it was an antidote. The pass-key stopped the virus. Susan had read a lot about viruses like this-deadly programs that included a built-in cure, a secret key that could be used to deactivate them. Tankado never planned to destroy the NSA databank-he just wanted us go public with TRANSLTR! Then he would give us the pass-key, so we could stop the virus! It was now clear to Susan that Tankado's plan had gone terribly wrong. He had not planned on dying. He'd planned on sitting in a Spanish bar and listening to the CNN press conference about America's top-secret code-breaking computer. Then he'd planned on calling Strathmore, reading the pass-key off the ring, and saving the databank in the nick of time. After a good laugh, he'd disappear into oblivion, an EFF hero. Susan pounded her fist on the desk. â€Å"We need that ring! It's the only pass-key!† She now understood-there was no North Dakota, no second pass-key. Even if the NSA went public with TRANSLTR, Tankado was no longer around to save the day. Strathmore was silent. The situation was more serious than Susan had ever imagined. The most shocking thing of all was that Tankado had allowed it to go this far. He had obviously known what would happen if the NSA didn't get the ring-and yet, in his final seconds of life, he'd given the ring away. He had deliberately tried to keep it from them. Then again, Susan realized, what could she expect Tankado to do-save the ring for them, when he thought the NSA had killed him? Still, Susan couldn't believe that Tankado would have allowed this to happen. He was a pacifist. He didn't want to wreak destruction; all he wanted was to set the record straight. This was about TRANSLTR. This was about everyone's right to keep a secret. This was about letting the world know that the NSA was listening. Deleting the NSA's databank was an act of aggression Susan could not imagine Ensei Tankado committing. The sirens pulled her back to reality. Susan eyed the debilitated commander and knew what he was thinking. Not only were his plans for a back door in Digital Fortress shot, but his carelessness had put the NSA on the brink of what could turn out to be the worst security disaster in U.S. history. â€Å"Commander, this is not your fault!† she insisted over the blare of the horns. â€Å"If Tankado hadn't died, we'd have bargaining power-we'd have options!† But Commander Strathmore heard nothing. His life was over. He'd spent thirty years serving his country. This was supposed to be his moment of glory, his piece de resistance-aback door in the world encryption standard. But instead, he had sent a virus into the main databank of the National Security Agency. There was no way to stop it-not without killing power and erasing every last one of the billions of bytes of irretrievable data. Only the ring could save them, and if David hadn't found the ring by now†¦ â€Å"I need to shut down TRANSLTR!† Susan took control. â€Å"I'm going down to the sublevels to throw the circuit breaker.† Strathmore turned slowly to face her. He was a broken man. â€Å"I'll do it,† he croaked. He stood up, stumbling as he tried to slide out from behind his desk. Susan sat him back down. â€Å"No,† she barked. â€Å"I'm going.† Her tone left no room for debate. Strathmore put his face in his hands. â€Å"Okay. Bottom floor. Beside the freon pumps.† Susan spun and headed for the door. Halfway there, she turned and looked back. â€Å"Commander,† she yelled. â€Å"This is not over. We're not beaten yet. If David finds the ring in time, we can save the databank!† Strathmore said nothing. â€Å"Call the databank!† Susan ordered. â€Å"Warn them about the virus! You're the deputy director of the NSA. You're a survivor!† In slow motion, Strathmore looked up. Like a man making the decision of a lifetime, he gave her a tragic nod. Determined, Susan tore into the darkness. Chapter 87 The Vespa lurched into the slow lane of the Carretera de Huelva. It was almost dawn, but there was plenty of traffic-young Sevillians returning from their all-night beach verbenas. A van of teenagers laid on its horn and flew by. Becker's motorcycle felt like a toy out there on the freeway. A quarter of a mile back, a demolished taxi swerved out onto the freeway in a shower of sparks. As it accelerated, it sideswiped a Peugeot 504 and sent it careening onto the grassy median. Becker passed a freeway marker: SEVILLA CENTRO-2 KM. If he could just reach the cover of downtown, he knew he might have a chance. His speedometer read 60 kilometers per hour. Two minutes to the exit. He knew he didn't have that long. Somewhere behind him, the taxi was gaining. Becker gazed out at the nearing lights of downtown Seville and prayed he would reach them alive. He was only halfway to the exit when the sound of scraping metal loomed up behind him. He hunched on his bike, wrenching the throttle as far as it would go. There was a muffled gunshot, and a bullet sailed by. Becker cut left, weaving back and forth across the lanes in hopes of buying more time. It was no use. The exit ramp was still three hundred yards when the taxi roared to within a few car lengths behind him. Becker knew that in a matter of seconds he would be either shot or run down. He scanned ahead for any possible escape, but the highway was bounded on both sides by steep gravel slopes. Another shot rang out. Becker made his decision. In a scream of rubber and sparks, he leaned violently to his right and swerved off the road. The bike's tires hit the bottom of the embankment. Becker strained to keep his balance as the Vespa threw up a cloud of gravel and began fish-tailing its way up the slope. The wheels spun wildly, clawing at the loose earth. The little engine whimpered pathetically as it tried to dig in. Becker urged it on, hoping it wouldn't stall. He didn't dare look behind him, certain at any moment the taxi would be skidding to a stop, bullets flying. The bullets never came. Becker's bike broke over the crest of the hill, and he saw it-the centro. The downtown lights spread out before him like a star-filled sky. He gunned his way through some underbrush and out over the curb. His Vespa suddenly felt faster. The Avenue Luis Montoto seemed to race beneath his tires. The soccer stadium zipped past on the left. He was in the clear. It was then that Becker heard the familiar screech of metal on concrete. He looked up. A hundred yards ahead of him, the taxi came roaring up the exit ramp. It skidded out onto Luis Montoto and accelerated directly toward him. Becker knew he should have felt a surge of panic. But he did not. He knew exactly where he was going. He swerved left on Menendez Pelayo and opened the throttle. The bike lurched across a small park and into the cobblestoned corridor of Mateus Gago-the narrow one-way street that led to the portal of Barrio Santa Cruz. Just a little farther, he thought. The taxi followed, thundering closer. It trailed Becker through the gateway of Santa Cruz, ripping off its side mirror on the narrow archway. Becker knew he had won. Santa Cruz was the oldest section of Seville. It had no roads between the buildings, only mazes of narrow walkways built in Roman times. They were only wide enough for pedestrians and the occasional Moped. Becker had once been lost for hours in the narrow caverns. As Becker accelerated down the final stretch of Mateus Gago, Seville's eleventh-century Gothic cathedral rose like a mountain before him. Directly beside it, the Giralda tower shot 419 feet skyward into the breaking dawn. This was Santa Cruz, home to the second largest cathedral in the world as well as Seville's oldest, most pious Catholic families. Becker sped across the stone square. There was a single shot, but it was too late. Becker and his motorcycle disappeared down a tiny passageway-Callita de la Virgen.

Critically discuss to what extent Porter’s Diamond Essay

Critically discuss to what extent Porter’s Diamond is a useful concept in explaining home and host location strategies of international business? Illustrate your answer with reference to at least two case companies. The main aim of International business is to build and sustain competitiveness for economic value creation in both domestic and overseas markets (Besanko et al. 2007). Internalization business theory however has a variety of models that can identify the environmental analysis of specific countries. These models are used for companies to internationalize and find the right location(s) overseas by taking; institutional, cultural fit and success opportunities into consideration. These models also give in-depth information on locations that the companies have chosen. A very well-known framework is the Porter’s Diamond which was found by Michael Porter in 1990. This report will discuss the advantages and disadvantages to determine a company’s home and host location decision by analyzing two high street retailers – French E.Leclerc and UK’s Sainsbury’s. Porter’s Diamond Model (1990: 73 ) states that nation’s competiveness depends on the capa city of its industry to innovate and upgrade this however depends on the productivity level of the nation. From a company’s point of view a national competitive advantage means that it would have to depend on the nation to implement a home base to improve their existing products and services such as; technology, features, quality as well as being able to compete with international industries. Therefore, the advantage of this model is that it identifies the four factors that develop the essential national environment where companies are born, grow and as mentioned above sustain competitive advantage (Porter, 1990:78). The idea of this model is useful because it allows organizations to carry out the necessary research and identify which countries would be good enough to internationalize. As you can see from the Porters Diamond diagram the first factor is the factor condition, this factor is about production such as land, raw materials, capital infrastructure etc. these are not inherited, but developed and improved by a nation for instance skilled labor (Porter, 1990:79). In order to sustain competitive advantage it will depend on the factor creation ability. For instance, E. Leclerc started as a small rented warehouse â€Å"Leclerc established a chain of outlets across the country, single-handedly changing  the landscape of shopping in France†(www.independent.co.uk) â€Å"Critical evaluation of development and role of Balanced Scorecard in production and service organizations† Excerpts from HBR-1 (1992): â€Å"The Balanced Scorecard – Measures That Drive Performance,† Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, Harvard Business Review, January-February 1992, pg 71-79. Page 76-77: †¦ Analog Devices, a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of specialized semiconductors, expects managers to improve their customer and internal business process performance continuously. The company estimates specific rates of improvement for on-time delivery, cycle time, defect rate, and yield. †¦ †¦Over the three-year period between 1987 and 1990, a NYSE electronics company made an order-of-magnitude improvement in quality and on-time delivery performance. Outgoing defect rate dropped from 500 parts per million to 50, on-time delivery improved from 70% to 96%, and yield jumped from 26% to 51 %. Did these breakthrough improvements in quality, productivity, and customer service provide substantial benefits to the company? Unfortunately not. During the same three-year period, the company’s financial results showed little improvement, and its stock price plummeted to one-third of its July 1987 value. The considerable improvements in manufacturing capabilities had not been translated into increased profitability. Slow releases of new products and a failure to expand marketing to new and perhaps more demanding customers prevented the company from realizing the benefits of its manufacturing achievements. The operational achievements were real, but the company had failed to capitalize on them. †¦ Excerpts from HBR-2 (1993): â€Å"Putting the Balanced Scorecard to Work,† Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, Harvard Business Review, September-October, 1993, pg 134-147. Page 142: †¦ Analog Devices, a semiconductor company, served as the prototype for the balanced scorecard and now uses it each year to update the targets and goals for division managers. Jerry Fishman, president of Analog, said, â€Å"At the  beginning, the scorecard drove significant and considerable change. It still does when we focus attention on particular areas, such as the gross margins on new products. But its main impact today is to help sustain programs that our people have been working on for years.† Recently, the company has been attempting to integrate the scorecard metrics with hoshin planning, a procedure that concentrates an entire company on achieving one or two key objectives each year. Analog’s hoshin objectives have included customer service and new product development, for which measures already exist on the company’s scorecard. †¦ Excerpted from JMAR (1998): Innovation Action Research: Creating New Management Theory and Practice, Robert S. Kaplan, Journal of Management Accounting Research, Vol. 10, 1998, pg. 89-118. Page 99-101 â€Å"†¦For the balanced scorecard, the initial idea also came somewhat serendipitously, but also not completely by accident. The need for improved performance measurement systems had been widely recognized during the 1980s. Many articles, books and conferences documented the limita ­tions of relying solely on financial signals for improving business perform ­ance. The adoption of total quality management, just‑in‑time production systems and synchronous manufacturing all created a demand for im ­proved performance measures that would support companies’ continuous improvement initiatives. Therefore, much work had already occurred by 1990, the time when the balanced scorecard concept initially emerged (Berliner and Brimson 1987; Howell et al. 1987; Kaplan 1990b). Much of the need for improved operational performance measurements had been satisfied by measures such as part‑per‑million defect rates, yields, cost of nonconformance, process cy cle times, manufacturing cycle effectiveness, throughput times, customer satisfaction, customer complaints and em ­ployee satisfaction. What remained missing was a theory for how the myr ­iad of nonfinancial performance measures now being used on the factory floor could be reconciled with and achieve comparable status to the finan ­cial measures that still dominated the agenda of senior company executives. Fortunately (again), a skilled practitioner, Arthur Schneiderman of Analog Devices, contacted me to assist his company with launching an activity-based costing project. In our initial  conversation, I learned that he had developed an innovative approach, the half-life system, to measure the rate of improvement of his company’s TQM program. As part of my research agenda (see step 1 in exhibit 1), I asked for and received approval to visit Analog Devices and write a case about their initiatives. During my visit, I learned that Schneiderman had also developed and implemented a corporate scorecard that senior executives were using to evaluate the company’s overall performance and rate-of-improvement . The corporate scorecard included, in addition to several traditional financial measures, some metrics on customer performance (principally operational measures related to lead times and on time delivery), internal processes (yield, quality and cost) and new product development (innovation). This corporate scorecard, evolved, as we shall see, into what came to be called the balanced scorecard. †¦ †¦ by teaching the Analog Devices case to executives, I learned quickly that Analog’s corporate scorecard was of much more interest to them than the half-life method, the original focus of the case. †¦ †¦ even more initial learning came from testing the ideas directly with a set of companies that participated in a yearlong project on performance measurement with the Nolan, Norton & Co. The project attracted senior financial and planning executives from a dozen companies who met on a bi-monthly basis throughout 1990. Analog’s corporate scorecard captured the interest of the participants. Throughout the year, they experimented with it in their organizations and reported back to us on the results. The concept proved successful in many of the pilot sites and turned out to be the prime output from the year-long research project. In the process, the original corporate scorecard, which focused mostly on operational improvements (on lead times, delivery performance, manufacturing quality and cycle times) had become transformed into a much more strategic organizational performance measurement system, characterized by four identifiable perspectives (financial, customer, internal business process and innovation and growth). †¦ Page 109: †¦ The balanced scorecard implementations being done at the end of 1995, as integrated strategic management systems, were far more advanced than the initial formulation, as a complementary nonfinancial measurement system, at Analog Devices or the companies described in our initial article (Kaplan and  Norton 1992). In six years (1990-1995), Norton and I had made three cycles around the knowledge creation cycle. The half-life of improvement of the balanced scorecard knowledge base was much shorter than for activity-based costing. †¦

Research Paper on Audition by Barbara Walters Memoir

On Audition by Barbara Walters Memoir - Research Paper Example In Audition, she tells her own story from the beginning in terms of how her parents got together, her life as a child and the feelings she had as a young woman that had minimum guidance and support to rely on. Walters provides a glimpse of her initial days in the broadcasting industry about the manner in which she coped with a media environment that was not characterized with interviews and TV specials. During this initial phase, she was struggling with the pressures of family and home as her career blossomed with NBC (Walters, 2008). It is interesting to note that what was as yet unknown about Walters is revealed in the book by way of her professional tussles with colleagues, which almost made her to quit the profession before she could get a foothold in the industry. This paper examines the determination that Barbara Walters displayed in her work and personal life and how she was able to make it big as a woman in the broadcasting sector that was primarily male dominated. Main Body Barbara Walters initially struggled as a student of literature and grappled as a content writer in a PR agency where she was prepared for her time ahead through the tough training she underwent under William Safire, who was President Nixon’s speech writer and political and language commentator for the New York Times. She went on to become a TV producer, co host and the undeniable queen of TV talk shows. Barbara Walters has done everything in having broken the known gender biases and glass ceiling in the broadcasting industry through her perseverance, finely cultivated social abilities and sharp skills of breaching the on air reporting environment. For her, every day was an audition. In her entire memoir, Walters has been very honest and candid in revealing her personal life and her personal struggles to attain happiness. Despite the fact that her father was a very successful show man during the period, her family had to go through a great deal of financial impediments. It is delightful knowing how Barbara Walters gradually made her way into the NBC network, made money and supported her family in all possible ways. There were instances when Walters was required to save her family from legal, emotional and financial destruction. After she found that her father had not paid a massive tax demand she used her connections to save her father from being sent to jail. Walters shares her feelings in stating that she was not specifically proud of this achievement but was glad to save her father. Her memoir provides a glimpse into her childhood that had a very strong influence on her decision making ability as an adult. In view of her father’s turbulent past she was not inclined to get involved romantically with any man in show business. Walters also had the inclination to make rushed decisions about her personal life but they did not prove successful in the long term. It was this very pattern in her behavior that made her to adopt revolutionary styles of in terviewing, which made her to become the lead female broadcaster of the century. The reader also realizes that despite Walter’s immense success as a broadcaster she had inherent personal problems and insecurity just as normal human beings have. It is impressive to note that she admitted her shortcomings very candidly and provided readers to have a glimpse of the legendry woman that she continues to be. It would have been very simple for an individual writing his or her own memoir

Advance organizational behaviour Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Advance organizational behaviour - Coursework Example Thus, one of the most important contributions of romanticists is the creation of the inner self. The creation of the deep interior is common among mankind. All of us have capacities or capabilities or habits which are built deep inside us in our consciousness. These capacities are neither so visible nor so prevalent that they can be understood easily. Deep inside us in the interior there is a major constituent known as the soul. It is this soul which created more value and charm amongst the humans thereby, portraying them as powerful holding the ability to accomplish many tasks. The romanticists believed that the inner self of people had great potential and it was this which they discussed. For the romanticists today, people should try to spread love and moral values should be upheld. One should try to find the meaning of life and should figure out the importance of human life. Lately romanticists have been on the decline and even though there vocabulary and ideas still exist their i nfluence has mostly been from the sidelines. It has been the modernists that have taken over the position of the romanticists. Modernist ideas can be said to be a revival of the enlightenment beliefs of reason and observation. These relate to Darwinist ideas that there should be evolution and evolvement of the theories for its survival in the modern world. Also there are many truths hidden in this world that are yet to be discovered and therefore, there should be a search for these fundamentals or important truths. Along with the above two, modernism has other assumptions as well such as the faith in progress and the absorption of ideas into the way of life in the society. These assumptions have been largely encouraged by the scholars and have been implemented broadly when the society’s organization theories have been formed. As years have progressed modernism and romanticism have been studied, researched and analyzed in detail. However, when it comes to the application of th ese theories in the real world today these theories seem livid or impractical. As a result, people tend to look towards other theories and this is where post modernism comes in. People tend to look towards post modernism as a relevant theory because it tends to discuss those topics such as culture and intellect which the people are interested in. Postmodernist view, objective, universal, recognizable as the truth is the mythical, all we have ever found in the search for truth is painful â€Å"truths† that the only compelling in their own time and culture, but of course the truth is not has never been ours. Also, if we make a mistake to claim to know the truth, there are misleading at best and dangerous at worst. A person’s sense of identity is a complex designed by the forces of the surrounding culture. Individual consciousness – a vague â€Å"decentered† the collection of conscious and unconscious beliefs, knowledge and insight of themselves and the worl d – is malleable and arrived at through interaction with the surrounding culture. Postmodernism, then, as opposed to modernity is the dissolution of self. The postmodern perspective, we should not regard ourselves as unique, unified, confident, independent individuals. The language of our culture (visual and verbal cues that we use to represent the world to ourselves), literally â€Å"build† what we consider â€Å"real† in our daily lives. In this sense, the reality is a â€Å"text† or â€Å"composite† of texts and the texts (rather than God created reality) is the only reality we can know. Our sense of self – who we are, how we think about ourselves and how we see and interpret the world and give us a sense in it –

Illustration and Example Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Illustration and Example - Essay Example It has also been observed that children of divorced people normally lack confidence and they start involving in bad habits soon. However, the other side of the story is even worse. Divorce is better for America than long-term marriage because divorce 1) decreases the chances of violence, fights and mental depression, 2) saves children from the feeling of being neglected and insecure and 3) stops the bitterness for opposite sexes which may arise due to regular misunderstandings and fights between the partners. Long-term unhappy marriages cause disputes, violence, abusing and harsh behaviors. Healthy relationships always require for a flexible attitude. If both the partners remain stiff in their attitudes then it is more likely that their life would be full of mental and physical depression. And this mental and physical depression can lead to other diseases in their lives. Individuals who are unhappy in a relationship but still do not part their ways are more probable to do commit actions of insanity. For e.g. daily fights in a household between the husband and spouse may lead both of them to develop a sense of grudge in each other. And in many cases it can be seen that this feeling of grudge has lead the husband or wife to cheat on each other and further worsen the relationship. The actions of wife and husband not only do change in an unhealthy relationship but also does the relationship affect the environment of the house. Another example can be viewed here in which fights between husban d and wife can lead to lethal actions by one of them.Children are an important part of a household who need to be properly taken cared of. However if fights take place between their parents they may not get proper attention from them and this may affect their overall life standards. It would lead the children to indulge in activities which are not desirable. In cases it has been seen that children also lose their will of living in the same house in which these fights occur. For e.g. in a household in which fights occur on a daily basis, children are not paid heed properly. These children develop a sense of insecurity in the house and thus this leads them to indulge in activities such as smoking and drinking. Here the option of divorce can be considered to be better so as to save the future of the children. Furthermore another example can be considered here in which the fights which happen on a daily basis in the house affect the confidence level of the children. This leads the child ren to have a lower confidence level. Similarly if unhappy marriages continue husband and wife might also suffer from the problem of insecurity. Insecurity in a relationship can affect the lives of both the individuals in a relationship. It can ruin the whole life of the individuals as they won't ever be able to find a perfect match for themselves. They develop a sense of

Time Warner and Comcast Merger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Time Warner and Comcast Merger - Essay Example This paper highlights that the main impediment of this merger according to the U.S regulators is the fear that the company would create a business that is well aware that clients have no other choices than to the poor provision of customer service as well as increased rates knowing there are no options out there. In any case, this is one of the fundamental concerns with any establishment of a monopoly where the US regulators will carry the ultimate decision.   This research study outlines that the strategy taken is a well conceived strategy which creates a moat or what is known as barriers to entry. The reason for their opinion are based   on barriers to entry which entail competitive advantages such as economies to scale and the net network effects, captivity of customers, proprietary technology as well as government advocacy. This situation is not an accident as some people may explain but a strategic step created to achieve economies of scale and achieve customer captivity. Si nce the merger has the objective of saving on costs for the customers of both firms, this will make the barriers to entry very high.  The situation cannot be termed as being created to destroy value through acquisitions. The value of the companies or competition cannot be destroyed.   If the internet providers were to be left on their own, they would charge high prices given that they experience no oversight or face competition. The merger has the intentions of providing the customers with more efficient services.

LEGAL AND FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS STUDY Case

LEGAL AND FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS - Case Study Example The firm is aiming to expand their business so they are going to face complex structure for the employment contracts and recruiting efficient employees. Employment contracts are the most important legal requirement for employing new people in the operational process. Mainly, legal obligation of the firms are outlining different terms like employment conditions, rights of the parties involved, sharing responsibilities and duties among the parties. It is observed that employment contracts of the UK are having two parties like employer and employees (Aggarwal, 2003). Employer: In the current context, Grace and Taylor is the employer party of the employment contract. Grace and Taylor have to be responsible for compensating new and existing employee. In addition, the UK government is empowering local employment with lawsuits. As per the contracts, Grace and Taylor have to evaluate that predetermined employment standards are maintained in the workplace (Gov.uk, 2015). Major terms of the employment contracts are expressed and implied. Employment contract of the Grace and Taylor will be outlining compensation rate. Payment mode or frequencies for the new recruits are also outlined. The statement must include the leave list and absence payment options. The contract statement will outline the number of working days in a week and month. Working hours are also stated to the employee along with the location of joining (Gov.uk, 2015). Employment contract of Grace and Taylor are outlining the employees duties in terms of setting up potential operational targets. In addition, new recruit have to be informed about the particulars of pension scheme of the firms and other additional payments. The statement should be outlining probationary period applied on new recruits. Such contract papers will disseminate the details of termination, regulation and accusation policies of Grace and Taylor (Cohen & Lou, 2012). The UK legislation is using

The Power of Habit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Power of Habit - Essay Example Anything less than perfect is horrible and I can not bear the feeling of being so incompetent for not being able to meet my standards. Committing a mistake is not an option for me. Aiming for perfection is not a bad thing but making a mistake is not the worse either. Perfectionism and Me Setting higher standards is one of the most common things for perfectionists like me. Those who value perfectionism think that having high standards is a good thing. Excellence means strength and failure is something unacceptable. Most of the common thinkings of perfectionism include the "black & white" or sometimes called as "all or nothing" thinking in which "almost" perfect is considered a failure (Scott, "Perfectionist Traits"). There is no space for mistakes ad whenever standards are not met, more often, people like me end up with self pity and will stress ourselves for being weak and stupid. Another kind of thinking perfectionists exhibit is catastrophe thinking which means mistakes create humi liation and disappointment from other people ("How to Overcome Perfectionism, 2). Also known to be common to perfectionism is the "should" statements. For them, everything is a responsibility and must be done respectively. I cannot remember well when exactly did I become a perfectionist. I can only remember that I always strive to be on top and the best among the rest. Striving hard does not necessarily mean only in academic standing. Instead, being perfectionist includes my daily routine and my long term goals. Being a perfectionist, I cannot help but plan my day and my meal. I cannot bear to waste time wondering what to do or what to eat. Thus everyday, I prepare a "to do" list for me to ensure things I should do will be done the way I want it to be. I am not ashamed of being a perfectionist. What makes me hate this part of being me is the fact that I always end up too disappointed whenever I fail to do something in my list and this seem to amuse my family and friends. My family a nd friends always tell me that I overanalyze everything that I forgot to enjoy my life anymore. I hate it when my friends can just make fun and laugh about the some things they messed up while I can't. Making a mistake me feel so stupid and I can't help but blame myself even when replying to emails and text messages. It's harder to stop at this point because I've already got used to it. But my family and friends always encourage me to be light, take things slow and enjoy every moment. As they say, life will never be perfect and being imperfect is what makes us human. Mistakes make a person stronger and better. The Power of Habit and The Habit Loop According to Duhigg (2012), individuals and habits are all different. If we are looking for the correct formula to change habits, then we will never get it because it does not exist. In Duhigg's book entitled The Power of Habit (2012), he identified the habit loop and the framework to identify our habit as well as the formula that out brai n follows why we have habits. The habit loop is constituted by a routine, reward and cue. People can only understand their habit once they know the components of this habit. Routine is the behavior a person want to change. Being a perfectionist by going through planning everything, reviewing and analyzing again and again to avoid mistakes is the routine I want to try to get rid of. Rewards as identified by Duhigg (2012) is the satisfying cravings driving a

Religion in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religion in Society - Essay Example It is important to note however, that the sociology of religion should not be confused with the philosophy of religion as the latter does not look into the claims of religious beliefs. Since not all religions are the same, one will always find religion in some way, shape, or form even in the most primitive of human societies. It is become of these various forms of religion that sociologists have recognized the need to study its relation to the development of our society in general (Crossman, Ashley, â€Å"Sociology of Religion†). Therefore when one speaks of the study of the sociology of religion, he means the study of the religion as a belief and social institution. The study of religion in relation to our society is quite important because religion is not merely an individualized belief system, it is one of the oldest standing social institutions around. It is a method that helps shapes the society that we live in by offering a specific social pattern for those with the same beliefs to follow. The reason that these people follow specific teachings and learning from the religion is because religion seeks to answer some questions that man has about his existence and his role in society. It is this gray area of religion that has sociologists asking questions about it. Questions such as (Crossman, Ashley, â€Å"Sociology of Religion†): How are religious beliefs and factors related to other social factors like race, age, gender, and education? How are religious institutions organized? How does religion affect social change? What influence does religion have on other social institutions, such as political or educational institutions? By understanding how religion has a direct effect on our society, sociologists can further understand the mindset of a society that is based upon a belief system that varies far and wide in relation to its population. They come to unravel the secrets of human society in relation to religious beliefs and organizations that manages to influence social change when necessary. However, unlike regular sociology, religious sociologists do not use mathematical or statistical data for their interpretation. Rather, they base their studies upon interviews with religion members, organizational leaders, and observation of vari ous religious services. Due to the many choices afforded to individuals in terms of religious freedom, it is important to understand the individual rational behind a person's choice of religion. This freedom of choice is believed to be based upon the Rational Choice Theory. By definition, the rational choice theory is based upon the belief that (Hak, Durk H. â€Å"Rational Choice Theory†): Scientific (macro)problems have to be solved at the level of individuals (acting purposively). The hard core consists of an empirical generalization—some would say axiom—stating that individuals choose the most efficient means as they perceive them for the attainment of their goals. Individuals, because of human nature, make a rational trade-off between costs and profits. Costs and rewards are both material and immaterial, and also are personal and situational. In relation to religion, the rational choice theory is a highly and heatedly debatable topic. This is because religio us point of views pertaining to the rational choice theory need to leave room for personal preferences and individual choices (Hak, Durk H. â€Å"Rational Choice Theory†). With religion viewed as a system of compensating for the shortcomings of people, the rational

Li Ning Company Limited Organizational Background and Audit Assignment

Li Ning Company Limited Organizational Background and Audit - Assignment Example Li Ning has its headquarters in Beijing, the Chinese capital. According to its website, Li Ning has extensive presence in the entire country. It has reportedly a reliable network of retailers and manufacturers for its supply chain, and a host of franchise owners distributing the products. Li Ning, therefore, is well-entrenched throughout the country, and has probably perfected the art of marketing and selling which have made the company successful in all its current businesses. The company started operations in 1989, the same year LI-NING was registered as a trademark. Since then, it has sponsored numerous sports delegations of China to various national and international events, where the sponsored teams brandished their Li Ning sportswear. In 1993, the company started franchising its business operations, a strategic move that helped it reach its target market in distant areas and remote provinces, thereby helping the company established its foothold in the country’s huge market for footwear and sports-related products. Li Ning is a multi-faceted business operation that is pro-active and a leader in the industry. It has its own research and development center, and a design center established in 1998. It is a proud company to claim that it is the first sports business in China to have implemented an Enterprise Resource Program (ERP) system, a system which uses internet technology that integrates its supply chain with its internal operations.

Same Sex Marriage Content Analysis Paper Essay Example for Free

Same Sex Marriage Content Analysis Paper Essay Homosexuality is a global topic of debate. The topic of homosexuality has been discussed constantly throughout various media outlets and is a hot topic in the republican primary. A number of debates have been argued in regard to the rights of homosexuals. One of the most hotly debated subjects is the rights of homosexual couples. This controversial topic has been widely debated for a number of years. However, the trend toward globally accepting same-sex marriage is on the rise. States such as Massachusetts have passed laws to make the union of same-sex marriages legal. Other states have taken initial steps toward accepting same-sex marriage. Whereas others are considering laws and constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage within state borders. Some opponents of same-sex marriage argue that these unions should be prohibited due to the fact spouses cannot produce children in the way God intended. Additionally, those who contest same-sex marriages believe legalization of these unions would cause irreparable harm to our society as we know it. Given the significance of the issue, the value of widespread debate of the reasons for and against legalizing same sex-marriage should be apparent. Aside from societal and religious conventions, marriage entails legally imposed responsibilities. This paper intends to look into the content involved in this hot topic to see how religious views, politically focused stances, political and legal pressures, as well as our current presidents flipped flopped stance on such a controversial subject and how they appear in the media. Historically, as a nation the concept of separate but equal doesn’t work. Offering same-sex couples several of the rights married couples are afforded without allowing them to be married is unjust. If same-sex couples are to have equal rights, civil unions are not enough. Same-sex couples deserve the same right to marry that heterosexual couples currently possess. Although, same-sex couples live in relationships that are based on the same core values that heterosexual couples commit to which is a strong and loving relationship. Same-sex couples are still denied the right to go into a marriage with their partner of choice; they continue to be denied the human rights, legal and economic stability provided by the recognized institution of marriage. See more: how to write an analysis paper on an article examples Marriage is a right that currently cannot be exercised by all due to an individual’s sexual preference. Same-sex couples are repetitively discriminated based on societies resistance to amend the definition of marriage past sexual preference. Based on the material that I have covered so far I expect to find more cases where same sex marriage is still a hot topic where people will still be fighting for their rights. In the political arena, especially with the fight for republican nominee in the upcoming election, I hope to see politicians fighting for same sex marriage but I feel as if some will say its not right and bring in the hot topic of religion into the equation. Some of the media outlets that I have chosen to investigate the subject of same sex marriages come from online news sources Huffington post, CNN, and New York Times. I chose these because I felt that it would give me a wide range of viewpoints and opinions based on different reporters. Most of the articles come from February 2012 to the present. In some of the articles it occasionally referenced to previous cases all the way back to 2008 with proposition 8 in California. To help organize my research, it helped to divide the information up into a series of categories that I later broke down even further by the content and tones expressed and by paragraph. The four categories that I was able to narrow it down to were: 1. Religious views and stand points based on different religions a. Example: Catholics, Mormons, Christians 2. Politically focused standpoints / Directed towards the Republican primary b. Example: What different politicians are saying such as how Rick Santorum said â€Å"It would ‘Invalidate’ marriages† 3. Obama’s views and things he has done to defend / support his stance c. Example: Laws and proposals put into act or being worked on and previous laws like Proposal 8 in California 4. Political and legal pressures from citizens if favor of same sex marriages d. What citizens feel on the subject around the country and why some are opposing it rather than accepting the idea and the ideas that come with it The rules that I used to help choose what category the content and tones the articles I read fell under were fairly simple. Something such â€Å"Surprisingly speeches were encouraging to organizers of the movement† would be marked as something positive. A paragraph with something like â€Å"Activists were under attack in Washington† would be noted as a negative. A main goal through out this process was to make sure I remained constant. This provided for the most and accurate results throughout the content analysis process. CHART INSERT HERE The first category, Religious Views, almost everything I read was written in a neutral context by the author and took up 14.192% of the content in my categories that I was looking into. When it came down to what was being covered I found that most organizations to either be positive or very negative. The only neutral stance I found was the Mormons. Catholics and Republicans seemed to be very against the idea saying that it would infringe on people rights and is against the constitution. Almost all of that articles that I read towards faith based organizations at first preached against same sex marriage left and right with negative tones. The Catholic and some Christian religions refuse to defend the rights of those who love differently than what their beliefs suggest. In an article from the Huffington Post Greene suggests, â€Å"The need to discredit or destroy a taboo object of desire is enacted in the violent attack on gay men and women and transgender persons.† The argument against same sex marriage has just as much to do about â€Å"disgust† as it does religious affiliation. The idea that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman is a core religious belief for a significant number of Americans and could be picked up in a suttle undertone in some of the articles. Consequently, many religious leaders argue that marriage, as a social institution must remain in the intended concept of that between a man and a woman, for the means of bearing and raising children. Sider (2010) contends, â€Å"Legalizing gay marriage would weaken the connection between marriage and procreation.† Within today’s scientific arena, Sider and other religious figures views are constantly challenged. Women no longer need a male figure in their lives in order to bear children. Conversely, homosexual couples can have children without either party having to bear them. Moreover, Sider contends that the issue of same-sex-marriage has become a legal concern for religious institutions. Citing two cases Sweden and Canada in which pastors have been charged with hate crimes; Sider (2010) anticipates legal action imminent against clergy here in the United States. Ryan (2009) argues that traditional families hardly exist today. The role of women is no longer that of a servant, but one in which has equal say or are head of household. Thus, the argument that marriage is a religious institution is a flawed concept. Mainly, due to the fact in American culture â€Å"traditional marriage’ had been based on ownership within your religion. Due to the discrepancies between the definitions of â€Å"marriage† the legal and political argument of discrimination has been proposed by same sex-couples. My second category focused in on politically focused standpoint. This category took up 26.315% of my findings but I feel as if this percentage was so high because of the Republican primaries that are currently taking place. Normally I thought that this number would be slightly lower. Oppressive and discriminatory experiences have been a part of cultural history. In order to move beyond the mere categorization of groups as independent entities, this learner believes that we must encourage other to explore similarities, differences and controversies among and between diverse populations. As counselors, we must be expected to address these issues in several contexts; personal values, professional policy and practice. Conservative faith traditions have definitely had an impact on the social institution of marriage. This learner has observed throughout this course that as a counselor one must develop multicultural competencies. The third category covered in my analysis focused in on President Obama and his stance on same sex marriages. This category took up 27.192% of the content based on the categories I was looking into. I found that Barack Obama, the President of the United States, has recently decided to no longer defend the DOMA. In The Christian Century (2011), the president is stated to have said that DOMA is â€Å"unconstitutional when applied to same-sex couples married legally under state law† in a letter to Congress. The Christian Century (2011) also states that Congress has also repealed the â€Å"military’s ban on openly gay members†, and the Supreme Court has â€Å"declared that laws criminalizing homosexual conduct are unconstitutional†. Same-sex marriages are on the way into the law. What hurt can it really do? Denying same-sex couples to marry is denying those couples religious freedom. It is stated in the First Amendment of the Constitution that a person’s religious views or lack thereof must be protected. Marriage is a religious act as well as a legal act. In the same sense that a Christian marriage, or rather an opposite-sex marriage, is respected by law after taking place in a church, a same-sex marriage should be equally accepted and respected by those same laws. Just because Christians, and other religions groups, may be against homosexuality does not mean the government needs to adopt those views as well. The final category was based on political and legal pressures that are being felt by citizens and government officials. This wasn’t surprising to me that this category took up the highest percentage at 31.518%. When couples get married they are showing society of their romantic and legal commitment to one another. Why should this right be any different for same-sex couples? Heterosexual couples often take for granted basic rights that are denied same-sex couples such as, the ability to make medical decisions for their spouse. Basic right such as that, are not afforded to same-sex couples. Hence, the legal battle to redefine marriage to include same-sex unions has continued to gain momentum. After going through all of the articles the results and breakdown of what I found were fairly accurate to what I had expected to see percentage wise. The amount of positive, neutral, and negative statements and views wasn’t. It seemed that some writers wanted to speak out negatively about the subject but for the newspapers sake wouldn’t directly say anything negative.

Importance of Organization Behaviour in Modern Business

Importance of Organization Behaviour in Modern Business INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOUR Organizational Behavior is the identification, analyzing and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act in organizations. It interprets people-organization relationships in terms of the person, group, organization, and whole social system. Objective of it is to build better relationships by achieving people objectives, organizational objectives, and social objectives. It encompasses a wide range of areas, such as human behavior, Training and development, change management, leadership, teams, Group behavior etc. In the study of organizational behavior is helpful in gaining a complete understanding of the business. It is not the study of how organizations behave, but rather the study of individual behavior in an organization. This includes the study of how individuals be have alone as well as in groups. The main focus of the organizational behavior is to obtain a greater understanding of those factors which influence individual and group dynamics in an organization. Therefore individuals and the groups and organizations to which they belong may become more efficient and effective. Organizational behavior research is ultimately focused at providing human resource management professionals with the information and techniques which they need to select, train, and retain employees in a fashion which gives maximum benefit for the individual employee and for the organization. Organizational behavior is a modern interdisciplinary field. It draws most heavily from the psychological and sociological sciences and it also looks to other scientific fields. The interdisciplinary approach is used because the field of organizational behavior involves multiple levels of analysis, which are necessary to understand behavior within organizations as people influence their environment as well as people are influenced by their environment. The business organization based on vales, missions , visions, objectives, goals and management philosophy which drives formal or informal organizations towards culture social environment The culture decides the type of leadership, group dynamics, communication, within the business organization. The employee perceives this as the quality of work type which leads their quantity of motivation, which will benefited to employee performance, individual satisfaction, and personal development and growth. The combination of all above elements will lead to build the model that the organization operates from. Following are the main features of the organization behavior Organization behavior analyzing the relationship between organization, individual and the group. It more concern about people attitudes, perception, feelings, learning capabilities and specific objectives goals.(Distinctly humanistic orientation) It consists of different techniques, methods theories to evaluate the performances. (Multidisciplinary) It provides vital answers to questions which arise when managing organization. It analyses the factors influence the performance of a organization and describe the way of improve the performance. It uses the scientific method to analyze the performance which helps to identify the variables and relationships. It creates to achieve the path of business needs as it is concern in understanding of organization processes and skills. Factors Influence the Organization Behavior The feathers of people at work- attitudes, individual Differences, attributes, roles of the people and direction The way people are motivated Organizational commitment Employment engagement process The way organizations factions Culture of the organization Models of Organizational Behavior There are four main models organizations operate out of, Autocratic, Custodial, Supportive, and Collegial: Autocratic this model is power with the management. The employees are oriented towards obedience and dependence on the boss. The performance result is minimal. Custodial this model is monetary resources with a managerial direction of wealth. The employees in turn are leaning towards security and reimbursement and dependence on the organization. The outcome is passive cooperation. Supportive this model is leadership with a managerial direction of support. The employees are leaning towards job performance and contribution. The member of staff need that is met is status and appreciation. The performance outcome is awakening drive. Collegial this model is related with a managerial direction of teamwork. The team also work oriented towards responsible behavior and self-discipline. The performance result is moderate Even though there are several models, most of the organizations used combination of above models. The organizational behavior does not depend upon deductions based on gut feelings where as trying to collect details, information for issue in a scientific manner under controlled situations. It provides information for the findings so that the behavior of personnel and group could be canalized as desired. Majority of psychologists, social scientists and have carried out research on various aspects related to organization behavior. Job satisfaction and individual performance are determinants of achievement of employee and organizational goals. Organizations are set up to fulfill the requirement of the people. In modern competitive world, the organizations should have growth task-oriented which can achieve at the time of productivity is ensured with zero defect in quality. Employee turnover and absenteeism has a negative impact on efficiency and productivity. It is required to motivate retained the skill workers by enhancing the job satisfaction. In formal structure of organization all divisions have to function in a coordinated manner to accomplish the organizational goals, vision and objectives. Due to that it is require maintaining positive attitude towards work. Also it is more valuables for managers to develop the suitable work culture by using authority, delegation of certain powers to team members. Benchmarking, re-engineering, job re-design and empowerment are some of the valuables factors. LEADERSHIP Leadership is most important aspect of organizational behavior which can be define as ability to influence, motivate others to achieve the set of organizational objectives or goals. In todays context the managers now are leaders of their groups, their divisions. Event though it may require certain specialist knowledge, the human relations part of the management job. Currently People have more flexibility and more options in their careers, which are them selves more fluid, so keeping employee motivated is very important, due to that Leadership is also important in attempting to minimize employee dissatisfaction. Leadership consists of the effective process of delegation and empowerment. Broad classification of leadership styles There are several dimensions to leadership style and different ways of describing leadership styles such as, bureaucratic, benevolent, charismatic, dictatorial, unitary consultative, participative and abdicator. The different types of managerial leadership towards subordinate staff can be classified in following heading. Authoritarian style which focus on all interactions within the group move towards the manager due to power is with the manager, in this style manager him selves exercises decision-making and authority for determining policy, procedures and regulations for achieving set of objectives. Eg- The employees achieve the task will be given rewards others who have not achieved punishments. Chemanex group allocating certain objective to be achieved by each employee for a given time, then evaluate the performance based on the task achieved. Evaluation as follows Marks Category 81-100 Excellent 61-80 Good 41-60 Average Employee who perform excellently, entitle 4 month bonus, good category 3 months, average category 2.5monthe less than average No bonus at all. It shows how above style is applicable in todays context. Democratic style leadership functions are shared with other staff of the group and the leader and focus of power is more with the group as a whole and there is high integration within the group. All members have a high decision-making, determination of policy and procedure. Eg- Janashakthi Insurance organize the foreign trips based on high performance team for the year .Laissez-faire style manager are observing that subordinate of the team are working well independently. The manager, enhance them freedom of doing the objectives to carry out they think best and without interfering where as it is required to provide support if help is needed. Where as some confusion over this style, since the word of Genuine is emphasized since which is contrasted with the manager who could not care, of results keeps away from the problem points and manager does not want to get involved. Eg; Vertusa -Employee has given the freedom to achieve the certain task Most of the organization having combinations of above styles employees are not interest to work under the 100% authoritarian style There are 4 main types of leadership behavior available in accordance with goal path theory Directive Leadership- Which consist of the way of directing to the subordinates to achieve the goals by considering rules regulations. Eg- This model applicable in the most of the government organization (The Department head is giving the instructions for its subordinates achieve the task with in the circulars or based on government rules policies. Supportive leadership which consist of open and reachable manner and displaying the needs and welfare of subordinate. Participative leadership which consists of consult with their subordinates and the evaluation of opinions and different ideas before the manager makes the final decision. Achievement-oriented leadership consist of setting demanding goals for subordinates, looking for development in their performance and show confidence in subordinates ability to perform well. Leader should identify the people capability, proper execution and continuous improvement People capability It includes setting up the ability, competencies and skills required for the modern world, and how to accomplish those requirements, including competencies evaluation, gap analysis, job and role definitions and career development. Those will lead the modern business is key to the success of this activity. Execution This consists of delivery of the new model. It includes both hard deliverables in the form of project plans, progress reports and budget variances, stakeholder management and soft deliverables in the form of communications Continuous Improvement This consists of measuring the effectiveness of performances and which ensure opportunities for the further improvements. Balance score card, Reward alignment and performance management are the key methods of evaluating the performances Every organization the leadership should delegate the authorities to subordinates by considering the capability of the employees leader should lead the team, motivated, review the out come , continuous training evaluate the performance. GROUP BEHAVIOR The basic character of a group is that its members regard themselves as belonging to the group. Although there is no exact definition for group it can be defined as follows. A set of people who interact with one another are psychologically aware of one another; and perceive them selves to be a group. Simply a group can be define as a set of people who share most following characteristics a definable membership; group awareness; interdependence; common purpose; interaction; and ability to act in a unitary manner. A social system contains all the people in system and their relationships to each other and to the external world. It is a complex set of human relationships interacting in many ways. The behavior of individual affect on the behavior of others directly or indirectly. Groups has basic feature of the working style of any organization. Group Members as well as the managers must co-operate each other to carry out works to achieve objectives of the organization as well as the individuals. Group pressures influence over the performance of the organization as well as the individual members of the organization. Group performance id directly related with the leadership which influence the behavior of the group members. Pleasant working relationships and good teamwork help to improve the morale of employees and work performance. Successful teamwork is a basic feature of modern management practices such as total quality management, empowerment, quality circles and change management. Teamwork is very important as it increases the competitiveness power of the organization in following ways; increase the productivity improve quality encourage innovation motivate employees and improve their commitment TRAINING DEVELOPMENTS Employee training is most important aspect in any organization. Employees are key assts of the organization there are is direct relationship with organizational performance employee performances. As a result of that employee should improve the skills, capabilities, and strength to compete with technological global changes. Due to that employee should develop following skills, Computer skills: employee should develop computer skills which is most important to negotiate with global environment. Customer service: In today customer satisfaction is most key area of business environment due to high competition of global market, due to that it is required to give proper training. Diversity: It consist of explanation about how people have different views and perspectives, and includes methods to value diversity Ethics: It consists of a view about social and corporate responsibility. Further, todays employees bring a wide variety of values and morals to the organization. Human relations: Presently organizational employees work under pressure more stress on work load. Therefore there may be lots of misunderstandings and conflicts. Proper training will minimized the unnecessary conflict misunderstandings. Quality initiatives: It consist of basic training requirement about the quality concepts, Guidance for qualities, procedures Eg; benchmarking, Total Quality Management, Quality Circles.. Safety: Safety training is more important specially for the employees undertaking risk jobs eg: working with heavy equipment , chemicals, Fuel, gas or Electricity related employments Most of the organization has given safety equipments when doing the risk operations Eg Hayleys ADC PLC operating chemical related productions employees are given safety manual, safety equipments proper training Sexual harassment: This includes training about sexual harassment on inappropriate behavior. Normally this is included in organizational policies. Why training is important and Benefits from Employee by proper Training and Development There are several sources that the employee can train develop them selves. They can use organizational policies, procedures, safety manuals, online information on training and development. Employees are benefiting by proper training developments. It may increase moral , job satisfaction, motivation of employee, Enhanced the productivity, efficiency of employee resulting financial benefit to the organization, Minimized the employee turnover, due to the new technologies methods enhanced the production capacity Diversity Diversity energizes customer service, employee motivation improvement of moral of employee, decision making team performances. With rapid change of global market employment relationships have also emerged from the changing work force, information technology, and globalization factors. Currently most of the organization more concentrates on corporate social responsibility to compete with standardization of values and ethics of other organizations. Currently organizational behavior pushes the competitiveness. Considering the above facts organizational behavior, play major role in todays context

Introduction To Bulk Carriers And Cargo Operations Engineering Essay

Introduction To Bulk Carriers And Cargo Operations Engineering Essay Introduction to Bulk Carriers Bulk Carriers are designed primarily for the transportation of solid bulk cargoes. Leading bulk cargoes are coal, iron ore, phosphate, nitrate and grains such as wheat. The carriage of cargo in bulk reduces packaging costs and loading and unloading operations can be speeded up.  In many cases bulk cargoes are found in countries away from where they are required. Bulk carriers are built to various sizes and classified as Handymax/Panamax/Cape-sized bulkers etc. They also vary in types like geared bulkers, self-unloaders, combination carriers etc. Bulk carriers today form a high percentage of world trade. Bulk cargoes carried by them are subject to hazards because of which there are various codes in place for the safety of operating Bulk Carriers. They comprise of the BC Code, International Code for the Safe Carriage of Grain in Bulk (International Grain Code).   Like the original grain rules, the Code is to prevent the particular qualities of grain threatening the stability of ships when it is carried in bulk.  Ã‚   The revised BC Code deals with types of cargoes which may liquefy, materials which possess chemical hazards, and materials which fall into neither of these categories but may nevertheless pose other dangers.   The Code highlights dangers associated with certain types of cargoes giving information on their properties and how to handle them. Various test procedures are stated as well to determine properties of the cargo. The Code also lays importance on how cargoes should be properly distributed so as not to overstress the structure and maintain an adequate standard of stability. All bulk cargoes when loaded have an angle or repose which determines if the cargo is prone to shift. Unlike high dense cargoes such as iron ore cargoes like grain have a low angle of repose whereby the code states precautions to take so that the cargo movement does not affect the vessels stability. For cargoes with low angle of repose, the Code states that such cargoes should be trimmed reasonably and the holds should be filled fully as far as possible without resulting in excessive weight on the supporting structure. The  trimming also helps to cut oxidation by reducing the surface area exposed to the atmosphere thus preventing spontaneous combustion. The code states dangers related with different types of cargoes, like some cargoes are liable to oxidation where as others may emit toxic fumes without oxidation or when wet.   The code gives details of precautions that should be taken for these types of cargoes. The Code also gives details of the various sampling procedures and tests which should be used before transporting concentrates and similar materials and also recommended test procedures to be used by laboratories. A list of cargoes, which may liquefy is contained in appendix A to the Code, while appendix B gives an extensive list of materials possessing chemical hazards.   Appendix C deals with bulk cargoes which are neither liable to liquefy nor possess chemical hazards.   More detailed information concerning test procedures, associated apparatus and standards, which are referred to in the Code are contained in appendix D.   Emergency Schedules for those materials listed in appendix B are contained in appendix E.   Recommendations for entering cargo spaces, tanks, pump rooms, fuel tanks and similar enclosed compartments are shown in appendix F.   Procedures for gas monitoring of coal cargoes are contained in appendix G. Works Cited Isbester, J (1993), Bulk Carrier Practice IMO, (2004), BC Code Ship/Shore Safety checklist for loading or unloading dry bulk cargo carriers Dateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Portà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Terminal/Quayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Available depth of water in berthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Minimum air draughtà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Ships nameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Arrival draught (read/calculated)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Air draughtà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Calculated departure draughtà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Air draughtà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. The master and terminal manager, or their representatives, should complete the checklist jointly. Advice on points to be considered is given in the accompanying guidelines. The safety of operations requires that all questions should be answered affirmatively and the boxes ticked. If this is not possible, the reason should be given, and agreement reached upon precautions should be taken between ship and terminal. If a question is considered to be not applicable write N/A, explaining why if appropriate. SHIP TERMINAL Is the depth of the water at the berth, And the air draught, adequate for the Cargo operations to be completed? Are mooring operations adequate for all local effects of tide, current, Weather, traffic and craft alongside? In emergency, is the ship able to leave the berth at any time? Is there safe access between the Ship and the wharf? Tended by ship/terminalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (cross out as appropriate) Is the agreed ship or terminal communications system operative? Communication methodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Languageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Radio channels/phone numbersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. SHIP TERMINAL Are the liaison contact persons during operations positively identified? Ship contact personsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Shore contact person(s)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Locationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Are adequate crew on board, and adequate staff in the terminal, for emergency? Have any bunkering operations been advised and agreed? Have any intended repairs to wharf or ship whilst alongside been advised and agreed? Has a procedure for reporting and recording damage from cargo operations been agreed? Has the ship been provided with copies of port and terminal regulations, including safety and pollution requirements and details of emergency services? Has the shipper provided the master with the properties of the cargo in accordance with the requirements of chapter VI of SOLAS? 13. Is the atmosphere safe in holds and enclosed spaces to which access may be required, have fumigated cargoes been identified, and has the need for monitoring of atmosphere been agreed by ship and terminal? Have the cargo handling capacity and any limits of travel for each Loader/unloader been passed to the ship/terminal? Loaderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Loaderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Loaderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Has a cargo loading or unloading plan been calculated for all stages of loading /deballasting or unloading/ballasting? Copy lodged withà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ SHIP TERMINAL Have the holds to be worked been clearly identified in the loading or unloading plan, showing the sequence of work, and the grade and tonnage of cargo to be transferred each time the hold is worked? Has the need for trimming of cargo in the holds been discussed, and have the methods and extent been agreed? Do both ship and terminal understand and accept that if the ballast programme becomes out of step with the cargo operation, it will be necessary to suspend cargo operation until the ballast operation has caught up? Have the intended procedure for removing cargo residues lodged in the holds while unloading, been explained to the ship and accepted? 20. Have the procedures to adjust the final trim of the loading ship been decided and agreed? Tonnage held by the terminal conveyer systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Has the terminal been advised of the time required for the ship to prepare for sea, on completion of cargo work? THE ABOVE HAS BEEN AGREED: Timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Dateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ For shipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. For terminalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Rankà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Position/Titleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Works Cited IMO, (1998), BLU Code, pp.22-25 GYPSUM A natural hydrated calcium sulphate. Insoluble in water. It is loaded as a fine powder that aggregates into lumps. Average moisture content is 1% to 2%. Characteristics Angle of repose Bulk density(kg/m3) St. Factor (m3) N.A. 1282 to 1493 0.67 to 0.78 Size Class Group Up to 100mm N.A. C Hazard: No special hazard. This cargo is non-combustible or has a low fire-risk. Hold cleanliness: No special requirement. Weather precautions: This cargo is to be kept as dry as possible. It shall not be handled during precipitation. All non working holds in which the cargo is loaded or to be loaded to be kept closed. Loading: Trim in accordance with sections 4 5 of the IMSBC CODE. Precautions: No special requirements. Ventilation: No special requirements. Carriage: No special requirements. Discharge: No special requirements. Clean up: Prior to washing of this cargo, decks and cargo spaces should be shovelled and swept clean because washing of the cargo is difficult. Loaded voyage Hatch covers should be secured battened down for sea and water tight. Booby hatches holds ventilation flaps to be secured and should be water tight. Works Cited (2009), IMSBC Code, pp. 176 Information Provided by Shipper Prior to loading of any cargo the shipper provides the master with information necessary for the safe planning and supervision of loading of the cargo. A declaration is made by the shipper related to the cargo in compliance with the recommendation of the BC Code. Along with the MSDS, information provided consists of: Shippers name Reference numbers Consignee Description of cargo (type of material/particle size etc.) Stowage factor Specification of cargo (IMO class, Ems No. Etc.) Angle of repose Chemical properties Relevant special properties of cargo Additional certificates, if required such as TML and moisture content, exemption certificate etc. Works Cited IMO, (1998) BLU Code, pp. 32 MSDS FOR GYPSUM 1. Product Identification Synonyms: Alabaster, Gypsum stone, Land plaster, Calcium Sulfate Dihydrate, Native calcium sulphate. CAS No.: 13397-24-5 2. Composition/Information on Ingredients Ingredient CAS No Percent Hazardous Gypsum 13397-24-5 90 99% No 3. Hazards Identification Toxic Harmful by inhalation (contains crystalline silica). Mineral Formulae: CaSo42H2O Emergency Overview It is an off white, odourless powder. It is not combustible or explosive. Short term exposure to the powder poses no hazard. Potential Health Effects - Inhalation: May causes irritation to the respiratory tract and choking depending on the degree of exposure. Ingestion: Do not ingest. Small quantities are not known to be harmful but large quantities can cause an obstruction causing pain in the digestive tract. Skin Contact: May cause irritation, dry skin and discomfort. Eye Contact: May cause immediate or delayed irritation or inflammation. With large amounts it can cause eye irritation, redness. Eye exposure requires immediate first aid. Chronic Exposure (inhalation): The product contains crystalline silica which with prolonged or repeated inhalation can cause disabling and fatal lung disease. Silicosis (prolonged inhalation of crystalline silica) increases risk of tuberculosis. Some studies show an increased incidence of chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease in workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica. Medical Conditions aggravated by exposure: Individuals with lung disease can cause aggregation by exposure. 4. First Aid Measures Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. Seek medical attention for discomfort or if coughing. Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting .If conscious have person drink plenty of water. Get medical attention. Skin Contact: Wash with cool water and mild skin detergent. Seek medical attention for rash, irritation and prolonged unprotected exposure to wet gypsum. Eye Contact: Immediately flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes, including lower eyelids. Seek medical attention for abrasions and burns. 5. Fire Fighting Measures Fire: Poses no fire related hazard. General Hazard: Avoid breathing dust. Fire Extinguishing Media: Use any means suitable for extinguishing surrounding fire. Fire fighting Equipment: A SCBA is recommended to limit exposures to combustion products when fighting any fire. 6. Accidental Release Measures. Put spilled material in a container. Avoid actions causing it to become airborne. Avoid inhalation and contact with skin. Wear appropriate PPE at all times. Do not wash gypsum down sewage and drainage systems. 7. Handling and Storage General: Keep bulk gypsum dry until used. Engulfment hazard. To prevent burial or suffocation, do not enter confined space. Gypsum can build up or adhere to walls of confined space. It can release or fall unexpectedly. Do not stand on stockpiles of gypsum, they may be unstable. Usage: Cutting, crushing, sanding or other crystalline silica bearing materials will release respirable crystalline silica. Housekeeping: Avoid actions causing the gypsum to become airborne during clean up. Use all appropriate measures of dust control or suppression. Clothing: Promptly remove and launder clothing that is dusty or wet with gypsum. Wash skin after exposure to gypsum. 8. Exposure Controls/Personal Protection Engineering Controls: Use local exhaust or other suppression methods to maintain dust levels. Skin Protection: Wear protective gloves, boot covers and clean body-covering clothing. Remove clothing and protective equipment that becomes saturated with wet gypsum and wash exposed areas. Eye Protection: Wear approved safety goggles when handling dust or wet gypsum to prevent contact with eyes. Wearing contact lenses under dust conditions is not recommended. Respiratory Protection: Under ordinary conditions no respiratory protection is required. Wear a approved respirator when exposed to dust above exposure limits. 9. Physical and Chemical Properties Appearance: White or off-white powder. Odour: None Solubility in water: Negligible Specific Gravity: 2.3 g/cm3 pH: 5-8 Boiling Point: >1000 C Freezing Point: None, solid Vapour Density NA. Vapour Pressure NA. Evaporation Rate NA. 10. Stability and Reactivity Stability: Stable. Avoid contact with incompatible materials. Hazardous Decomposition: Decomposes to sulphur oxide and calcium oxide above 1450 C Hazardous Polymerization: None. Incompatibilities: Gypsum is incompatible with acids. It contains silicates which may react with powerful oxidizers such as fluorine, chlorine trifluoride and oxygen difluoride. 11 and 12. Toxicological and Ecological Information Refer to contact information provided. 13. Disposal Considerations Dispose of waste and containers in compliance with applicable Federal, state, provincial and local regulations. Works Cited www.lafarge-na.com (Accessed: 16 November 2010) PREPARATION OF HOLDS On completion of discharge the mate decides on the procedure for cleaning of the holds on basis of time, manpower and next cargo to be loaded. Some cargoes require certain precautions in relation to cleaning of the holds. Gypsum on the other had requires no special preparation. Prior to commencement of cleaning it should be ensured that minimum amount of cargo is left behind by the stevedores. In the early stages of discharge of cargo like wheat when there are interruptions crew members can be sent into the hold to clean positions high under the deck head which will not be accessible during the later stages. This should only be done when there is no cargo working in the hold and it has been ascertained that there is no risk to the crew members. Before commencing work it should be ensured the cargo space is fully ventilated and a Permit to Work obtained. All crew to have proper PPE and safety equipment. The holds are to be swept prior washing in a manner whereby creating minimum dust clouds. The bilges should be checked so that no cargo has gotten in to them and if required get out the cargo before the completion of discharge. The stevedores should be requested to remove the sweepings gathered by the crew. If for reasons it is not possible it should then be stored in drums and kept ready for lifting by the ships cranes. When it is clear and permissible(taking account of the weather) to use the ships cranes the sweepings should be hoisted from the holds and stored on deck until such time when it would be possible to tip it overboard. Washing of holds is carried out by using sea water .Hand held hoses are used for this along with a water cannon. This combination uses compressed air to inject more pressure into the water from the mains. This provides a powerful jet which helps in better cleaning reaches high extremities of the holds. The washing sequence starts at the top of the holds and works down towards. Simultaneously a separate party of seamen will wash the hatch covers and comings with the help of hand held hoses. During this process the water should not be allowed to accumulate on the tank top. The bilges should be run continuously. A slight list to either side and maintaining a stern trim is the most effective method to aid in washing. Communication should be maintained with the bridge or the cargo control room to aid with the above. Once the higher extremities of the holds are washed the tank top is then hosed down to wash off the cargo residue and any dirt. The sounding pipes should also be flushed during washing as neglect of this over time causes the pipes to become blocked. When the salt water washing is complete traces of salt remain on the surface of the hold. If this is allowed to remain it helps in corrosion and is also not acceptable by most surveyors which is why the holds should be rinsed with fresh water. This rinsing also aids in accelerating the drying process. The drying of holds is usually carried out by natural ventilation, time permitting. If vessel is at sea and the waters are relatively calm the hatches can be opened up to speed up the process. The puddles formed by depressions in the tank top are sponged or mopped up by the crew. The water accumulated between the manhole surface and the lid will also have to be dried. The hold bilges should be drained of the unpumpable water, cleaned along with the strum boxes and then dried as well. Once the holds have dried an inspection should be carried out. Loose rust scales if found should be scrapped and cleared. Look for any cargo residue which may be spotted from the hold ladder high up. Bulk heads, tank tops are clean to touch. Look for any residues beneath manhole cover plates and behind pipes. Outlets for the CO2 system should be checked to ensure they are not blocked. If time permits DB tanks can be pressed up to check for any leakages in the holds. Holds to be also checked for damages in case they were missed out during discharge and if found recorded. Also if any maintenance as per the PMS or repair work needs to be carried out should be attended to, time permitting and recorded. A chalk test or a hose test can be carried out to check the water tight integrity of the hatch covers and any repairs if required and then logged. The final preparation would consist of resealing the manhole covers with duct tape. The bilge plate should be bur lapped and replaced to prevent the cargo from falling into the bilge. This system also allows the water to drain in the bilge. In the hold used for heavy weather ballast the gaskets along with the bolting of the watertight cover plate over the ballast suction should be checked. Works Cited South Tyneside College Notes. Isbester, J (1993), Bulk Carrier Practice HAZARDS ASSOCIATING WHEAT GYPSUM PRECAUTIONS Wheat: Is capable of self combustion due the gases given off. Dust is a major factor as it can affect personnel on deck with regard to respiration and cause irritation if it goes into the eyes. On exposure to wheat dust, personnel may also suffer from wheat rash. It can also affect the ships ventilation system if proper filters are not in place. The free flowing characteristics can reduce stability of a vessel caused by free surface effect (in partially filled holds) similar to liquids in partially filled tanks. Due to movement of the vessel the wheat is likely to shift to a side causing a list or even a possibility of capsizing the vessel. In cases where wheat requires fumigation in the form of pellets, gases or sprays all personnel to be made aware of the poisonous characteristics they pose and precautions to be taken. Precautions: All personnel on deck during cargo operations to be donned with proper PPE at all times, including disposable dust masks and safety goggles. Loading to be carried out as low as possible in holds to minimise dust. Wheat cargo has to be kept dry at all times and any form of water ingress has to be avoided to prevent damage to the cargo. As far as possible wheat should be avoided being loaded by partially filling holds. Where a vessel has partially filled holds she should be trimmed level in order to prevent shift of cargo. The surface of the partially filled holds should be secured by approved methods as mentioned in the IMO-grain rules. These methods used are strapping, lashing, saucering, over stowing and securing with wire mesh. In case fumigation is to be carried out on board the master is to be provided about details and precautions to be taken. The spaces to be fumigated have to have warning signs displayed. It is to be carried out by competent shore personnel. In cases where ships staffs presence is required during this operation, it has to be ensured that adequate respiratory protection is worn. Ventilation is required to a great extent to prevent condensation and removal of heat. The total weight of wheat should not exceed one-third of the ships deadweight. GM of 0.30 meters to be maintained or as given by formulae in the BC Code, whichever is greater. During discharge precautions to be taken by stevedores when using hydraulic equipment and grabs so that oil from such equipment does not damage the cargo. Gypsum: This type of cargo is generally not classified as a hazardous cargo. Airborne dust may cause irritation or inflammation to eyes. It could be harmful by inhalation depending on the level and duration of exposure as it contains crystalline silica. It could also cause skin discomfort to a certain level. It poses an engulfment hazard are personnel are advised not to stand on stock piles. It can also adhere to walls and can collapse and fall unexpectedly. Precautions: All personnel on deck during cargo operations to be donned with proper PPE at all times, including disposable dust masks and approved safety goggles. Actions to be avoided which can cause gypsum to become airborne. Bulk gypsum is to be kept dry until used as it tends to cake when in contact with water. It is recommended not to wash gypsum down sewage and drainage systems. Works Cited www.lafarge-na.com (Accessed: 16 November 2010) South Tyneside college notes MCA, MGN 284 (M+F) Swadi, D (2nd Edtn.), Cargo Notes IMO, International Grain Code LIFTING PLANT In order to have any equipment or machinery working effectively on board vessels a Planned Maintenance System should be in place and in effect. From an inspection of this maintenance record it is easy to keep track of details like when was the maintenance done last, what was done, when is it due next, what materials are required, how many man hours etc. The reason for this planning is so that we have the necessary tools, spares and consumables on board in advance prior to undertaking maintenance. The basic requirements of lifting plants are:- To keep the equipment in safe and good working order To maintain supporting documentation for the above. The main aspects of lifting plant maintenance are: Routine Inspection and Maintenance In addition to statutory inspections routine inspections are to be carried out by a competent person to asses if the plant is safe for continued use looking for problems like: Cracking at welds. Damaged/Missing grease nipples. Hydraulic oil leakage from motors. Worn or damaged wires. Corrosion. Missing markings. Lack of greasing and oiling. Defects to structure and fittings. Swivels that may not be rotating freely. Loose connection and gap between rails. All maintenance is carried out as per manufacturers instructions which also specify the time period (e.g. Weekly, monthly, yearly and before and after use).Prior to operation all control units, alarms, limit switches and joysticks should be operated and checked. If the plant is in regular use checks required by the external surveys should be done more by ships competent staff more often than once a year, even thou regulations require only an annual survey. Operation by Trained Personnel All vessels lifting plant should be operated by trained and certified personnel to avoid damages and improper use of the equipment. Trained personnel should also be appointed to direct the plant operator using approved hand signals as contained in COSWP. Testing Of Lifting Plant As per the manufacturers instructions the testing and certification of the lifting plant should be carried out at maximum intervals of 5 years. This testing is initially carried out after manufacture and installation of the plant at the ship yard under supervision of a competent person from the ship yard. The test is carried out using an approved proof load exceeding the SWL as specified under the merchant shipping regulations. This test is also required to be carried out if: Any repairs or modifications have been done which is likely to affect the SWL or the strength or stability of the equipment. Prior using any crane which has been idle for more than 6 months If it has been involved in an accident or mishap. Rigging Plan The rigging plans should be available at times along with sufficient technical details like: SWL of all fittings A means of identification Boom limiting angles Instructions for replacing wires and sheaves Dismantling procedures Erection procedures Certification and reports The master is to ensure that a certificate is on board within 28 days of a statutory test or examination for at least 2 years following receipt of next certificate. They are to be kept readily available on board for any dock worker using the ships plant. A register of lifting appliances along with items of loose gear are also kept on board. Works Cited Swadi, D (2009), Cargo Notes Dickie Short, Crane Hand book