Friday 31 May 2013

wind rose

A wind rose is a graphic tool used by meteorologists to give a succinct view of how wind speed and direction are typically distributed at a particular location. Historically, wind roses were predecessors of the compass rose (found on maps), as there was no differentiation between a cardinal direction and the wind which blew from such a direction. Using a polar coordinate system of gridding, the frequency of winds over a long time period are plotted by wind direction, with color bands showing wind ranges. The directions of the rose with the longest spoke show the wind direction with the greatest frequency.
Contents
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Windrose.png
    1 History
    2 Use
    3 References
    4 External links

History

Before the development of the compass rose, a wind rose was included on maps in order to let the reader know which directions the 8 major winds (and sometimes 8 half winds and 16 quarter winds) blew within the plan view. No differentiation was made between cardinal directions and the winds which blew from said direction. North was depicted with a fleur de lis, while east was shown as a Christian cross to indicate the direction of Jerusalem from Europe.Use

Presented in a circular format, the modern wind rose shows the frequency of winds blowing from particular directions over a thirty-year period. The length of each "spoke" around the circle is related to the frequency that the wind blows from a particular direction per unit time. Each concentric circle represents a different frequency, emanating from zero at the center to increasing frequencies at the outer circles. A wind rose plot may contain additional information, in that each spoke is broken down into color-coded bands that show wind speed ranges. Wind roses typically use 16 cardinal directions, such as north (N), NNE, NE, etc., although they may be subdivided into as many as 32 directions. In terms of angle measurement in degrees, North corresponds to 0°/360°, East to 90°, South to 180° and West to 270°.

Compiling a wind rose is one of the preliminary steps taken in constructing airport runways, as aircraft perform their best take-offs and landings pointing into the wind.

Carbon footprint of avoidable food waste

Carbon footprint of avoidable food waste

When food is thrown away, the CO2 that went into growing, harvesting, storing, transporting and cooking it is wasted. Here are the foods that contribute most to CO2 emissions:
  • co2

    19%
    Meals

  • co2

    17%
    Meat & fish

  • co2

    16%
    Drink

  • co2

    11%
    Fresh vegetables & salads

  • co2

    11%
    Dairy and eggs

  • co2

    8%
    Bakery

  • co2

    5%
    Fresh fruit

  • co2

    4%
    Sauces & spices

  • co2

    4%
    Staple foods

  • co2

    3%
    Processed vegetables

  • co2

    1%
    Cakes and desserts

  • co2

    1%
    Confectionery & snacks

  • co2

    < 0.5%
    processed fruit

  • co2

    < 0.5%
    Oil & fat

  • co2

    < 0.5%
    Other

Safety Performance Measurement



Safety Performance Measurement
Going Beyond Lost time Injuries
 “You can’t manage what you can’t measure” – Drucker
 "If we are in the business of promoting OHS, why do we use failures as the measure of our success?"  - Rose

Today, many industries and indeed regulatory agencies still focus completely on common safety performance measures such as lost time injury frequency rate and number of lost days in an effort to measure safety performance. Unfortunately, such indicators just measure failure to control and give no indication of risk management effort, which may take time to come to fruition. Such outcome measures, when used to judge safety performance, are known as lagging indicators.
Use of Lagging Indicators - Lost time injury frequency rate, severity rate, lost days etc.
Advantages    
·           Motivate management
·         An accepted standard
·         Long history of use
·         Used by government agencies, industry associations
·         Easy to calculate
·         Indicate trends in performance
·         Good for self comparison
Disadvantages
·         Reactive
·         Easily manipulated
·         May be biased (management attitude to restricted work, Doctor influence/worker attitude to light duties/compensation system/safety awards& competitions)
·         Figures measured are typically low making it difficult to establish trends
  • Incident occurs managers/safety specialists put it down to a ‘once off/freak’ event
  
Advantages & Disadvantages of Lagging Indicators
Significantly however, what we are all seeking is continuous improvement towards an incident free workplace, yet when measuring lagging indicators – we are only monitoring our performance at the last stage (how many fatalities, injuries, illnesses and what rate do we experience these in our operation?) 
Rather, we need to examine the processes that lead to these failures and monitor how effective our control

Examples of the Application of Positive Performance Measures for Safety

Objective
Indicator
Measure/monitor
Results
Improve
All activities to be subject to hazard analysis and risk assessment
Risk Assessment
% Risk assessment complete
% Control measures implemented
Track reported % on a monthly basis by area/department
Review progress at monthly senior management meetings, target areas for improvement
Written Work Procedures in place for critical activities
Work procedures
% Written procedures complete
Track reported % on a monthly basis by area/department
Review progress at monthly senior management meetings, target areas for improvement
Provision of safe place of work
Work place inspection target for each frontline supervisor across whole site on a monthly basis each with specific area

Workplace visibility tour by middle and senior managers in their work area once per month
% Scheduled inspections complete by name and work area/dept.
 % Actions arising complete by name and work area/dept


% Visibility/Inspection Tours complete
Track reported % on a monthly basis by area/department
Review progress at monthly senior management meetings, target areas for improvement
Employees working safely
Behavior based observations
% Employees working safely
% PPE compliance
Track reported % on a monthly basis by area/department
Review progress at monthly senior management meetings, target areas for improvement
Incident reporting and implementation remedial measures
Timeliness of reporting
Incident investigation effectiveness Log of corrective actions
% Incidents reported within 24 hours
% Near miss incidents
% Incident investigation complete on time
% Corrective actions implemented
All by area/dept.
Track reported % on a monthly basis by area/department
Review progress at monthly senior management meetings, target areas for improvement
Safe and competent employees
Performance assessment including training needs identification Training records
% Performance assessments complete
% Scheduled training complete
All by area/dept.
Track reported % on a monthly basis by area/department
Review progress at monthly senior management meetings, target areas for improvement
Improve safety awareness
Toolbox talks on targeted topics monthly by all Supervisors
% Tool Box Talks complete by Dept.
% Employees attending
% Actions arising complete
All by Area/Dept.
% Safety Representatives Trained
Track reported % on a monthly basis by area/department
Review progress at monthly senior management meetings, target areas for improvement
Improve safety culture
Annual climate survey
Overall findings based on selected criteria
All by Area/Dept.
Track trends on annual basis and by area/dept
Review progress at annual senior management meetings, target areas for improvement


Examples of PPM’s for Safety
Essentially PPMs are tracking the drivers of effective safety and risk management. Organizations need to recognize that there is no single reliable measure of health  & safety performance, what is required is a ‘basket of measures or a ‘balanced scorecard’ providing information on a range of health & safety activities. Measurement of PPM’s provides information on how the system operates in practice, identifies area where remedial action is required, provides a basis for continuous improvement and provides a mechanism for feedback and consequential motivation.
Should you consider applying PPM’s for safety in your workplace, it is vitally important that for any PPM chosen everyone understands exactly what’s being measured and what significance the use of the measurement will have on producing the desired result in your organisation. It should also be administratively practicable, quantifiable & reproducible, as objective and error free as possible and readily relate to aspect trying to control and/or goals set.
It is also important to distinguish between two the types of process indicator: those, which focus on the behavior of employees and those, which measure management activity. Examples of indicators of employee behavior include; % of employees wearing PPE (safety glasses, harness etc.), % hoses rolled-up, % pre-start checks complete. One of the best features of such indicators is that merely publicizing the data within the workplace focuses attention on the problem and is likely to lead to safety improvements without the need for more direct or punitive management intervention usually within weeks not months, they are positive and focus on how good rather than how poor safety performance is involving all workers in improving safety, creating a safety culture and achieve "ownership".
There is however a significant drawback to such indicators. They are focused on and aimed at changing the behavior of employees, not managers. Yet it is managers who are ultimately responsible for health and safety and who are in the best position to lead by example and take action where necessary. Hence the importance of indicators, which measure the safety related activity of management. Examples here include; % of workforce who has received specific safety training, % managers participating in safety talks, % of safety audits, % risk assessments. Such management indicators can usually be assigned once management has specified its safety objectives and targets whereupon appropriate measures, which measure actual performance, can be assigned.
When considering PPMs for safety, define the key activities in your safety management systems that need to be promoted, reinforced and visibly drive the culture. Select the activity measures from these. For each of these PPMs you will need to list the measure to be used, how it will be collected, calculated and reported including the frequency of reporting. Some measures will need to be collected daily, others weekly or monthly. Most will need to be reported monthly or quarterly to be of value in monitoring performance (refer to examples in Table 2 for a typical site). Those chosen will vary depending on the maturity of the site and management style of the operation, significantly the measure need to be owned by the site personnel.
Because PPMs can be more focused on risk areas or specific targets/objectives they may not need to continue as a constant or fixed PPM for years. If a particular area of concern or issue is brought under control there may be other priority areas to focus on and new PPMs can be adopted for these, so it is an ongoing improvement process using a minimum number of PPMs relevant to an operation at the time. For example, it is not of much value reporting 100% employees have received inductions, month after month and in any case periodic audits will check systems such as this remain effective in the long term.

Thursday 30 May 2013

Rules for Flammable Liquids in Industrial Plants

Rules for Flammable Liquids in Industrial Plants


Good housekeeping is an absolute requirement when there are hazardous materials in your work. Most industrial plants have some kind of flammable liquids on site. And since the primary hazards are explosion and fire, the consequences of improper storage and handling can be disastrous.
According to 29 CFR 1910.106(a)(19), "flammable liquid" means any liquid having a flashpoint at or below 199.4°F (93°C).
Flammable liquids are divided into four categories as follows:
  • Category 1 includes liquids having flashpoints below 73.4°F (23°C) and having a boiling point at or below 95°F (35°C).
  • Category 2 includes liquids having flashpoints below 73.4°F (23°C) and having a boiling point above 95°F (35°C).
  • Category 3 includes liquids having flashpoints at or above 73.4°F (23°C) and at or below 140°F (60°C). When a Category 3 liquid with a flashpoint at or above 100°F (37.8°C) is heated for use to within 30°F (16.7°C) of its flashpoint, it must be handled in accordance with the requirements for a Category 3 liquid with a flashpoint below 100°F (37.8°C).
  • Category 4 includes liquids having flashpoints above 140°F (60°C) and at or below 199.4°F (93°C). When a Category 4 flammable liquid is heated for use to within 30°F (16.7°C) of its flashpoint, it must be handled in accordance with the requirements for a Category 3 liquid with a flashpoint at or above 100°F (37.8°C).
When liquid with a flashpoint greater than 199.4°F (93°C) is heated for use to within 30°F (16.7°C) of its flashpoint, it must be handled in accordance with the requirements for a Category 4 flammable liquid.

Flammable Liquids in Industrial Plants

Rules for flammable liquids in industrial plants are found at 29 CFR 1910.106(e). Here's a quick review.
Incidental storage or use of flammable liquids. All storage must be in tanks or closed containers. The quantity of liquids allowed in manufacturing/production areas (outside of primary storage) is limited according to the liquid category and whether a container or a tank is utilized for storage. Transfer of liquids must be separated from other operations by adequate distance or fire-resistant construction. A closed piping system, safety cans, or a gravity system may be used for transfer. Air pressure transfer is prohibited. Adequate ventilation must be maintained. Means of spill or leakage prevention, control, cleanup, and disposal must be provided. Any possible source of ignition must be eliminated when using Category 1 liquids.
Unit-physical operations. Physical operations are restricted to operations not involving chemical change. All buildings and equipment must be accessible for fire-fighting purposes. Unstable liquids and small-scale chemical processes must be isolated by a 2-hour (minimum) firewall. Emergency drainage systems must direct flammable liquids to a safe location. Appropriate ventilation must be maintained when using Category 1 liquids so as to provide adequate air exchange, discharge to a safe location, and proper ventilation of floor areas or pits. Equipment must be of appropriate design for use with Category 1 liquids so as to limit flammable vapor-air mixtures.
Tank vehicle and tank car loading and unloading. The distance of separation from aboveground tanks, warehouses, other plant buildings, or nearest adjoining property lines is based on liquid category. Fire control. Fire control equipment, water supply, and any special extinguishing equipment must be adequately maintained and periodically inspected and be appropriate in quantity and type for the potential hazards. Local fire marshals must be consulted to determine specific requirements. 
Fire control. Fire control equipment, water supply, and any special extinguishing equipment must be adequately maintained and periodically inspected and be appropriate in quantity and type for the potential hazards. Local fire marshals must be consulted to determine specific requirements.
Sources of ignition. Possible sources of ignition must be carefully identified and controlled. Dispensing of Category 1 liquids must be done with proper grounding.
Electrical. Locations (including surrounding areas) where flammable vapor-air mixtures may exist under normal conditions must meet Class I, Division 1 standards. Locations (including surrounding areas) where flammable vapor-air mixtures may exist under abnormal conditions must meet Division 2 standards. If only Category 3 and 4 liquids are used, ordinary electrical equipment is permitted.
Maintenance and repair. Maintenance and repair, including hot work, are permitted only under the supervision of a responsible individual in charge. This individual must make an inspection of the area before and after work.
Housekeeping. Housekeeping must be adequate to control leaks and prevent spills. Aisle space must be adequate for fire response access. Combustible wastes and residues must be minimized, stored properly, and disposed of daily. Ground area around buildings and unit operating areas must be kept free of weeds, trash, or other unnecessary combustible materials.

Measures for Protection and Conservation of Wild Animals

Measures for Protection and Conservation of Wild Animals The Ministry of Environment & Forests has taken several measures for protection and conservation of wild animals including peacock in the country. Which are as follows:

i. Legal protection has been provided to wild animals including peacock against hunting and commercial exploitation under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. According to the conservation and threat status, wild animals are placed in different schedules of the Act. peacocks are included in Schedule I of the Act, which affords it the highest degree of protection under the Act.

ii. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, provides for punishment of offences for violation of its provisions. The Act also provides for forfeiture of any equipment, vehicle or weapon that is used for committing wildlife offence(s).

iii. Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created all over the country under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals and their habitats. Five PAs are especially dedicated for the conservation of peacocks.

iv. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been set up to strengthen the enforcement of law for control of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its products.

v. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been empowered under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to apprehend and prosecute wildlife offenders.

vi. The State/Union Territory Governments have been requested to strengthen the field formations and intensify patrolling in and around the Protected Areas.

vii. Strict vigil is maintained by the officials of State Departments of Forests and Wildlife.

RM/RS
(Release ID :96166)

Disposal of Hazardous Waste

Disposal of Hazardous Waste
            Under the Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008, there is a provision for utilization of hazardous wastes as supplementary resource or for energy recovery by the units.

            The guidelines on various aspects of environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes have been published from time to time. Guidelines for co-processing of hazardous wastes in cement, power and steel industries are some of them.

            As per the information furnished by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the amount of hazardous waste generated in the country is about 7.90 million tonnes per annum. Maharashtra (22.84%), Gujarat (22.68%) and Andhra Pradesh (13.75%) are the top three hazardous waste generating States in the country followed by Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.  These seven states together are generating about 82% of the country’s total hazardous wastes.

            There are 17 integrated Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs) having both incineration and secured landfill facilities, 13 TSDFs having only secured landfill facilities (SLFs) and 08 facilities having only common incineration facilities which are presently operational in the country. The state-wise details of these facilities are as given below:

S. No.
Name of State/UT
Integrated TSDFs
Secured Landfill Facilities (SLFs)
Common Incineration Facilities
1.
Andhra Pradesh
02
-
-
2.
Gujarat
04
04
01
3.
Haryana
01
-
-
4.
Himachal Pradesh
-
01
-
5.
Karnataka
-
01
05
6.
Kerala
-
01
-
7.
Madhya Pradesh
01
-
-
8.
Maharashtra
03
01
-
9.
Orissa
-
01
-
10.
Punjab
-
01
-
11.
Rajasthan
-
02
01
12.
Tamilnadu
01
-
-
13.
Uttar Pradesh
02
01
01
14.
Uttarakhand
01
-
-
15.
West Bengal
01
-
-
16.
Daman, Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli
01
-
-

Total
17
13
08

RM/RS


(Release ID :96056)