Training Schedule For Employees Of Mach Speed Couriers Essay

Training Schedule For Employees Of Mach Speed Couriers - Essay Example The return on investment for example, given the professionals and companies that Mach Speed Couriers deal with, let for instance the cost of the training program to be $ 300,000 for three years. This delivers an additional profit of $ 500,000 for the business period of the three years. The information is used to calculate the value of ROI as shown below;ROI = profit gains fewer Investment costs (training cost) divided by investment costs. ROI= ($ 500,000-- $ 300, 000) / 300,000 = 66.67 %The designed training program caters for individual differences because the employees come from different backgrounds and initial exposure to varying experiences (Carnes, 2010). For meaningful transfer of training, there are specific materials very suitable to the trainee. The charts and marker pens for the trainers must be available. The charts are useful in demonstrating the whole concepts on the board or the wall. However, computer use and the projector are more useful in the exercise. This can be used for easier simulation. The trainees are provided with writing materials to note down key concerns in the courier industry. The design must have the clear and realistic objective that can be accomplished. The information relayed must be applicable and related to job specifications and how to improve on them. The real reflection on the working environment is captured by the trainer.Transfer of training is possible through sub-division of trainees into small manageable groups.

CRITICAL CONTEXTS of LAW- STORY( answer the questions) Essay

CRITICAL CONTEXTS of LAW- STORY( answer the questions) - Essay Example In turn, this conflict is further mirrored by the confusion regarding the difference between a civil liberty and a human right. It is submitted that the criticism of the philosophical concept of human rights as a reality centres on the dichotomy between the deontological â€Å"shared ethics† paradigm and the utilitarian approach (Donnelly, 2003, p.7). On the other hand, a â€Å"civil right† whilst related to human rights is completely distinct and specifically relates to a legal right which can be protected and exercised under civil law (Foster, 2008, p.10). As such, a civil right may include a human right but is completely distinct from a human right (Foster, 2008). For example, under the civil law common law jurisdiction in the UK, individuals have rights not to be injured or the victims of negligence or nuisance as part of a civil right (Foster, 2008). Whilst civil rights are exercisable and protected by the state, human rights on the other hand are not automatically exercisable, which in turn has perpetuated a debate as to whether the concept of human rights are in fact a â€Å"fiction† of modern, western liberal democracies (Reed, 2007, p.11). ... Indeed, this very point is the fundamental distinction between a civil right, which is enforceable and exercisable on the one hand in contrast to the individualistic concept of a human right on the other. Furthermore, Donnelly highlights the point that the â€Å"the ability to claim rights, if necessary distinguishes between having a right from simply being the (rights-less) beneficiary of someone else’s obligations. Paradoxically, then â€Å"having† a right is of most value precisely when one does not have the right† (Donnelly, 2003, p.8). It is submitted that this observation is arguably crucial to the practical success of the shared ethics paradigm in terms of the innate morality informing human adherence to basic fundamental rights. Moreover, Donnelly questions the notion of â€Å"shared† rights as in a â€Å"Hobbesian state of nature, rights would never be respected; at best disinterest or self interest would lead duty-bearers not to deny the right h older the object of her right (Donnelly, 2003, p.8). Accordingly, Donnelly’s points highlight the point that whereas ethics refer to the morality of human rights, this can contrast with the actual enforcement of morality as defined by ethical theory, which again highlights the fundamental distinction between an enforceable civil rights on the one hand and human rights on the other. Indeed, Donnelly highlights the point that â€Å"â€Å"Human rights traditionally have been thought of as moral rights of the highest order. They have also become, as we will see in more detail later, international legal rights† (Donnelly, 2003, p.11). As such, this has led to commentators questioning the concept of human rights in international

Safety in High-rise Building Construction

Safety in High-rise Building Construction Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Background In previous decades since workers balanced themselves at dizzying heights above ground with little to prevent them from falling, high-rise construction has been layered in safety regulations and equipment. Construction can be referred as a relatively hazardous undertaking. There are significantly more injuries and lost workdays due to injuries or illnesses in construction as compared to any other industry. In contrast to most industrial accidents, innocent bystanders also get injured due to construction accidents. Several crane collapses from high rise buildings under construction have resulted in injuries to passersby. Safety during a high-rise construction project is affected in large part by decisions made during the planning and design stage. Some designs or construction plans are inherently difficult and dangerous to put into practice, whereas other, similar plans may considerably reduce the possibility of dangerous accidents. Beyond these design decisions, safety also depends largely upon education, alertness and cooperation during the construction process. Workers should be always alert to the possibilities of accidents and avoid taken unnecessary risks. 1.2 Related Problems The causes of injuries in high-rise construction are plentiful. The largest single category for both injuries and fatalities is individual falls. Handling of goods and transportation are also a major cause of injuries. An individual fall may be caused by a series of coincidences: inattentive worker or an insecure railing or slippery footing etc. Removing any one of these causes might serve to stop any particular accident, but again each casualty may have multiple causes. Many measures are available to improve jobsite safety in construction. These include design, choice of safety equipment, education and vigilance. By altering facility designs, particular structures can be safer or more hazardous to construct. Choice of different safety equipments plays an important role in overall safety of project. Educating workers and managers in proper procedures and hazards also has a direct impact on jobsite safety. During the construction process itself, the most important safety related measures are to insure proper vigilance and cooperation on the part of managers, inspectors and workers. Vigilance involves bearing in mind the risks of different working practices. In also involves maintaining temporary physical safeguards. 1.3 Aim To study and evaluate the Safety in High Rise Construction with special focus on safety at construction in Kuwait: issues, problems, procedures, and recommendations 1.4 Objectives To study and understand the various risks involved, and the safety issues related to construction and analysis the previous work done in this field. To evaluate the existing safety procedures, policies, regulations and accident prevention methods with respect to construction industry in Kuwait. Development of questionnaire and conducting survey and interviews with the contractors and the consultants and safety engineers To identify the root of safety problems related to construction in Kuwait and recommend potential safety programs and solutions and estimating the likely effect on project progress and accident reduction Suggesting some recommendations for safety at construction based on the study at Kuwait 1.5 Expected outcomes At the end of project, a reader will be able to understand the various risks involved in high rise construction and the various measures followed to reduce that risk. The practices followed and measures developed to make high-rise construction a safer job will be listed in report. 1.6 Resources used The resources that will be used for this study will include various international papers and books regarding safety in high-rise construction. The papers and books will be generally taken from the university library and some of them will be taken from the internet, while the use of internet resources will be kept to a minimum. 1.7 Gantt Chart Gantt Chart: Project on Safety in High Rise Construction TASKS Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Selection of the Topic Submission of the Project Proposal Literature survey on the Topic Submission of the Interim Report Main Research on the Topic Conclusion and Recommendations Final Report Submission CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Researches Done at International Level In most countries, the building and construction industry has a high rate of occupational accidents. In the EU15, the rate of construction injuries leading to over three days absence from work exceeded 6,000 per 100,000 employees in 2005 (Arbetsmiljà ¶verket, 2008). Although this is approximately three times the rate in the Swedish construction industry, Swedens rate still places building and construction among the top 10 occupational sectors for occupational accidents in the country. Much effort has been made to reduce the rate of industrial accidents, mainly through technical solutions, rules, and regulation. In an interview study of the Australian construction industry, Holmes, Lingard, Yesilyurt, and De Munk (1999) found that risk was largely attributed to the nature of the work, poor individual work practices, ignorance, andwork pressure due to budgetary and time constraints. To successfully approach these sources of risk there is a need to understand not only underlying struct ural and organizational conditions, but also psychological and social factors. Such a broadened and deepened perspective on safety should supplement rather than replace the engineering approach. The concepts of safety culture and safety climate are important contributions from the behavioral and social sciences to our understanding of occupational safety. Denison (1996) stated that the concepts of organizational culture and climate both suggest the existence of a shared, holistic, and collectively defined social context that emerges over time. The two concepts share many features, though organizational culture places greater emphasis on creating the social environment whereas organizational climate corresponds to how this social environment is experienced by the actors and thus is more external (Denison). Zohar (1980) defined organizational climate as a summary of molar perceptions that employees share about their work environments.Neal and Griffin(2006) defined perceived safety cli mate. as individual perceptions of policies, procedures and practices relating to safety in the workplace and suggested that group safety climate refers to perceptions shared within the group. According to organizational climate theory (Schneider, 1975), such shared perceptions will result in normative conclusions as to the correct way to behave in relation to safety in the organization. Climate serves to guide ones own behavior and contributes to the predictability of the behavior of others (Guldenmund, 2000). Pidgeon (1991) suggested that organizational culture represents a shared meaning system (i.e., a system of symbols, ideas, rules, and cognitions, with certain observable behavioral consequences); furthermore, he defined safety culture as the set of beliefs, norms, attitudes, roles, and social and technical practices which are concerned with minimizing the exposure of employees, managers, customers, and members of the public to conditions considered dangerous or injurious. Pid geon stated that such construed meaning systems specifywhat is important and legitimate to the group, and that this culture is created and recreated asmembers of the group repeatedly behave in a way that seems natural and unquestionable to them, thus constructing a particular version of risk and safety. Pidgeon also suggested that it is misleading to consider only organizational or corporate culture, as the cultures of workgroups, departments, divisions, and organizations, as well as cultures at an even broader macro level (e.g., nations) are nested within one another as well as overlapping. Both safety climate and safety culture are socially construed phenomena and the importance of these concepts to occupational safety is generally accepted (e.g., Zohar 1980; Zohar, 2002; Donald Canter, 1994; Pidgeon, 1998; Guldenmund, 2000; Lee Harrison, 2000; Cooper Phillips, 2004; Mearns, Whitaker, Flin, 2003; Neal Griffin, 2006; Clarke, 2006b; Pousette, Larsson, Tà ¶rner, 2008). Gun (1993) investigated contractors safety performances at 98 di.erent con struction sites over 2 years. It was concluded that management training and good management practices are most likely to prevent injuries which are associated with the violation of regulations. Hinze and Raboud (1988) studied safety on large construction projects; the study discussed the relationships between company size, level safety policy, project level safety policy, project coordination, and economic pressure on worker safety. It was found that higher frequencies of construction accidents occurred on projects that were over budget and those that were compete tively bid. According to a Business Round Table report (Construction Industry Institute, 1988), the cost of an effective construction safety and health program in the USA is approximately 2.5% of direct labor costs. Successful safety programs have been developed by many construction companies and have shown remarkable results. Duponts safety training and observation program achieved good results in reducing work-place accidents (Peyton and Rubio, 1991). Bechtel reported that 83% of their projects are meeting the zero goal after applying the `Zero Accident Program; this program reduced lost-time injuries in 1993 to less than half when compared with 1992 (Center to Protect Workers Rights, 1993). Hakkinen (1995), developed a training program called one hour for safety management to provide safety education and training for top management. The program was applied in 100 companies and showed success in attracting managements attention to safety issues. Ringdahl (1990) designed a simple model for cost benefit evaluation of improving safety measures at companies. Jaselskis et al. (1996) presented strategies for improving safety performance on both a company and a project level. 2.2 Safety problems in Construction Construction sites tend to have several employers working on them simultaneously, making safety coordination in such a dynamic environment a very complex process. Temporary duration of work, together with the rapidly changing character of the site are in complete contrast to regular factory production and form a serious hazard to safety. These special features and problems arise from the following: 2.2.1. Competitive tendering Contractors often feel that their bids will be considered even if they do not make proper provisions for safety costs. In the case of hard-pressed local authorities, struggling with government-imposed spending cuts, and smaller  ®rms on the brink of survival in a business recession, this problem is usually more acute and seldom comes to the surface. These problems a.ected Kuwait after the liberation, due to expenditure cuts and a large number of small construction  ®rms. The extent of cost cuts by government and the low number of governmental projects have increased the competitive tendering between companies in the last 5 years. As a result, contractors have been forced to reduce their pro ®ts and costs to stay in the market and allow projects to sell to other companies or subcontractors to secure a pro ®t margin. As shown earlier in the questionnaire distributed to construction  ®rms, most contractors do not consider safety costs in their tenders unless it is recognized by the contract documents. Statistics show that lost-time accident frequency rates, which ranged from 2.5 to 6 per 100,000 man-hours worked on contracts where no provision for safety costs been made in tenders, could be reduced to a range of 0.2 to 1 per 100,000 man-hours worked on projects where proper safety planning and costing had been done and the costs accepted by the client (King and Hudson, 1985). 2.2.2. Lack of safety regulations The absence of a uni ®ed set of safety regulations adversely a.ects the enforcement of safety on the job site. The MPW has a safety chapter in its construction practices manual, KOC has its own manual, and no safety standard manual exists in KM. Projects constructed by American companies are ruled by OSHA and/or the US Army Corps of Engineers safety manual. International standards are not necessarily applicable to the Kuwaiti work environment since methods of practice in advanced and industrial countries di.er from those used in Kuwait. Other national standards have not been updated to comply with the new technology and constructability methods; for example, the prohibition against using wooden sca.olding is not included in such standards. 2.2.3. Small size of most construction  ®rms The open trade and commercial lease given to its citizens by the Kuwaiti government encourages many citizens to establish small businesses, which are especially concentrated in construction. Small construction  ®rms with less than 10 employees account for about 60% of construction  ®rms in Kuwait. This high proportion of small undertakings is a handicap to the spread and adoption of safe working practices. After the liberation, private housing businesses  ¯ourished, attracting many small  ®rms and independent contractors with limited experience in building construction. These  ®rms cannot a.ord the services of safety specialists or instructors, resulting in little opportunity for organized safety instructions either o.- or on-site. Compared to large  ®rms, the small  ®rms are usually short of capital and under great pressure to cut costs at the expense of safety. Construction at this level is a competitive arena, where the saving of a few dinars means the di.erence between success and failure. In addition, most small  ®rms use temporary labor and may not assure continuity of work, so investing money in training and equipment for them is considered an unnecessary cost. Also, it is more di cult for government safety inspectors to inspect the work and practices of a large number of small  ®rms than a smaller number of medium-sized and large ones. 2.2.4. Extensive use of subcontractors The specialization of activities on building sites has been a main factor leading to the extensive employment of subcontractors. Many companies in Kuwait look for safe and fast pro ®t, selling their projects to subcontractors for a certain percentage of the pro ®t. This causes many problems in coordination, safety planning, allocating safety responsibility, and communication. In practice the e.ective control of site-safety practices is di cult to enforce when a number of small subcontractors, especially those with fewer than  ®ve employees, are engaged on one site. The main responsibility is taken by the general contractor, who should insist that all necessary safety measures are written into the subcontractors agreement. Unless proper provision is allowed for the subcontractors to consider safety in their bid, it is doubtful whether they will take safety seriously. 2.2.5. Lack of relevant accident data If you cannot measure safety, then you certainly cannot manage it. The lack of o cial safety data and records of construction accidents at sites makes safety the last issue to be concerned by the contractor and owner. The people on-site and at management level are not aware of safety problems, since they are not informed by the statistics or  ®gs. of serious and fatal accidents that have occurred at sites, and the number of disabilities that resulted from such accidents. 2.2.6. Extensive use of foreign labor Kuwait as a rich developing country attracts many investments and working labor. The employment of migrant labor has always been a special characteristic of construction sites in Kuwait. Different labor cultures and traditions reflect on human relations, different work habits, and communication problems. Most construction workers in Kuwait are unskilled, untrained, and inexperienced, especially after the liberation. They come from poor communities of other countries and are ready to work in any job to establish a reasonable life for their families; many do not see their families for 2 ±3 years in order to save some money for the future. The workers are emotionally vulnerable and preoccupied with their problems since most of them are working in unsecured conditions and not on their sponsors bail. All of these above conditions can a.ect the concentration and attention of the worker and may contribute to mistakes. 2.3 Research methodology for Study in Kuwait Different research activities have been used to collect the necessary information and data related to this research. Among these are  ®eld visits, questionnaires, and interviews. 2.3.1. Contractors questionnaire To understand the problems associated with the implementation of safety pro- grams in construction companies, questionnaires were mailed to technical managers, safety directors, and in some cases chief engineers. Key persons in companies were identi ®ed either by business contacts or by direct phone calls to the companies. Thirty-two questionnaires were mailed to various large, medium, and small-sized construction companies in Kuwait. The questionnaire covered a range of subjects related to safety, namely: (1) companys profile; (2) safety records; (3) accident statistics; (4) training; and (e) safety policy. 2.3.2. Consultants questionnaire Another study was conducted to determine the extent to which designers recognize the need to address the safety of construction workers in project plans, contractors selection criteria, contract clauses concerning safety, and procedures followed at job site supervision. Addresses of key consultants were identified from a bulletin distributed by the Kuwait Engineering Society. 2.3.3. Interviews A number of interviews were conducted with safety engineers, heads of safety departments in government ministries, and company superintendents. The interviews stressed the di culties in implementing safety at job sites, government procedures and policies, safety standards, cause of most construction accidents, and methods of prevention. Interviews with contractors superintendents covered safety programs, labor behavior and companys investment in safety. Visits were also made to two major insurance companies dealing with construction insurance in Kuwait. The questions covered insurance types, premiums, major accidents, companies commitment to safety procedures at the job site, labor compensation, accident records, accident investigation procedures, and insurance companies role in safety in general. References * Cooke, T., Lingard, H., Blismas, N., Stranieri, A., 2008. ToolSHeDTM: the development and evaluation of a decision support tool for health and safety in construction design. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management 15 (4), 336-351. * Gambatese, J.A., Behm, M., Rajendran, S., 2008. Designs role in construction accident causality and prevention: perspectives from an expect panel. Safety Science 46 (4), 675-691. * Low, S.P., Sua, C.S., 2000. The maintenance of construction safety: riding on ISO 9000 quality management systems. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering 6 (1), 28-44. * Mohamed, A. et al, 1993. Safety of concrete high-rise buildings during construction. Purdue University. * Abdelhamid, T.S., Patel, B., Howell, G.A., Mitropoulos, P., 2003. Signal detection theory: enabling work near the edge. In: Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC-11), Blacksburg, USA. Proceedings, Virginia Tech. * Ballard, G., 2000. The Last Planner System of Production Control, PhD thesis, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Birmingham, UK. * Cameron, I., Hare, B., Duff, R., Maloney, B., 2006. An investigation of approaches to worker engagement. Health and Safety Executive, Research Report RR516, 96 p. * Cherns, A., 1978. The principles of sociotechnical design. In: Pasmore, W., Sherwood, J. (Eds.), Sociotechnical Systems: A Source Book. University Associates, La Jolla, pp. 61-71. * Hale, A., Heijer, T., 2006. Is resilience really necessary? The case of railways. In: Hollnagel, E., Woods, D., Levenson, N. (Eds.), Resilience Engineering: Concepts and Precepts. Ashgate, pp. 115-137, 392 p. * Harper, R., Koehn, E., 1998. Managing industrial construction safety in southeast Texas. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 124 (6), 452-457. * Hinze, J. 2002. Making zero injuries a reality. Construction Industry Institute (Report 160), Gainesville, 110 p. * Hoffman, R., Feltovich, P., Ford, K., Woods, D., Klein, G., Feltovich, A., 2002. A rose by any other name. . .would probably be given an acronym. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 72-80. * Hollnagel, E., 2004. Barriers and Accident Prevention. Ashgate, Aldershot, UK. * Hollnagel, E., Woods, D., 1999. Cognitive systems engineering: new wine in new bottles. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 51 (2), 339-356. * Hollnagel, E., Woods, D., 2005. Joint Cognitive Systems: An Introduction to Cognitive Systems Engineering. Taylor and Francis, London. * Hollnagel, E., Woods, D., Levenson, N., 2006. Resilience Engineering: Concepts and Precepts. Ashgate, Aldershot, UK, 392 p. * Hopkins, A., 2006. What are we to make of safe behaviour programs? Safety Science 44, 583-597. * Igarashi, R., 1991. The big picture. In: Mctighe, E. (Ed.), Visual control systems. Productivity Press, Cambridge, pp. 3-12. The Factory Management Notebook Series, 1 (2). * Kolluru, R., Bartell, S., Pitblado, R., Stricoff, R., 1996. Risk Assessment and Management Handbook. McGraw-Hill, New York. * Koskela, L., 2000. An Exploration towards a Production Theory and its Application to Construction. Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, 258 p. * Laufer, A., Tucker, R., 1987. Is construction planning really doing its job? A critical examination of focus, role and process. Construction Management and Economics 5, 243-266.

Essay on Satire - Satirizing Optimism in Voltaires Candide :: Candide essays

Satirizing Optimism in Candide Candide is a humorous, far-fetched tale by Voltaire satirizing the optimism promoted by the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. It is the story of a young man's adventures throughout the world, where he witnesses evil and disaster. Throughout his travels, he adheres to the teachings of his tutor, Pangloss, believing that "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds," (Voltaire 4). Candide is Voltaire's answer to what he saw as an absurd belief proposed by the Optimists. "Candide...is a profound attack on philosophical Optimism and, through it, all philosophical systems that claim falsely to justify the presence of evil in the world," (Mason 1). "Candide anatomizes the world's potential for disaster and examines the corresponding human capacity for optimism," (Bell 1). Though he was by no means a pessimist, Voltaire refused to believe that what happens is always for the best. The Age of Enlightenment is a term applied to a wide variety of ideas and advances in the fields of philosophy, science, and medicine. The main feature of Enlightenment philosophy is the belief that people can actively work to create a better world. "It is customary to present Candide as the result of Voltaire's reaction to Leibniz and Pope,"(Wade 1) two of the main philosophers of the enlightenment era. While Voltaire's Candide is heavily characterized by the primary concerns of the Enlightenment, it also criticizes certain aspects of the movement. It attacks the idea of optimism, which states that rational thought can inhibit the evils perpetrated by human beings. Voltaire did not believe in the power of reason to overcome contemporary social conditions. The attack on the claim that this is "the best of all possible worlds" is apparent throughout the entire novel. Throughout the story, satirical references to this theme contrast with natural disaster and human wrongdoing. When reunited with the diseased and dying Pangloss, who had contracted syphilis, Candide asks if the Devil is at fault. Pangloss simply responds that "the disease was a necessity in this 'the best of all possible worlds', for it was brought to Europe by Columbus' men, who also brought chocolate and cochineal, two greater goods that well offset any negative effects of the disease,'" (Voltaire 17). The multitudes of disasters, which Candide undergoes, leads to the abandonment of his belief in optimism. When asked "What's optimism?" by Cacambo, Candide replies, "Alas.

Assessment of Patient’s Perceptions Essay

Caring has been widely discussed in the health care professions, especially in nursing which is considered to be one of the caring professions (Boykin and Schoenhofer 2001). Watson (1985) describes caring as a moral ideal of nursing. According to Watson, caring preserves human dignity in cure dominated health care systems and becomes a standard by which cure is measured (Watson 1988c, p. 177). Research literature indicates that the assessment of quality of care from the patient’s perspective has been operationalised as patient satisfaction (Dufrene 2000). Nurse caring has been related to patient satisfaction in western literature (Wolf et al 2003; Wolf et al 1998; Forbes and Brown 1995; Boyle et al 1989). There are so many factors that influence patients’ perceptions of care given by the opposite sex. Some of these are: Age, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic and health status. The most consistent finding has been related to age. Older patients tend to be more satisfied with their health care. Studies that have looked at ethnicity have generally held that being a member of a minority group is associated with lower rates of satisfaction. Studies on the effect of gender show that women tend to be less satisfied and other studies show the opposite. Most studies have found that individuals of lower socio-economic status and less education tend to be less satisfied with their health care. Other studies have shown that poorer satisfaction with care is associated with experiencing worry, depression, fear or hopelessness, as is having a psychiatric diagnosis such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder or drug abuse. Health status can greatly influence satisfaction of an individual (Hall, 1990). It is important to examine the relationships of nurse caring to patient satisfaction in Cape Coast because of severe staff shortages, heavy workload, and low salaries in Cape Coast Hospitals. Nursing literature had long recognized importance of these perceptions as major factors militating against prompt and effective service delivery in the care environment. One of the critical roles and ethics of the nurse is to treat all patients irrespective of their gender, colour, creed, political inclination and religious affiliations. High quality nurse-client communication is the backbone of the art and science of nursing. It has a significant impact on patient well-being as well as the quality and outcome of nursing care, and is related to patients’ overall satisfaction with their care. The maintenance of high nurse patient communication also depends on the nurse and patient. The quality of care in a hospital has been shown to be influenced by several factors including: inadequate nursing staff, lack of regular water supply on wards, too much nursing documentation, too long waiting time, and lack of specialized nurses. In Ghana, there is crisis in nurse-client communication evidence from four sources. These are personal observation, anecdotes from client and their families, media reports, and official health reports. Although there is ample evidence to demonstrate that most nurses are females, one cannot discount the enormous services that male nurses provide irrespective of their gender. The ever increasing number of female nurses compared to male nurses in our wards, coupled with patient dissatisfaction toward treatment received has raised a lot of questions as to whether there is a perceived idea that male nurses offer better care or otherwise. With the introduction of Health Insurance a few years ago, more patients report to the hospital and are also consciously aware of their rights and responsibilities as patients and hence will demand for better service delivery from care givers. Recently, patient dissatisfaction has been on the ascendancy in several hospitals across Ghana including University of Cape Coast Hospital. This has raised a lot of concerns about the perceptions patients have regarding the care given by male nurses.

Business Regulation Law

When conducting business whether it is local and global, big or small organizations have to abide by state and federal laws. Depending on the nature of the business different organization has to comply with certain laws and regulations. For example, retailers like Wal-Mart, Target and Kroger have to comply with the Department of Labor and a manufacturing company like LM Fiberglass and Toyota would have to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). When an organization do not comply with the state and federal regulation the company can face fines or become caught up in major litigation, costing the company major expenses. In this memo I will identify common tort and risk found in the organization of Alumina, and describe different measures to manage risk. Some common torts found at Alumina are negligence, defamation/slander/libel, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and strict liability is tort liabilities uncovered. Alumina Violation Alumina is an aluminum maker base in the United States and has operation in eight countries. The aluminum maker is on Lake Dira in the state of Erehwon. Alumina is under the jurisdiction of region six under the Environmental Protection Agency. A few years ago Alumina was found in violation with the Environmental Protection Agency for environmental discharge norms in an Environmental Protection Agency compliance evaluation. The PAH levels were above prescribe limits. Alumina was order to clean up the problem in which they complied too quickly. Because of this incident Alumina has maintain a good compliance record. Recently a resident name Kelly Bates claims that Alumina continuous contamination of Lake Dira with pollutants. Bates threatens to file a suit against the company for punitive damages and recovery damages. She believes that the incident that occurred several years ago is the cause of her daughter’s leukemia. Tort Liability A tort is a â€Å"civil wrong that is an interference with someone’s person or property such that an injury results† (Jennings, 2006, p. 367). Torts can be categorized as intentional torts, torts of negligence, and strict liability torts. Intentional torts are those that result in a harm not accidental. Torts of negligence are accidental harms that result from a failure to act appropriately in a given situation. Strict liability torts assign absolute liability and offer very few defenses. Defamation of Character A company or a person reputation is a valuable asset. The tort of defamation of character requires that a plaintiff prove that: the defendant made an untrue statement about the plaintiff or the statement was intentionally published by a third party (Cheeseman, 2010). Written False statements are referred to as libel and verbal statement are referred to as slander. Bates made a libel statement in the newspaper about Alumina and the violation that occurred years ago. This defamation can have a negative effect on the company. Alumina can lose business with a bad reputation and once the reputation has gone sour it is hard to reclaim the good name. Freedom of Information Act A local news reporter and Kelly Bates approached the EPA to obtain environmental audit reports that documented Alumina violation of the Clean Water Act. Bates requested the documents under the Freedom of Information Act; this act was enacted in Congress in 1966 to the American public great access to the Federal Government records (Federal Communication Commission, 2010) . The Company chooses to release partial audit information from the violation from years ago. Alumina has the right to withhold informational this qualifies under the Confidential Business Information, which is available under exemption four of the Freedom of information Act. Strict liability Negligence and Strict liability Negligence, the most common tort, is explained as conduct that falls below standards of behavior established by the law for the protection others against unreasonable risk harm (Cheeseman, 2010). In this case of negligence Bates must prove that Alumina had a duty to keep the PAH levels contained. In a case Alumina breaches that duty by not staying in compliance with the EPA regulation several years ago. Bates assumes that the consumption of the water cause the harm of her daughter to have leukemia. In response Alumina chose to conduct an independent site study for new violations. The reports come back good the PAH levels were well below the standard. After releasing a partial audit report Bates has threaten to file a lawsuit against Alumina of personal injury to recover compensation and punitive damages. Alumina negligent conduct of â€Å"serious violation of environmental laws five years ago is the cause of her daughter leukemia,† alleged by Bates (Business Regulations Simulation, 2010). The best resolution for this situation is mediation by a neutral third party, by choosing this options Alumina can provide Bates with a confidential settlement. The settlement includes that Alumina provides Bates with reimbursement of medical expenses for her daughter treatment a lump sum for future treatments and a college fund set aside if her daughters recovers from the leukemia (Business Regulations Simulation, 2010). Although tort liability is founded on intended harm strict liability is attached even though the defendant has been reasonable. In the Article titled â€Å" The American Influence on Canadian Tort Law† author Allen M. Linden states â€Å" One person may be require to compensate another for injury or damages even though the loss was neither intentionally or negligently inflicted. If Alumina had taken the case to court, the company would have been in a long litigation process costing the company thousands and even millions of dollar. The mediation process is half the cost of a court trial and there is no guarantee that the jury would agree with Alumina even though the company may have had proof that the allegation against the company was false. The jury tends to side with the victims. Preventative, Detective, and Corrective Measures In an organization it will be hard to prevent allegation against the company, but the company needs to prepare for such issues when they arise. A preventative plan should be put into place. The company should make it a priority that the employees of the company aware of the rules and regulations of the state and federal laws. The company should be aware of the competitors who have violated any government regulations and improve their process so that the company will not violate the same regulations as the competition. Health risk that may be exposes to the staff, customers, and other should be included in the document also. Conclusion Alumina has to abide by state and federal rules these laws are in place to improve environmental safety. The agency that regulates Alumina was the Environmental Protection Agency this agency enforces environmental laws. Alumina has to be aware and comply with the state and federal regulations at all-time or it can affect the business a great deal. Maintaining a positive image in the community is also important when a crisis occurs the support of the community can be a big help in determine issues. The decision mage by Alumina were wise, the company took the right approach to maintain its good name in the community and the competitive market and save cost on litigation.