...normally used, as described earlier). From these he guessed that the earthquake was near Santa Cruz, and he was also able to roughly guess its strength. He boasted to me that for several hours his information was the best available. I must mention, however, that this “expert” is the same friend who bought a house on dredged coastal fill, the worst possible place to be in an earthquake; that is why he was able to view this earthquake so well. Scope of the problem To begin to see the scope of the problem of earthquakes and people, let’s consider a few statistics: • ~150 earthquakes each year are potentially damaging (Mw 6); • ~20 earthquakes each year cause severe damage (Mw 7); • in the 1990’s, more than 100,000 people were killed in earthquakes, especially those in Iran, India, Russia, and Japan. This was a worse death toll than usual, not because of more earthquakes but because they happened to affect highly populated areas. By comparison, storm surges killed 300,000 people in 1992 alone, mostly in Bangladesh. • the largest earthquake of the last 40 years, the Mw 9.2 Sumatra earthquake, created a tsunami that killed 228,000 people; • globally, the risk of being killed by an earthquake is ~1 in a million per year, similar to the risk of dying in a fire or tornado. Like tornados, there are huge regional variations in earthquake risk. Effects of earthquakes Earthquakes affect people mainly by damaging their constructs – buildings, bridges, dams, pipelines, etc...
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...Even though deaths from the natural disaster tend to be more newsworthy than workplace deaths, their actual impact is substantially less. But, the impact from the deaths at workplace give high impact which affect the production of the industry. The factor that increased the cost of the accident are lost wages, medical expenses, insurance administration, fire-related losses, motor vehicle property damage and indirect cost. It is hard to predict the estimating cost over the year because there has some time that accident is not occur but the estimating cost is depends on the type of accident occur in the industry. Based in the company of HICOM DieCasting Sdn Bhd, the estimating cost for practising OSH has been keep due to the privacy of the company. But, the budget estimated for a year is depends on the personal protective equipment (PPE), Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) if there has any accident occur and also for the improvement made through the training provided which are firefighting and first...
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...Super Sofa Fire Charles Rigsbee Durham Tech, Community College Introduction On June 18, 2007, the City of Charleston’s Fire Department lost nine of their firefighters, when they became trapped fighting a fire inside of the Sofa Super Store. This tragedy was the single greatest loss of firemen on duty in the United States since 343 fire fighters died in the collapse of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Issues that plagued the Charleston Fire department on the day of the incident included the lack of a proper incident command system; no accountability system and water supply issues hampered firefighting and rescue efforts that dreadful day. Furthermore, the Sofa Super Store’s lack of sprinkler systems in vital areas resulted in heavy fire loads created by high volumes of highly combustible furniture; compliant building additions also contributed to the deaths of the 9 firemen. The Fire On June 18, 2007, approximately at 6:56 pm, a fire was spotted by someone driving along the Savannah Highway in front of the store. The passerby notified store employees of the fire outside of the loading dock. The manager attempted to extinguish the fire with portable extinguishers but was unable to bring the fire under control. At 7:08, Charleston County 911 Center received a call reporting the fire at the store. Within 2 minutes, Engines 11 and 10, ladder 5 and Battalion 4 were dispatched. Battalion 4 was the first unit on scene, his intimal size up indicated trash and...
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...was able to harness the power of fire, he has been trying to control it. From a single bucket wielding man to a complex well trained and organized team have been working on controlling and suppressing fire for millennia’s. Many simple and complex tools have been developed to help in the control and suppression of fire. Organized fire brigades can be dated back to the earliest civilizations because of the fear of fire and the damage that it can cause. Many great infrastructures have fallen to the devastation of fire and have taken large groups of dedicated members to control those fires. Over the past century, the fire service has become more than just fire suppression, now these dedicated individuals are trained to rescue people, control hazardous materials, perform fire prevention duties, and attend to the injured. Many people think that the fire service is a fairly modern idea due to the industrial revolution. Some researchers have said that firefighting was first started and organized in ancient Egypt. There is evidence of firefighting machinery was used in Ancient Egypt, including a water pump that was developed by Ctesibius of Alexandria in the third century BC which was later improved upon in a design by Hero of Alexandria in the first century BC. One of the first well documented fire brigade or suppression team was the ones of the Roman Empire. The Roman emperor Augustus is credited with instituting a corps of fire-fighting "watchmen" in 24 BC. Regulations for checking and...
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...necessary interventions to stabilize the patient. Then discuss an in-depth plan of care for recovery. Smoke inhalation is known as the leading cause of death due to fires. Firefighters are trained to recognize the dangerous short-term effects of smoke exposure caused by carbon monoxide and tiny particles absorbed into the lungs. The inhalation of heated air produces injury through several mechanisms, including thermal injury to the upper airway, irritation or chemical injury to the airways from soot, asphyxiation, and toxicity from carbon monoxide. In most cases firefighters can wear devices...
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...in Charleston, South Carolina. The fire started at approximately 7:00 p.m. in the locking dock area of a mattress showroom and warehouse. Charleston firefighters arrived on the scene just three minutes after the alarm, followed soon by firefighters from the St. Andrews Public Service District . From 1979 to 2002 there were over 180 fire fighter deaths from Structural collapse. In more recent times, between 1990 and Augusta 2010, 43 fire fighters deaths have been associated with structural collapses. In a scientific study conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) entitled Trends in Firefighter Fatalities Due to Structural Collapse, 1979-2002, it was found that firefighter deaths in residential buildings have more than tripled in the last decade compared to the previous decades (1994-2002: 33 deaths; 1983-1992: 9 deaths) (Brassal, Evans 2002). Are firefighters and other fire professionals missing the evidence needed to curve the potential for firefighter fatalities due to structural collapse? Structural collapses are not always the cause of death, but may have been contributing factors that lead to the cause of death. Can training, better building practices, pre-plans and changing structural building laws decrease the risk for fire fighters? Risk Analysis and concerns regarding the Sofa Super Store fire When the first arriving officer at scene arrives and performs a through walk around or “360” of the Sofa Super Fire Store Fire, he or she must take a “Risk...
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...1.0 Introduction Due to the geographical position of Bangladesh every year this country needs to face number of natural disaster. Facing so many disasters like flood, cyclone, drought, earthquake now people of this country know at least a little, how to manage the natural disaster, what to do and what not to do during those crisis. But, still we lack of managing the manmade disaster. Like the “Building Collapse”. Recent Rana Plaza tragedy had made us aware about our present vulnerable position in the sector of building collapse disaster. It has shown our vulnerable position in this kind of disaster. For, the reason of a single building the whole country was stacked for few days. Total 1136 person has died due to this incident. Around 4000 people have been injured and around 5000 family have been affected directly or indirectly. This was the only one remarkable building collapse incident in last century in our country. If this kind of incident be repeated further. Where we shall stand? Whatever, this disaster could be managed more efficiently. Requirement was a bit awareness and some knowledge about the result of the incident. 1.1 Aim The aim of this paper is to highlight the manmade disaster “Building Collapse”, it’s details, mitigation, how to minimize the loss due to building collapse? 1.2 Scope In this paper I shall discuss the following things sequentially: * What is building collapse * Types of building collapse * Reasons of building...
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...South Canyon Fire Disaster (DRAFT) Introduction The South Canyon, or sometimes referred to as the Storm King Mountain Fire, that occurred in July 1994 is an intriguing disaster to study. What makes the disaster so intriguing is that another fire which occurred in 1949 called the Mann Gulch Fire, killed 13 firefighters and yet forty-four years later the same mistakes were made at the South Canyon Fire leading to the death of fourteen more firefighters. When compared to each other, both fires have almost the exact same topographical features, weather phenomena, and sequence of events. Both fires were located inside box canyons, or “small ravine or canyon with steep walls on three sides allowing access or egress only through the mouth of the canyon” (Wikipedia) and located on a major river. Gusting winds up the mouth of the canyon contributed to the fire blowing up and increase in size in just a matter of moments. On both fires, the practice of downhill fire line construction was used down steep mountain sides which hampered the fire crews in escaping uphill when the fire began to overrun them. In this paper, I plan on examining the organizational, executive, and regulatory failures that led to the demise of the fourteen firefighters on the South Canyon Fire and to address the major question, “Are wildfire fighting fatalities inevitable ‘normal accidents’?” South Canyon Fire Event In 1994, Colorado experienced a year of extreme drought and in the summer months, long periods...
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...managers are admitting that it could affect their staff, and more victims are starting to gather the courage to complain. And in terms of recent labor legislation, victims do have legal recourse. Yet most people do not fully understand the problem, its causes, its consequences, or its extent. Even more difficult is the question: How does one deal with such behavior? Before considering the causes and consequences of, and possible cures for, this deep-rooted problem, we shall have to define it. We shall also describe six different types of harassers, and consider who the victims are usually. Every man and woman, who becomes aware of the implications of this issue, can help both companies and individuals to address this insidious and destructive problem. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) describes sexual harassment as a form of gender discrimination that is in violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court made employers more liable for sexual harassment of their employees. Moreover, the Society for Human Resource Management has reported that 62% of companies now offer sexual harassment prevention training programs, and 97% have a written sexual harassment policy. The causes of sexual harassment at work can be complex, and steeped in socialization, politics, and psychology. Work relationships can be quite intimate and intense, and those involved share common interests. Employee's are dependent on each other for teamwork...
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...accident rates between the years of 1995 and 1999 from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Introduction Aviation is classified into three broad types that are Military Aviation, Commercial Aviation and General Aviation. General Aviation is defined as any civil aircraft operation that doesn’t fall under 14 (Aeronautics and Space) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) parts 121,129 and 135. The operations that are included in General Aviation are that of U.S. registered aircraft operated under 14 CFR Parts 91 (General Operating and Flight Rules), 21 (Certification procedures for products and parts) and civilian public use (Qualified government missions that may include law enforcement, low-level observation, aerial application, firefighting, search and rescue, biological or geological resource management, and aeronautical research). The types of aircraft operated under 14 CFR Part 91 include airplanes, rotorcraft, gliders, balloons, blimps and ultra lights while 14 CFR Part 21 involves experimental and amateur-built aircraft. Federal regulations require operators to notify the NTSB immediately of aviation accidents and certain incidents. An accident is...
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...Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Fire in its most common form can result in conflagration, which has the potential to cause physical damage through burning. Fire is an important process that affects ecological systems across the globe. The positive effects of fire include stimulating growth and maintaining various ecological systems. Fire has been used by humans for cooking, generating heat, signaling, and propulsion purposes. The negative effects of fire include water contamination, soil erosion, atmospheric pollution and hazard to human and animal life. PHASES OF A FIRE First Phase – Incipient Oxygen content 20% - 21% with ceiling temperatures of approximately 37˚ C°. At this stage the produces of combustion are water vapour, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxiode, and hot gases rising. Smoldering fires my last for a few seconds to several hours before breaking into flames. A large volume of smoke will be present until flaming starts and then progress is rapid. Second Phase – free burning, flame producing or steady state At this stage the oxygen content is 15% - 19% and the ceiling temperatures are above 537°C and the products of combustion are water vapour, carbon dixiode, carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide. There large quantities of dark grey smoke and rapid destruction of combustible materials. It is at this point that flash over occurs. Flash...
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...Chapter- One Introduction 1. Introduction Over much of the last decade, Bangladesh’s economy has maintained a high, 6 percent growth rate. Although the country remains one of the poorest (it ranks 146th out of 187 countries in the UNDP’s latest Human Development Report), experts are generally optimistic about its growth trajectory – recently, the director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said that Bangladesh was “well on track” to achieve its development goals to become a middle-income country by 2021. The garment industry, which makes up 80 percent of the country’s export earnings and employs over 3.6 million people, has played an enormous role in the country’s economic progress. Due to a number of factors but mostly lower working wages, Bangladesh has beaten some of its neighbors like India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia to become one of the world’s largest clothing exporters – second only to China. Since the workers of garments industries are driving the economy of Bangladesh to a large extent it is necessary to ascertain a healthy working environment for the workers. The labor law, 2006 states a number of rules regarding safety, health and hygiene and welfare of the workers of Bangladesh. In order to evaluate the true picture of the garments sector a survey has been made on a garments company named “Best Shirts Ltd”. This report presents a detailed explanation of the health and welfare conditions prevailing in that garments factory. Here an effort...
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...benefits of numerous friendly uses of heat energy are often overshadowed by the enormous destructive power of fires. Today, as in primitive society, that risk has not been eliminated despite the apparent sophistication of modern living. With the development of habitations, attitudes towards fire safety have also developed. There is continuous interest in understanding the causes of such perils and in devising means of their elimination or reduction. Fire and the effects of fire on escape possibilities constitute the type of danger involved in response in the event of fire. (Drysdale, 1985). The total property loss of fire incident in 2009 and 2010 was 305,89,72,104 tk and 532,11,18,531 tk accordingly; where injured were 156 persons and 78 persons; death were 167 persons and 189 persons accordingly. This furious scenario represents the vulnerability of fire danger and our helplessness. In 2009 the fire hazard caused total property loss of 56,47,37,394 tk, injury of 20 persons and death of 17 persons, where in 2010 the fire hazard caused total property loss of 110,66,37,145 tk, injury of 42 persons and death of 60 persons in high rise commercial buildings. (GoB, 2010) Legitimate concerns have been expressed regarding the use of dangerous flame...
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...condition of urgent need for action or assistance WHAT IS FIRST AID? Emergency treatment administered to an injured or sick person before professional medical care is available. SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT Prior to flight f/a attend a safety briefing with the purser. The pilots may also be present. This briefing entails:- * Going over safety and emergency checklist * Locations and amounts of emergency equipment and other features specific to that aircraft. * Boarding particulars verified- special needs pax, ums , wheelchair pax, vips * Expected weather conditions – turbulence Pre-departure checks on board the aircraft: * Ensure all equipment are on board e.g. Life vests, flashlights, firefighting and first aid equipment. These should be in the correct quantity and in proper condition. * Unserviceable /missing items reported and rectified before take-off * Monitor cabin for any unusual smell / unusual situations * Maintain certain precautions – doors disarmed/open during fuelling on the ground. * Assist loading of carry-on baggage, check weight, size and dangerous goods. * Safety demonstration – live/ video * Ensure tray tables are properly stored, seats upright, armrests down and seatbelts fastened prior to take-off. After take-off: * Cabin checks every 20-30mins especially during the night * Listen for unusual noises or situations. * Check lav ,ensure smokedetectors are active,pax safe...
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...areas in Quezon City and San Juan the other night.A fire hit a residential area in Don Antonio Heights, Quezon City. The fire reportedly started at 10:15 p.m.Rudy Padirao, 37, sustained burns on both arms as he went back inside their burning house to salvage some of their valuables. Witnesses told fire probers that the injured victim and his family had already exited their house safely but went back inside.Some 25 houses were destroyed by the fire which reached the 5th alarm and was placed under control at around 10:30 p.m. As a result, 75 families were rendered homeless. Firemen were told that a lit candle that was placed at an altar might have caused the fire.They have yet to confirm this theory as they conduct an investigation on the cause of the fire.Meanwhile, a fire destroyed 10 houses in San Jose Street, Barangay Batis, San Juan at 4:56 a.m.Fire Chief Inspector Gilbert Dulot said that the fire reached the 2nd alarm and was eventually put out at 6:04 a.m....
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