On Sept. 14, hundreds of thousands of people will come together in prayer during the 13th annual Unity World Day of Prayer. This interfaith event is open to people of all faiths and all walks of life.
Unity is a worldwide movement founded in 1889 that helps people of all faiths apply positive spiritual principles to their daily lives. It is best known for Daily Word, a monthly magazine of inspirational messages that is distributed to about 1 million people in 175 countries.
Since 1994, millions of people have joined in a partnership of prayer during World Day of Prayer vigils held at many of the nearly 900 Unity churches and centers around the world.
Last year, participants offered prayers for an estimated 1.3 million people during the prayer vigil at the Unity world headquarters at Unity Village, Mo. People send the names of friends and family to Unity on prayer lists for this vigil. Each name is read quietly and sacredly during the vigil.
"In Unity, we know that prayer works," said Unity President Charlotte Shelton. "We host World Day of Prayer as an opportunity for humankind to experience a transformation of health, abundance and love on a global level."
Silent Unity, the transdenominational prayer ministry of Unity, maintains a 24-hour prayer vigil every day of the year and receives more than 2 million letters, telephone calls and Internet requests for prayer annually.
To learn more about the Unity World Day of Prayer, to submit names of friends and family members for the prayer vigil, and to enjoy an affirmation set to sound and motion, visit www.worlddayofprayer.org/news. You can also find Unity churches that serve as host centers for local World Day of Prayer activities.
"We invite people to make a sacred connection with God and prayer participants around the world as they unite in positive attitude, understanding and love on this special day," Shelton said.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
3 Positive Steps to discover the purpose of life.
In this article we will discuss the concept of life and its underlying principle. We will be going through a step by step procedure, exploring your feelings and options, and by the end of this article, you should have a fairly solid tool you could immediately employ in your life, to give it a meaningful direction.
There are three steps to the process of discovering the purpose of your life:
Understanding the principle of choice
Creating your underlying principle
Aligning your life with the underlying principle
Understanding the principle of choice
Norman Vincent Peale has this to say about the power of choice. “The greatest power we have is the power of choice. It is an actual fact, that if you have been groping under unhappiness, you can choose to be joyous, instead. And, by effort, lift yourself into joy. If you tend to be fearful, you can overcome that misery by choosing to have courage. The whole trend and the quality of anyone’s life is determined by the choice that are made”.
Choosing is the most important activity of your mind, because by making a choice, you are proclaiming your desires to your subconscious mind. Once the subconscious mind get to know your desires, it is going to do anything to manifest them in your life. The choices you make in your life become your goal. And, if you are sincere in pursuing them, there is no reason why you should not accomplish them.
Indecision, on the other hand, not only creates frustration and anxiety, but can also confuse the subconscious mind about what you want. But it is important that the choices you make are made by you, in accordance with your true desires, purposes and aptitude. A lot us of let others make choices for us, or make our choices according to what we think is ‘correct’, even if that means that we go against our wishes. What is right for someone is may not be right for you, and the way to know this is listening to what your heart says.
So, begin with, make a list of things which interests you; things which you have always enjoyed, which makes you feel better, which inspires you to surge ahead, no matter what obstacles you face. Do you like doing something creative, or something artistic? Do you enjoy nature, do you like the sea? Do you enjoy helping others? Do you get pleasure out of making a difference in other people’s life?
What ever it is that interests you, go ahead and make a list under the following headlines:
Things you love to do:
______________________________________
What is it that you love in this thing and why? How you could do this for money, and make a living out of it?
__________________
__________________
Creating Your Underlying Principle:
The next step is to examine the list you just made and find out if there is any recurring them. Maybe, it is the contribution that keeps coming up, or an effect to seek or give love, or helping your parents cope with old age. Whatever it is try to identify the central them of the things you love to do, and try to put it in a short and precise statement. This will be your ‘Mission Statement’. It may even be a quote by a famous person, or a philosophy that has influenced you. Of course, as you grow up, this statement could evolve, but its soul will remain the same. Now, write down your Mission Statement.
Aligning your LIFE with the Underlying Principle:
The final step in this journey is to map your path to your ultimate purpose. Make the little changes in your lifestyle that would accommodate this principle in your life. LIVE this principle each and every day. It might take a few days, but you will certainly feel the difference in your enthusiasm for life. If you realize that you love being amidst nature, plan out your holiday. Maybe an outing with your children could be enough to recoup with your energy. On the other hand, you might even want to change your job, or start a new business, that is more in line with your mission.
Remember – “Do what you love, and money will follow”.
There are three steps to the process of discovering the purpose of your life:
Understanding the principle of choice
Creating your underlying principle
Aligning your life with the underlying principle
Understanding the principle of choice
Norman Vincent Peale has this to say about the power of choice. “The greatest power we have is the power of choice. It is an actual fact, that if you have been groping under unhappiness, you can choose to be joyous, instead. And, by effort, lift yourself into joy. If you tend to be fearful, you can overcome that misery by choosing to have courage. The whole trend and the quality of anyone’s life is determined by the choice that are made”.
Choosing is the most important activity of your mind, because by making a choice, you are proclaiming your desires to your subconscious mind. Once the subconscious mind get to know your desires, it is going to do anything to manifest them in your life. The choices you make in your life become your goal. And, if you are sincere in pursuing them, there is no reason why you should not accomplish them.
Indecision, on the other hand, not only creates frustration and anxiety, but can also confuse the subconscious mind about what you want. But it is important that the choices you make are made by you, in accordance with your true desires, purposes and aptitude. A lot us of let others make choices for us, or make our choices according to what we think is ‘correct’, even if that means that we go against our wishes. What is right for someone is may not be right for you, and the way to know this is listening to what your heart says.
So, begin with, make a list of things which interests you; things which you have always enjoyed, which makes you feel better, which inspires you to surge ahead, no matter what obstacles you face. Do you like doing something creative, or something artistic? Do you enjoy nature, do you like the sea? Do you enjoy helping others? Do you get pleasure out of making a difference in other people’s life?
What ever it is that interests you, go ahead and make a list under the following headlines:
Things you love to do:
______________________________________
What is it that you love in this thing and why? How you could do this for money, and make a living out of it?
__________________
__________________
Creating Your Underlying Principle:
The next step is to examine the list you just made and find out if there is any recurring them. Maybe, it is the contribution that keeps coming up, or an effect to seek or give love, or helping your parents cope with old age. Whatever it is try to identify the central them of the things you love to do, and try to put it in a short and precise statement. This will be your ‘Mission Statement’. It may even be a quote by a famous person, or a philosophy that has influenced you. Of course, as you grow up, this statement could evolve, but its soul will remain the same. Now, write down your Mission Statement.
Aligning your LIFE with the Underlying Principle:
The final step in this journey is to map your path to your ultimate purpose. Make the little changes in your lifestyle that would accommodate this principle in your life. LIVE this principle each and every day. It might take a few days, but you will certainly feel the difference in your enthusiasm for life. If you realize that you love being amidst nature, plan out your holiday. Maybe an outing with your children could be enough to recoup with your energy. On the other hand, you might even want to change your job, or start a new business, that is more in line with your mission.
Remember – “Do what you love, and money will follow”.
A Bit Of The History Of Magic
One could enjoy watching magicians perform their amazing tricks. Whether they are in a circus, in a school program, a friend’s birthday celebration, or in a favorite television show, magicians are among today’s top entertainers.
Here are a few of the top magicians in their times:
The history of using magic as a form of entertainment may have begun with magician Chevalier Joseph Pinetti. More than three centuries ago, Chevalier Joseph Pinetti, wowed his audiences worldwide with his bag of magic tricks. And that was in 1782!
Among his tricks was the ability to produce an orange tree blossoming on stage that bore fruit. Pinetti’s wife even acted as an assistant, helping the magician to do his mentalist and escape tricks. Known as the “Professor of Natural Magic,” he was known for his great magic tricks, tricks that belonged clearly to the modern era of magic.
Come the nineteenth century. The said century welcomed the use of technical-assisted magic, with some of the magicians developing various devices that would aid or help in their illusions. Using optical aids or devices, electromagnets, as well as various stage lighting forms, these magicians were able to amaze audiences from time to time with their very elaborate and dazzling tricks.
One known magician in the nineteenth century was the magician Hermann the Great. Alexander Herrmann was his real name, and this German magician did his tricks with all of the kinds of stage magic he had known, even from super close-up productions to fill-stage events. An American rival, Harry Kellar, took over Herrmann’s popularity for some time and became the most prominent magician for more than 10 years.
Other magicians in the nineteenth century included T. Nelson Downs and Howard Thurston. Downs is originally a vaudevillian by trade, but had become great and famous in his magic tricks that he became known as “King of Koins.”
Thurston, on the other hand, invested much of his money in building an extravaganza, which is a show on magic. It reigned over the American entertainment magic scene for over twenty-five years.
Probably one of the more known magicians in recent times was Harry Houdini. Known as one of the best American magicians, he was known for his great escape acts, including his own famous creation, the “Chinese Water Torture Cell.”
Another famous American magician is David Copperfield, who until recently performed numerous magic acts in shows and TV programs.
Here are a few of the top magicians in their times:
The history of using magic as a form of entertainment may have begun with magician Chevalier Joseph Pinetti. More than three centuries ago, Chevalier Joseph Pinetti, wowed his audiences worldwide with his bag of magic tricks. And that was in 1782!
Among his tricks was the ability to produce an orange tree blossoming on stage that bore fruit. Pinetti’s wife even acted as an assistant, helping the magician to do his mentalist and escape tricks. Known as the “Professor of Natural Magic,” he was known for his great magic tricks, tricks that belonged clearly to the modern era of magic.
Come the nineteenth century. The said century welcomed the use of technical-assisted magic, with some of the magicians developing various devices that would aid or help in their illusions. Using optical aids or devices, electromagnets, as well as various stage lighting forms, these magicians were able to amaze audiences from time to time with their very elaborate and dazzling tricks.
One known magician in the nineteenth century was the magician Hermann the Great. Alexander Herrmann was his real name, and this German magician did his tricks with all of the kinds of stage magic he had known, even from super close-up productions to fill-stage events. An American rival, Harry Kellar, took over Herrmann’s popularity for some time and became the most prominent magician for more than 10 years.
Other magicians in the nineteenth century included T. Nelson Downs and Howard Thurston. Downs is originally a vaudevillian by trade, but had become great and famous in his magic tricks that he became known as “King of Koins.”
Thurston, on the other hand, invested much of his money in building an extravaganza, which is a show on magic. It reigned over the American entertainment magic scene for over twenty-five years.
Probably one of the more known magicians in recent times was Harry Houdini. Known as one of the best American magicians, he was known for his great escape acts, including his own famous creation, the “Chinese Water Torture Cell.”
Another famous American magician is David Copperfield, who until recently performed numerous magic acts in shows and TV programs.
Friday, May 28, 2010
A Review of Popular River Rafting Trips and Services
Organized river rafting trips are a good idea for novices and experts alike. River rafting tours provide all of the equipment, guidance, and instruction necessary. If the trip covers several days, the rafting company may provide camping accommodations as well. Trips are available for rafters of all skill levels, from beginners rafting for the first time, to skilled experts looking for the toughest rivers in the country.
River rafting tours are offered on many major rivers in the country. Trips are available in many different lengths, varying from an afternoon to a two week trek. River rafting trips designed for families as well as trips that cater to experienced rafters are available almost anywhere. While much river rafting is done in the Southwest, it is by no means the only place for a river rafting adventure. North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and many other states have great rivers for rafting.
A couple of well-established river rafting outfitters are Dvorak Expeditions, California River Rafting Excitement, and the Nantahala Outdoor Center. All three of these companies offer great guides, top-of-the-line equipment, and routes on some of the best rivers.
Dvorak Enterprises was the first outfitter given a river recreation outfitters license in 1969. Run by the world famous Bill Dvorak out of Salida, Colorado, this company offers exciting river rafting trips to visitors in many states including Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, and Texas, as well as New Zealand and Nepal. Dvorak Enterprises is known for its friendly, skilled, and knowledgeable guides.
California River Rafting Excitement is one of the top-rated river rafting outfitters in the Sunshine State. This company offers river rafting trips on five different California rivers, has trips designed for families as well as experienced rafters, and offers camping equipment for trips lasting several days.
Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina offers a variety of river rafting adventures on several rivers in the area. The rivers range in difficulty to accommodate rafters at any skill level, and Nantahala offers great guides as well as a rafting school for novices.
River rafting trips are a fun way for adventurous travelers to unwind and relax. River rafting adventures are available for rafters of all skill levels, insuring that everyone will have a good, safe time.
River rafting tours are offered on many major rivers in the country. Trips are available in many different lengths, varying from an afternoon to a two week trek. River rafting trips designed for families as well as trips that cater to experienced rafters are available almost anywhere. While much river rafting is done in the Southwest, it is by no means the only place for a river rafting adventure. North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and many other states have great rivers for rafting.
A couple of well-established river rafting outfitters are Dvorak Expeditions, California River Rafting Excitement, and the Nantahala Outdoor Center. All three of these companies offer great guides, top-of-the-line equipment, and routes on some of the best rivers.
Dvorak Enterprises was the first outfitter given a river recreation outfitters license in 1969. Run by the world famous Bill Dvorak out of Salida, Colorado, this company offers exciting river rafting trips to visitors in many states including Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, and Texas, as well as New Zealand and Nepal. Dvorak Enterprises is known for its friendly, skilled, and knowledgeable guides.
California River Rafting Excitement is one of the top-rated river rafting outfitters in the Sunshine State. This company offers river rafting trips on five different California rivers, has trips designed for families as well as experienced rafters, and offers camping equipment for trips lasting several days.
Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina offers a variety of river rafting adventures on several rivers in the area. The rivers range in difficulty to accommodate rafters at any skill level, and Nantahala offers great guides as well as a rafting school for novices.
River rafting trips are a fun way for adventurous travelers to unwind and relax. River rafting adventures are available for rafters of all skill levels, insuring that everyone will have a good, safe time.
Bacara el Preferido del Agente 007
El Agente 007 y su audacia con el juego continúan deslumbrando año tras año a sus sensuales compañeras en escena y derrotando a sus astutos enemigos.
El Bacara: El Juego preferido del clásico James Bond: Bacará y el Agente 007
El Bacará es el clásico juego de apuestas originado en Italia en el siglo 15 y es también característico del famoso espía 007. En cada escena lo identifican una elegancia y excelencia, que junto con su impecable Martini en mano y las apuestas en otra James Bond ha mantenido una leyenda desde su origen desde los años 50 hasta el presente. Es así como el espía ingles domina la versión francesa del juego Bacará llamada Chemin de Fer con gran talento y admiración.
Bacara siempre fue popular entre la alta sociedad, especialmente en el siglo 15, cuando surgió en Italia. Bacara significa cero en italiano y a lo largo de su expansión en diferentes países nuevas reglas y variaciones fueron inventadas y adaptadas como en Estados Unidos o en Francia el Chemin de Fer, o el denominado Juego de James Bond.
El juego consiste en el "Jugador" y la "Banca" el nombre que se la a las opciones de apuestas, estos son repartidos dos o tres cartas cada uno con el objetivo simple de llegar a 9 sin pasarse de el. Mientras tanto la banca decide según las reglas del juego cuando detener la jugada y los jugadores ya han debido apostar a cual de las dos Jugador o Banca ganara la mano. Los jugadores o el jugador apuesta y el que apuesta a la mano que gano el puntaje mas correcto, gana la mano. En la adaptación americana, el juego funciona en contra a la banca, mientras que en Chemin de Fer, los jugadores compiten el uno con el otro. Uno representa al jugador y el otro a la Banca.
En compañía del Chemin de Fer los libros de Ian Fleming junto a las adaptaciones en escena de James Bond, han deslumbrado por décadas las diferentes aventuras del espía, con ayuda de su impecable poder del juego y su atractivo estilo. Hasta su último estreno en el 2006 James Bond sigue disfrutando de la lujuria de las mesas verdes de los casinos junto a su cigarro y el su sensual compañera en acción. En el anio 1964, las novelas y capítulos de James Bond, fueron escritas por Kingsley Amis, John Pearson, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, y Charlie Higson. Tambien sus actores variaron comenzando con el conocido Sean Connery, siguiendo con Geroge Lazenby, Roger Moore, Tomothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan y Daniel Craig.
Si observas, es muy interesante ver la manera en que el Agente apuesta al juego y a su vez actúa y descubre los secretos que lo rodean con la misma rapidez, seguridad y astucia. Enlas películas de James Bond el juego Chemin de Fer transcurre en elegantes salas llenas de mujeres elegantes y hombres adinerados que detrás del juego tienen otros intereses por revelar. En la realidad el enlace entre el Bacará y El Agente 007 es de un acompañante fiel de aventuras secretas y emocionantes de mas de cinco décadas que hicieron de el una leyenda inolvidable que resurge de generación en generación.
El Bacara: El Juego preferido del clásico James Bond: Bacará y el Agente 007
El Bacará es el clásico juego de apuestas originado en Italia en el siglo 15 y es también característico del famoso espía 007. En cada escena lo identifican una elegancia y excelencia, que junto con su impecable Martini en mano y las apuestas en otra James Bond ha mantenido una leyenda desde su origen desde los años 50 hasta el presente. Es así como el espía ingles domina la versión francesa del juego Bacará llamada Chemin de Fer con gran talento y admiración.
Bacara siempre fue popular entre la alta sociedad, especialmente en el siglo 15, cuando surgió en Italia. Bacara significa cero en italiano y a lo largo de su expansión en diferentes países nuevas reglas y variaciones fueron inventadas y adaptadas como en Estados Unidos o en Francia el Chemin de Fer, o el denominado Juego de James Bond.
El juego consiste en el "Jugador" y la "Banca" el nombre que se la a las opciones de apuestas, estos son repartidos dos o tres cartas cada uno con el objetivo simple de llegar a 9 sin pasarse de el. Mientras tanto la banca decide según las reglas del juego cuando detener la jugada y los jugadores ya han debido apostar a cual de las dos Jugador o Banca ganara la mano. Los jugadores o el jugador apuesta y el que apuesta a la mano que gano el puntaje mas correcto, gana la mano. En la adaptación americana, el juego funciona en contra a la banca, mientras que en Chemin de Fer, los jugadores compiten el uno con el otro. Uno representa al jugador y el otro a la Banca.
En compañía del Chemin de Fer los libros de Ian Fleming junto a las adaptaciones en escena de James Bond, han deslumbrado por décadas las diferentes aventuras del espía, con ayuda de su impecable poder del juego y su atractivo estilo. Hasta su último estreno en el 2006 James Bond sigue disfrutando de la lujuria de las mesas verdes de los casinos junto a su cigarro y el su sensual compañera en acción. En el anio 1964, las novelas y capítulos de James Bond, fueron escritas por Kingsley Amis, John Pearson, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, y Charlie Higson. Tambien sus actores variaron comenzando con el conocido Sean Connery, siguiendo con Geroge Lazenby, Roger Moore, Tomothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan y Daniel Craig.
Si observas, es muy interesante ver la manera en que el Agente apuesta al juego y a su vez actúa y descubre los secretos que lo rodean con la misma rapidez, seguridad y astucia. Enlas películas de James Bond el juego Chemin de Fer transcurre en elegantes salas llenas de mujeres elegantes y hombres adinerados que detrás del juego tienen otros intereses por revelar. En la realidad el enlace entre el Bacará y El Agente 007 es de un acompañante fiel de aventuras secretas y emocionantes de mas de cinco décadas que hicieron de el una leyenda inolvidable que resurge de generación en generación.
A Plan to Stop Working Soon
After you have figured out how much money you need to retire, you are stuck with one major problem – well two: How long will you need that money and where are you going to get that money! Well both have the same answer in a sense. You find residual income that is at the very least consistent, but possibly growing. Residual income by definition is recurring income that comes, usually without recurring efforts. For example... if you build a house and rent it out. The rent you receive is residual in that is comes in regularly and without extra effort beyond the initial construction. Once you pay your maintenance costs, then you have your residual profits. You will have that income as long as you keep the house – and you can keep the house as long as it brings in a profit – ideally as long as you live!
So besides real estate what kinds of investments bring residual income with minimal risk and fluctuation? Well if you have enough seed money, you buy dividend paying stocks or income trusts. You can easily research the dividend history of a company, look for ones that pay consistent dividends year after year. Banks and insurance companies are good for this. If in the last 20 years they have never missed a dividend you have a candidate. If they have gradually increased the dividend payout over time, you also have a solid winner. You don’t really care what the stock price does, you want to know how much dividend you can depend on from the company.
A $500 000* dollar investment in a diverse group of dividend paying stocks can let your retire on perhaps $50,000 per year* (* These numbers are just examples not real or validated.) If $50k is enough for you to retire on and live on for the next however long then you know how much you need to accumulate before you can retire. Another benefit of dividend income is that the tax rate on investment income in most western countries is much less than earned income taxes. So you get a break in all directions.
I recommend that you look into some great online income generating businesses. Maybe you won’t make millions – that’s possible too. But if in the next few years you can make more money than working could get (unless you are an E*ron CEO) – and you continually re-invest that in a residual investment vehicle, you could retire real soon. Your online business would also be residual and expanding and reinvesting part of that income into other areas would create multiple streams of income.
But if you are like me, the first major hurdle is how to come up with that initial investment. Well you build a business that requires less investment. Then you use the income from there to invest in other residual income sources. Internet Marketing is a great place to start with opportunities growing everyday as more and more people come online. It’s easier than you think, but requires some action on your part. The best thing you can do is find a mentor – someone who has done it before and is willing to help you get started. Don’t umm and haw – the worst that can happen is that you don’t make all the money you thought you would – but you have made more than you would have if you did nothing, and depending on the kind of life you have that little extra may be just enough!
Thanks for reading,
Your Rich Cousin
(Author and Business Success Story) Get the free e-book that got me started and helped me start making money at http://www.richcousin.com It's so straight forward and easy to understand AND you will have the support you need to start making a great income online.
So besides real estate what kinds of investments bring residual income with minimal risk and fluctuation? Well if you have enough seed money, you buy dividend paying stocks or income trusts. You can easily research the dividend history of a company, look for ones that pay consistent dividends year after year. Banks and insurance companies are good for this. If in the last 20 years they have never missed a dividend you have a candidate. If they have gradually increased the dividend payout over time, you also have a solid winner. You don’t really care what the stock price does, you want to know how much dividend you can depend on from the company.
A $500 000* dollar investment in a diverse group of dividend paying stocks can let your retire on perhaps $50,000 per year* (* These numbers are just examples not real or validated.) If $50k is enough for you to retire on and live on for the next however long then you know how much you need to accumulate before you can retire. Another benefit of dividend income is that the tax rate on investment income in most western countries is much less than earned income taxes. So you get a break in all directions.
I recommend that you look into some great online income generating businesses. Maybe you won’t make millions – that’s possible too. But if in the next few years you can make more money than working could get (unless you are an E*ron CEO) – and you continually re-invest that in a residual investment vehicle, you could retire real soon. Your online business would also be residual and expanding and reinvesting part of that income into other areas would create multiple streams of income.
But if you are like me, the first major hurdle is how to come up with that initial investment. Well you build a business that requires less investment. Then you use the income from there to invest in other residual income sources. Internet Marketing is a great place to start with opportunities growing everyday as more and more people come online. It’s easier than you think, but requires some action on your part. The best thing you can do is find a mentor – someone who has done it before and is willing to help you get started. Don’t umm and haw – the worst that can happen is that you don’t make all the money you thought you would – but you have made more than you would have if you did nothing, and depending on the kind of life you have that little extra may be just enough!
Thanks for reading,
Your Rich Cousin
(Author and Business Success Story) Get the free e-book that got me started and helped me start making money at http://www.richcousin.com It's so straight forward and easy to understand AND you will have the support you need to start making a great income online.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
2 Surefire Ways To Maximize Your Adsense Earnings Almost Instantly!
Most webmasters know that Adsense generates a sizeable source of additional advertising income. That is why most of them use it to go after high paying keywords. They have with them the lists that tells what the keywords are and have already used various methods of identifying them. And yet, after putting up these supposed-to-be high paying keywords into their pages, the money they expected to come rolling in is not really coming in.
What is it that they are doing wrong?
Having the pages is with the proper keywords is one thing. But driving visitors to those pages is another matter and often the factor that is lacking.
The thing is, to get visitors to your high paying keyword pages, you need to optimize your site navigation.
Stop for a moment and think about how visitors are using your website. After a visitor has landed on a certain page, they have the tendency to click on another page that sounds interesting. They get there because of the other links that appears on a page that they initially landed on. This is site navigation. It is all about enabling visitors to move about your site. And one way of maximizing your Adsense earnings.
A typical website have menu links on each page. The wording on these links is what grabs a visitor’s attention and gets them to click on one of the links that will take them to another page of that website. Links that have “free’ or “download” are oftentimes good attention-grabbers.
This navigation logic can also be applied to driving traffic to your high paying pages. There are some websites that are getting a lot of traffic from search engines, but have low earnings. The trick is to try and use come cleverly labeled links to get the visitors off that pages and navigate them to the higher earning ones. This is one great way of turning real cheap clicks to real dollars.
Before you begin testing if this same style will work for you and you website, you need to have two things. Something to track and compare and some high earning pages you want to funnel your site traffic to. An option is to select a few of your frequently visited pages. This is ensuring fast result to come by.
Now, the next thing to do is think of ways to get visitors viewing a particular page to try and click on the link that will take them to your high earning pages. Come up with a catchy description for that link. Come up with a catchy and unique description for the link. Think of something that people do not get to see everyday. That will trigger their curiosity enough to try and see what that was all about.
You can also use graphics to grab your readers’ attention. There is no limitation to what you can do to make your link noticeable. If you are after the success of your site, you will do everything it takes just to achieve that goal. Just be creative. As far as many Adsense advertisers are concerned, there are no written and unwritten laws to follow regarding what they write. Just as long as you do not overstep the guidelines of the search engines, then go for it.
Also remember that it is all about location, location and location. Once the perfect attention grabbing description has been achieved, you have to identify the perfect spot on your page to position that descriptive link to your high paying page.
There is nothing wrong with visiting other websites to see how they are going about maximizing their site navigation. “Hot pages” or “Most read” lists are very common and overly used already. Get to know the ones that many websites are using and do not try to imitate them.
Another way of doing it is to try and use different texts on different pages. That way you will see the ones that work and what does not. Try to mix things around also. Put links on top and sometimes on the bottom too. This is how you go about testing which ones get more clicks and which ones are being ignored.
Let the testing begin. Testing and tracking until you find the site navigation style that works best for you site.
What is it that they are doing wrong?
Having the pages is with the proper keywords is one thing. But driving visitors to those pages is another matter and often the factor that is lacking.
The thing is, to get visitors to your high paying keyword pages, you need to optimize your site navigation.
Stop for a moment and think about how visitors are using your website. After a visitor has landed on a certain page, they have the tendency to click on another page that sounds interesting. They get there because of the other links that appears on a page that they initially landed on. This is site navigation. It is all about enabling visitors to move about your site. And one way of maximizing your Adsense earnings.
A typical website have menu links on each page. The wording on these links is what grabs a visitor’s attention and gets them to click on one of the links that will take them to another page of that website. Links that have “free’ or “download” are oftentimes good attention-grabbers.
This navigation logic can also be applied to driving traffic to your high paying pages. There are some websites that are getting a lot of traffic from search engines, but have low earnings. The trick is to try and use come cleverly labeled links to get the visitors off that pages and navigate them to the higher earning ones. This is one great way of turning real cheap clicks to real dollars.
Before you begin testing if this same style will work for you and you website, you need to have two things. Something to track and compare and some high earning pages you want to funnel your site traffic to. An option is to select a few of your frequently visited pages. This is ensuring fast result to come by.
Now, the next thing to do is think of ways to get visitors viewing a particular page to try and click on the link that will take them to your high earning pages. Come up with a catchy description for that link. Come up with a catchy and unique description for the link. Think of something that people do not get to see everyday. That will trigger their curiosity enough to try and see what that was all about.
You can also use graphics to grab your readers’ attention. There is no limitation to what you can do to make your link noticeable. If you are after the success of your site, you will do everything it takes just to achieve that goal. Just be creative. As far as many Adsense advertisers are concerned, there are no written and unwritten laws to follow regarding what they write. Just as long as you do not overstep the guidelines of the search engines, then go for it.
Also remember that it is all about location, location and location. Once the perfect attention grabbing description has been achieved, you have to identify the perfect spot on your page to position that descriptive link to your high paying page.
There is nothing wrong with visiting other websites to see how they are going about maximizing their site navigation. “Hot pages” or “Most read” lists are very common and overly used already. Get to know the ones that many websites are using and do not try to imitate them.
Another way of doing it is to try and use different texts on different pages. That way you will see the ones that work and what does not. Try to mix things around also. Put links on top and sometimes on the bottom too. This is how you go about testing which ones get more clicks and which ones are being ignored.
Let the testing begin. Testing and tracking until you find the site navigation style that works best for you site.
"Pushy" Deaf Kid's Mom
There are some things that we as persons, born on this planet, have no control over. Our own birth defects are included in that scenario. While there are those who believe that we ourselves choose what obstacles we must face and overcome in this life, prior to our earthly birth, I am not one who buys that. I did not choose to be born deaf.
Be that what it may, I was entered this world with a 70% hearing loss in both ears. It didn’t take my Mother long to recognize my hearing deficiency. She had been born a hearing impaired person too. My Mother determined that her child would not hide his deficiency, as she had been allowed to do.
Mom, as a child, had many siblings. Most of her sisters were older than she so hers were hand-me-down clothes. Poor, nearly deaf, she had taken a back seat in classrooms in an effort to not call attention to herself and her perceived inadequacies. Always, when called upon by a teacher, Mother would say, “I don’t know…” As she later told me, “The alternative answer would have been even more humiliating, I didn’t hear!”
I would never be allowed to make such an unwise determination. Every year, the first day of grammar school, Mother would march me before the teachers and tell them, in no uncertain terms, “This boy can not hear. I want him in a front desk, and I don’t want him moved around the room!”
As any otherwise normal kid would, I hated it. I asked her, “Why do you have to make such a big thing about this? I hear alright,” I insisted.
“Of course you do,” was her reply. “Because, I love you, I want you to hear what your teachers say and not have the articulation problems that I’ve had learning to form your own words correctly.
I didn’t really comprehend, until later, the significance of the second part of Mother’s answer. But yeah, I knew that she did love me. Even though I often resented the seating restriction, I was ever to be found occupying a front desk.
As a direct result of my “Pushy Mother’s intervention,” I was not distracted by classroom conversations which were not part of the curriculum. I couldn’t get away with anything because the teachers would catch me. And, I learned to properly pronounce most words because I “Heard” them. Mother’s vocabulary was excellent, her speech clear, as she had invested many childhood hours in a dictionary, looking up words that she felt she might need with emphasis on pronunciation. In grade school, I was spared that responsibility which I would not have taken upon myself anyway.
It wasn’t until high school that I learned to be stupid in my selection of where to sit. I never even considered that perhaps misunderstanding assignments, or not hearing what instructors actually said, had something to do with how hard I had to struggle.
Later, I was witness to what might have happened to me if not for having a “Pushy Mom.” A cousin inherited the same type of hearing loss I was born with. His mother didn’t bother to be pushy on this issue. He was shuffled along through school and treated like someone with a learning impairment. No wonder, for when he spoke he sounded retarded.
For a while, as an adult, I sold hearing aids. When I checked my cousin’s hearing, it was virtually identical to my own. Only then, did I fully comprehend and appreciate the wonderful gift my mother had given me by being “Pushy.”
If you have a child that doesn’t have excellent hearing, consider becoming a “Pushy Parent,” if only on this one issue. It is one thing that you can do for your child ~ on this planet ~ to level the playing field while he or she is too young to appreciate it.
Be that what it may, I was entered this world with a 70% hearing loss in both ears. It didn’t take my Mother long to recognize my hearing deficiency. She had been born a hearing impaired person too. My Mother determined that her child would not hide his deficiency, as she had been allowed to do.
Mom, as a child, had many siblings. Most of her sisters were older than she so hers were hand-me-down clothes. Poor, nearly deaf, she had taken a back seat in classrooms in an effort to not call attention to herself and her perceived inadequacies. Always, when called upon by a teacher, Mother would say, “I don’t know…” As she later told me, “The alternative answer would have been even more humiliating, I didn’t hear!”
I would never be allowed to make such an unwise determination. Every year, the first day of grammar school, Mother would march me before the teachers and tell them, in no uncertain terms, “This boy can not hear. I want him in a front desk, and I don’t want him moved around the room!”
As any otherwise normal kid would, I hated it. I asked her, “Why do you have to make such a big thing about this? I hear alright,” I insisted.
“Of course you do,” was her reply. “Because, I love you, I want you to hear what your teachers say and not have the articulation problems that I’ve had learning to form your own words correctly.
I didn’t really comprehend, until later, the significance of the second part of Mother’s answer. But yeah, I knew that she did love me. Even though I often resented the seating restriction, I was ever to be found occupying a front desk.
As a direct result of my “Pushy Mother’s intervention,” I was not distracted by classroom conversations which were not part of the curriculum. I couldn’t get away with anything because the teachers would catch me. And, I learned to properly pronounce most words because I “Heard” them. Mother’s vocabulary was excellent, her speech clear, as she had invested many childhood hours in a dictionary, looking up words that she felt she might need with emphasis on pronunciation. In grade school, I was spared that responsibility which I would not have taken upon myself anyway.
It wasn’t until high school that I learned to be stupid in my selection of where to sit. I never even considered that perhaps misunderstanding assignments, or not hearing what instructors actually said, had something to do with how hard I had to struggle.
Later, I was witness to what might have happened to me if not for having a “Pushy Mom.” A cousin inherited the same type of hearing loss I was born with. His mother didn’t bother to be pushy on this issue. He was shuffled along through school and treated like someone with a learning impairment. No wonder, for when he spoke he sounded retarded.
For a while, as an adult, I sold hearing aids. When I checked my cousin’s hearing, it was virtually identical to my own. Only then, did I fully comprehend and appreciate the wonderful gift my mother had given me by being “Pushy.”
If you have a child that doesn’t have excellent hearing, consider becoming a “Pushy Parent,” if only on this one issue. It is one thing that you can do for your child ~ on this planet ~ to level the playing field while he or she is too young to appreciate it.
5 Factors Affecting The Cost Of Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is gaining popularity as a method of permanent hair removal. Permanent hair removal saves the time, cost and hassle of waxing, shaving or using crème hair removal products. The cost of laser hair removal can be high, but depends on several factors.
What is the Cost of Laser Hair Removal?
This is the most commonly asked question by people considering laser hair removal. The price depends on several factors. You should expect to have several sessions with the laser. Even in smaller areas, each follicle needs to be hit during its growth phase. This will take a few sessions, as not all follicles are ever in the growth phase together.
Although laser hair removal prices can be high, many people find the cost worth it to have the unwanted hair removed permanently. In many cases, the cost is in the range of other permanent hair removal techniques. Laser isn’t more expensive than the cost of electrolysis. Consider what you spend now for hair removal. Over time, you will save money on the cost of body waxing or depilatory products.
5 Factors Affecting the Cost
1. The size of the area being treated. The laser can be used on any area of the body, excluding the eye area. Smaller areas, such as the pubic region, require less time than larger areas, such as the legs, chest or back.
2. The area of the country where you live helps determine the cost. Sessions range from $300 to $500 per session, depending on where you live.
3. The number of sessions you will need. This will be discussed during your consultation. Four sessions is common, but it could be anywhere from three to six sessions.
4. The color of your hair and skin is a major factor in the cost of laser treatments. Because the energy from the laser is absorbed by the pigment in the hair, it’s best if your hair is darker than your skin tone. Dark hair on light skin responds best to treatment. The procedure is least effective on blonde or red hair. Several sessions will be required and the results may not be consistent.
5. The color of your skin is another factor that will affect the cost. Very dark skin isn’t a good candidate for laser hair removal. The energy from the laser is absorbed by the pigment in the skin. In extreme cases, this can result in burns or skin damage. For this reason, you should not have a suntan when you sit for laser hair removal. Avoid tanning for a month before the procedure to give your tan time to fade.
Choosing a Facility on the Cost of Laser Hair Removal
You should never choose a facility based solely on cost. This is not a cosmetic procedure, but a medical one. You want a highly trained and experienced person handling the laser. You may find discount clinics offering this service. Be suspicious of this type of clinic. A clinic with a well respected and experienced staff generally doesn’t offer deep discounts. You don’t choose your other medical care based only on cost, so you shouldn’t do this will laser hair removal either.
Choose a clinic based on the qualifications of the medical director and the experience of the staff. Look for a doctor that is Board Certified in Dermatology and who has had training and experience with the laser. The better clinics have more than one board certified doctor on staff. The atmosphere of the office should be professional.
Ask about the experience of the person performing the procedure. Most states require a physician or a RN under the supervision of a physician. Ask about the number of procedures and any adverse reactions that have occurred. If possible, speak to a few former patients about their experience.
What is the Cost of Laser Hair Removal?
This is the most commonly asked question by people considering laser hair removal. The price depends on several factors. You should expect to have several sessions with the laser. Even in smaller areas, each follicle needs to be hit during its growth phase. This will take a few sessions, as not all follicles are ever in the growth phase together.
Although laser hair removal prices can be high, many people find the cost worth it to have the unwanted hair removed permanently. In many cases, the cost is in the range of other permanent hair removal techniques. Laser isn’t more expensive than the cost of electrolysis. Consider what you spend now for hair removal. Over time, you will save money on the cost of body waxing or depilatory products.
5 Factors Affecting the Cost
1. The size of the area being treated. The laser can be used on any area of the body, excluding the eye area. Smaller areas, such as the pubic region, require less time than larger areas, such as the legs, chest or back.
2. The area of the country where you live helps determine the cost. Sessions range from $300 to $500 per session, depending on where you live.
3. The number of sessions you will need. This will be discussed during your consultation. Four sessions is common, but it could be anywhere from three to six sessions.
4. The color of your hair and skin is a major factor in the cost of laser treatments. Because the energy from the laser is absorbed by the pigment in the hair, it’s best if your hair is darker than your skin tone. Dark hair on light skin responds best to treatment. The procedure is least effective on blonde or red hair. Several sessions will be required and the results may not be consistent.
5. The color of your skin is another factor that will affect the cost. Very dark skin isn’t a good candidate for laser hair removal. The energy from the laser is absorbed by the pigment in the skin. In extreme cases, this can result in burns or skin damage. For this reason, you should not have a suntan when you sit for laser hair removal. Avoid tanning for a month before the procedure to give your tan time to fade.
Choosing a Facility on the Cost of Laser Hair Removal
You should never choose a facility based solely on cost. This is not a cosmetic procedure, but a medical one. You want a highly trained and experienced person handling the laser. You may find discount clinics offering this service. Be suspicious of this type of clinic. A clinic with a well respected and experienced staff generally doesn’t offer deep discounts. You don’t choose your other medical care based only on cost, so you shouldn’t do this will laser hair removal either.
Choose a clinic based on the qualifications of the medical director and the experience of the staff. Look for a doctor that is Board Certified in Dermatology and who has had training and experience with the laser. The better clinics have more than one board certified doctor on staff. The atmosphere of the office should be professional.
Ask about the experience of the person performing the procedure. Most states require a physician or a RN under the supervision of a physician. Ask about the number of procedures and any adverse reactions that have occurred. If possible, speak to a few former patients about their experience.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
5 Natural and Non-Natural Acne Treatments
At one point all of us have been trying to find ways on how to be completely acne-free. Here are some natural and not so natural acne treatments that are proven to be effective.
1. Witch Hazel Astringent
This astringent comes from the plant with the same name. It is widely spread from Nova Scotia in Canada down to Texas and Florida. Simply steam the twigs of this plant and voila! The extract you get from it serves as your astringent. Remember to cool it though. What’s good about this is that it occurs naturally and even the process it has undergone is all natural. You can be assured it is less harsh compared with commercially-produced astringents.
2. Commercially Produced Astringents
There is no doubt that astringents we can buy over-the-counter are also effective. There are lots of variants to choose from with additional ingredients that promote better skin. The only downside is it can be a little harsh because of the chemicals added to produce this formula. Use them with extra care as they can dry the skin.
3. All-Natural Treatments
Kitchen and acne are two enemies we may not be aware of. Scout your kitchen for stuff like oranges and lemons, fresh garlic and raw potatoes.
- Oranges and lemons just need to be squeezed on cotton balls. Apply the extract on affected areas and wash it after about 20 minutes.
- Fresh garlic is used much easier. Just remove its peeling and rub it on your face.
- As for raw potatoes, peel them and rub its flat surface on your face.
The natural extracts from these fruits and vegetables can help minimize the redness at the same time can clean the skin.
4. Oral Antibiotics
For severe cases, antibiotics are prescribed. These medications are orally taken to reduce the amount of bacteria inside and around skin follicles. They also decrease the exasperating chemicals that the white blood cells produce. Lastly, antibiotics diminish the concentration of the free fatty acids found in sebum, also creating an anti-inflammatory action. Consult your dermatologist for the right antibiotic and dosage.
Tetracycline is still the most commonly prescribed antibiotic for acne treatment. Most of this antibiotic should be taken on an empty stomach. Also, this shouldn’t be used by pregnant women and children under 9. Usually, the starting dose is initially 500 milligrams twice daily and is continuously taken until prescribed, or until a considerable dropping off of lesions is visible.
Erythromycin comes close second and can be prescribed to pregnant women. However, it can cause nausea and even upset stomach. Compared to tetracycline, which can only kill bacteria, Erythromycin has both anti-inflammatory and bacteria-killing properties. Also, this antibiotic needs to be taken in a food-filled tummy. You may discuss other possible antibiotics with your doctors regarding the effects and side-effects of each.
5. Topical Treatments
Externally applied creams are also proven effective for acne treatment. However, it results to drying and flaking but it is said to be the most effective treatment for severe acne. Benzoyl peroxide is one very common and effective topical acne treatment.
1. Witch Hazel Astringent
This astringent comes from the plant with the same name. It is widely spread from Nova Scotia in Canada down to Texas and Florida. Simply steam the twigs of this plant and voila! The extract you get from it serves as your astringent. Remember to cool it though. What’s good about this is that it occurs naturally and even the process it has undergone is all natural. You can be assured it is less harsh compared with commercially-produced astringents.
2. Commercially Produced Astringents
There is no doubt that astringents we can buy over-the-counter are also effective. There are lots of variants to choose from with additional ingredients that promote better skin. The only downside is it can be a little harsh because of the chemicals added to produce this formula. Use them with extra care as they can dry the skin.
3. All-Natural Treatments
Kitchen and acne are two enemies we may not be aware of. Scout your kitchen for stuff like oranges and lemons, fresh garlic and raw potatoes.
- Oranges and lemons just need to be squeezed on cotton balls. Apply the extract on affected areas and wash it after about 20 minutes.
- Fresh garlic is used much easier. Just remove its peeling and rub it on your face.
- As for raw potatoes, peel them and rub its flat surface on your face.
The natural extracts from these fruits and vegetables can help minimize the redness at the same time can clean the skin.
4. Oral Antibiotics
For severe cases, antibiotics are prescribed. These medications are orally taken to reduce the amount of bacteria inside and around skin follicles. They also decrease the exasperating chemicals that the white blood cells produce. Lastly, antibiotics diminish the concentration of the free fatty acids found in sebum, also creating an anti-inflammatory action. Consult your dermatologist for the right antibiotic and dosage.
Tetracycline is still the most commonly prescribed antibiotic for acne treatment. Most of this antibiotic should be taken on an empty stomach. Also, this shouldn’t be used by pregnant women and children under 9. Usually, the starting dose is initially 500 milligrams twice daily and is continuously taken until prescribed, or until a considerable dropping off of lesions is visible.
Erythromycin comes close second and can be prescribed to pregnant women. However, it can cause nausea and even upset stomach. Compared to tetracycline, which can only kill bacteria, Erythromycin has both anti-inflammatory and bacteria-killing properties. Also, this antibiotic needs to be taken in a food-filled tummy. You may discuss other possible antibiotics with your doctors regarding the effects and side-effects of each.
5. Topical Treatments
Externally applied creams are also proven effective for acne treatment. However, it results to drying and flaking but it is said to be the most effective treatment for severe acne. Benzoyl peroxide is one very common and effective topical acne treatment.
AMMONIA COMPRESSORS AND REFRIGERATION PLANT
INTRODUCTION
1 This circular gives advice on the precautions to be taken against the toxic, fire and explosion hazards presented by refrigeration systems containing ammonia. These are most likely to be found by LA enforcement officers at cold stores and food distribution warehouses. It applies to the entire system not simply the compressor house. It provides interim advice on matters of concern to enforcement officers pending revision of BS 4434:1980.
2 Appendix 1 outlines the general principles of refrigeration, Appendix 2 gives information on the results of the programme of special visits carried out in 1983 by Factory Inspectorate (F1) to examine present standards in the food industry and Appendix 3 gives detailed guidance on electrical standards. Enforcement officers should not overemphasise the hazards of ammonia compared with other refrigerants.
HAZARDS
Toxicity
3 Ammonia is a chemically reactive gas that is very soluble in water and is much lighter than air (vapour density 0.59 of that of air). Cold vapour (e.g. from leaks) may however be denser than air. Although there have been incidents of exposure to harmful concentrations of ammonia in the UK there have been few fatal accidents. Ammonia is characterised by a typical pungent odour and is detectable by most people at levels of about 50 ppm in the atmosphere. Although workers become tolerant to this effect and in the past have been able to work without distress at levels up to 70 ppm, currently the recommended exposure limit for ammonia is 25 ppm, 8 hour TWA (0.0025%) and the short term exposure limit is 35 ppm, 10 minute TWA. At 400 ppm, most people experience immediate nose and throat irritation, but suffer no permanent ill-effects after 30-60 minute exposure. A level of 700 ppm causes immediate irritation to the eyes, and a level of 1,700 ppm (0.17%) will give rise to repeated coughing and can be fatal after about 30 minutes exposure.
Exposure to concentrations exceeding 5,000 ppm (0.5%) for quite short periods can result in death. Response to the effects of ammonia varies widely between individuals, and the dose-response effects described above are likely to be those experienced by the more susceptible members of the population.
Fire and explosion
4 Ammonia forms a flammable mixture with air at concentrations between 16 and 25% v/v. There have however been very few incentive explosions involving ammonia compressor houses in the UK and all of the reported incidents involved ammonia leakage from plant under maintenance.
Existing guidance
5 Current guidance on the precautions which should be taken with ammonia refrigeration plant may be found in: British Standard 4434: 1980 "Requirements for Refrigeration Safety: Part 1, General". The requirements (particularly from the f ire and explosion standpoint) are similar to those in the earlier (1 969) version. However a' full revision of BS 4434 is taking place.
Precautions
6 Under normal circumstances people will not be able to bear ammonia concentrations at even a fraction of the flammable limit. The appropriate precautions are mainly those applicable against toxic effects in occupied areas and to work where sudden exposures are foreseeable, such as maintenance and repair work, including in particular filling and oil draining. Precautions against fire and explosion will be appropriate however, in unoccupied areas such as compressor houses and unattended plant such as cold stores where accumulations of vapour may go unnoticed.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST TOXIC RISK
Respiratory protective equipment
7 Any person entering an area in which ammonia vapour is likely to be present at a significant level (eg for rescue or fault-finding purposes) must wear self-contained or airline breathing apparatus. This does not include routine visits to plant rooms etc. A suitable and properly maintained set should be conveniently sited close to, but outside, any area in which high levels of .ammonia vapour might arise. In no circumstances should anyone enter an area where a flammable concentration of gas may be present. Details of suitable apparatus are contained in Form 2501 "Certificate of Approval (Breathing Apparatus)," published annually by HSE. See also Guidance Note GS 5 regarding entry into confined spaces.
8 Suitable respiratory protective equipment must be worn by every person carrying out engineering maintenance work on any system where there is a risk of release of ammonia. Full face canister respirators with type A (blue) canisters give good protection in atmospheres up to 2% concentration or 20,000 ppm, for one hour. Work in such a concentration is likely to lead to discomfort quickly due to skin irritation as ammonia dissolves in perspiration.
A list of suitable equipment is given in form 2502 "Certificate of Approval (Canister Gas Respirators)". For substantial jobs impervious suits may be necessary if the gas cannot be cleared.
9 Everyone who is likely to need to use respiratory protective equipment must be properly trained in its use and must be fully aware of its limitations. The equipment must be maintained, kept clean and examined at least once a month. Appropriate records should be kept. If canister respirators are used there must be an effective system for deciding when the canisters should be renewed.
Evacuation and emergency procedures
10 lt is essential that a clear emergency procedure is drawn up which details the precise duties of all staff and the arrangements for evacuation, rescue, first aid, plant isolation etc. It is particularly important that evacuation procedures are clearly set out and regularly practised where refrigeration systems are in working areas. A common method which may be suitable is to use the fire alarm provided that actuating points are immediately available at working areas. Personnel should be warned not to approach any vapour clouds. (Clouds may often look like steam because of the cooling of the released gas).
11 Adequate exits should be maintained from plant rooms at, all times. Personnel seriously affected by an ammonia escape suffer streaming eyes and violent coughing and rapidly become disorientated. They therefore require clear prior knowledge of a safe exit route.
Training in plant operation and maintenance
12 All personnel involved in the operation and maintenance of the plant must be adequately trained. The training should cover not only general principles of refrigeration but also specific points related to the particular plant. This applies as much to maintenance contractors as to an employer's own staff.
PLANT LOCATION
Plant not designed for outdoor location
13 In the case of standard refrigeration plant (ie plant not specifically designed for outdoor location) exposure to excessively low air temperatures may cause liquefaction of ammonia within the compressor leading to compressor damage, which could be hazardous. This type of plant should therefore be sited in a compressor house using the precautions described in BS 4434:1980 and outlined below. Compressor-houses should, where reasonably practicable, be fitted with explosion relief (eg by using lightweight fragile roof). Where loosely held panels are used as explosion relief, they should be suitably restrained (eg by chains) to prevent them becoming dangerous missiles in the event of an explosion.
14 ln order to facilitate the provision of ventilation and explosion relief, compressor-houses should incorporate at least one external wall. The siting of compressors in confined areas, basements, etc should be avoided wherever practicable. Doors between plant rooms or compressor-houses and other parts of the building should be self-closing and well-fitting.
Plant designed for outdoor location
15 Only plant specifically designed for the conditions should be installed outdoors. Such installations should be sited in a safe position in the open air with, if necessary, weather protection using a Dutch barn type structure which has an evenly distributed minimum open area equivalent to at least 50% of the total wall area.
Plant in workrooms
16 As a general principle the amount of plant containing ammonia situated in workrooms and other populated areas should be minimised. Ancillary plant such as surge drums and liquid pumps should wherever possible be sited away from working areas. Compressors are often noisy and this is another reason for not having them in working areas.
Ventilation
17 Compress or houses should be provided with adequate and suitable ventilation to meet the following requirements:
(1) Normal Ventilation Sufficient permanent ventilation should be provided to prevent build up of toxic concentrations of ammonia from operational leakage (eg from seals, glands etc). It is probable that the redrafted British Standard will insist on mechanical car ventilation rather than rely on rather uncertain natural ventilation.
(2) Emergency ventilation Provision should be made for sufficient mechanical ventilation to prevent flammable ammonia/air mixtures accumulating in the event of reasonably foreseeable plant or operational failure (eg valve failure). In such circumstances the aim should be to keep concentrations below 25% of the lower explosive limit (ie 4%).
18 The ventilation requirements for a particular installation will depend on the type, capacity, operating conditions and location of the plant and may require individual assessment by a ventilation engineer with appropriate expertise. However, the following general points apply:
(1) permanent natural or mechanical ventilation, or a combination of both, may be used for normal or emergency ventilation. Mechanical ventilation initiated by gas detectors or manually (in the case of continuously manned plants) may also be used for emergency ventilation (see para 26); and Appendix 3 for electrical safety of the system;
(2) the ventilation should discharge to a safe place in the open air;
(3) in considering the ventilation to be provided, the potential effects of cold on plant should be taken into account (see para 12);
(4) flow of air through cracks around windows, doors etc, or the opening of windows or doors should not be relied on for ventilation;
(5) the formulae in BS4434 for quantifying ventilation requirements are rules of thumb based on unstated assumptions (eg they take no account of room size or leak rates). Inspectors should advise that the formulae may be used as a basic guide but discretion in their detailed application to a particular plant should be stressed. This is particularly important with very large systems when the ventilation required by the formulae becomes impracticable; and
(6) it should be noted that the standard of ventilation given by the formulae in BS 4434: 1980 is not intended to deal with prolonged releases from major plant failure. However, the latter is very unlikely to occur in properly designed, constructed and maintained plant. Control of sources of ignition and plant shutdown (see paras 22-26) should also provide protection in such circumstances. Manually operated controls for emergency ventilation should be located in a safe, easily accessible place along with the control or switch for turning off the compressor.
Plant integrity
19 There can be serious corrosion of the low pressure. parts of pipework and plant due to condensation. It can progress unnoticed under lagging which is not effectively vapour sealed and is particularly rapid on plants which run intermittently and pass-through OoC. The general principles relating to the safety of pressure systems are appropriate. The system should be thoroughly examined by a competent person at regular intervals in accordance with a written scheme. There should be an effective maintenance scheme.
Pipework
20 All parts of refrigerating systems and in particular pipework should be positioned or protected to minimise the risk of impact damage, for example by fork lift trucks. Pipework and valves should be clearly marked to indicate their contents and function.
Oil drain system
21 Many of the reported incidents involving ammonia refrigeration systems have been the result of a malfunction of the oil drain system (designed to catch the "carry-over" of oil from the compressors). In most cases oil is drained from below liquid ammonia and is saturated with it. In addition the oil is viscous because it is cold. In order to minimise the risk of escape from this cause the following measures should be advised:
(1) where short distances are involved and adequate observation of the drain is possible oil drain pipes should terminate in a safe location in the open air. Valves on any pipe extension should not introduce the possibility of liquid ammonia being trapped; a bleed valve or hydrostatic relief valve venting to a safe place should be provided in the sections between valves, as appropriate;
(2) a double valve arrangement should be provided at oil drains. In addition to the operational manual valve, there should be an automatic closing spring or weight-loaded valve; and
(3) The use of oil drain catchpots. These are a useful feature on new plant, but existing plant cannot normally be easily modified. Before the oil is drained, the catchpot is isolated from the liquid ammonia/oil feedline and the catchpot is electrically heated to boil off any ammonia which flows as a vapour to the low pressure side of the system. When the catchpot is warm, it is also isolated on the vapour side and the oil is then drained from it.
Ammonia filling point
22 Ammonia filling points should be located in safe, well ventilated positions and, where reasonably practicable, in the open air. Filling points should be sited away from sources of ignition.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FIRE AND EXPLOSION RISK
Sources of ignition
23 All likely sources of ignition (naked flames etc) should be eliminated from compressor houses and from the immediate vicinity of externally located plant.
Electrical equipment
24 Guidance on electrical apparatus for use in potentially explosive atmospheres is given in RS 5345: Part 1: 1976 "Code of Practice for the Selection, Installation and Maintenance of Electrical Apparatus for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres, Part 1, Basic Requirements for all Parts of the Code"; BS 4434: 1980, Clause 13 "Electrical Installations". The approaches followed by the above documents differ.
25 As a general principle, electrical equipment should be sited outside the compressor room in a safe location. However, when it is necessarily sited in the room, it should be in accordance with the guidance given in para 27.
26 Where the ammonia compressors and refrigeration plant are located in the same room as the supply switch gear for the-premises relocation would probably be inconvenient and costly. In such cases, Field Consultant Group (FCG) advise on the most suitable safety precautions in the particular case should be sought.
Electrical apparatus selection criteria
27 The use of electrical apparatus in refrigeration plants using ammonia has been considered a special case because of the flammability characteristics of the gas (high LEL and narrow explosive range) and the fact that it can be detected at very low levels by smell. This has resulted in a number of options which may be considered when selecting electrical apparatus for ammonia plants and these are considered in Appendix 3.
OTHER RISKS
28 Refrigeration systems often have associated risks which may require attention, These include the risk of trapping in cold stores and chills, the handling of very cold products and microbiological problems associated with cooling towers used for the condenser.
ENFORCEMENT APPROACH
29 Enforcement officers should advise that ammonia refrigeration plant should comply with the guidance in BS 4434: 1980 as amended and augmented by the information in this circular. They should however bear in mind:
(1) ammonia presents a toxic risk at concentrations far below those at which it presents any fire or explosion risk. There have been 2 gassing fatalities between 1977 and 1983 in the UK but only 3 incentive ammonia/air explosions in the last 20 years;
(2) the potential consequences of an incident in terms of injury to personnel, and the general public should be assessed;
(3) BS4434 was first published in 1969 and was not intended to be retrospective, although improvements in installations which pre-date the standard should be recommended, where reasonably practicable;
(4) analysis of the l983 visits strongly suggest that where poor conditions of the plant are found there is often inadequate attention to evacuation and emergency action; and
(5) where enforcement officers encounter maintenance contractors they should make enquiries about their working practices and training.
Further advice
30 This is a complicated technical subject and there are strong trade pressure groups. Enforcement officers are recommended to seek the advice of HSEs Field Consultant Group (FCG) via the Local Enforcement Liaison Officer (ELO), before considering enforcement action.
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Ammonia is used as a refrigerant because of particular thermodynamic properties which enable it to move heat far more efficiently than other refrigerant gases such as halogenated hydrocarbons. It is particularly suited to working in the range approximately OoC to -30oC and hence is widely used for food preservation, the chilling of liquids such as milk, beer and soft drinks, and in the chemical industry. New systems continue to be installed.
2. A simple system theoretically needs 4 components:
(1) evaporator;
(2) compressor;
(3) condenser; and
(4) reducing valve
In practice other components such as oil separator, intercooler, liquid receiver, surge drum and liquid pumps are often found.
3 The useful refrigeration is produced at the evaporator. Liquid ammonia at low pressure, and hence low temperature, takes in heat by vaporising. This vapour is removed by the compressor which, in compressing it, raises the temperature from below to above ambient. The hot compressed gas gives up the heat by condensing to a liquid in the condenser. The high pressure liquid then passes through the pressure reducing valve to the evaporator. At the valve the liquid is cooled as some vapour flashes off. The remaining liquid is available for use in the evaporator.
4 In a practical system it is likely there will be other items of plant. An oil separator removes suspended oil carried over from the compressor and either returns it to the (pressurised) crank-case or holds it for draining in some way. There may be a multi-stage compressor with an intercooler. This is cooled by bleeding high pressure liquid into the low pressure side.
Downstream of the condenser is generally a liquid receiver. Downstream of the reducing valve is often found a surge drum which acts as a reservoir of cold liquid and evens out demand on the compressor and condenser. The liquid ammonia is drawn from the surge drum by a pump. Oil drains may be found on surge drums, liquid receivers, and elsewhere on large plants. There is also likely to be an automatic control system on all but the oldest and smallest plants.
A simple practical refrigeration system
1 The aim was to collect information about a cross section of installations. One hundred and forty eight returns were used in the analysis which used the Edinburgh FCG microcomputer.
2 Returns covered a wide range of processes in the food and drinks industries. The largest single sector was dairying (chilled water supply) with substantial returns also from frozen food producers and cold stores. In the drinks sector cooling and soft drinks carbonators were the principal uses.
There were a wide range of other uses reported; most parts of the food industry require controlled temperatures below ambient at some part of their process. A wide range of sizes of installations from 45 kg to 45 tonne chargeweight were reported, 13% were over 5 tonnes, 40% between 1 and 5 tonnes, 35% between 100kg and 1 tonne and 12% 1 00 kg or below.
The oldest component reported was pre-war and there was a fairly even spread of age from 1960 to the present.
3 Eighty-nine per cent of installations had a separate compressor room. Forty-nine percent had the system charging point in the compressor room and 38% had it outdoors. Twenty-seven per cent of the sample could positively be identified as having doors to the outside of the building only. Thirty-six per cent of the other compressor rooms did not have self-closing doors and 17% did not have well-fitting doors. With compressors in a separate room this is a surprisingly large number where even the most rudimentary precautions to prevent the spread of escaping gas has not been taken. Fifty-five per cent had condensers mounted above ground level outside - typically on the roof.
This raises questions of safe access and also escape in the event of an emergency.
4 Thirty-six percent, had the evaporator in the workroom. (These were usually product freezers in the frozen food sector and carbonators at the soft drinks plants). This points to the need for effective emergency procedures in the event of leakage, particularly if it is in the workroom.
5 Only 3% of installations were identified as having pipework or plant capable of being damaged by, for example, fork lift trucks. Half of the entire survey however had unmarked pipework. (Notes of many proformas suggested that this would receive early attention).
6 lt proved impossible to carryout meaningful analysis of the ventilation provided in compressor rooms. A common installation seemed to rely largely on natural ventilation (perhaps assisted by a small fan) for normal ventilation. Where there was provision of ventilation specifically for emergencies, it tended to be a separate system rather than a 2 speed fan on the normal ventilating system. Only 23% of the installations had 2 ventilation rates available and only half the ventilation systems of any kind could be controlled from outside the compressor room. Only half of these ventilation systems were automatically controlled.
7 Only 16% of all system charging was done by a person on his own; the usual arrangement was 2 men. Oil draining was done by one man on his own at 30% of all Installations. At 51 % of all installations it was carried out more than once a month. Only 26% of installations had spring-loaded valves or a catchpot system at oil drains. Most of the rest had simply a short stub of pipe from a vessel containing liquid ammonia closed by a single valve. In 71 % of cases where the oil drain was unsatisfactory inspectors considered that the reasonably practicable improvement was the fitting of self-closing valves. The 30% of installations where one man did the oil draining on his own included 6 which had no respirator of any kind.
8 Forty-two per cent of compressor houses had no gas detectors. Sieger was by far the most common supplier (60%) of all detection systems. The most common service period of twice per year reflects that company's normal service contract. Nineteen per cent of detector systems were never checked.
Approximately half of the detector installations only had one operating level.
Twenty-seven per cent of systems did not shut down the plant but merely raised the alarm. Ten per cent of the systems had no separate alarm.
9 Sixty-six percent of compressor room electrical installations were not fully equipped to Zone 2 standard even where much of the plant was under the control of detectors. Seventy-five per cent of all compressor installations could be switched off elsewhere outside the compressor room (even if only at the main supply). Of the remainder, the main switchgear was either in the compressor room or access to it was through the compressor room.
10 Eighty-eight percent of all sites had 2 or more sets of respiratory protection of some kind. Six installations (4%) had none at all. At 83% of sites there was said to be some sort of training in the use of respiratory protection but only 43% had some sort of systematic examination. At only 5 installations (3.4%) were there possible limitations of space which conflicted with provision of respiratory protection and the main problem seemed to be access up ladders or around congested items of plant.
11 Forty-seven per cent of sites had reviving apparatus available usually for general first aid rather than specifically because of the ammonia.
12 Twenty-seven percent of sites had Draeger (or similar) detector tubes for measuring low concentrations of ammonia. Many others had sulphur sticks or hydrochloric acid for detecting small leaks.
13 Fifty-nine percent of installations were maintained at least partly by contractors. Apart from a few major suppliers and installers of equipment there were many local refrigeration engineers who only appeared once or twice in the survey. No information is available about the standard of training or workmanship of these contractors.
14 Fifty-five percent of all sites appeared to have emergency evacuation procedures (43% used the fire alarm) but slightly fewer (50%) appeared to give any training in these procedures. Only 24% appeared to have detailed rescue arrangements. Twenty-two per cent had written systems of work which appeared comprehensive and only 34% had what appeared to be effective plant operator training.
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APPENDIX 3 (paras 1 and 26)
PROTECTION OF ELECTRICAL APPARATUS AT AMMONIA COMPRESSORS AND REFRIGERATION PLANT
EXTERNALLY SITED PLANT
1 Compressors and refrigeration plant sited in out door locations in accordance with para 14 of this Circular in otherwise non-hazardous areas will not normally require specially protected electrical equipment.
INTERNALLY SITED PLANT
2 A flow chart of the basic requirements relating to the electrical apparatus for internally sited plant is given in the supplement to this appendix. The operational approaches are given below.
Option 1 - Use of explosion protected electrical apparatus
3 Hazardous area classification should be carried out by a competent person. Electrical apparatus should then be selected in accordance with BS 5345: Part 1: 1976 Section 2. The majority of compressor-houses should be regarded as Zone 2 areas. Type "N" explosion protected equipment (including any emergency ventilation fans) will be suitable for these locations.
Option 2 - Detection of leaks by personnel or gas detectors
4 ln this approach, non-explosion protected electrical apparatus, with qualifications, may be used in combination with a readily available means of isolating the electricity supply. The method of achieving the latter can be accomplished either automatically after detection of a leakage by a gas detector system, or manually after a leakage has been detected by personnel. The use of these techniques as a first line of defence is limited to applications solely involving ammonia in refrigeration plants. This approach is considered acceptable provided that the general principles outlined in paras 10-17 are followed and that sufficient account is taken of paras 5-9.
Gas detectors
5 The detectors should be suitably positioned taking into account the physical characteristics of the plant room, the pattern of airflow movement in it and the most likely sources of potential leakage. Due regard should be paid to any dead pockets or recesses. Experience has shown that, in certain circumstances, it is possible for cold ammonia vapour to stratify initially at low levels. Unless the occupier has adequate expertise within his own organisation, it would be advisable for him to consult a firm which specialises in the design and installation of gas detection systems.
6 As a rough guide only, one might expect to see detectors in the vicinity of the compressors and other non-static items of plant and at ceiling level where one detector per 36M2 of ceiling area would probably be sufficient, although more may be necessary if there are deep beams creating recesses. The objective is to ensure that the ammonia is detected and the apparatus rendered safe before flammable concentrations reach a source of ignition.
(This objective, which is also applicable to "detection" of a leak by personnel, is particularly critical with regard to electrical apparatus which is not specially designed to be non-sparking, non explosion-protected electrical apparatus and electrical apparatus with temperatures above 630'C).
7 The detectors should be suitably explosion protected.
8 The detectors used are of the "pellistor" type and may be subject to poisoning by airborne contaminants. They should therefore be properly installed and maintained and regularly checked. The operation of the detectors should be checked using standard ammonia gas mixtures. Certain V-belt dressings containing antimony have been shown to poison detectors and gradually reduce their response.
9 The detectors should be capable of detecting concentrations of ammonia at 1 % v/v or less.
Associated electrical apparatus
10 Account should be taken of the electrical control system circuitry and the maximum possible degree of failure to safety should be achieved, so far as is reasonably practicable. General guidance is contained in BS 5304: 1975 "Safeguarding of Machinery" Section 6.
11 The isolating device(s), whether manually or automatically operated, which cuts off the electricity supply to the ammonia plant room, should be located in a non-hazardous area. It can be either a contractor or circuit breaker. If the criteria in paras 5-9 above have been satisfied, the following recommendations in paras 13-17 should be adopted. (Although certain specific details have been taken from BS 4434:1980, by way of example, they are intended to indicate the general principles of this approach and not specific requirements -which will have, to be determined in each particular case).
12 Attention will need to be paid to the control of other circuits which enter the plant room and are not directly associated with the plant, eg socket outlets for portable tools.
Continuously manned rooms
13 Isolation of all electrical circuits should be effected by isolating devices located in a non-hazardous area. These devices should be controlled by push buttons immediately outside the plant room, or controlled by a gas detection system as described pare 14, and arranged to give visual and audible alarms to switch on equipment for emergency ventilation and/or emergency lighting (if installed). Any electrical apparatus that is required to operate in the room after a leakage has been detected, such as ventilation equipment and emergency lighting, should be suitably protected for the hazardous area in which it is sited, ie Zone 2. Few compressor rooms are continuously manned. Detection of leakage by operators is only reliable if they are continuously present in the room. If for example they have other duties, or leave the area for meals etc, or use an isolated noise refuge then the speed of response is likely to be substantially slower than that of automatic detectors.
Unmanned plant rooms
14 lsolation of all electrical circuits should be effected by isolating devices located in a non-hazardous area and controlled by one or more suitable ammonia gas detectors which should also be arranged to give a visual and audible alarm and to switch on equipment for ventilation and/or emergency lighting, if installed. The ventilation air should be discharged to the outside of the building in such a manner as not to cause distress or danger to persons in the vicinity of the building. Circuit isolation should be effected at ammonia concentrations below 25% LEL and an alarm setting of 1.5% v/v followed by circuit isolation at 3% v/v is suggested.
15 Maintenance personnel are required to enter unmanned plant rooms and adequate means of escape should be provided.
16 Personal protection including breathing apparatus, and possibly impervious suits, may be needed in any room or space if maintenance men are likely to dismantle pipework or do any other operation liable to release liquid ammonia or substantial quantities of gas.
Unmanned plant rooms linked to a continuously manned control room
17 ln certain applications, (eg chemical plant), sudden loss of cooling facilities caused by automatic shut-down of a refrigeration plant might possibly create a hazard. It is unlikely that this situation will ever arise in any premises in the JA sector of enforcement. In these circumstances isolation of the electrical equipment by manual intervention may be acceptable, provided that the detector/alarm system is directly linked to a continuously manned control room. Other actions initiated by the detector such as the operation of emergency ventilation may still be feasible. Acceptance of this procedure, when automatic plant shut-down has been shown to be not reasonably practicable, will also require that:
(1) the alarm arrangement and monitoring of the alarms (ie the manning of the control rooms) is satisfactory;
(2) suitable isolation facilities for the compressor and unprotected electrical equipment are available in a safe place; and
(3) as a safe system of work is provided for entry into the compressor room and for the overall assessment of the potential hazard and any other necessary action (eg plant isolation). (see paras 6-8 of this circular for personal protection).
1 This circular gives advice on the precautions to be taken against the toxic, fire and explosion hazards presented by refrigeration systems containing ammonia. These are most likely to be found by LA enforcement officers at cold stores and food distribution warehouses. It applies to the entire system not simply the compressor house. It provides interim advice on matters of concern to enforcement officers pending revision of BS 4434:1980.
2 Appendix 1 outlines the general principles of refrigeration, Appendix 2 gives information on the results of the programme of special visits carried out in 1983 by Factory Inspectorate (F1) to examine present standards in the food industry and Appendix 3 gives detailed guidance on electrical standards. Enforcement officers should not overemphasise the hazards of ammonia compared with other refrigerants.
HAZARDS
Toxicity
3 Ammonia is a chemically reactive gas that is very soluble in water and is much lighter than air (vapour density 0.59 of that of air). Cold vapour (e.g. from leaks) may however be denser than air. Although there have been incidents of exposure to harmful concentrations of ammonia in the UK there have been few fatal accidents. Ammonia is characterised by a typical pungent odour and is detectable by most people at levels of about 50 ppm in the atmosphere. Although workers become tolerant to this effect and in the past have been able to work without distress at levels up to 70 ppm, currently the recommended exposure limit for ammonia is 25 ppm, 8 hour TWA (0.0025%) and the short term exposure limit is 35 ppm, 10 minute TWA. At 400 ppm, most people experience immediate nose and throat irritation, but suffer no permanent ill-effects after 30-60 minute exposure. A level of 700 ppm causes immediate irritation to the eyes, and a level of 1,700 ppm (0.17%) will give rise to repeated coughing and can be fatal after about 30 minutes exposure.
Exposure to concentrations exceeding 5,000 ppm (0.5%) for quite short periods can result in death. Response to the effects of ammonia varies widely between individuals, and the dose-response effects described above are likely to be those experienced by the more susceptible members of the population.
Fire and explosion
4 Ammonia forms a flammable mixture with air at concentrations between 16 and 25% v/v. There have however been very few incentive explosions involving ammonia compressor houses in the UK and all of the reported incidents involved ammonia leakage from plant under maintenance.
Existing guidance
5 Current guidance on the precautions which should be taken with ammonia refrigeration plant may be found in: British Standard 4434: 1980 "Requirements for Refrigeration Safety: Part 1, General". The requirements (particularly from the f ire and explosion standpoint) are similar to those in the earlier (1 969) version. However a' full revision of BS 4434 is taking place.
Precautions
6 Under normal circumstances people will not be able to bear ammonia concentrations at even a fraction of the flammable limit. The appropriate precautions are mainly those applicable against toxic effects in occupied areas and to work where sudden exposures are foreseeable, such as maintenance and repair work, including in particular filling and oil draining. Precautions against fire and explosion will be appropriate however, in unoccupied areas such as compressor houses and unattended plant such as cold stores where accumulations of vapour may go unnoticed.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST TOXIC RISK
Respiratory protective equipment
7 Any person entering an area in which ammonia vapour is likely to be present at a significant level (eg for rescue or fault-finding purposes) must wear self-contained or airline breathing apparatus. This does not include routine visits to plant rooms etc. A suitable and properly maintained set should be conveniently sited close to, but outside, any area in which high levels of .ammonia vapour might arise. In no circumstances should anyone enter an area where a flammable concentration of gas may be present. Details of suitable apparatus are contained in Form 2501 "Certificate of Approval (Breathing Apparatus)," published annually by HSE. See also Guidance Note GS 5 regarding entry into confined spaces.
8 Suitable respiratory protective equipment must be worn by every person carrying out engineering maintenance work on any system where there is a risk of release of ammonia. Full face canister respirators with type A (blue) canisters give good protection in atmospheres up to 2% concentration or 20,000 ppm, for one hour. Work in such a concentration is likely to lead to discomfort quickly due to skin irritation as ammonia dissolves in perspiration.
A list of suitable equipment is given in form 2502 "Certificate of Approval (Canister Gas Respirators)". For substantial jobs impervious suits may be necessary if the gas cannot be cleared.
9 Everyone who is likely to need to use respiratory protective equipment must be properly trained in its use and must be fully aware of its limitations. The equipment must be maintained, kept clean and examined at least once a month. Appropriate records should be kept. If canister respirators are used there must be an effective system for deciding when the canisters should be renewed.
Evacuation and emergency procedures
10 lt is essential that a clear emergency procedure is drawn up which details the precise duties of all staff and the arrangements for evacuation, rescue, first aid, plant isolation etc. It is particularly important that evacuation procedures are clearly set out and regularly practised where refrigeration systems are in working areas. A common method which may be suitable is to use the fire alarm provided that actuating points are immediately available at working areas. Personnel should be warned not to approach any vapour clouds. (Clouds may often look like steam because of the cooling of the released gas).
11 Adequate exits should be maintained from plant rooms at, all times. Personnel seriously affected by an ammonia escape suffer streaming eyes and violent coughing and rapidly become disorientated. They therefore require clear prior knowledge of a safe exit route.
Training in plant operation and maintenance
12 All personnel involved in the operation and maintenance of the plant must be adequately trained. The training should cover not only general principles of refrigeration but also specific points related to the particular plant. This applies as much to maintenance contractors as to an employer's own staff.
PLANT LOCATION
Plant not designed for outdoor location
13 In the case of standard refrigeration plant (ie plant not specifically designed for outdoor location) exposure to excessively low air temperatures may cause liquefaction of ammonia within the compressor leading to compressor damage, which could be hazardous. This type of plant should therefore be sited in a compressor house using the precautions described in BS 4434:1980 and outlined below. Compressor-houses should, where reasonably practicable, be fitted with explosion relief (eg by using lightweight fragile roof). Where loosely held panels are used as explosion relief, they should be suitably restrained (eg by chains) to prevent them becoming dangerous missiles in the event of an explosion.
14 ln order to facilitate the provision of ventilation and explosion relief, compressor-houses should incorporate at least one external wall. The siting of compressors in confined areas, basements, etc should be avoided wherever practicable. Doors between plant rooms or compressor-houses and other parts of the building should be self-closing and well-fitting.
Plant designed for outdoor location
15 Only plant specifically designed for the conditions should be installed outdoors. Such installations should be sited in a safe position in the open air with, if necessary, weather protection using a Dutch barn type structure which has an evenly distributed minimum open area equivalent to at least 50% of the total wall area.
Plant in workrooms
16 As a general principle the amount of plant containing ammonia situated in workrooms and other populated areas should be minimised. Ancillary plant such as surge drums and liquid pumps should wherever possible be sited away from working areas. Compressors are often noisy and this is another reason for not having them in working areas.
Ventilation
17 Compress or houses should be provided with adequate and suitable ventilation to meet the following requirements:
(1) Normal Ventilation Sufficient permanent ventilation should be provided to prevent build up of toxic concentrations of ammonia from operational leakage (eg from seals, glands etc). It is probable that the redrafted British Standard will insist on mechanical car ventilation rather than rely on rather uncertain natural ventilation.
(2) Emergency ventilation Provision should be made for sufficient mechanical ventilation to prevent flammable ammonia/air mixtures accumulating in the event of reasonably foreseeable plant or operational failure (eg valve failure). In such circumstances the aim should be to keep concentrations below 25% of the lower explosive limit (ie 4%).
18 The ventilation requirements for a particular installation will depend on the type, capacity, operating conditions and location of the plant and may require individual assessment by a ventilation engineer with appropriate expertise. However, the following general points apply:
(1) permanent natural or mechanical ventilation, or a combination of both, may be used for normal or emergency ventilation. Mechanical ventilation initiated by gas detectors or manually (in the case of continuously manned plants) may also be used for emergency ventilation (see para 26); and Appendix 3 for electrical safety of the system;
(2) the ventilation should discharge to a safe place in the open air;
(3) in considering the ventilation to be provided, the potential effects of cold on plant should be taken into account (see para 12);
(4) flow of air through cracks around windows, doors etc, or the opening of windows or doors should not be relied on for ventilation;
(5) the formulae in BS4434 for quantifying ventilation requirements are rules of thumb based on unstated assumptions (eg they take no account of room size or leak rates). Inspectors should advise that the formulae may be used as a basic guide but discretion in their detailed application to a particular plant should be stressed. This is particularly important with very large systems when the ventilation required by the formulae becomes impracticable; and
(6) it should be noted that the standard of ventilation given by the formulae in BS 4434: 1980 is not intended to deal with prolonged releases from major plant failure. However, the latter is very unlikely to occur in properly designed, constructed and maintained plant. Control of sources of ignition and plant shutdown (see paras 22-26) should also provide protection in such circumstances. Manually operated controls for emergency ventilation should be located in a safe, easily accessible place along with the control or switch for turning off the compressor.
Plant integrity
19 There can be serious corrosion of the low pressure. parts of pipework and plant due to condensation. It can progress unnoticed under lagging which is not effectively vapour sealed and is particularly rapid on plants which run intermittently and pass-through OoC. The general principles relating to the safety of pressure systems are appropriate. The system should be thoroughly examined by a competent person at regular intervals in accordance with a written scheme. There should be an effective maintenance scheme.
Pipework
20 All parts of refrigerating systems and in particular pipework should be positioned or protected to minimise the risk of impact damage, for example by fork lift trucks. Pipework and valves should be clearly marked to indicate their contents and function.
Oil drain system
21 Many of the reported incidents involving ammonia refrigeration systems have been the result of a malfunction of the oil drain system (designed to catch the "carry-over" of oil from the compressors). In most cases oil is drained from below liquid ammonia and is saturated with it. In addition the oil is viscous because it is cold. In order to minimise the risk of escape from this cause the following measures should be advised:
(1) where short distances are involved and adequate observation of the drain is possible oil drain pipes should terminate in a safe location in the open air. Valves on any pipe extension should not introduce the possibility of liquid ammonia being trapped; a bleed valve or hydrostatic relief valve venting to a safe place should be provided in the sections between valves, as appropriate;
(2) a double valve arrangement should be provided at oil drains. In addition to the operational manual valve, there should be an automatic closing spring or weight-loaded valve; and
(3) The use of oil drain catchpots. These are a useful feature on new plant, but existing plant cannot normally be easily modified. Before the oil is drained, the catchpot is isolated from the liquid ammonia/oil feedline and the catchpot is electrically heated to boil off any ammonia which flows as a vapour to the low pressure side of the system. When the catchpot is warm, it is also isolated on the vapour side and the oil is then drained from it.
Ammonia filling point
22 Ammonia filling points should be located in safe, well ventilated positions and, where reasonably practicable, in the open air. Filling points should be sited away from sources of ignition.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FIRE AND EXPLOSION RISK
Sources of ignition
23 All likely sources of ignition (naked flames etc) should be eliminated from compressor houses and from the immediate vicinity of externally located plant.
Electrical equipment
24 Guidance on electrical apparatus for use in potentially explosive atmospheres is given in RS 5345: Part 1: 1976 "Code of Practice for the Selection, Installation and Maintenance of Electrical Apparatus for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres, Part 1, Basic Requirements for all Parts of the Code"; BS 4434: 1980, Clause 13 "Electrical Installations". The approaches followed by the above documents differ.
25 As a general principle, electrical equipment should be sited outside the compressor room in a safe location. However, when it is necessarily sited in the room, it should be in accordance with the guidance given in para 27.
26 Where the ammonia compressors and refrigeration plant are located in the same room as the supply switch gear for the-premises relocation would probably be inconvenient and costly. In such cases, Field Consultant Group (FCG) advise on the most suitable safety precautions in the particular case should be sought.
Electrical apparatus selection criteria
27 The use of electrical apparatus in refrigeration plants using ammonia has been considered a special case because of the flammability characteristics of the gas (high LEL and narrow explosive range) and the fact that it can be detected at very low levels by smell. This has resulted in a number of options which may be considered when selecting electrical apparatus for ammonia plants and these are considered in Appendix 3.
OTHER RISKS
28 Refrigeration systems often have associated risks which may require attention, These include the risk of trapping in cold stores and chills, the handling of very cold products and microbiological problems associated with cooling towers used for the condenser.
ENFORCEMENT APPROACH
29 Enforcement officers should advise that ammonia refrigeration plant should comply with the guidance in BS 4434: 1980 as amended and augmented by the information in this circular. They should however bear in mind:
(1) ammonia presents a toxic risk at concentrations far below those at which it presents any fire or explosion risk. There have been 2 gassing fatalities between 1977 and 1983 in the UK but only 3 incentive ammonia/air explosions in the last 20 years;
(2) the potential consequences of an incident in terms of injury to personnel, and the general public should be assessed;
(3) BS4434 was first published in 1969 and was not intended to be retrospective, although improvements in installations which pre-date the standard should be recommended, where reasonably practicable;
(4) analysis of the l983 visits strongly suggest that where poor conditions of the plant are found there is often inadequate attention to evacuation and emergency action; and
(5) where enforcement officers encounter maintenance contractors they should make enquiries about their working practices and training.
Further advice
30 This is a complicated technical subject and there are strong trade pressure groups. Enforcement officers are recommended to seek the advice of HSEs Field Consultant Group (FCG) via the Local Enforcement Liaison Officer (ELO), before considering enforcement action.
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Ammonia is used as a refrigerant because of particular thermodynamic properties which enable it to move heat far more efficiently than other refrigerant gases such as halogenated hydrocarbons. It is particularly suited to working in the range approximately OoC to -30oC and hence is widely used for food preservation, the chilling of liquids such as milk, beer and soft drinks, and in the chemical industry. New systems continue to be installed.
2. A simple system theoretically needs 4 components:
(1) evaporator;
(2) compressor;
(3) condenser; and
(4) reducing valve
In practice other components such as oil separator, intercooler, liquid receiver, surge drum and liquid pumps are often found.
3 The useful refrigeration is produced at the evaporator. Liquid ammonia at low pressure, and hence low temperature, takes in heat by vaporising. This vapour is removed by the compressor which, in compressing it, raises the temperature from below to above ambient. The hot compressed gas gives up the heat by condensing to a liquid in the condenser. The high pressure liquid then passes through the pressure reducing valve to the evaporator. At the valve the liquid is cooled as some vapour flashes off. The remaining liquid is available for use in the evaporator.
4 In a practical system it is likely there will be other items of plant. An oil separator removes suspended oil carried over from the compressor and either returns it to the (pressurised) crank-case or holds it for draining in some way. There may be a multi-stage compressor with an intercooler. This is cooled by bleeding high pressure liquid into the low pressure side.
Downstream of the condenser is generally a liquid receiver. Downstream of the reducing valve is often found a surge drum which acts as a reservoir of cold liquid and evens out demand on the compressor and condenser. The liquid ammonia is drawn from the surge drum by a pump. Oil drains may be found on surge drums, liquid receivers, and elsewhere on large plants. There is also likely to be an automatic control system on all but the oldest and smallest plants.
A simple practical refrigeration system
1 The aim was to collect information about a cross section of installations. One hundred and forty eight returns were used in the analysis which used the Edinburgh FCG microcomputer.
2 Returns covered a wide range of processes in the food and drinks industries. The largest single sector was dairying (chilled water supply) with substantial returns also from frozen food producers and cold stores. In the drinks sector cooling and soft drinks carbonators were the principal uses.
There were a wide range of other uses reported; most parts of the food industry require controlled temperatures below ambient at some part of their process. A wide range of sizes of installations from 45 kg to 45 tonne chargeweight were reported, 13% were over 5 tonnes, 40% between 1 and 5 tonnes, 35% between 100kg and 1 tonne and 12% 1 00 kg or below.
The oldest component reported was pre-war and there was a fairly even spread of age from 1960 to the present.
3 Eighty-nine per cent of installations had a separate compressor room. Forty-nine percent had the system charging point in the compressor room and 38% had it outdoors. Twenty-seven per cent of the sample could positively be identified as having doors to the outside of the building only. Thirty-six per cent of the other compressor rooms did not have self-closing doors and 17% did not have well-fitting doors. With compressors in a separate room this is a surprisingly large number where even the most rudimentary precautions to prevent the spread of escaping gas has not been taken. Fifty-five per cent had condensers mounted above ground level outside - typically on the roof.
This raises questions of safe access and also escape in the event of an emergency.
4 Thirty-six percent, had the evaporator in the workroom. (These were usually product freezers in the frozen food sector and carbonators at the soft drinks plants). This points to the need for effective emergency procedures in the event of leakage, particularly if it is in the workroom.
5 Only 3% of installations were identified as having pipework or plant capable of being damaged by, for example, fork lift trucks. Half of the entire survey however had unmarked pipework. (Notes of many proformas suggested that this would receive early attention).
6 lt proved impossible to carryout meaningful analysis of the ventilation provided in compressor rooms. A common installation seemed to rely largely on natural ventilation (perhaps assisted by a small fan) for normal ventilation. Where there was provision of ventilation specifically for emergencies, it tended to be a separate system rather than a 2 speed fan on the normal ventilating system. Only 23% of the installations had 2 ventilation rates available and only half the ventilation systems of any kind could be controlled from outside the compressor room. Only half of these ventilation systems were automatically controlled.
7 Only 16% of all system charging was done by a person on his own; the usual arrangement was 2 men. Oil draining was done by one man on his own at 30% of all Installations. At 51 % of all installations it was carried out more than once a month. Only 26% of installations had spring-loaded valves or a catchpot system at oil drains. Most of the rest had simply a short stub of pipe from a vessel containing liquid ammonia closed by a single valve. In 71 % of cases where the oil drain was unsatisfactory inspectors considered that the reasonably practicable improvement was the fitting of self-closing valves. The 30% of installations where one man did the oil draining on his own included 6 which had no respirator of any kind.
8 Forty-two per cent of compressor houses had no gas detectors. Sieger was by far the most common supplier (60%) of all detection systems. The most common service period of twice per year reflects that company's normal service contract. Nineteen per cent of detector systems were never checked.
Approximately half of the detector installations only had one operating level.
Twenty-seven per cent of systems did not shut down the plant but merely raised the alarm. Ten per cent of the systems had no separate alarm.
9 Sixty-six percent of compressor room electrical installations were not fully equipped to Zone 2 standard even where much of the plant was under the control of detectors. Seventy-five per cent of all compressor installations could be switched off elsewhere outside the compressor room (even if only at the main supply). Of the remainder, the main switchgear was either in the compressor room or access to it was through the compressor room.
10 Eighty-eight percent of all sites had 2 or more sets of respiratory protection of some kind. Six installations (4%) had none at all. At 83% of sites there was said to be some sort of training in the use of respiratory protection but only 43% had some sort of systematic examination. At only 5 installations (3.4%) were there possible limitations of space which conflicted with provision of respiratory protection and the main problem seemed to be access up ladders or around congested items of plant.
11 Forty-seven per cent of sites had reviving apparatus available usually for general first aid rather than specifically because of the ammonia.
12 Twenty-seven percent of sites had Draeger (or similar) detector tubes for measuring low concentrations of ammonia. Many others had sulphur sticks or hydrochloric acid for detecting small leaks.
13 Fifty-nine percent of installations were maintained at least partly by contractors. Apart from a few major suppliers and installers of equipment there were many local refrigeration engineers who only appeared once or twice in the survey. No information is available about the standard of training or workmanship of these contractors.
14 Fifty-five percent of all sites appeared to have emergency evacuation procedures (43% used the fire alarm) but slightly fewer (50%) appeared to give any training in these procedures. Only 24% appeared to have detailed rescue arrangements. Twenty-two per cent had written systems of work which appeared comprehensive and only 34% had what appeared to be effective plant operator training.
________________________________________
APPENDIX 3 (paras 1 and 26)
PROTECTION OF ELECTRICAL APPARATUS AT AMMONIA COMPRESSORS AND REFRIGERATION PLANT
EXTERNALLY SITED PLANT
1 Compressors and refrigeration plant sited in out door locations in accordance with para 14 of this Circular in otherwise non-hazardous areas will not normally require specially protected electrical equipment.
INTERNALLY SITED PLANT
2 A flow chart of the basic requirements relating to the electrical apparatus for internally sited plant is given in the supplement to this appendix. The operational approaches are given below.
Option 1 - Use of explosion protected electrical apparatus
3 Hazardous area classification should be carried out by a competent person. Electrical apparatus should then be selected in accordance with BS 5345: Part 1: 1976 Section 2. The majority of compressor-houses should be regarded as Zone 2 areas. Type "N" explosion protected equipment (including any emergency ventilation fans) will be suitable for these locations.
Option 2 - Detection of leaks by personnel or gas detectors
4 ln this approach, non-explosion protected electrical apparatus, with qualifications, may be used in combination with a readily available means of isolating the electricity supply. The method of achieving the latter can be accomplished either automatically after detection of a leakage by a gas detector system, or manually after a leakage has been detected by personnel. The use of these techniques as a first line of defence is limited to applications solely involving ammonia in refrigeration plants. This approach is considered acceptable provided that the general principles outlined in paras 10-17 are followed and that sufficient account is taken of paras 5-9.
Gas detectors
5 The detectors should be suitably positioned taking into account the physical characteristics of the plant room, the pattern of airflow movement in it and the most likely sources of potential leakage. Due regard should be paid to any dead pockets or recesses. Experience has shown that, in certain circumstances, it is possible for cold ammonia vapour to stratify initially at low levels. Unless the occupier has adequate expertise within his own organisation, it would be advisable for him to consult a firm which specialises in the design and installation of gas detection systems.
6 As a rough guide only, one might expect to see detectors in the vicinity of the compressors and other non-static items of plant and at ceiling level where one detector per 36M2 of ceiling area would probably be sufficient, although more may be necessary if there are deep beams creating recesses. The objective is to ensure that the ammonia is detected and the apparatus rendered safe before flammable concentrations reach a source of ignition.
(This objective, which is also applicable to "detection" of a leak by personnel, is particularly critical with regard to electrical apparatus which is not specially designed to be non-sparking, non explosion-protected electrical apparatus and electrical apparatus with temperatures above 630'C).
7 The detectors should be suitably explosion protected.
8 The detectors used are of the "pellistor" type and may be subject to poisoning by airborne contaminants. They should therefore be properly installed and maintained and regularly checked. The operation of the detectors should be checked using standard ammonia gas mixtures. Certain V-belt dressings containing antimony have been shown to poison detectors and gradually reduce their response.
9 The detectors should be capable of detecting concentrations of ammonia at 1 % v/v or less.
Associated electrical apparatus
10 Account should be taken of the electrical control system circuitry and the maximum possible degree of failure to safety should be achieved, so far as is reasonably practicable. General guidance is contained in BS 5304: 1975 "Safeguarding of Machinery" Section 6.
11 The isolating device(s), whether manually or automatically operated, which cuts off the electricity supply to the ammonia plant room, should be located in a non-hazardous area. It can be either a contractor or circuit breaker. If the criteria in paras 5-9 above have been satisfied, the following recommendations in paras 13-17 should be adopted. (Although certain specific details have been taken from BS 4434:1980, by way of example, they are intended to indicate the general principles of this approach and not specific requirements -which will have, to be determined in each particular case).
12 Attention will need to be paid to the control of other circuits which enter the plant room and are not directly associated with the plant, eg socket outlets for portable tools.
Continuously manned rooms
13 Isolation of all electrical circuits should be effected by isolating devices located in a non-hazardous area. These devices should be controlled by push buttons immediately outside the plant room, or controlled by a gas detection system as described pare 14, and arranged to give visual and audible alarms to switch on equipment for emergency ventilation and/or emergency lighting (if installed). Any electrical apparatus that is required to operate in the room after a leakage has been detected, such as ventilation equipment and emergency lighting, should be suitably protected for the hazardous area in which it is sited, ie Zone 2. Few compressor rooms are continuously manned. Detection of leakage by operators is only reliable if they are continuously present in the room. If for example they have other duties, or leave the area for meals etc, or use an isolated noise refuge then the speed of response is likely to be substantially slower than that of automatic detectors.
Unmanned plant rooms
14 lsolation of all electrical circuits should be effected by isolating devices located in a non-hazardous area and controlled by one or more suitable ammonia gas detectors which should also be arranged to give a visual and audible alarm and to switch on equipment for ventilation and/or emergency lighting, if installed. The ventilation air should be discharged to the outside of the building in such a manner as not to cause distress or danger to persons in the vicinity of the building. Circuit isolation should be effected at ammonia concentrations below 25% LEL and an alarm setting of 1.5% v/v followed by circuit isolation at 3% v/v is suggested.
15 Maintenance personnel are required to enter unmanned plant rooms and adequate means of escape should be provided.
16 Personal protection including breathing apparatus, and possibly impervious suits, may be needed in any room or space if maintenance men are likely to dismantle pipework or do any other operation liable to release liquid ammonia or substantial quantities of gas.
Unmanned plant rooms linked to a continuously manned control room
17 ln certain applications, (eg chemical plant), sudden loss of cooling facilities caused by automatic shut-down of a refrigeration plant might possibly create a hazard. It is unlikely that this situation will ever arise in any premises in the JA sector of enforcement. In these circumstances isolation of the electrical equipment by manual intervention may be acceptable, provided that the detector/alarm system is directly linked to a continuously manned control room. Other actions initiated by the detector such as the operation of emergency ventilation may still be feasible. Acceptance of this procedure, when automatic plant shut-down has been shown to be not reasonably practicable, will also require that:
(1) the alarm arrangement and monitoring of the alarms (ie the manning of the control rooms) is satisfactory;
(2) suitable isolation facilities for the compressor and unprotected electrical equipment are available in a safe place; and
(3) as a safe system of work is provided for entry into the compressor room and for the overall assessment of the potential hazard and any other necessary action (eg plant isolation). (see paras 6-8 of this circular for personal protection).
10 Keys That Every Home Based Business Owner Should Implement For Success
1) Attitude--
One very important factor in running a business is your attitude towards it. You should treat your business like a business.
This is very important whether you work your business full-time, or part-time. A very close friend of mine, who is also a colleague, is a mother of 4 who works her home business around her family. In this case, she has put her family first, and at the same time, still been able to develop her business.She works part-time, but she has a full-time attitude. To put it another way, if you have a lacking attitude, you'll have a lacking income. However, if you have a business attitude, you'll have a business income.
Keeping your attitude in mind while running your business is one of the first steps to ensuring your success.
Being successful working part-time on your business, or working full-time, is more than achievable. However in saying that, it is highly unlikely that working in your "spare time" will achieve you success.
2) The Environment In Which You Work--
Keeping with the attitude principles discussed above, it is necessary to remember that while you are working from home, you should make sure that you have a space to call your own; your own "business at home" office, free from distractions.
Keep the theme going with a comfortable office chair, and a well laid-out and organized desk. Stationery supplies will also be of assistance, so be sure to include the following in your "home office":
- Pens
- Highlighter
- Hole Punch
- Stapler
- Sticky Tape
- Note Book(s)
- A system which will enable you to easily and efficiently store your physical files and documents.
- Ring Binders
- Manillia Folders
Do you have a fast internet connection? If not, consider the use of a broadband internet connection. Anything you do will take a certain amount of time, and your time is a very valuable assest. Faster internet means you will have more time for other things.
3) Schedule--
Dividing up your spare time between your business, your family, or your "significant others" will require a carefully planned schedule. Just like office hours in which you would work, when you allocate time for work, make sure that you work during this time. Equally important is to make sure you have time for other commitments - time with your family, exercising, education, and leisure time are all equally important factors in your life. Its also a good idea to keep in mind why you are doing what you are doing. For example, if you are starting your home business to spend more time with your family, you don't want your work time consuming valuable family time.
With a home business, the only "boss" you have is yourself and your schedule. Lets say for instance that you are working during your allocated work time, and you have unexpected visitors, or people calling you. You have to make a choice; are you really commited to running your own business? Are you commited to business success? Your choices in these types of situations will govern whether or not you have a "business attitude", or a "hobby attitude".
However, you may need to adjust the way you make your choices. This is especially true in a family environment. In this instance, it may be necessary to discuss with your partner and/or children an agreed period of time which is classed as business time, in which you will not be interrupted. It may also help to print or write down this schedule and place it somewhere prominent so as to inform all family members of your work schedule.
4) Describing Your Business--
Make sure that when asked about your business, you are able to describe it concisely; a strong and powerful one or two sentence about your business that someone can repeat easily about describing your business to others. A company slogan or "tag line" can also be invaluable for promoting your business; take the time to create a unique and memorable tag line or slogan.
5) Knowledge Of Your Services Or Products--
You now have your product and your service in which you sell, whether or not you actually use your product or service you sell, it is a wise decision to make sure that your knowledge of your product or service is intimate and well-founded. For instance, if you sell ebooks, then ensure you know the content and the value in which it holds; if you sell software, ensure that you know how it works, "inside and out". In doing so, your reputation will develop as someone who provides quality information about a product or service, and because of this knowledge, you yourself can become a preferred supplier.
However, it may not always be practical to use certain products (as an example, a man may choose to sell wedding dresses), in which case the seller wouldn't be a product or service user, though in saying that, the seller can still have extensive knowledge of the product or services benefits and features.
6) Administration--
It is essential to implement good record keeping practices.
This can include tasks such as consulting a tax advisor who can advise you on the best and most optimal way to set up and store your financial records, as well as which records need to be kept. In addition, your advisor could also recommend record keeping systems which can help you in achieving a more efficient and simpler means of organizing this aspect of your business.
You may also be told advice on the most effective arrangments and set ups for your banking necessities. In doing so, you will most likely be advised to seek out seperate bank accounts for your business.
If you use various logins, passwords, and usernames, it would be a wise decision to keep track and store this various information.
The tools and methods in which you track these are varied; from a simple paper notebook to free and commercial software.
7) Protection For Your Computer--
Your computer houses all your important business data, and is also the lifeline of your business dealings. In saying this, it is vital that you protect your computer.
Pieces of software such as virus scanners, personal firewalls, anti-spyware and adware, and even an email scanner, should all be implemented to help with the protection of your computer.
8) Obtaining A Domain Name--
For any home-based, online business, it is more than just essential to have a domain name for your business, it is vital. There are many domain registrar companies out there. Take your pick.
9) Processing Of Your Payments--
Any online business will need to the ability to accept payments. Payment processors such as Paypal, 2Checkout, and Clickbank, all offer multiple ways to accept payment, including the ability to accept credit card payments online.
As an online business just starting out, this is the most effective, effecient, and economical way to get started in accepting online payments. As your business starts to grow and develop, it may be necessary to look into obtaining your own merchant account for transactions.
Also, it may be worth while taking into account other forms of currency online, such as eGold.
10) Email Accounts--
The more professional and trusted your online home business appears, the more likely your customers are going to do business with you. One of the most easiest and simplest ways to do this, is to use an associated email account. After obtaining your own domain, it is possible to create your very own associated email account.
Final Comments--
In finishing, I'd like to leave you with the following comments regarding the running and owning of your internet business. Conduct your business ethically, ensure that your customers receive the best service, and be proud to put your name to the products and/or services that you sell, and you will soon seen the fruits of your efforts. Taking into account this last statement, and the above 10 key points, you'll find yourself on track to developing a trusted, professional, and sustainable long term internet business.
One very important factor in running a business is your attitude towards it. You should treat your business like a business.
This is very important whether you work your business full-time, or part-time. A very close friend of mine, who is also a colleague, is a mother of 4 who works her home business around her family. In this case, she has put her family first, and at the same time, still been able to develop her business.She works part-time, but she has a full-time attitude. To put it another way, if you have a lacking attitude, you'll have a lacking income. However, if you have a business attitude, you'll have a business income.
Keeping your attitude in mind while running your business is one of the first steps to ensuring your success.
Being successful working part-time on your business, or working full-time, is more than achievable. However in saying that, it is highly unlikely that working in your "spare time" will achieve you success.
2) The Environment In Which You Work--
Keeping with the attitude principles discussed above, it is necessary to remember that while you are working from home, you should make sure that you have a space to call your own; your own "business at home" office, free from distractions.
Keep the theme going with a comfortable office chair, and a well laid-out and organized desk. Stationery supplies will also be of assistance, so be sure to include the following in your "home office":
- Pens
- Highlighter
- Hole Punch
- Stapler
- Sticky Tape
- Note Book(s)
- A system which will enable you to easily and efficiently store your physical files and documents.
- Ring Binders
- Manillia Folders
Do you have a fast internet connection? If not, consider the use of a broadband internet connection. Anything you do will take a certain amount of time, and your time is a very valuable assest. Faster internet means you will have more time for other things.
3) Schedule--
Dividing up your spare time between your business, your family, or your "significant others" will require a carefully planned schedule. Just like office hours in which you would work, when you allocate time for work, make sure that you work during this time. Equally important is to make sure you have time for other commitments - time with your family, exercising, education, and leisure time are all equally important factors in your life. Its also a good idea to keep in mind why you are doing what you are doing. For example, if you are starting your home business to spend more time with your family, you don't want your work time consuming valuable family time.
With a home business, the only "boss" you have is yourself and your schedule. Lets say for instance that you are working during your allocated work time, and you have unexpected visitors, or people calling you. You have to make a choice; are you really commited to running your own business? Are you commited to business success? Your choices in these types of situations will govern whether or not you have a "business attitude", or a "hobby attitude".
However, you may need to adjust the way you make your choices. This is especially true in a family environment. In this instance, it may be necessary to discuss with your partner and/or children an agreed period of time which is classed as business time, in which you will not be interrupted. It may also help to print or write down this schedule and place it somewhere prominent so as to inform all family members of your work schedule.
4) Describing Your Business--
Make sure that when asked about your business, you are able to describe it concisely; a strong and powerful one or two sentence about your business that someone can repeat easily about describing your business to others. A company slogan or "tag line" can also be invaluable for promoting your business; take the time to create a unique and memorable tag line or slogan.
5) Knowledge Of Your Services Or Products--
You now have your product and your service in which you sell, whether or not you actually use your product or service you sell, it is a wise decision to make sure that your knowledge of your product or service is intimate and well-founded. For instance, if you sell ebooks, then ensure you know the content and the value in which it holds; if you sell software, ensure that you know how it works, "inside and out". In doing so, your reputation will develop as someone who provides quality information about a product or service, and because of this knowledge, you yourself can become a preferred supplier.
However, it may not always be practical to use certain products (as an example, a man may choose to sell wedding dresses), in which case the seller wouldn't be a product or service user, though in saying that, the seller can still have extensive knowledge of the product or services benefits and features.
6) Administration--
It is essential to implement good record keeping practices.
This can include tasks such as consulting a tax advisor who can advise you on the best and most optimal way to set up and store your financial records, as well as which records need to be kept. In addition, your advisor could also recommend record keeping systems which can help you in achieving a more efficient and simpler means of organizing this aspect of your business.
You may also be told advice on the most effective arrangments and set ups for your banking necessities. In doing so, you will most likely be advised to seek out seperate bank accounts for your business.
If you use various logins, passwords, and usernames, it would be a wise decision to keep track and store this various information.
The tools and methods in which you track these are varied; from a simple paper notebook to free and commercial software.
7) Protection For Your Computer--
Your computer houses all your important business data, and is also the lifeline of your business dealings. In saying this, it is vital that you protect your computer.
Pieces of software such as virus scanners, personal firewalls, anti-spyware and adware, and even an email scanner, should all be implemented to help with the protection of your computer.
8) Obtaining A Domain Name--
For any home-based, online business, it is more than just essential to have a domain name for your business, it is vital. There are many domain registrar companies out there. Take your pick.
9) Processing Of Your Payments--
Any online business will need to the ability to accept payments. Payment processors such as Paypal, 2Checkout, and Clickbank, all offer multiple ways to accept payment, including the ability to accept credit card payments online.
As an online business just starting out, this is the most effective, effecient, and economical way to get started in accepting online payments. As your business starts to grow and develop, it may be necessary to look into obtaining your own merchant account for transactions.
Also, it may be worth while taking into account other forms of currency online, such as eGold.
10) Email Accounts--
The more professional and trusted your online home business appears, the more likely your customers are going to do business with you. One of the most easiest and simplest ways to do this, is to use an associated email account. After obtaining your own domain, it is possible to create your very own associated email account.
Final Comments--
In finishing, I'd like to leave you with the following comments regarding the running and owning of your internet business. Conduct your business ethically, ensure that your customers receive the best service, and be proud to put your name to the products and/or services that you sell, and you will soon seen the fruits of your efforts. Taking into account this last statement, and the above 10 key points, you'll find yourself on track to developing a trusted, professional, and sustainable long term internet business.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Hedge funds - establishing a new frontier
It is difficult to provide a general definition of a hedge fund. Initially, hedge funds would sell short the stock market, thus providing a "hedge" against any stock market declines. Today the term is applied more broadly to any type of private investment partnership. There are thousands of different hedge funds globally. Their primary objective is to make lots of money, and to make money by investing in all sorts of different investments and investments strategies. Most of these strategies are more aggressive than than the investments made by mutual funds.
A hedge fund is thus a private investment fund, which invests in a variety of different investments. The general partner chooses the different investments and also handles all of the trading activity and day-to-day operations of the fund. The investor or the limited partners invest most of the money and participate in the gains of the fund. The general manager usually charges a small management fee and a large incentive bonus if they earn a high rate of return.
While this may sound a lot like a mutual fund, there are major differences between mutual fund and hedge fund:
1. Mutual funds are operated by mutual fund or investment companies and are heavily regulated. Hedge funds, as private funds, have far fewer restrictions and regulations.
2. Mutual fund companies invest their client's money, while hedge funds invest their client's money and their own money in the underlying investments.
3. Hedge funds charge a performance bonus: usually 20 percent of all the gains above a certain hurdle rate, which is in line with equity market returns. Some hedge funds have been able to generate annual rates of return of 50 percent or more, even during difficult market environments.
4. Mutual funds have disclosure and other requirements that prohibit a fund from investing in derivative products, using leverage, short selling, taking too large a position in one investment, or investing in commodities. Hedge funds are free to invest however they wish.
5. Hedge funds are not permitted to solicit investments, which is likely why you hear very little about these funds. During the previous five years some of these funds have doubled, tripled, quadrupled in value or more. However, hedge funds do incur large risks and just as many funds have disappeared after losing big.
A hedge fund is thus a private investment fund, which invests in a variety of different investments. The general partner chooses the different investments and also handles all of the trading activity and day-to-day operations of the fund. The investor or the limited partners invest most of the money and participate in the gains of the fund. The general manager usually charges a small management fee and a large incentive bonus if they earn a high rate of return.
While this may sound a lot like a mutual fund, there are major differences between mutual fund and hedge fund:
1. Mutual funds are operated by mutual fund or investment companies and are heavily regulated. Hedge funds, as private funds, have far fewer restrictions and regulations.
2. Mutual fund companies invest their client's money, while hedge funds invest their client's money and their own money in the underlying investments.
3. Hedge funds charge a performance bonus: usually 20 percent of all the gains above a certain hurdle rate, which is in line with equity market returns. Some hedge funds have been able to generate annual rates of return of 50 percent or more, even during difficult market environments.
4. Mutual funds have disclosure and other requirements that prohibit a fund from investing in derivative products, using leverage, short selling, taking too large a position in one investment, or investing in commodities. Hedge funds are free to invest however they wish.
5. Hedge funds are not permitted to solicit investments, which is likely why you hear very little about these funds. During the previous five years some of these funds have doubled, tripled, quadrupled in value or more. However, hedge funds do incur large risks and just as many funds have disappeared after losing big.
Communication par Internet entre Franchiseurs et Franchises
Cette communication entre franchiseurs et franchisés peut donc se faire aujourd'hui via Internet ou câbles de d'interconnexion reliant les franchises via leur réseau et permet de rentabiliser le travail des franchisés par le gain de temps en recherche d'informations si ce dernier est correctement utilisé.
Les franchisés peuvent alors passer leurs commandes en ligne et contrôler les dates de livraisons. La plus part des grandes franchises utilisent le système "à la minute", qui permet de connaître au moment précis l'état des stocks ou encore les livraisons effectuées à leur franchisés. Cela a donc réellement permis d'activer le processus et signifie également que le franchisé peut mieux réorganiser ses stocks sans être à court au moment X.
Les systèmes les plus pointus permettent également aux franchisés de s'approvisionner auprès d'un autre franchisé si le franchiseur est à cours de stock.
Les demandes peuvent être connectées au réseau et toutes les ventes peuvent être relayées auprès des franchiseurs. Cela implique donc que la plus part des cas des demandes d'ordres peuvent être retirées directement par le franchisé.
Pour le franchiseur, cela est fantastique car il n'est alors plus nécessaire de perdre du temps à rechercher le franchisé disposant de la quantité adéquate désirée qui pourrait répondre urgemment à la demande.
Les franchisés en tire un avantage certain car ils voient leur travail diminué et leur permet de passer plus de temps sur les problèmes marketings et la gestion de la relation clientèle.
Par ailleurs, les franchisés peuvent maintenant payer en même temps en ligne le franchiseur et les fournisseurs sans avoir recours aux carnets de chèques, enveloppes et postage. Une solution simple de payement en ligne donne de nombreux avantages que ne peuvent procurer les méthodes de payements classiques. En plus d'augmenter leur facilité de caisse, ce système leur permet également de réduire les risques de fraude.
Par exemple, une grande société de jeux carte possédant bon nombre de franchises. L'une d'entre elle se retrouve à cours de jeux que l'on vient de lui demander. Un simple passage sur Intranet et elle peut alors renseigner exactement son client quant aux délais de livraison du produit.
D'autres systèmes encore plus perfectionnés permettent de voir leurs comptes, rendant alors leur travail plus aisé grâce à une analyse plus objective. Le comptable est ainsi capable de voir en temps et en heure toute transaction effectuée et de récupérer les données des autres franchises.
Mais l'Intranet permet aussi à l'entreprise d'y déposer ses brochures, de visionner les dernières vidéos publicitaires de la société et éventuellement aider les franchiseurs en leur adressant un feedback sur la manière d'améliorer leur politique marketing pour le futur. Ils peuvent également tenir leurs opérateurs informés de façon régulière de manière manuelle.
Pour cela, un accès Internet haut débit est obligatoire, les franchisés développant habituellement leur business depuis leur ordinateur. Cela implique au franchiseur de devoir former son franchisé quant à l'utilisation et la maintenance de leur outil informatique.
es franchiseurs aiment adopter ce système afin de renforcer l'image de marque de la compagnie et faire participer activement leurs franchisés au cœur de cette dernière.
Toutefois, les dangers de l'utilisation d'Internet (ou intranet) sont nombreux. Si le serveur principal des franchiseurs tombe en panne et ne dispose pas de back up adéquate ou une facilité d'accès d'autres serveurs, tous les réseaux des franchisés peut être pénalisé.
Les franchisés peuvent alors passer leurs commandes en ligne et contrôler les dates de livraisons. La plus part des grandes franchises utilisent le système "à la minute", qui permet de connaître au moment précis l'état des stocks ou encore les livraisons effectuées à leur franchisés. Cela a donc réellement permis d'activer le processus et signifie également que le franchisé peut mieux réorganiser ses stocks sans être à court au moment X.
Les systèmes les plus pointus permettent également aux franchisés de s'approvisionner auprès d'un autre franchisé si le franchiseur est à cours de stock.
Les demandes peuvent être connectées au réseau et toutes les ventes peuvent être relayées auprès des franchiseurs. Cela implique donc que la plus part des cas des demandes d'ordres peuvent être retirées directement par le franchisé.
Pour le franchiseur, cela est fantastique car il n'est alors plus nécessaire de perdre du temps à rechercher le franchisé disposant de la quantité adéquate désirée qui pourrait répondre urgemment à la demande.
Les franchisés en tire un avantage certain car ils voient leur travail diminué et leur permet de passer plus de temps sur les problèmes marketings et la gestion de la relation clientèle.
Par ailleurs, les franchisés peuvent maintenant payer en même temps en ligne le franchiseur et les fournisseurs sans avoir recours aux carnets de chèques, enveloppes et postage. Une solution simple de payement en ligne donne de nombreux avantages que ne peuvent procurer les méthodes de payements classiques. En plus d'augmenter leur facilité de caisse, ce système leur permet également de réduire les risques de fraude.
Par exemple, une grande société de jeux carte possédant bon nombre de franchises. L'une d'entre elle se retrouve à cours de jeux que l'on vient de lui demander. Un simple passage sur Intranet et elle peut alors renseigner exactement son client quant aux délais de livraison du produit.
D'autres systèmes encore plus perfectionnés permettent de voir leurs comptes, rendant alors leur travail plus aisé grâce à une analyse plus objective. Le comptable est ainsi capable de voir en temps et en heure toute transaction effectuée et de récupérer les données des autres franchises.
Mais l'Intranet permet aussi à l'entreprise d'y déposer ses brochures, de visionner les dernières vidéos publicitaires de la société et éventuellement aider les franchiseurs en leur adressant un feedback sur la manière d'améliorer leur politique marketing pour le futur. Ils peuvent également tenir leurs opérateurs informés de façon régulière de manière manuelle.
Pour cela, un accès Internet haut débit est obligatoire, les franchisés développant habituellement leur business depuis leur ordinateur. Cela implique au franchiseur de devoir former son franchisé quant à l'utilisation et la maintenance de leur outil informatique.
es franchiseurs aiment adopter ce système afin de renforcer l'image de marque de la compagnie et faire participer activement leurs franchisés au cœur de cette dernière.
Toutefois, les dangers de l'utilisation d'Internet (ou intranet) sont nombreux. Si le serveur principal des franchiseurs tombe en panne et ne dispose pas de back up adéquate ou une facilité d'accès d'autres serveurs, tous les réseaux des franchisés peut être pénalisé.
Las Vegas: Top Three Land Casinos
Las Vegas is synonymous with casino playing and sports betting. While the desert blooms on its outskirts, the lights of this betting mecca signal all who enter that this is not any other vacationionl spot. Who does not recognize the big neon cowboy called Vegas Vic waving to all visitors: "Come In Come In" at the entrance to the Pioneer Club.
But, let us suppose you have decided to go to Vegas and have no idea which casinos to go to play. There are so many that you might just go to the nearest one and miss out on some real and true excitement. That is why you must read this article.
Why Do you Want to Go to a Casino?
Interested in the spectacular sights? These are the top three not to miss:
1) The Venetian
Why go to Venice if you can take a gondola ride through street just like you would in Venice? This is a definate MUST and especially so if you are going with a mate. For singles, this is still a great experience because the place is huge and the ride entertaining.
2) Paris
Similar in theme to the Venetian, this casino makes you feel like you have visited Paris in France with the imposing Eiffel Tower looming down on you from above, you can even take a fast-moving ride and wizz through and by the towers and other spectacular palaces and gardens.
3) The Bellagio
No waterfall or water fountain I have seen is as spectacular and coloruful like the one sported at the Bellagio. Starting with blue and then changing from an orange to a fiery crimson tinge, I felt that the water has caught fire and I was witnessing something I had only read about: instant combustion.
More interested in playing a casino game than in sightseeing? Pick one of these three:
1) Excalibur
This is one of the most busiest corners of the entire globe. Their casino is the largest you will ever see and it addition it is not just a casino. Its designed in a medieval manor or palace kind of theme that makes you feel as if you have been jutted back in time. The tables are also easy to get a seat and the dealers are fair. Yes. The Excalibur is a great place to play your favourite casino games.
2) The Luxor
Why not enter ancient Egypt and place your bet as the age-old pharaohs look on? The casino hall at the Luxor is designed as the interior of the Great Pyramid in Egypt (actually it’s a lot better than the orignial one) and the betting floor is vast and encompassing of all games such as poker, craps, roulette, baccarat, blackjack and a large number of electronic slot machines.
3) The Hilton Casino Lounge
Amazing but true. The Hilton casino lounge supplies the best odds for sports and casino bets. Maybe it’s the fact that this is not one of the better known casinos in Las Vegas, or maybe its because its name is not synonymous with gambling, but in any case, if you are interested in pure card or slot gaming, this is the casino to go to.
Conclusion:
Las Vegas is one of the best locations for entertainment in the world and you can find all kinds of shows and theme parks there so you will not get bored no matter what you like. Relax, or take an active part in your trip. Learn more about casinos at http://www.gambling-portal.com because you will definitely enjoy your stay at Las Vegas.
But, let us suppose you have decided to go to Vegas and have no idea which casinos to go to play. There are so many that you might just go to the nearest one and miss out on some real and true excitement. That is why you must read this article.
Why Do you Want to Go to a Casino?
Interested in the spectacular sights? These are the top three not to miss:
1) The Venetian
Why go to Venice if you can take a gondola ride through street just like you would in Venice? This is a definate MUST and especially so if you are going with a mate. For singles, this is still a great experience because the place is huge and the ride entertaining.
2) Paris
Similar in theme to the Venetian, this casino makes you feel like you have visited Paris in France with the imposing Eiffel Tower looming down on you from above, you can even take a fast-moving ride and wizz through and by the towers and other spectacular palaces and gardens.
3) The Bellagio
No waterfall or water fountain I have seen is as spectacular and coloruful like the one sported at the Bellagio. Starting with blue and then changing from an orange to a fiery crimson tinge, I felt that the water has caught fire and I was witnessing something I had only read about: instant combustion.
More interested in playing a casino game than in sightseeing? Pick one of these three:
1) Excalibur
This is one of the most busiest corners of the entire globe. Their casino is the largest you will ever see and it addition it is not just a casino. Its designed in a medieval manor or palace kind of theme that makes you feel as if you have been jutted back in time. The tables are also easy to get a seat and the dealers are fair. Yes. The Excalibur is a great place to play your favourite casino games.
2) The Luxor
Why not enter ancient Egypt and place your bet as the age-old pharaohs look on? The casino hall at the Luxor is designed as the interior of the Great Pyramid in Egypt (actually it’s a lot better than the orignial one) and the betting floor is vast and encompassing of all games such as poker, craps, roulette, baccarat, blackjack and a large number of electronic slot machines.
3) The Hilton Casino Lounge
Amazing but true. The Hilton casino lounge supplies the best odds for sports and casino bets. Maybe it’s the fact that this is not one of the better known casinos in Las Vegas, or maybe its because its name is not synonymous with gambling, but in any case, if you are interested in pure card or slot gaming, this is the casino to go to.
Conclusion:
Las Vegas is one of the best locations for entertainment in the world and you can find all kinds of shows and theme parks there so you will not get bored no matter what you like. Relax, or take an active part in your trip. Learn more about casinos at http://www.gambling-portal.com because you will definitely enjoy your stay at Las Vegas.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Payroll Alabama, Unique Aspects of Alabama Payroll Law and Practice
The Alabama State Agency that oversees the collection and reporting of State income taxes deducted from payroll checks is:
Department of Revenue
Income Tax Division
Withholding Tax Section
50 North Ripley St.
P.O. Box 327480
Montgomery, Alabama 36132-7480
334-242-1300
www.ador.state.al.us/withholding/index.html
Alabama requires that you use Alabama form “A-4, Employee’s Withholding Exemption Certificate” instead of a Federal W-4 Form for Alabama State Income Tax Withholding.
Not all states allow salary reductions made under Section 125 cafeteria plans or 401(k) to be treated in the same manner as the IRS code allows. In Alabama cafeteria plans: are not taxable for income tax calculation; are taxable for unemployment insurance purposes. 401(k) plan deferrals are: not taxable for income taxes; are not taxable for unemployment purposes.
In Alabama supplemental wages are taxed at a 5% flat rate.
You may file your Alabama State W-2s by magnetic media if you choose to.
The Alabama State Unemployment Insurance Agency is:
The Department of Industrial Relations
649 Monroe Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36131
334-242-8990
www.dir.state.al.us/
The State of Alabama taxable wage base for unemployment purposes is wages up to $8000.00.
Alabama requires Magnetic media reporting of quarterly wage reporting if the employer has at least 250 employees that they are reporting that quarter.
Unemployment records must be retained in Alabama for a minimum period of five years. This information generally includes: name; social security number; dates of hire, rehire and termination; wages by period; payroll pay periods and pay dates; date and circumstances of termination.
The Alabama State Agency charged with enforcing the state wage and hour laws is:
The Department of Industrial Relations
649 Monroe Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36131
334-242-8990
www.dir.state.al.us/
There is no provision for minimum wage in the State of Alabama.
There is also no general provision in Alabama State Law covering paying overtime in a non-FLSA covered employer.
Alabama State new hire reporting requirements are that every employer must report every new hire, rehire and recall. The employer must report the federally required elements of:
This information must be reported within 7 days of the hiring or rehiring.
The information can be sent as a W4 or equivalent by mail, fax or electronically.
There is a $25.00 penalty for a late report in Alabama.
The Alabama new hire reporting agency can be reached at 334-353-8491 or on the web at www.dir.state.al.us/nh.htm .
Alabama does allow compulsory direct deposit but the employee’s choice of financial institution must meet federal Regulation E regarding choice of financial institutions.
Alabama has no State Wage and Hour Law provisions concerning pay stub information.
In Alabama there are no statutory requirements concerning pay frequency or the lag between when the lag time between when the services are performed and when the employee must be paid.
Nor for that matter does Alabama have legal provisions concerning when a terminated employee, voluntary or involuntary, must be paid.
Deceased employee’s wages must be paid when normally due to the surviving spouse or custodian of minor children.
Escheat laws in Alabama require that unclaimed wages be paid over to the state after one year.
There is no provision in Alabama law concerning record retention of abandoned wage records.
There is no provision in Alabama law concerning tip credits against State minimum wage.
In Alabama the payroll laws covering mandatory rest or meal breaks are only that: minors under 16 must have 30 minutes rest after five hours of work.
There is no provision in Alabama law concerning record retention of wage and hour records therefor it is probably wise to follow FLSA guidelines.
The Alabama agency charged with enforcing Child Support Orders and laws is:
Alabama Department of Human Resources
Child Support Enforcement Division
50 Ripley St.
Montgomery, AL 36130-1801
334-242-9300
www.dhr.state.al.us/csed/default.asp
Alabama has the following provisions for child support deductions:
Please note that this article is not updated for changes that can and will happen from time to time.
Department of Revenue
Income Tax Division
Withholding Tax Section
50 North Ripley St.
P.O. Box 327480
Montgomery, Alabama 36132-7480
334-242-1300
www.ador.state.al.us/withholding/index.html
Alabama requires that you use Alabama form “A-4, Employee’s Withholding Exemption Certificate” instead of a Federal W-4 Form for Alabama State Income Tax Withholding.
Not all states allow salary reductions made under Section 125 cafeteria plans or 401(k) to be treated in the same manner as the IRS code allows. In Alabama cafeteria plans: are not taxable for income tax calculation; are taxable for unemployment insurance purposes. 401(k) plan deferrals are: not taxable for income taxes; are not taxable for unemployment purposes.
In Alabama supplemental wages are taxed at a 5% flat rate.
You may file your Alabama State W-2s by magnetic media if you choose to.
The Alabama State Unemployment Insurance Agency is:
The Department of Industrial Relations
649 Monroe Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36131
334-242-8990
www.dir.state.al.us/
The State of Alabama taxable wage base for unemployment purposes is wages up to $8000.00.
Alabama requires Magnetic media reporting of quarterly wage reporting if the employer has at least 250 employees that they are reporting that quarter.
Unemployment records must be retained in Alabama for a minimum period of five years. This information generally includes: name; social security number; dates of hire, rehire and termination; wages by period; payroll pay periods and pay dates; date and circumstances of termination.
The Alabama State Agency charged with enforcing the state wage and hour laws is:
The Department of Industrial Relations
649 Monroe Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36131
334-242-8990
www.dir.state.al.us/
There is no provision for minimum wage in the State of Alabama.
There is also no general provision in Alabama State Law covering paying overtime in a non-FLSA covered employer.
Alabama State new hire reporting requirements are that every employer must report every new hire, rehire and recall. The employer must report the federally required elements of:
- Employee’s name
- Employee’s address
- Employee’s social security number
- Employer’s name
- Employers address
- Employer’s Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
This information must be reported within 7 days of the hiring or rehiring.
The information can be sent as a W4 or equivalent by mail, fax or electronically.
There is a $25.00 penalty for a late report in Alabama.
The Alabama new hire reporting agency can be reached at 334-353-8491 or on the web at www.dir.state.al.us/nh.htm .
Alabama does allow compulsory direct deposit but the employee’s choice of financial institution must meet federal Regulation E regarding choice of financial institutions.
Alabama has no State Wage and Hour Law provisions concerning pay stub information.
In Alabama there are no statutory requirements concerning pay frequency or the lag between when the lag time between when the services are performed and when the employee must be paid.
Nor for that matter does Alabama have legal provisions concerning when a terminated employee, voluntary or involuntary, must be paid.
Deceased employee’s wages must be paid when normally due to the surviving spouse or custodian of minor children.
Escheat laws in Alabama require that unclaimed wages be paid over to the state after one year.
There is no provision in Alabama law concerning record retention of abandoned wage records.
There is no provision in Alabama law concerning tip credits against State minimum wage.
In Alabama the payroll laws covering mandatory rest or meal breaks are only that: minors under 16 must have 30 minutes rest after five hours of work.
There is no provision in Alabama law concerning record retention of wage and hour records therefor it is probably wise to follow FLSA guidelines.
The Alabama agency charged with enforcing Child Support Orders and laws is:
Alabama Department of Human Resources
Child Support Enforcement Division
50 Ripley St.
Montgomery, AL 36130-1801
334-242-9300
www.dhr.state.al.us/csed/default.asp
Alabama has the following provisions for child support deductions:
- When to start Withholding? Immediately after receipt of order.
- When to send Payment? Within 7 days of Payday.
- When to send Termination Notice? Within 7 days of termination.
- Maximum Administrative Fee? $2 per month.
- Withholding Limits? Federal Rules under CCPA.
Please note that this article is not updated for changes that can and will happen from time to time.
70s TV Show CHiPs Trivia
The 70s TV show CHiPs was shot in the late 70s and early 80s which could be considered as a very controversial time in the world, this series was no exception to that. There were always so many back stories with the cast and the crew and conflicts and fights that most fans never even knew about, and if they did, it was not until well after the show was off the air. Although the 70s TV show CHiPs was only on the network for six seasons, there were many interesting and surprising things about it. The top five CHiPs TV show trivia facts are:
1. Rick Rosner, the creator of the show, worked for the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Office as a reserve deputy before creating the show. One shift, he was out on a coffee break in the mid 70s and saw two young California Highway Patrol officers on motorcycles which is what gave him the idea for the show.
2. During the time period when original episodes of CHiPs were still being broadcast, to avoid any confusion, they referred to the syndication episodes as CHiPs Patrol. Fans of the show started to mock this concept immediately because of its redundancy; the show then literally meant California Highway Patrol Patrol. When the series was officially off the air, they went back to the original name for the episodes being played in syndication.
3. Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox only drew their firearms in CHiPs 99, but never in the original series.
4. Seven Mary Three is a rock band, but even more worthy of noting is their name. They chose their band name based on the radio call sign that the character Jon Baker used in the show.
5. If you were an avid fan then you most likely noticed that Jon Bakers service in Vietnam was occasionally referenced in the show. This made his character one of the earliest and most positive portrayals of a veteran from the Vietnam War. The real Larry Wilcox was actually in Vietnam for a period of 13 months serving as a Marine artilleryman.
The 70s TV show CHiPs is one of the most intriguing and interesting series behind the scenes and these are only a few glimpses into what really went on to make the show such a success. The fact that fans remain interested in the ins and outs of what made the show such a hit truly tells us how timeless it was and still is.
1. Rick Rosner, the creator of the show, worked for the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Office as a reserve deputy before creating the show. One shift, he was out on a coffee break in the mid 70s and saw two young California Highway Patrol officers on motorcycles which is what gave him the idea for the show.
2. During the time period when original episodes of CHiPs were still being broadcast, to avoid any confusion, they referred to the syndication episodes as CHiPs Patrol. Fans of the show started to mock this concept immediately because of its redundancy; the show then literally meant California Highway Patrol Patrol. When the series was officially off the air, they went back to the original name for the episodes being played in syndication.
3. Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox only drew their firearms in CHiPs 99, but never in the original series.
4. Seven Mary Three is a rock band, but even more worthy of noting is their name. They chose their band name based on the radio call sign that the character Jon Baker used in the show.
5. If you were an avid fan then you most likely noticed that Jon Bakers service in Vietnam was occasionally referenced in the show. This made his character one of the earliest and most positive portrayals of a veteran from the Vietnam War. The real Larry Wilcox was actually in Vietnam for a period of 13 months serving as a Marine artilleryman.
The 70s TV show CHiPs is one of the most intriguing and interesting series behind the scenes and these are only a few glimpses into what really went on to make the show such a success. The fact that fans remain interested in the ins and outs of what made the show such a hit truly tells us how timeless it was and still is.
13 Resume Mistakes That Can Cost You The Interview
1. A BLAND OR GENERIC OBJECTIVE: If your objective could be applied to a marketing resume as easily as a resume for an accounting position, then your objective says nothing and will get you nowhere. An objective is NOT some required paragraph at the top of the page that is an exercise in 5 lines of job speak. It's an actual and real description of your skills as they're related to who you are and what you want. It should vary with the type of job for which you are applying.
2. BLAND JOB DETAILS: "Responsibilities included overseeing construction of 4 Hilton Hotels in Tri-City Metro Area, each 50 floors in height." Yeah? So what? That doesn't say if they went up on schedule or if you brought the projects in under budget. It doesn't say if you took all four from site work up or if the guy handling two of the four hotels was fired and you were promoted to overseeing all four. Differentiate yourself from the others coming in to interview. If you don't tell the hiring company how you will be an asset to them, how will they know?
3. WHO'S THE MYSTERY COMPANY?: Don't assume the name and purpose of your company is common knowledge. If it's a competitor, it might be, and if it's in the same industry and located nearby, it might be. To be on the safe side, provide a sentence or two about the focus of your company's products or services.
4. ANOTHER JOB, ANOTHER PARAGRAPH: Don't keep adding on to your resume job after job, year after year. By the time you're in your 40s, you need to have weeded out some of the earlier stuff. You don't need all the college activities, just your degree. You don't need ALL 5 bullets for each of your first two jobs.
5. REFERENCES: Shouldn't be listed on your resume. "References available on request" is the proper phrase. You present them separately when they're requested. This isn't about protocol. This is about protecting your references so they aren't called until you and the company are serious about each other.
6. IT'S NOT A STORY!: Don't - whatever you do, DON'T - write your resume in the third person!
7. SKIP THE PERSONAL INFO: You might think your weekend baseball coaching or your church choir participation shows you're an interesting and well-rounded person, but they're irrelevant. If the interviewer wants to know who you are as a person, aside from the job interview and your qualifications, he'll ask.
8. DEGREE DATE: No matter how old you are, don't leave the date of when you were graduated off your resume. It looks like you're hiding something (well, you are, aren't you?), and then everyone counts the years backwards and tries to figure out how old you are. Sometimes you can be ruled out - just for leaving the date off. If you're trying to hide your age by not stating the date, what else might you not be forthcoming about?
9. SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK: Spell checking visually by you AND someone else, any fewer than three times, isn't enough. And don't forget to check your punctuation.
10. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part one: Don't use one of those resume blaster things. Half those sites aren't even valid. You don't know how it will come out on the other end. You don't even know where it's going or if the landing targets are employment related. It's bad form and just....NOT the way to find your perfect job. Finding your perfect job takes focus, attention, detail, individuality, tailoring, specifics. Resume blasting is about as far from that as you can get.
11. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part two: If it's an ad, you probably have instructions as to how to send it. If it says email, cut and paste it in the form, AND attach it. You never know what it can look like on the other end because of the variety of settings available to each user. Quite frankly, you're better off not emailing it at all, because it usually just goes into cyber space, and then it's all about the hiring company - but unfortunately, besides not sending it at all, sometimes that's your only choice. Emailing your resume takes any option for further participation right out of your hands, because often there's not even a name given for a follow up contact. You've no other option than to wait and wonder. (And half the time it's going to HR or an admin department to be scanned into an electronic database.)
12. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part three: If you know the company, call and ask if they prefer email, fax, or snail mail. I know a recruiter who never even opened his email. Because he was listed in The Kennedy Guide to Executive Recruiters, he received so many resumes emailed to him cold (so NOT pro-active) that he just did a mass delete every morning. Candidates contacted for a specific search were requested to snail mail their resume to him. How about that? I'll bet less than 10% of those who emailed their resumes even bothered to follow up to see if it was received (this isn't a numbers game).
13. RESUME VISUALS: Ivory paper. Black ink. Individual pages. No plastic, 7th grade, science report cover with the plastic slider or metal push down tabs. Your name centered at the top, not on a cover page that says "Introducing Clifton Lewis Montgomery III". No exceptions. Your resume is a professional document, not a school book report or an art project. Until every resume is done this way, yours will still stand out in the crowd.
You are the product, and your resume is the marketing piece. To find your perfect job you must differentiate yourself from the other people who will be interviewed.
Your resume must be specific, individualized, easy to skim so it invites a closer reading, and focused on the differences you've made with your previous companies, as well as the accomplishments you've achieved with - and for - them. This tells the hiring company what you can do for them - and it IS about the hiring company, not you.
Of course this assumes you meet the requirements for the job - otherwise it doesn't matter how good your resume is! The resume is what gets you in the door. If your resume is poorly written, looks sloppy, is difficult to read, is cryptic in any way, or necessitates being slogged through to learn your information (they won't bother), you won't even get in the door. And how can you decide whether you like the company, if they've already decided they don't like you?
2. BLAND JOB DETAILS: "Responsibilities included overseeing construction of 4 Hilton Hotels in Tri-City Metro Area, each 50 floors in height." Yeah? So what? That doesn't say if they went up on schedule or if you brought the projects in under budget. It doesn't say if you took all four from site work up or if the guy handling two of the four hotels was fired and you were promoted to overseeing all four. Differentiate yourself from the others coming in to interview. If you don't tell the hiring company how you will be an asset to them, how will they know?
3. WHO'S THE MYSTERY COMPANY?: Don't assume the name and purpose of your company is common knowledge. If it's a competitor, it might be, and if it's in the same industry and located nearby, it might be. To be on the safe side, provide a sentence or two about the focus of your company's products or services.
4. ANOTHER JOB, ANOTHER PARAGRAPH: Don't keep adding on to your resume job after job, year after year. By the time you're in your 40s, you need to have weeded out some of the earlier stuff. You don't need all the college activities, just your degree. You don't need ALL 5 bullets for each of your first two jobs.
5. REFERENCES: Shouldn't be listed on your resume. "References available on request" is the proper phrase. You present them separately when they're requested. This isn't about protocol. This is about protecting your references so they aren't called until you and the company are serious about each other.
6. IT'S NOT A STORY!: Don't - whatever you do, DON'T - write your resume in the third person!
7. SKIP THE PERSONAL INFO: You might think your weekend baseball coaching or your church choir participation shows you're an interesting and well-rounded person, but they're irrelevant. If the interviewer wants to know who you are as a person, aside from the job interview and your qualifications, he'll ask.
8. DEGREE DATE: No matter how old you are, don't leave the date of when you were graduated off your resume. It looks like you're hiding something (well, you are, aren't you?), and then everyone counts the years backwards and tries to figure out how old you are. Sometimes you can be ruled out - just for leaving the date off. If you're trying to hide your age by not stating the date, what else might you not be forthcoming about?
9. SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK: Spell checking visually by you AND someone else, any fewer than three times, isn't enough. And don't forget to check your punctuation.
10. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part one: Don't use one of those resume blaster things. Half those sites aren't even valid. You don't know how it will come out on the other end. You don't even know where it's going or if the landing targets are employment related. It's bad form and just....NOT the way to find your perfect job. Finding your perfect job takes focus, attention, detail, individuality, tailoring, specifics. Resume blasting is about as far from that as you can get.
11. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part two: If it's an ad, you probably have instructions as to how to send it. If it says email, cut and paste it in the form, AND attach it. You never know what it can look like on the other end because of the variety of settings available to each user. Quite frankly, you're better off not emailing it at all, because it usually just goes into cyber space, and then it's all about the hiring company - but unfortunately, besides not sending it at all, sometimes that's your only choice. Emailing your resume takes any option for further participation right out of your hands, because often there's not even a name given for a follow up contact. You've no other option than to wait and wonder. (And half the time it's going to HR or an admin department to be scanned into an electronic database.)
12. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part three: If you know the company, call and ask if they prefer email, fax, or snail mail. I know a recruiter who never even opened his email. Because he was listed in The Kennedy Guide to Executive Recruiters, he received so many resumes emailed to him cold (so NOT pro-active) that he just did a mass delete every morning. Candidates contacted for a specific search were requested to snail mail their resume to him. How about that? I'll bet less than 10% of those who emailed their resumes even bothered to follow up to see if it was received (this isn't a numbers game).
13. RESUME VISUALS: Ivory paper. Black ink. Individual pages. No plastic, 7th grade, science report cover with the plastic slider or metal push down tabs. Your name centered at the top, not on a cover page that says "Introducing Clifton Lewis Montgomery III". No exceptions. Your resume is a professional document, not a school book report or an art project. Until every resume is done this way, yours will still stand out in the crowd.
You are the product, and your resume is the marketing piece. To find your perfect job you must differentiate yourself from the other people who will be interviewed.
Your resume must be specific, individualized, easy to skim so it invites a closer reading, and focused on the differences you've made with your previous companies, as well as the accomplishments you've achieved with - and for - them. This tells the hiring company what you can do for them - and it IS about the hiring company, not you.
Of course this assumes you meet the requirements for the job - otherwise it doesn't matter how good your resume is! The resume is what gets you in the door. If your resume is poorly written, looks sloppy, is difficult to read, is cryptic in any way, or necessitates being slogged through to learn your information (they won't bother), you won't even get in the door. And how can you decide whether you like the company, if they've already decided they don't like you?
Sunday, May 23, 2010
21 Classic Pontiacs!
So, you think you know your cars now, do you? Well, consider this to be a test of your knowledge of Pontiac history. 21 Pontiacs are featured here: some are current models while others are truly classic in every sense of the word, dating back to the early 1960s.
6000 – Full sized [or almost] front wheel drive sedan of the 1980s.
Aztec – Ugly is as ugly does. This crossover vehicle ashamed the Pontiac fleet for two years during the early 00s.
Bonneville – Full sized Pontiac sedan excitement retired in 2005 after more than 40 years of service. Part of GM’s massive restructuring and retiring of top model names.
Catalina – This model hearkens back to the mid 60s when two door hard tops ruled the day. Discontinued during the late 70s during GM’s “down sizing” shell game days.
Fiero – Mid-engine sport two-seater built for Pontiac during the go-go 80s. GM reached into their parts bin and took out Chevette and other components to create this little roadster.
Firebird – It goes without saying that this “pony” car is sorely missed. The good news is that it may be back by the time the 2009 model year rolls around.
Firefly – Twin to the Geo Metro, the Firefly was Pontiac’s 3 cylinder captive import of the late eighties to mid nineties.
G6 – Current compact model in Pontiac’s arsenal available in rakish coupe or sporty sedan.
Grand Am -- With its 1973 debut, the Grand Am quickly became the division’s mid-range performance car. Retired in 2005 with a host of other Pontiac model names.
Grand Prix – Hidden tail lights and a concave rear window marked the Grand Prix’s 1963 debut. The car has survived GM’s model name shake out and today’s car is a mid-sized, front wheel drive sports sedan.
GTO – Introduced in 1967, the GTO was a true coupe turned sports car. Eliminated in the 1970s, the GTO is back thanks to GM’s Australian division, Holden. Rear wheel drive and a big V8 too.
LeMans – Originally a Tempest model, the LeMans became its own model once the Tempest name was retired in the 1970s. Retired in the mid 1990s after a cheap Korean car was allowed to carry its name. Sheesh!
Montana -- A minivan for Pontiac, if not for the ages.
Parisienne – During the 1980s Pontiac needed a version of the Chevrolet Caprice. This full sized, rear wheel drive sedan filled the bill.
Phoenix – Part of GM’s “X cars” of compact import fighting vehicles introduced during 1979 as a 1980 model.
Sunbird – Nothing but a rebadged Chevy Cavalier.
Sunfire – Compact coupe retired in 2005 as part of, you guessed, GM’s model restructuring.
Sunrunner – Nothing but a rebadged Geo/Chevy Tracker.
Tempest – From the early sixties until the early seventies, the term “muscle car” befit this hot coupe. Especially nice as a convertible!
Trans Sport – Hideous looking minivan that debuted in the early 1990s. Mercifully replaced years later by the Montana.
Vibe – A currently produced compact five door sport wagon; cousin to the Toyota Matrix.
So, there you have it. At least another half dozen models were left out from this time period plus many models that dated back to the division’s founding as part of the Oakland Automobile Company in 1926. Pontiac excitement…have you caught it yet?
6000 – Full sized [or almost] front wheel drive sedan of the 1980s.
Aztec – Ugly is as ugly does. This crossover vehicle ashamed the Pontiac fleet for two years during the early 00s.
Bonneville – Full sized Pontiac sedan excitement retired in 2005 after more than 40 years of service. Part of GM’s massive restructuring and retiring of top model names.
Catalina – This model hearkens back to the mid 60s when two door hard tops ruled the day. Discontinued during the late 70s during GM’s “down sizing” shell game days.
Fiero – Mid-engine sport two-seater built for Pontiac during the go-go 80s. GM reached into their parts bin and took out Chevette and other components to create this little roadster.
Firebird – It goes without saying that this “pony” car is sorely missed. The good news is that it may be back by the time the 2009 model year rolls around.
Firefly – Twin to the Geo Metro, the Firefly was Pontiac’s 3 cylinder captive import of the late eighties to mid nineties.
G6 – Current compact model in Pontiac’s arsenal available in rakish coupe or sporty sedan.
Grand Am -- With its 1973 debut, the Grand Am quickly became the division’s mid-range performance car. Retired in 2005 with a host of other Pontiac model names.
Grand Prix – Hidden tail lights and a concave rear window marked the Grand Prix’s 1963 debut. The car has survived GM’s model name shake out and today’s car is a mid-sized, front wheel drive sports sedan.
GTO – Introduced in 1967, the GTO was a true coupe turned sports car. Eliminated in the 1970s, the GTO is back thanks to GM’s Australian division, Holden. Rear wheel drive and a big V8 too.
LeMans – Originally a Tempest model, the LeMans became its own model once the Tempest name was retired in the 1970s. Retired in the mid 1990s after a cheap Korean car was allowed to carry its name. Sheesh!
Montana -- A minivan for Pontiac, if not for the ages.
Parisienne – During the 1980s Pontiac needed a version of the Chevrolet Caprice. This full sized, rear wheel drive sedan filled the bill.
Phoenix – Part of GM’s “X cars” of compact import fighting vehicles introduced during 1979 as a 1980 model.
Sunbird – Nothing but a rebadged Chevy Cavalier.
Sunfire – Compact coupe retired in 2005 as part of, you guessed, GM’s model restructuring.
Sunrunner – Nothing but a rebadged Geo/Chevy Tracker.
Tempest – From the early sixties until the early seventies, the term “muscle car” befit this hot coupe. Especially nice as a convertible!
Trans Sport – Hideous looking minivan that debuted in the early 1990s. Mercifully replaced years later by the Montana.
Vibe – A currently produced compact five door sport wagon; cousin to the Toyota Matrix.
So, there you have it. At least another half dozen models were left out from this time period plus many models that dated back to the division’s founding as part of the Oakland Automobile Company in 1926. Pontiac excitement…have you caught it yet?
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