Safety Passport Scheme For Power Generation Sector Construction Essay

Safety Passport Scheme For Power Generation Sector Construction Essay Since the evolution of humans, people have been injured, maimed and killed during the course of their work right from carrying their work as hunters, to the modern day nuclear power plants. Implementation of health and safety practices dates back to the Hammurabi era (1780 BC), where death sentences were imposed to the builders who do not build it safer for the residents. As years passed, health and safety practices had good responses. It had many accidents, disasters and transformations to achieve a status of what health and safety practices mean to every industry now. Importance and awareness of health and safety practices among the workers are essential and also it is their right to have the information on health and safety practices. Before doing any work, one should know about the health and safety hazards in the work he does, to safeguard himself and those who work with him, he needs to be informed with the potential health and safety hazards in the environment. Health and safe ty practices became business and among many business models of health and safety practices, the model for informing and training an individual about the health and safety practices in the industry he/she works is Safety Passport Scheme. It is not just a business or a way for income, it became a business for the values it spread to the individuals who undergoes it. Health and safety at work is an area of management activity which, no matter how an organization perceives it, cannot be disregarded. Only professionals in health and safety can deliver the values to them. Health and safety became a subject of research where now we have even courses provided my many universities on health and safety practices. Safety Passport scheme generally is a passport for the individuals who hold it to enter the site they work for. A safety passport holder will have all the basic knowledge of the health and safety hazards around him and his colleagues and practices to follow in order to avoid them. A responsible manager on working site considers the safety passport as a way to have and ensure a safe environment in and around the site. Initially, safety passport schemes were developed generally which will apply to almost all industries. But as the technologies and methodologies changed drastically, specialisation and update was needed for the health and safety practices. In any sector, now only specialists are valued much. Gone are the days where people were looking for generic interests. In any field, only specialists are welcomed and recruited, specialists will have the deepest knowledge of that particular field they are involved with and they will excel in it. Though power generation sector falls under construction industry, it varies drastically from it. Technology, engineering, method of construction and erection of equipment, panels, testing and also hazards compared to the general construction industry, it has many potential hazards. In the research, I have done a market r esearch for a Safety Passport Scheme which is specially designed for the power generation sector by the health and safety specialists for the industry. The market research is conducted for United Kingdom. Report Background United Kingdom produces a total of 78,293MW of energy. As a single entity, British Energy is the market leader by producing 10,723MW of energy. Table below shows the market share of key players of power generation industry in UK. Major Players MW British Energy 10723 RWE Npower 10115 E.ON 9988.27 Scottish and southern energy 9176.4 Scottish power 6404 International power 4984 EDF 4928.4 Drax power 3945 Centrica 3530 Magnox 1622 Premier power 1156 Others 11720.93 Total 78293 The organizations have their own portfolio within their power production. Portfolios of power generation are decided by the fuel type they use for the production of electricity. Each fuel type has its own engineering process and construction, out of them few has similar engineering processes and construction only with minor changes, but they are regarded as same. So according to them, the categories I have decided are 1. Nuclear, 2. Hydro, 3. Combined Cycle Gas Turbine, 4. Coal/Oil/Gas, 5. Wind, 6. Others such as mine gas, poultry waste. According to the categories, the market share by fuel type is given in the table below. Fuel Type MW Coal/Gas/Oil 39298.3 CCGT 22091 Nuclear 10137 Hydro 4245.4 Wind 2297.6 Others 223.7 Total 78293 Out of the above categories, Nuclear does not support safety passport schemes and the safety passport scheme on which I am conducting the market research is not applicable to hydro power generation. I have identified the major players in other fuel categories for my research. In INDG381 the HSE (2003b) indicate that a safety passport training course should cover areas such as the hazards and risks that workers may face and how to identify them; having identified them what to do to either eliminate the hazard or control the risk; how to take steps to control the risks to themselves and others; where to find health and safety related information in connection with their job and how to follow a safe system of work. It is with this guidance in mind that the following reviews have been carried out. Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) CSCS was set up by the construction industry with the aims (amongst others) raising standards of health and safety to reduce risks and accidents throughout the industry (CSCS, 2007). The members of CSCS comprise employers trade bodies and Trade Unions including Construction Confederation; Federation of Master Builders; National Specialist Contractor Council; GMB Trade Union; Transport and General Workers Union; Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians, Construction Industry Council. The holder of a CSCS card is in theory able to prove his training and by implication competence in the role he is undertaking. There are several categories of CSCS card visitor (to a construction site) trainee, construction site operative, experienced worker, skilled worker, supervisor, experienced manager, senior manager and professionally qualified person. The structure of the card system is, for the worker and supervisor section of the workforce, largely hierarchical. For example a construction site operative would be expected to, either through practical experience, induction or other training and under supervision carry out basic activities such as using relevant hand tools, using PPE, organising work, reporting of accidents and handling material and components using accepted and safe methods and procedures. To receive a skilled worker card, in addition to the requirements above, the applicant must be in possession of a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) or Scottish Nation al Vocational Qualification (SNVQ); or have completed a a recognised trade or employer sponsored apprenticeship and completed a City and Guilds of London Institute Craft Certificate. The other standard requirement is that applicants for all cards must successfully pass a health and safety test. The basic test is of 30 minutes duration and, in addition to English is currently available in German, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian and Welsh. There is no requirement for any pre-test training course. The basic core test contains à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦either 2 or 3 questions from each of the 15 Core sections with 40 questions in total (CITB, 2000).The core sections include accident prevention and reporting; health and welfare; manual handling; working at height; Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); emergency procedures and first aid; safe use of hazardous substances and are heavily biased towards traditional construction of the building site type. The publication CITB ( 2000) also covers some specialist areas these include supervisory and management; demolition; plumbing or gas; highway works; specialist working at height and lifts and escalators. Summary CSCS is heavily biased towards traditional construction and covers the hazards and risks involved with traditional construction work at a basic level. Only two of the specialist areas (supervisory and management and working at height) have any real relevance to power station outage work. There is little emphasis on behavioural aspects of safety Engineering Services Skillcard The Engineering Services Skillcard, created by the Heating and Ventilation Contractors Association (HVCA), is similar in concept and affiliated to the CSCS scheme it has the aim of registering à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the skills and competence of people working throughout the mechanical services sector of the building services engineering industry (HVCA, 2009). Accreditation in health and safety is achieved by undertaking the CSCS affiliated health and safety test. Other similar schemes affiliated to CSCS include Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS0; Construction Industry Scaffolder Record Scheme (CISRS); Northern Ireland Construction Skills Register ((NI)CSR); Certificate of Competence of Demolition Operatives (CCDO); Joint Industry Board Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS); Plumbing Mechanical Engineering Services scheme (PMES) and Joint Industry Board for Plumbing in Scotland and NI (SNI JIB Plumbing) Summary Skillcard is an extension of CSCS above with exactly the same health and safety content and requirements. The CISRS and ECS affiliated schemes may have some relevance to outage work in certain circumstances. Client Contractor National Safety Group (CCNSG) The aim of the CCNSG Safety Passport Scheme is to ensure a basic knowledge of health and safety for all site personnel to enable them, after appropriate site induction, to work on site more safely with lower risk to themselves and others (CCNSG, 2009). Membership of the CCNSG includes the Construction Industry Association (CIA), the Trades Unions and the Training Providers. The Group is chaired by a member elected from the Client Group. The CCNSG Secretary is provided by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), the organisation who now manages the scheme. The CCNSG safety passport is differentiated from the CSCS (and other similar card schemes) in two main areas. It is a specific accredited two day training course followed by an end test and it is claimed that it is designed for the Engineering Construction Industry rather than the Construction Industry. However it is the clients on individual sites who specify which card or cards is or are acceptable as a demons tration of competency on their sites. The CCNSG National Course includes a wide spectrum of directly safety related training including Safe Behaviour at Work; Safe Place of Work; Confined Space Entry; Excavations; Permit to Work Systems Safe Use of Access Equipment Working at Heights; Site Transport; Protecting the Environment; Safe Lifting and Manual Handling; Safe Systems of Work; Asbestos; Hazardous Substances; The Lifting Equipment and Lifting Operations Regulations( LOLER); The provision and Use of Workplace Equipment Regulations (PUWER); Electricity; Isolation; Hand-Arm Vibration; Noise. Summary Training for the CCNSG passport is carried out by accredited (by the ECITB) independent organisations and its quality is open to being variable. The hazards and risks covered in the training are mainly focussed on construction but more aspects of the syllabus appear to apply to power station outage work and some aspects of behavioural safety are covered Assuring Competence in Engineering Construction (ACE) Closely allied to the CCNSG and also supported by the ECITB is the Assuring Competence in Engineering Construction (ACE) scheme. ACE is an industry initiative supported by all areas of engineering construction in the UK including, in addition to the ECITB, Contractors the Engineering Construction Industry Association (ECIA), the National Joint Council (NJCECI), the ECITB and the Trade Unions. The ECITB (2009) say that the aim of ACE is to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ensure that the competence of workers in the UK engineering construction industry is validated against National Occupational Standards in a flexible and cost effective way, with minimum disruption to ongoing productivity. Furthermore since June 2008 ACE has become affiliated to CSCS and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a joint Assurance in Competence in Engineering Construction (ACE) and CSCS card will be available to individuals who meet the competence and health and safety awareness requirements relevant to NVQ Level 3. (ECITB, 2009b).This involves reaching a competency level in standard health and safety modules involves having a working knowledge of health and safety legislation, hazards, safety reporting, first aid procedures and procedures for reporting. Working knowledge is described as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the minimum level of knowledge and understanding sufficient to perform your role in a manner that would normally be associated with the minimum acceptable performance of a competent person undertaking your role (ECITB, 2009c). Information from ACE (2009) indicates that the driver for the ACE scheme is that of technical competence validated by ECITB NVQ or SNVQ and this is currently available in a restricted number of engineering trade roles (e.g. welding and plating; [steel] erecting; mechanical fitting (including maintenance); pipefitting (including Instrument); electricians and rigging) Summary Although the main thrust of the ACE card is raising the skill levels in engineering construction in, currently a limited number of craft areas, the health and safety modules appear to have a closer synergy with outage work than other schemes. Behavioural aspects of safety are dealt with in the relevant health and safety modules. Basic Electrical Safety Competence (BESC) The BESC registration scheme is intended for anyone who carries out work either directly or indirectly on or near operational plant and equipment associated with the transmission and distribution of electricity. The scheme was developed by a task force of the Electricity Association Management Co-ordinating Committee (Distribution Transmission) with the assistance of the Electricity Company Training Managers and of the Electrical Training Association. The managers of the BESC scheme, Energy Utility Skills (EU Skills), label it as a workplace competency assessment and registration process, dealing with entering, moving around and exiting three specific work areas namely, substations, overhead lines; and underground cables. The basic safety requirements of the scheme are those relating to safe entry and exit, equipment identification, use of the correct PPE and carrying out of tasks in a safe manner. They are based on standards taken from the City Guilds N/SVQ awards and in particul ar specific relevant modules from the Electricity System Technology Engineering Support and Electricity System Technology Engineering awards. Summary BESC is specific specialist training and qualification directed towards electricity distribution companies and National Grid with specific reference to the hazards from working adjacent to live high voltage electricity equipment and so has limited relevance to power station outage work. The Safety Pass Alliance (SPA) Renewable Energy Sreenivasan et al (2003) portray the SPA as a UK organisation whose objective is to design and implement Safety Passport Training Schemes, delivered through accredited training providers and committed to providing a nationally recognised standard of health and safety training. SPA passports comprise a core section along with an industry sector specific section. To obtain acceptance into any additional sectors the holder of a current passport would need to attend the appropriate sector specific training session to upgrade it. Sectors with specific modules include industrial utilities, building maintenance food and drink, renewable energy, ports and shipping, quarries and pharmaceutical. The core health and safety training covers the following areas Organising for safety (health and safety law, responsibilities and risk assessment); the workplace (Including safe behaviour, welfare, and access and egress); plant and machinery (including tools, electricity and workplace transport); heal th (including PPE, COSHH, musculoskeletal problems); procedures (fire and first aid) and the environment. One of additional industry specific modules is the Renewable energy which focuses on those issues of particular concern for those who work within the renewable energy. This course comprises of nine modules: Workplace risk, Licenses permits and passes, Plant and equipment, Explosive atmospheres, Environment, Electricity, Working at height, Occupational health, Personal Safety (Safety Pass Alliance, 2010). Summary assuming that the relevant Renewable energy module is undertaken this offers the prospect of a close match of relevance to outage work but it is little used within Generation currently. The only client for this is ATKINS and Atkins was involved in designing this course. Some aspects of behavioural safety are addressed in the core health and safety training module. The European Dimension There have been an increasing number of non UK nationals working in the UK, figures from the Statistics Commission (2009) indicate that there were 2 million foreign nationals of working age in the UK in 2007out of a total working age population of 27.2 million. Generation has seen increased incidences of foreign workers on sites during outages and because of this the landscape of competence assessment schemes is infinitely more complex. In addition to foreign language versions of the CCNSG safety passport, currently offered in the UK in Polish and Portuguese amongst others there are several similar passport schemes existing in other EU member states including Health and Environment Checklist Contractors (SCC) in the Netherlands, FAS Safe Pass Health and Safety Awareness in Eire and the Occupational Safety Card in Finland. Both the latter are the national equivalents of CSCS. In the review of safety passport schemes Sreenivasan et al (2003) explains that although originally intended f or the petro-chemical and pharmaceutical associated industries in the Netherlands, SCC covers a range of other industries involved in hazardous work including construction and civil works. The scheme is now widespread across Belgium, France, Germany, and Austria and can be used without restrictions in Belgium and the Netherlands. The SCC qualification has the basic elements that broadly cover the contents of the CCNSG syllabus. The SCC has recognised, however, that there is a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦wide variation and an (excessively) wide bandwidth in the exams set by the various examination bodiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [possibly due]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to the excessively vague definition of the attainment targets (SCC, 2003). Included in this is a reference to Romiszowskis taxonomy that discriminates between knowledge (knowing something) and skills (being able to do something). Included within the attainment targets are the requirements to cover both these aspects of competence. Summary The SCC process does recognise that competence in health and safety does include more than the successful completion of a training package and although one of the target industry sectors petro-chemical has similarities with the Generation business, there is little evidence of the particular qualification having been used to any great extent within the UK. Advantages and Disadvantages of Safety Accreditation Schemes There are advantages and disadvantages to all accreditation/passport schemes discussed by Sreenivasan et al (2003). Advantages include the possession of a safety passport gives readily available evidence that the contractor has some form of basic health and safety training. A passport shows that a worker has up-to-date basic health and safety or health, safety and environment awareness training (HSE, 2003b) what they crucially do not do is demonstrate a way of knowing or identifying that a worker is competent (HSE, 2003b).Furthermore they are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ generally not designed to correct the major faults in competence or diligence that usually result in the major accidents à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Sreenivasan et al, 2003). A recognised widespread scheme with a standard syllabus and acceptable attainment standards does however give some modicum of standardisation across an industry or an industry sector. The possession of a passport takes the form of a credit card-sized plastic card, usu ally with the employees name, photograph and identification number. If this is accompanied by a centrally held database directly accessible by subscribers it is a straightforward way of ensuring a passports validity. Finally passports do provide the contract company with a demonstration and audit trail that they are providing some of the suitable and sufficient training required by health and safety legislation. One of the main disadvantages of all accreditation and passport schemes is their financial implications in terms of training cost and lost productive time. These may well be able to be absorbed by a large company as part of its training budget but may well become a burden for both SMEs and individuals who act as freelance contractors. For businesses some of the costs may be able to be off set by grants (for example from the CITB Construction Skills levy) and a demonstration that most of a companys staff are in possession of a recognised safety accreditation may result in inc reased business. Additionally, although there is no empirical evidence to substantiate this, there is the possibility that there is a financial pressure on the accredited training provider to provide evidence of his worth and doing this by ensuring that he has an acceptable success rate in the assessment from his candidates. Aims and Objectives The report analyses the market for safety passport scheme for the power generation sector. The main aims of this market research are To provide evidence based approach for the acceptance of Safety Passport Scheme designed for power sector in UK. To capture the perceptions, opinions and aspirations of the potential target consumer market in relation to the safety passport scheme for the power sector in UK. Objectives were to identify Current schemes available and accepted. Which ones are most popular and why. Report on size of potential market in UK for a power generation specific safety passport scheme. Research into whether a sector specific passport would be accepted by Power Generators and associated contractors; specifically aimed at benefits and possible demerits. Confirm that an Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) scheme will have widespread acceptance. Research current pricing and if new scheme were developed what price should be set to achieve the Return on Investment. Review on how to roll this project out sustainably, assuming that new scheme is acceptable own resources, licensing to other providers to propose alternatives. Definitions Senior Executives The group consists of Directors of power generation organizations, managing directors of power generation organizations, and Senior Health and Safety professionals with massive experience in Health and Safety practices. Plant Managers The group consists of Health and Safety professionals responsible for power plants, and directors of power plants. Contractors The group consists of Managers of the construction contractors firms, Health and Safety directors of the firm, and Health and Safety managers. For current Schemes and their popularity Interviewed people from IOSH, ECITB, CCNSG, SPA, UKCG, CIC, and questionnaires distributed among contractors and plant managers. Potential Market in UK The market for safety passport scheme for power sector is the workers of the contractors who work for power generation industry. Data obtained from Office of National Statistics (ONS), UK. Acceptance of sector specific passport scheme with IOSHs accreditation For Power Sector Questionnaire distributed among senior executives, plant managers and contractors. Study of the environment by looking through variables like Regulation, News from power generators, Interview with health and safety professionals who had massive experience in the field, Political views, News from national skills academy of power. Economic patterns on Health and Safety spending Current Pricing Schemes Interviewed people from SPA, CCNSG/ECITB, CSCS, etc., including training providers Review on how to roll this project sustainably References from services marketing cases Market research for the Safety Passport Scheme was conducted during the period when the halted constructions of new power plants due to the recession for the past two years resumed their work. Spending was stopped during the recession on construction projects. The construction industry was overcoming the recession where the contribution of construction industry towards GDP of the country was increasing again. After a series of job cuts and cost cutting processes, the employment rate of construction industry had a significant increase during the period. Economic Trends Cost-cutting programmes, internationalization, commercial principles, shareholder value and sustainability, In all high value bids, safety is given more importance than bids of low value (Amec takes central role in  £20bn nuclear programme., 2009). Market Size Market for Safety Passport Scheme for power generation sector is the construction workers who work for the power generation industry. More than one million people are employed for the construction industry (Construction workers, 2008). Industry Structure Spending on health and safety Contractors fear that after years of improvements in health and safety standards, it could be undone if power generation organizations exploit the recession to drive down the construction costs. If power generation organizations force below-cost bidding, contractors could go backwards in health and safety standards. Power generation organizations could get really cheap prices but something has to give, they cannot expect contractors to come up with rock-bottom prices and then expect fantastic safety standards (Cheap deals could hit safety, warn contractors., 2009). Safety director of EDF said that contractors chosen to deliver EDFs new build schemes are expected to be productive, modern site committed to safety. The statement proves that power generation organizations are committed to Health and Safety practices. The construction director at EDF also announced that he is willing to help the suppliers to improve its safety competence (Power station sites face tight surveillance., 2009). In a statement released by UK Contractors group, they have agreed that Safety Passports cut risks in contract work (Safety passport cuts risks in contract work., 2009). Market Position Key Trends Speaking to media on EDFs  £20bn new build nuclear programme in UK, chief executive Vincent de Rivaz told that EDF is committed to safety. And it will maximise the opportunities for the UK supply chain. When issuing the civil packages to Laing ORourke, Costain and Carillion, De Rivaz confirmed them that EDFs commitment to safety and quality assurance is absolute. And he wanted to work with the partners who too are committed to safety. He also mentioned that the suppliers too will be expected to meet tough productivity and skills training targets (Safety first for EDFs nuclear contractors, 2009). Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has claimed that nearly one out of every 10 UK businesses has slashed its health and safety budget because of recession. IOSH also found out that for most companies, health and safety is not the first budget on the chopping block. Contradicting the above stated facts, IOSH found out that emphasis on the need of health and safety practices among employers and staff work more closely together to minimise risks with business leaders in particular needing to ensure that corners are not cut out during economic times (Paton, UK reduces budgets for health and safety, 2009). Key Associations DRETS Analysis Demographic factors Population growth growth of number of employees, increase in the number of households, better education, Regulatory factors Political and legal factors learnings of the government in power, shift of regulatory power IOSH said that falling foul of tough new safety regulations could spell the end for firms already struggling with the economic downturn. It also warned that companies that play at health and safety practices, or firms that fail to provide a safe environment for staff, could face the prospect of incurring increased financial penalties. As per the new law which is effective from 16 January, maximum fine for minor breaches are from  £5,000 to  £20,000 and also pave the way for prison sentences of up to two years for individuals found guilty of health and safety breaches (Pitcher, 2009). Economic factors Contribution to Gross national product of the industry, changes in consumers income, changing expenditure patterns, countrys change of economic development, inflation, Looking for balance, confident and living well, at ease, overwhelmed. Technological factors Integration of technology with the service, impact of e-business and m-business Social factors Prevailing values, traditions, trends in society these tendencies are influenced by the above four factors. Individualism and rising customer expectation, the need of the groups, interest in health, time usage and energy expenditure, Competitive Structure The Marketplace Market Leaders Marketing Activity SWOT Analysis Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threats The Future Influence In 2002 when contractors are asked to increase company reporting on health and safety performance in the annual reports, just 103 of the countrys top 350 contractors have accepted the challenge. Out of them only the following five are top-10 contractors, Balfour Beatty, AMEC, Carillion, Skanska and Mowlem. HSC had asked the companies to put health and safety at the top of the agenda, but thats not the case in reality. It also found that, unless the decision makers know of the advantages to the bottom line of their organization, there will be no changes. HSC chairman Bill Callaghan also mentioned that the industry has a role to play and it is through shared experience and a change of culture that the sharing will happen (Pearman, No business case for safety stats, 2002). Forecasts Sector Trends Civil contractors are gearing up to bid for multi-million pound frameworks as part of the  £50bn nuclear power plant decommissioning programme now being rolled out across the UK. Last week, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) took control of the countrys 20 nuclear power plan

Ken Keseys One Flew Over The Cukoos Nest and the Movie Essay -- Film

Ken Kesey's One Flew Over The Cukoos Nest and the Movie The film version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, produced by Milos Forman, contains many similarities to the novel, however the differences are numerous to the extent that the story, written by Ken Kesey, is overlooked by anyone who only saw the film. Ken Kesey wrote the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, after experimenting with drugs and working on a psychiatric ward in 1960 and the novel was published in 1962. â€Å"Kesey became a night attendant on the Menlo Park Veterans Hospital psychiatric ward so that he could concentrate on his writing.† (Magill 1528) Kesey’s rebellious novel explores the world of mental patients struggling against authority and society through incredible imagery. He was able to describe this struggle because of his personal experiences. Kesey was â€Å"disturbed by the dehumanizing treatment of the patients† (Beetz 3089-3090), so he decided to write this novel about them. In his surrealistic life’s work, Ke n Kesey has managed to capture both the gloomy asylum atmosphere and the mental patients’ demented attitudes. Kesey’s novel proclaims a classic struggle between good and evil or the hero and the villain. This contemporary classic was brought to life through the film version in 1975 and is considered â€Å"one of the greatest American films of all time† (Dirks 1). It was the first film to receive all the major Oscar awards. These included Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. The same name as the novel was chosen so that it would appeal to contemporary audiences, which proved to be a big hit at the box office. â€Å"Its allegorical theme is set in the world of an authentic mental hospital, a place of rebellion by a wise-guy hero against institutional authority and attitudes.† (Dirks 1) The initial difference between the novel and the film is the main character. In the novel, the story is told through the eyes of the narrator, Chief Bromden. Chief Bromden is the main character and â€Å"the most fully developed character in the novel.† (Beetz 3089) The Chief is a supposedly deaf-mute, half-breed Indian who is a very large and powerful man. He is a paranoid-schizophrenic who has been a Chronic patient on the ward for fifteen years. He is known as â€Å"Chief Broom,† because he is constantly pushing a broom around the ward. From the beginning, the reader... ...o is stripped of his dignity, significance, and freedom.† (Magill 1531) The theme leads a person through a whole different world. A world where paranoia runs wild and chaos is second in command only to Nurse Ratched, or society and how powerful a single authority can be. Chapter by chapter and scene by scene, the plot unravels, separating truth and insanity to reveal an amazing war of the mind. The power of strict, systematic control, verses the power of rebellion is a strong issue of the 1960’s and this issue works well as the theme for the novel and film. A powerful story is told where everyone’s individualism is essential to life. A person must meet life on its own terms or lose their individuality, dignity, and freedom. Even though McMurphy died, his legend lives on. An individual can find criticism with the â€Å"nest† or psychiatric hospitals or an individual can see how all of us are trapped in a restrictive and maddening "nest† of our own making. Although there are similarities and differences between the novel and film, it is an enjoyable version of strange human interaction with a battle against authority. The story is universal and it can be found in all aspects of life.

Sun chief Essay -- essays research papers

Different cultures and religions have many different customs and rituals. In Islam it is common practice for women to be covered from head to toe. In Tibetan Buddhism it is common for devotees to practice asceticism. In Hopi culture and religious tradition food and sex play large and important roles, although in different situations the roles may be completely opposite. In Sun Chief particularly the chapter called â€Å"the Making of a Man† we can see that food is very important spiritually to the Hopi people. In the Wowochim ceremony each boy is given their manhood name over a â€Å"mother-corn ear† (159). In each of a dozen or more ceremonies we see that certain practices such as the sprinkling of corn (159, 160, 162, etc.), or the eating of unsalted foods as a form of fasting (158, 161, 165, etc.), is a major theme. This notion of giving foods back to the Gods, likely stems from the location of the Hopi nation in the desert region of the American southwest. Because food is scarce here, the Hopi people look upon it as the chief gift of the Gods, and therefore the offering of food back to the Gods makes sense. It also makes sense that in certain times of exceptional spiritual devotion, the giving up of food would be necessary to show an intense piety and strength. On the other hand, food is also seen by the Hopi as an important part of celebration. In order to prepare for the Wowochim ceremony the boys hunt and kill as many rabbits as they can get. These are then taken by their mo...

Dances of Luzon

Dances of Luzon ( see side bar for pictures of many of the dances ) 1. * Dance: Idaw This dance sometimes has many names and different versions. Most common is this dance depicts the hunting ritual performed before a tribal war. The tribes men would go out and look up and watch for the scared Idaw bird. Which is said to lead the tribe to victory. Also look at the clothing, Philippines being a very hot climate, plus the use of as little material as possible, the traditional clothing was not made to cover much of the body†¦. 2. * Dance : BangaThis dance displays the Igorot women on their way to the river to fetch the daily water supply for thier familys. It shows the skill and strength of the women as they would carry heavy laiden clay pots (Banga) full of water. Their grace and agility while balancing the heavy pots, sometimes stacks 5 high, is a testiment of the Filipino and how hardships become a art form and talent. As a young girl you would start with only one pot. Of course as you become older and more experienced, along with the fact that you could provide more water for your family in one trip.Pots could be stacked as high as 5 or 6. The more pots you could carry showed your skill and also you standing amoung the women of that area. They would all gather and march to the river each day, singing a native song which is represented by the flute and banging of bamboo on iron pots in the dance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3. * Dance : Idudu The family is the basic structure of family life among the Itneg / Tinggian poeple. The caring for the Children is shared by both the mother and father.While the men are clearing the fields, breaking the soil with bamboo and their feet, the women watch the children. Soon as the men are done, they take care of the children while the women do back breaking work. You can see in the dance how the women will take the bamboo baskets in a shaking fashion like drying the rice, while the men are going in circles in background like they are to iling the land. Then you will see the women put down the baskets fold the cloth into a baby while the husband stands aside.Then the women will turn over the baby to the husband, pick up the bamboo and start toiling the land while the men hold and cradle the babys†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4. * Dance : Ragsaksakan The word means † Merriment†. This dance would be performed after a successful headhunt and also for a peace pact between waring tribles. The colorful hand woven blankets † blankets of life† are worn around the neck while baskets to carry produce or rice are worn upon the head. Some versions of this dance use the † Banga † instead of the basket.Dances of Mindanao – ( See side bar for pictures and more info) 5. * Dance : Singkil Sinkil dance takes its name from the bells worn on the ankles of the Muslim princess. Perhaps one of the oldest of truly Filipino dances, the Singkil recounts the epic legend of the â€Å"Darangan† of the M aranao people of Mindanao. This epic, written sometime in the 14th century, tells the fateful story of Princess Gandingan, who was caught in the middle of a forest during an earthquake caused by the diwatas, or fairies or nymph of the forest.The rhythmic clapping of criss-crossed bamboo poles represent the trees that were falling, which she gracefully avoids. Her slave loyally accompanies her throughout her ordeal. Finally, she is saved by the prince. Dancers wearing solemn faces and maintaining a dignified pose being dancing at a slow pace which soon progresses to a faster tempo skillfully manipulate apir, or fans which represent the winds that prove to be auspicious. The dancers weave expertly through criss-crossed bamboos. 6. * Dance : Asik This is performed by a solo madien, adorned with fine beads and make up, long head scarf.She would dance to win the favor of her Sultan master. Many time the girls would dance to win the hearts of her master or to make up for a wrong she had d one. She would give her whole heart and soul into this performance to soften the heart of her master to accept her†¦ Visayas Dances – ( see pictures in the side bar ) 7. * Dance : Sayaw Sa Banko This dance is native to the barrio of Pangapisan, Lingayen, Pangasinan, and demands skill from its performers who must dance on top of a bench roughly six inches wide. 8. * Dance : TinklingTinnikling is considered the national folkdance with a pair of dancers hopping between two bamboo poles held just above the ground and struck together in time to music. Originated from Leyte Province, this dance is in fact a mimic movement of â€Å"tikling birds† hopping over trees, grass stems or over bamboo traps set by farmers. Dancers perform this dance with remarkable grace and speed jumping between bamboo poles. 9. * Dance : Subli The term â€Å"subli† is from two tagalog words â€Å"subsub† meaning falling on head and â€Å"bali†, which means broken.Hence, the dancers appear to be lame and crooked throughout the dance. This version is originally a ritual dance of the natives of Bauan, Batangas, which is shown during fiestas as a ceremonial worship dance to the town’s icon, the holy cross 10. * Dance : Maglalatik Originally performed in Binan, Laguna as a mock-war dance that demonstrates a fight between the Moros and the Christians over the prized latik or coconut meat during the Spanish rule, this dance is also shown to pay tribute to the town’s patron saint, San Isidro Labrador.It has a four-part performance such as the palipasan and the baligtaran showing the intense battle, the paseo and the escaramusa- the reconciliation. Moro dancers wear read trousers while the Christian dancers show up in blue. All dancers are male; with harnesses of coconut shells attached on their chests, backs, thighs and hips Project In Physical Education 2 Philippine Folk Dances

Red Bull and Reaction Times Essay

Introduction Substances that humans intake in food or drink contain various chemicals that affect the normal bodily functions of the consumer. Stimulants are drugs which when absorbed into the body raises physiological or nervous activity. The Red Bull Energy Drink is a stimulant, which contains psychoactive ingredients such as taurine, glucuronolactone and caffeine. Sportsmen and people requiring large amounts of energy or mental stimulation consume Red Bull because the beverage claims to â€Å"increase concentration and reaction speed†. Due to Red Bull’s claim, and its increasing popularity amongst teenagers in my grade, I wanted to test if the drink did actually affect the consumer psychoactively, and to how significant an extent. To test the claim, I decided to assess 20 subjects in their psychomotor performance (reaction time/concentration) both at a normal bodily function state, and then under the influence of the chemical stimulant Red Bull. Such a test would involve many variables that had to be kept constant. Hence, this test involved 20 male subjects aged 18 to 19 years of age, who were informed beforehand of the assessment procedure. These subjects were given instructions to have at least 8 hours of sleep the night before the experiment, and were told to be present for the assessment on an empty stomach. These subjects were also not allowed to consume any other food or drink substances during the window period of testing, and the entire experiment was conducted on the same day in a 3 hour window (8:30am to 11:30am). Each subject was to consume 250ml of water (experiment control) and 250 of Red Bull. Also, to allow the substances to absorb into the body of the consumer, reaction tests were conducted only 45 minutes after consumption of the substance. Such variables were important to have been kept in order to ensure that no other environmental factors or other chemicals being absorbed into the body will affect the experiment. The reaction speed assessment is conducted electronically. Each assessment consists of the subject concentrating on a yellow spot on the screen, which will turn red. Upon changing colour, the subject has to click using a provided mouse as fast as possible, and the reaction time is calculated electronically. Each assessment consists of 5 trials. A 2 sample t-test will be used to assess the if there is a significant difference between the reaction time of the subjects under the influence of water, versus under the influence of Red Bull. Research Question Is there a significant difference between the reaction speed of 18-19 year old males under the influence of water and under the influence of Red Bull Energy Drink? Hypothesis I believe that the reaction speed of the subjects under the influence of Red Bull Energy Drink is shorter than under the influence of water. Considering how consumers drink Red Bull to boost themselves when feeling lethargic, or having difficulties focusing, Red Bull must have a significant effect on the body’s psychoactivity. I also believe that an increase in the chemical stimulants (taurine, glucuronolactone and caffine) as well as high sugar levels will cause an increase in psychoactivity within the consumer’s body due to the nature of the chemical stimulants. (A sample sign-up form can be found on the following page.) Pre-Experiment Procedure: 2. Measure 250ml of water and pour it into the large cup. 3. Repeat step 2 20 times. This is to prepare the initial control for the subjects to consume. 4. Give a cup to each subject. Subjects consume the 250ml of water at about 2 minute intervals from each other. Start the stopwatch once the first subject has begun drinking. 5. Prepare a computer terminal with the reaction test given in the following link below. Instructions on how to conduct the test are provided on-site. You may need a computer lab to carry out the test. Each test involves five trials. http://www.steriley.com/speed/ 6. When 45 minutes has passed, allocate the first subject to the computer. Instruct him/her to carry out the test. Assist any volunteer who may require extra help. 7. When the subject has completed the test, collect the results into a table. Allocate the next subject to begin the test. This step should be completed in exactly 2 minutes. 8. Repeat steps 3-7 once more, but instead give each subject a can of Red Bull instead of water. Investigate How Red Bull Energy Drink Affects The Reaction Time of 18-19 Year Old Human Males. (Sign-up sheet) Details: Venue: St Josephs Institution International Date: 11 June 2011 Time: 8:30am – 11:30am (please be punctual) Instructions (read carefully before signing up): * Volunteers must be male and between the ages of 18 and 19.* * Volunteers must receive 8 hours of sleep before the experiment day. * Volunteers must not have consumed any food or drinks at least 3 hours before the experiment. * Volunteers are not to consume any food or drink during the experiment period. * Volunteers are not allowed to do any strenuous activities during the experiment period. This includes running, and other forms of exercise. Std. Dev:| 0.033| 0.019| Graph showing mean reaction times of 20 males, ages 18-19 under influence of water and of Red Bull: From the graph, we can already infer that there is quite a large difference between the reaction times of the subjects under the influence of Red Bull as compared to water. The t-test to follow will show if this difference shown on the graph is a significant difference or not. T-test: I will now use a t-test to prove whether there is a significant difference between the reaction times of an 18-19 year old male under the influence of water or Red bull. Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference between the reaction times of an 18-19 year old male under the influence of either water or Red Bull Energy Drink. Alternate Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant difference between the reaction times of an 18-19 year old male under the influence of Red Bull Energy Drink as compared to water. Working: For this experiment, the degrees of freedom is calculated to be: 20+20-2=38. The t-value as provided by the GDC is 6.2966 or 6.30 corrected to 3 significant figures. The p-value as provided by the table is 1.684 (at 40 d.f) with a confidence level of 95%. 6.30>1.684, ∠´t>p. The value of t is larger than p. The P-value as calculated by the GDC is 2.232737 x 10 -7 or 0.000000223 (3.s.f.) P

Henry Kissinger 1971 secret trip to China Thesis

Henry Kissinger 1971 secret trip to China - Thesis Example 1 As manifested by historical events, Kissinger’s trip to China could be considered as an essential factor that strengthened the U.S-China relations. Fergusson further noted that the substantial matters discussed during his trip in 1971 enabled the United States’ opening to China, and at the same time, China began to open its relations with the United States, which was actually driven by â€Å"Mao Zedong’s fear of encirclement.†2 Under such circumstance, a potential argument could be justified such that if it was not for China’s opening to the United States, China would not emerge to be America’s largest foreign holder and as to how it would utilize its present economic power is a crucial matter that needs to be addressed, wherein Kissinger, who had a long period of diplomatic relations with China, could offer a better insight regarding the issue.3 In addition, Hanhimaki and Westad mentioned that one of the primary objectives for the opening o f relations was to use China as a support against the Soviet Union towards a triangular diplomacy between Washington, Moscow and Beijing.4 Another significant issue is on the implication of foreign policy, wherein Hamilton emphasized that Kissinger recognized the rivalry between China and Russia, which could indicate that the Chinese would possibly welcome improved relations with the Americans that may cause much trouble to the Soviets. 5 Similarly, Xia also pointed out that Nixon, being a foreign policy president, was firm on restoring and enhancing the United States’ status in world affairs, where he gave an extensive value of improving its relations with China.6 Finally, Kissinger’s secret visit stimulated China’s expectation to gain political benefits, where it would have greater chances to enter the U.N., and as expected by Kissinger, China used its influence

Stakeholder in the Information System Assignment - 31

Stakeholder in the Information System - Assignment Example Consulting stakeholders, when it comes to redesigning a new system, is extremely essential in a business (Lejk and Deeks 16). Stakeholders, in system analysis, are the individuals who determine the main requirements, which should be met by the whole system so as to meet the wants of the sponsors, customers, as well as the users. Also, the aim of redesigning a new system is to do away with the inappropriate technologies, which limit the productivity of the current system. Stakeholders, in system analysis, know the best technology, which will work appropriately with the new system (Lejk and Deeks 16). They can help design the proper system, which will assist them in their dealings. (iii) Consider the college-wide IT infrastructure. If you were a systems analyst in the college investigating wireless access, list a non-technical and technical user who you would consult as part of your investigation. For each user, outline three (3) issues you might want to discuss with them in an interview. Some of the issues that I could discuss with the non-technician user are how to interact with customers, who to interact with designers, as well as assisting programmers to during the design of the system. A non-technician user, to information systems, mainly deals with the nontechnical part of the system and who I could be maintained (Lejk and Deeks 27). Therefore, a nontechnical user will assist me in learning how to relate to clients and how to document their requirements, which are mainly used to create business requirements and dealings. Also, a nontechnical user will assist me in interacting with designers in order to understand the limitations of using system analysis (Lejk and Deeks 27). A technical user, in system analysis, on the other hand, would help me understand the technical part of system analysis (Lejk and Deeks 28). Some of the main issues, which I could ask the technical user, are how to plan a system flow from the beginning, how to perform a system testing and how to deploy the completed system.  Ã‚