Ethics and Counselling Applications

Ethics and History



"Ethics (from Greek - meaning "custom") is the branch of axiology, one of the four major branches of philosophy, which attempts to understand the nature of morality; to distinguish that which is right from that which is wrong. The Western tradition of ethics is sometimes called 'moral philosophy'". (WIKIPEDIA).



The origins of ethics are related to the introduction of moral behaviour in early societies. The application of concepts such as 'right' and 'wrong', and the definition of these concepts in different environments, induced the need for a formal approach to social behaviour - an attempt to create commonality and organisation in a society. In this context, codes of behavior were created, and different forms of behaviour enforcement adopted.



As societies developed, and increasing importance was placed in structural thinking - such as the advent of sciences - meta-ethics became an eminent topic of discussion. Meta-ethics refers to the investigation of ethical statements, an actual analysis of ethics itself. Names such as Hobbes, Kant and Nietzsche were prominent in this period.



Nowadays, ethics is still a main topic of discussion. As societies evolve, the relationships between individuals become more complex, and so do the etiquettes and codes of conduct. The development of business relationships has raised many ethical dilemmas, and ethical counselling is one of them.



Ethical Counselling



Because counselling is not a regulated profession in many countries (including Australia), the use of ethical standards is a method of guiding the quality of the services provided by counsellors, the quality of training provided to counsellors, and of protecting clients. These standards provide conduct guidelines for professionals and are an effective way support many counsellors lacking experience or knowledge of the industry. It also serves the purpose of structuring the counselling industry, providing common professional descriptions, definitions and service boundaries according to each type of counsellor.



There is a wide range of issues comprising the field of ethical counselling - which are also part of common guidelines for the practice of therapy. According to Daniluk and Haverkamp (1993), "the main ethical framework referred to in many discussions of therapy is one based on the concepts of autonomy, fidelity, justice, beneficence, non-maleficence and self interest". In this context, we devise several 'problem areas' in ethical counselling:



Law and Counselling



The need for professionalisation has created a common link between ethical behaviour and legal conduct in the therapy fields. Legislation was provided to primarily protect clients from misguidance, and ultimately to provide guidelines for the profession. However, as cited previously, in most countries ethical conduct in counselling is not yet part of the legal framework - which outlines the importance of professional and industry peak associations in providing guidelines and codes of conduct for affiliated professionals.



The Australian Counselling Association is one industry association in Australia that provides ethical guidelines and a code of conduct for counsellors. The ACA's Code of Ethics and Code of Practice are part of the Code of Conduct - which can be accessed from their website at www.theaca.net.au/docs/code_conduct.pdf. An excerpt from this Code is:



Counsellors will:



- Offer a non-judgemental professional service, free from discrimination, honouring the individuality of the client.



- Establish the helping relationship in order to maintain the integrity and empowerment of the client without offering advice.



- Be committed to ongoing personal and professional development.



Confidentiality



This area is closely linked with the legal issues in counselling therapy. Confidentiality plays a major role in defining the communication between a counsellor and a client, bearing in mind that trust is one of the backbones of a therapeutic relationship. Albeit confidentiality is a key component of the relationship, it is also one of the leading causes of ethical dilemmas for counsellors. Situations which may put the client - or other individuals - in danger usually require the counsellor to make difficult decisions in regards to breaching confidentiality. In many instances, the actual breach is a legal requirement as it may incur the prevention of a crime against the state, or another person.



Other predominant issues such as consultancy with supervisors or colleagues; definition of the type of confidentiality to be used (absolute or relative) prior to the counselling relationship; and session record-keeping, must be considered by therapists when practicing professional counselling.



Bad Practice



The issues of privacy and power in a counselling session can be prejudicial in terms of unethical practice. The private nature of a counselling session leaves a 'gap for unsupervised practice', and therefore it is quite difficult to be assessed. For instance, fairly recent explorations of unethical practice in therapy have shown the emerging problem of sexual abuse of clients. This issue is augmented by the power relationship between client and counsellor, in which the therapist could take advantage of their position of power to practice unethical behaviour.



Training and Professional Recognition (Australian Industry)



As cited before, counselling is not regulated in most countries. In order to standardise the industry, and ensure that counsellors have the necessary skills to professionally practice, training and recognition must be accentuated. In Australia, the ACA plays a role in coordinating industry efforts, providing information to the public and maintaining records of counsellors in practice.



That system protects clients from bad practice, and supports training standards for organisations that provide counsellor training. The Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors, as an example, is recognised by the ACA - which means that AIPC and the Diploma of Professional Counselling complies with industry standards defined by this peak organisation in regards to training standards for counsellors.



Safety and Negligence



These concepts are utmost concerns of counsellors in practice. A counsellor-client relationship is a very delicate encounter of an individual seeking help, and a professional providing advice. Primarily, it is the counsellor's responsibility to provide a safe environment for the counselling session - particularly because physical and psychological safety is a premise for the counselling therapy to succeed. Negligence is closely related to the concepts of breach of confidentiality and safety. Observing principles for duty of care is part of ethical behaviour in counselling.



Complying with ethical guidelines is one of the most important aspects of being a professional counsellor. Creating awareness in both counsellor and clients of the boundaries of the services provided will lead to a better development of the profession, and overall improvement of industry standards. Counsellors are responsible for keeping up-to-date with professional codes of ethics, confidentiality guidelines, and other relevant information.



© Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. If you wish to republish or reproduce this article, please include this information in the end of the article. For more information about the Institute - please visit www.aipc.net.au/lz. To access our Article Library, visit www.aipc.net.au/articles

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Flock Buster - 100% Ecologically Friendly Bird Repellent

Blackbirds, a migratory nuisance to farmers and an environmentally friendly approach to manage them.Some 70 million blackbirds come through the Northern Plains each year, including about 6 million that stop in North Dakota, biologists say. Each blackbird protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act can feed on about an ounce of sunflower seeds daily. The USDA estimates blackbirds feed on more than $10 million worth of sunflowers each year in North Dakota, which accounts for about half the nation's sunflower production.What appeals to them? Water, cattails and sunflowers, the perfect combination.Now that we know what appeals to them, how can we best manage them? What has been tried, what has been ineffective and is there anything that works or has promise of working and is safe to the environment? Flock Buster, a 100% ecologically friendly bird repellent effective in managing blackbirds and Canadian Geese in a variety of crops and in various stages of growth. To learn more, visit http://www.flockbuster.com.Some of the methods used in trying to manage blackbirds include Federal wildlife officials targeting entire parcels of cattail-choked wetlands in North Dakota to kill the favorite habitat of sunflower-scarfing blackbirds. To date, some 60,000 acres of cattail marshes in North Dakota have been destroyed since 1991 in an attempt keep blackbirds at bay. In 2008, about 4,500 acres of wetlands in 16 counties were treated in North Dakota and 8,000 acres are planned for 2009. The favorite chemical for this is a herbicide that at best is only effective for 5 years. WildEarth Guardians, based in Santa Fe., N.M. alleges the Federal Agricultural Department's Wildlife Services agency is violating the Federal Clean Water Act by applying herbicides on wetlands in North and South Dakota to kill cattails. In April 2009, it notified the USDA that they were filing a lawsuit in Federal Court. A spokesman of the group says it's ironic that some of the cattails sprayed with herbicide are on government-established wetlands created using federal funds. A spokesman from the same group claims "A special interest group is benefiting at the expense of taxpayers, at the expense of our clean water and our wildlife". I would have to argue that the North Dakota Farmer is not a special interest group. The North Dakota farmer is an important part of "American" agriculture. In 2008, the cost of killing cattails was $166,000.00 to spray 3,700 acres of wetlands in North Dakota and 99 acres in South Dakota. Scott McLeod, a biologist for the conservation group Ducks Unlimited based in Bismarck, North Dakota said, "Killing cattails has minimal impact to waterfowl, good or bad." He called the federally funded cattail-removal program a "Band-Aid approach" to an impossible problem.Sunflower growers have tried a variety of other control methods over the years, including propane cannons, electronic noise devises, radio-controlled airplanes and shotguns to scare birds out of fields. The Wildlife Services also funded a program that involved seeding small "decoy plots of sunflowers near wetlands where the blackbirds roost, hoping that it would keep them from feasting on farmers' larger commercial fields. The trouble with these type of repellent methods are acoustical, visual and physical exclusion do not work well or long since birds get accustomed to these types of methods, and they become ineffective.To date, no bird repellents are currently registered for maturing grain, sunflower, bean or corn crops. Flock Buster however, a 100% ecologically friendly bird repellent, has proven effective at managing blackbirds in sunflowers and corn. Over the years, many chemical bird repellents have come and gone, partly due to lack of effectiveness, but also because of adverse health side-effects. At present, there are no effective, food grade chemical bird repellents. The use of avicides, a chemical used to kill birds will continue to be controversial and lack general public acceptance. A major constraint to the development of chemical repellents is the lack of profit incentives for private companies that see limited markets for new bird control products. Every new wildlife damage management method will undergo public scrutiny through the National Environmental Policy Act.Currently a product which is totally chemical free and environmentally friendly, named "Flock Buster", is being marketed and distributed out of West Fargo, North Dakota and has proven to be quite successful at keeping blackbirds out of sunflowers. It is also showing some very positive characteristics at deterring Canadian Geese and sea-gulls. For deterring blackbirds however where wetlands or water are nearby, a blackbird control program needs to be implemented using a variety of repellent methods with the cooperation of the grower, EPA, Wildlife Services agency and the USDA. A several step approach without the use of chemicals to destroy wetlands, the use of chemicals as a desiccant on sunflower fields, or poisons to kill birds needs to be implemented. This would include an educational program and funding by the Federal Government since the birds and wetlands are governed by them. The program's primary goal needs to be to improve profitability to agricultural producers, enhance the health and safety of urban dwellers, protect the environment through development of newly improved management strategies and implementing new wildlife management strategies. We can accomplish this by:1. The use of only non-chemical environmentally friendly products like Flock Buster applied to crops as a deterrent method.2. The use of small "decoy" plots of sunflowers adjacent to commercial plots of sunflowers near wetland areas that would not be treated with any type of blackbird repellents.3. Manually harvesting cattail wetlands and restricting or totally eliminating the use of herbicides to manage them.4. The use of acoustical and visual repellents for heavy infestations in conjunction with the non-chemical products.5. Public education programs about the bird problem for farmers and the economic costs to the state in which these pests migrate to and why Federal dollars need to be used to assist the producer maintain an adequate profit margin as they are such a vital link to the production of this product.The five items listed above are only a few of the many possible tools that would augment and enhance the effectiveness of a environmentally friendly pest management program; but whatever program is adopted and integrated, it must focus and rely more heavily or exclusively on environmentally friendly products and concepts. Coordinated efforts need to start early in the off season with the producer and the Wildlife Services agency to identify the production areas, the wetland areas that would cause a problem for the grower and the strategies of an environmentally-friendly wildlife management program that will be implemented to assist the grower.To learn more about Flock Buster or to visit with one of our consultants visit http://www.flockbuster.com.

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How to Control Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is a costly problem, so it is very important to plan ahead when buying a home. Making sure soil erosion control and rain damage prevention are done right during the original landscaping and building of your home will lead to a nicer overall yard and keeping your yearly maintenance costs down.



The by-product of soil erosion is sediment. You've seen this after a hard rain on your sidewalks and driveways. Sediment from soil erosion is the largest pollutant in our lakes, rivers and streams. If your yard sediment clogs up your storm sewers, it can cause flooding. Any uncovered land on your property, no matter how large or small an area, is susceptible to rain damage and soil erosion.



Sediment from yards can also be a major source of phosphorus in lakes and streams. When you get excess phosphorus, there is a higher likelihood of unhealthy algae blooms. These algae blooms cause an awful smell, and can kill fish and other water life. Rain damage prevention along with soil erosion control is the better way to keep our waterways clear and the environment clean. (Not to mention it is much more cost effective to prevent the damage than to try to restore something after it has been damaged.)



There are key ways to keeping your yard looking better. Some common ways of planning for soil erosion control and rain damage prevention are:



• Cover all stock-piled soil you have on your property. When these soil stock-piles are not in use, keeping them covered with a weighted plastic tarp will help with soil erosion control.

• Plant a temporary vegetative cover on your unfinished yard. When you have an area of your yard that is bare and won't be touched for a while, just plant something temporarily to help hold the soil in place. Annual rye grass is a good choice for this.

• Use mulch. Any areas of soil that are exposed and next to a hard surface, like a sidewalk or driveway, should be covered and stabilized by mulch or mulch and a temporary vegetative covering. There are many types of mulching products, including straw, straw netting blankets and wood fiber blankets. When you place these on large areas of bare ground, you are doing the best thing possible for rain damage prevention and soil erosion control.

• When your home landscaping is complete, permanently seed or sod your entire yard. This will stabilize the soil for the life of your yard.



Now that we have covered many soil erosion control methods, we can move to the rain damage prevention of your home.



When a house is built, water that lands on the roof generally runs off and is taken to the ground through gutters and downspouts. Gutters should be properly fitted from the start and pitched toward the downspouts. Keeping the gutters sloping to the downspouts will accelerate water flow, and will allow the water to flow easily. To keep this all from leaking, any joints in the gutters and downspouts should be caulked.



Downspouts are normally found on the corners of the house. All downspouts should be properly fitted with screws and sealers. At the bottom of the downspout, piping situated underground is connected and all water will be taken away from the house through subsurface drainage.



Although this design for rain damage prevention and soil erosion control has been around for many years, sometime it can be very costly. If any maintenance is needed, whether due to leakage or clogging, you can be looking at a hefty bill.



Now enters the "new kid on the block" for rain damage prevention and soil erosion control. There is a product on the market that actually extends your downspout far enough out into your yard to help keep your home safe from rain damage and soil erosion. Rainguard Downspout Extensions are placed on the bottom of a downspout and they roll out when it rains to drain the water away from your home. What is especially nice about these extensions are that they roll back up and out of the way when it is not raining.



So, as you can see, you have many options for soil erosion control and rain damage prevention in property you own and maintain. A rain storm does not have to be a problem for you or your environment.



To read about false acacia and umbrella thorn acacia, visit the Acacia Plant site.

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Diesel Performance Chips

Diesel Performance Chips have been evolving for over a decade and counting. With the increasing popularity of "TDI" (Turbocharged Direct Injection) diesel engines in passenger cars and trucks, the demand for aftermarket tuning products has also increased.

These products include but are not limited to electronic devices that I refer to as Diesel Performance Chips. Companies such as Bully Dog, Superchips, Edge, Diablosport and Hypertech and others manufacture devices such as replacement ECM’s (electronic control module) circuit boards, modules that plug in to the vehicles wiring harness and also programmers and tuners.

The tuners or programmers are probably my favorite, second to modules. Tuners and programmers are pretty much the same thing, just different names depending on the manufacturer. I’ll refer to them as tuners for the rest of the article.

The great thing about a tuner is that they plug directly into the OBDII port usually located under the dash. The OBDII port is a universal port that a code scanner can be connected to read DTC’s (diagnostic trouble codes)

When a tuner is connected to the OBDII port, on screen instructions will guide you through the process of reprogramming the computer. Trust me, it’s way easier than it sounds. The whole process is automated and only takes about two minutes from start to finish.

Most all of the newer tuners are also DTC readers as well which will allow you to check and erase the codes if the check engine light ever comes on. A lot easier than having to take it to a mechanic to see why your light is on.

When a tuner’s aftermarket programming is uploading to your vehicle or you are done checking the DTC’s, simply unplug the unit and store it away. A vehicle can be returned back to the factory programming at any time.

Modules will plug directly into the vehicles wiring harness. Usually all this entails is following the directions to find the correct plug most often located under the hood. Simply disconnect the plug, connect the module between where the factory plug was connected. Very simple.

If you want to return the vehicle back to stock, remove the module and reconnect the harness the way is way before installing the module.

What most manufacturers refer to as an actual "chip" is a replacement circuit board that will require removal of the ECM and replacing the factory circuit board with an aftermarket unit. I tend to call all of the above Diesel Performance Chips.

The way that Diesel Performance Chips work in general is they reprogram the factory settings of the vehicle to settings that allow the engine to run more efficiently. Settings like fuel flow rate, timing curve and transmission shift points are the three I will explain.

Increasing the fuel flow can actually help the vehicle to run more efficiently, contrary to what one might think. When there is more fuel injected into the cylinder on acceleration, there is less "turbo lag." Turbo lag is the time before the turbocharger builds pressure. Lag is between when you hit the accelerator and when the turbo spools up and corrects the air/fuel ratio.

The longer the turbo lag, the longer the time it takes for the engine to burn the fuel more completely. By increasing the fuel, the lag time is decreased, thus making the engine more efficient and giving it better throttle response.

One more benefit to more fuel is that overall during acceleration, more boost pressure will be reached giving a more complete burn of the fuel.

The timing curve is now reprogrammed to coincide with the increased fuel. At a higher RPM, advancing the timing will give the engine more time to burn the fuel and again make the engine more efficient.

Changing the shifting points will also increase efficiency by holding the gear longer under heavy acceleration and keeping the RPM’s lower under light acceleration.

I hope this article was informative and answers some of you questions about the differences between chips, modules, tuners and programmers. For more information, to review vehicle specific products or if you just want to say hi, please visit the website below. The website contains information on alternative fuels and other ways to increase fuel mileage, but the main focus is Diesel Performance Chips.


Your Friend,

Lukas L Rethke

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Managing bank liquidity in real time

Just a decade ago the concept of bank liquidity was for all intents and purposes only one for the Bank Regulator to really concern himself with. Certainly, a bank had to remain liquid – a critical factor if it were to continue to enjoy the confidence of its depositors – but this criticality was more an “after the event” issue than a live drama that unfolds in real time.

Then banks enjoyed a high degree of anonymity and choice in how it managed its liquidity. This was as a result of the techniques then used for settling interbank obligations. These techniques had been devised and refined over two or more centuries. They had come from a pre-computer world that relied on manual transaction processing of instruments such as cheques. Early moves at computerization of bank processes simply mechanized the manual approach by using the batch processing system. So the critical factor that related to the measuring of a bank’s liquidity could only be determined after the end of the trading day had been completed and all the “ins” and the “outs” were matched up. Even then, a bank had a safety net, provided by the central bank, which in most countries was prepared to cover any shortfall, and then to backdate this cover to the previous trading day.

A growing understanding of settlement risk and the possible contagion to systemic failure led central banks, almost without exception, to implement payment systems, usually under their own direct control that ensured finality of settlement. Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) especially where high value payments were involved has become the accepted mechanism of ensuring safety in national payment systems.

This was followed by the need to ensure that the settlement of stock exchange transactions also took place in a secure manner and that delivery of the shares was only against the exchange of a payment that was final and irrevocable. The RTGS approach fitted this need admirably.

Foreign exchange settlements were the next problem. The collapse of the Herrstadt Bank had caused major problems. The solution was provided by a group of major international banks who devised the continuous linked concept of settling one currency against another (a PvP or Payments versus Payments system) in a secure environment, not unlike a domestic RTGS system. Their proposal for the CLS (continuous linked settlement) system won the approval of the major central banks and has been implemented for a number of major currencies. Again the RTGS system was pressed into use to provide the secure payments leg.

Added to this was an additional factor, that of straight through processing (STP), where the ideal is to ensure that transactions right form their initiation in the clients office to their ultimate destination can be achieved no human intervention. The rewards, of error free transactions are immense.

Of course this shift to real-time transactions and transaction processing and straight through processing (STP) has added to the need to manage liquidity in real time.

Each new payment dimension (i.e. RTGS, DvP, CLS) adds to the complexity of the problem. Funds flows now involve domestic, foreign and securities payments as a minimum – each flow is really dependent on the other flows. There may be other dimensions too, depending on local arrangement and conditions, where other settlements may be require to be settled in real-time and on RTGS principles, such as ACH operations or cheque clearing operations.

The looming complexity of these requirements was the subject of an intensive study in 2000 by the Payments Risk Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (“Interday Liquidity in the Evolving Payment System: A study of the impact of the Euro, CLS Bank and CHIPS finality”). The study examined the potential implications for US dollar intraday liquidity risks that would come about from planned changes to payment systems in the US and elsewhere. In the words of the committee the report was “intended to stimulate dialogue on the issue and to suggest some possible best practices”. Even though the main focus was on the liquidity effect to banks in the US, the problems and the solutions are applicable to banks everywhere. A key finding of the committee is quoted below in full, as it clearly illustrates the direction in which bank liquidity management has been heading.

“These changes will create a need for better measurement of payments flows, use of queuing techniques to regulate payment flows, better communications, and a generally higher awareness by treasury managers of developments in the payments processing functions. Payment operations will assume some of the characteristics of continuous industrial processes where real-time measurement is required to assess the buildup of imbalances within systems, identify gridlocks within and between systems, and establish more elaborate contingency plans. The interconnections between systems will also require new control processes in order to cope with unexpected volume and systems changes.”

The liquidity management aspects of a bank’s operations is a critical area. However, up to the present time, many banks have not yet fully realized the effects that the real-time flows of funds have on their operations. Up to now, most of them have only worried themselves with the effects of the local RTGS system.

Depending on the size of the bank, the basic problem that is faces will be different. As an example, in a smaller bank, the problem could well be one of trying to match the magnitudes of the inflows and the outflows in "approximate" real-time. This sort of problem does not arise in the case of the larger banks simply because they send and receive high volumes of payments almost continuously throughout the day. So essentially they have a natural flow of funds that helps with the matching process. In countries where CLS is now fully operational banks have found that they have another dimension to this real-time aspect. What has happened is a whole range of fresh scenarios as a result of interactions between the liquidity side of the RTGS system (which one must remember are real-time domestic payments) and the CLS system (which is real-time Forex settlement). A further example of this process is the RTGS interaction with the securities system.

One way to view the problem is to envisage a game of chess. The real-time liquidity challenge presented by an RTGS system alone, can be viewed as a game of chess, in two dimensions. However once one adds CLS, Securities and other real-time funds flows one begins to add additional “chessboards” to the first. One can visualize these extra chessboards as being stacked vertically so that in reality there are a number of games in three dimensions, one above each other. They are all being played at the same time and each game is affected by and interacts with each of the others. Checkmate on any one level can lead to checkmate on all the others. In essence one is forced to play a game of 3-dimensional chess, replacing the traditional one.

The approach and the concept to successfully managing intraday payment liquidity involves a high degree of technical and analytical complexity. Until recently the technical complications of successfully implementing such a system on a bank wide basis have been difficult to overcome. New technologies are changing this.

The basic principle of such a system lies in the effective modeling of payment inflows and outflows on a timed basis throughout the trading day. To model these flows three key information sources are required:

• Actual data. Actual data relating to payments that have already been received or made

• “In the Pipeline”. Data relating to “pending” payments. This may be payments in an internal RTGS queue, or scheduled to be made in terms of CLS or any other commitment. In certain cases inward payments may also be modeled with certainty such as CLS settlements due

• Forecast of payments flows. In some cases an estimate will need to be made of unaccounted for payment flows that are anticipated for the remainder of the trading day. This information may be based on historical data adapted in terms of day, the time of the month, fiscal calendar events and so on.

The timing of these various flows may be entirely random, as in an RTGS system or it may be to a specific schedule linked to pre-defined settlement times such as for ACH, Securities, CLS, Cheque and other similar settlements. The range of payments that need to be covered is essentially the whole range of payments that the bank is involved in clearing. For a typical bank this may involve all or most of the following elements:

• The RTGS system

• CLS obligations either as a direct participant or as a sponsored member or conventional foreign exchange flows

• Securities settlements

These three flows are relatively straightforward as they only involve the “credit” flow of funds – this means that payments are generated by the paying to the payee bank.

• ACH operations which will include the conventional debit and credit payment flows as well as Giro type payments

• Cheque clearing operations

• Credit/ Debit card clearing operations which would include EFTPOS transactions

• Other transaction flows such as the settlement of actual banknote withdrawals and deposits with the central bank or other parties.

These four scenarios are more complex in that they involve the processing of both credit and debit transactions, usually in the same systems. An example to illustrate what is meant would be a bank sending out both credit and debit ACH transactions – Credit payments would be an outflow to the bank, while debit transactions would represent an inflow of funds. The process is made more complex by the fact that very often transactions are returned for one reason or another – cheques will not be paid; credit transfers cannot be applied because the account has been closed etc.

An often heard criticism against including the flows for these last four systems in an overall liquidity management system is that while they represents high volumes of transactions their value tends to be insignificant and hence irrelevant to the overall position of the bank. This depends entirely on the customs and practices of the banking operations in the country concerned. In some countries values of cheque and non-RTGS electronic payments may exceed the total of RTGS values. In others cheques, as an example, still represent a significant volume and sometimes significant values.

The technique in managing intraday payment flows is relatively simple in principal – more difficult though in practice.

The techniques described below are based on the well-established process used by many of the world’s larger banks to manage their overall liquidity position in terms of assets and liabilities. Banks use this technique or a variation of it over a period of weeks or months. This technique can be adapted to manage the specific requirements of a bank intraday and end-of-day payments flow.

While this technique focuses on the use of the framework by larger banks in-so-far as the range and diversity of the various payment systems used, this approach is equally applicable to bank payment liquidity measurement and control, even for local, strictly domestic banks. The basic principles revolve around:

• Good management

• Information systems

• Centralized liquidity control

• Analysis of net funding requirements under alternative scenarios, and

• Contingency planning

All these are crucial elements of strong payment liquidity management at a bank of any size or scope of operations.

The information systems and analysis needed to implement the approach, however, can probably absorb fewer resources and be much less complex at a local bank or a bank that is active in fewer payment systems than the large, internationally active banks.

A bank’s “Treasury Manager” is similar to the commander on a battlefield. His forces are the liquidity that he has at his disposal; domestic balances, credit lines, foreign balances. With this basic force he has to fight a new “battle” each and every day to ensure that his institution has the liquidity to run its operations. Not only does he need to have the appropriate liquidity available, but also he needs to have a range of strategies to help him fight this “war”. The strategies and techniques that he will use will include derivatives, swaps, repurchase agreements etc.

The Treasurer’s office has become the command post in this new liquidity “battle” and a key element is going to be the information that he will need for each day’s operations. This information will include details of:

• Current day transactions and flows

• Details of transactions that are still in the “pipe-line”

• Estimates of expected transactions (for those transactions that have not quiet reached the pipeline), but based on know events, trends and historical information.

• Some very intelligent computing that combines all these sources of information into a single scenario that the bank treasures can use, effectively.

Safety Tips For Driving In The Dark

Driving at night is more dangerous under normal circumstances but there are things you can do to make it a little safer. You take a chance every time you get into a vehicle but even more so in the dark. You then have things to think about like darker conditions and lower visibility conditions. Here are a few tips you can take into consideration to make driving in the dark a little less hazardous.

Staying at home is of course the only guaranteed way of staying completely safe but sometimes that just isn't an option for whatever reason. For many people some of those reasons include things like work or last minute hospital trips. Whatever the reason sometimes it is just necessary to go out at night. So prepare yourself for possibilities and do whatever you can to make it a little safer.

If you are or have been drinking don't drive. Just because you think your ok doesn't mean you will be able to react fast enough to make that sudden turn or miss that squirrel in the road. This is an unnecessary chance you take with your own life but also the lives of every single person you encounter on the road.

Keep your headlights as clean as possible and make sure they are always working. Not only are headlights required by law but they are essential to seeing where you are going at night. Not all streets have street lights and even if they do they are inadequate for driving.

Make sure your tires, brakes and windshield wipers are in good working order. Rain is an irritation in the best of driving circumstances but when you couple that with darkness the results of a sudden rain storm occurring and not have any one of these things in working condition could be disastrous. Remember that the road is always wettest when it first begins to rain. Make sure you allow yourself a little extra slowing down time and space when attempting to stop.

Driving at night also has the added risk of falling asleep while driving. You may think you aren't too tired but this has caused numerous accidents that could have been prevented.

Make sure your battery is not in need of replacing. The last place you want to be stranded in the middle of the night is a dark deserted road. Don't put yourself in unnecessarily hazardous situations. Danger is all around us but even more so at night.

Avoid distractions any way possible. Stay off the phone and keep your eyes on the road at all times. Remember that just because you are a safe driver doesn't mean that every other driver you encounter on the road will be. Most accidents occur simply because someone wasn't paying attention or was distracted.

Driving at night is never easy but by being careful and following basic safety tips and of course a little bit of common sense everyone has a much better chance of reaching their destination safely.

To learn more about getting free car insurance quotes visit the online auto insurance page for more information and how to apply for a quote today.

Baby Cribs Safety Checklist

Congratulations! You’ve got a baby on the way!

Once your baby has arrived, one of the most important parts of your new life together will be getting a good night’s sleep — you in your bed, the baby in a safe and comfortable crib. At first, you may want your newborn to sleep in a bassinet by your bed, making it a little easier for breastfeeding moms, but have a crib ready by the time your baby can roll over.

Your baby will spend more time in the crib than anywhere else, so safety is of utmost importance. What makes a crib safe?

* The bars or slats of the crib railing should be no more than 2-3/8" apart, close enough together to prevent your baby’s head from slipping through or getting stuck. That crib in the attic may be a beautiful antique, but it probably does not meet this safety standard. Secondhand older cribs may also have splinters or lead paint as well as slats that are too far apart.

* Cribs with cutout designs along the rail may look pretty, but your baby’s arm or neck could get stuck in them.

* The crib must be sturdy. Your child will sleep in a crib until it’s time to move into a regular bed between the ages of 2 and 3. When shopping for the crib, give it a good shake to see if it wobbles or rattles.

* Construction materials should be stained or painted hardwoods like maple, ash, beech or oak. The use of inferior woods can potentially weaken or warp the slats. Some metal cribs are also very sturdy and secure. All finish materials must be lead free and non-toxic.

* For safety, the dropsides must be at least 9" above the mattress support when lowered. When the side is raised, the top must be at least 26" above the support at its lowest position. You should have no trouble quietly raising and lowering the side rail easily with one hand, since chances are you’ll have a sleeping baby in your arms.

* Make things a little easier on your back by choosing a crib with an adjustable height mattress. A newborn can rest higher in the crib, while a baby who can sit up needs a lower mattress so he can’t climb out. You can change the height of most mattresses by simply raising or lowering the mattress support.

* Check the hardware on the crib for sharp edges or points or anything else that could hurt your baby.

* The mattress should fit snugly into the crib. If you can fit two fingers between the side of the mattress and the crib, it is too small. Keep an eye on foam mattresses; over time, they may break down at the edges and leave gaps. Check the mattress support to make sure there are safety clips that lock the hangers into their notches.

* Use nonflammable and hypoallergenic bumper padding attached to the inside railings of the crib to cushion all four sides and prevent your baby from sticking an arm or leg through the railings. Securely fasten the bumper pads to the sides of the crib in at least six places. Be sure to remove bumper pads when your baby becomes more active.

* Follow assembly instructions carefully. Periodically tighten all nuts, bolts, and screws and check teething rails for cracks. Check the mattress support hooks regularly.

* Don’t place a crib against a window, near curtains or drapery cords, or near furniture that could help your baby climb out.

* Crib toys need to be removed from the crib when baby is sleeping. And remove mobiles when baby is able to grab at objects.

Federal safety guidelines went into effect in 1973, but only since 1991 do most cribs meet all mandatory safety standards (16CFR part 1508) as set by The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and the voluntary standards (ASTM F966 and F1169) as set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The Juvenile Products Manufacturers’ Association (JPMA) certifies cribs that meet the safety standards.

For more information on crib safety and other nursery equipment, contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission at 1-800-638-2772.

Cost Of Absenteeism

Hey there, It’s Calgary Corporate Fitness Trainer, Sarah! absenteeism

It really boggles my mind when I hear how many people view regular exercise as an inconvenience, or something they “just don’t have time for”! I do understand that life can get extremely busy when trying to juggle work, family, friends and other social obligations, but what I don’t understand is why a daily workout doesn’t fit on the “things to do list”.

One of my favorite sayings is, “how you do anything is how you do everything”. If you don’t take care of yourself through regular exercise, a healthy diet and proper rest Â….how can you possibly take care of others around you? How can you be effective at work if you feel lethargic, achy and overweight?

Unfortunately as we get older, our health becomes less of a priority until it’s too late, and then we panic when something goes wrong, and desperately seek a quick “band-aid” cure to take away the pain! Well, I know through personal experience and working with my clients that “band-aid” cures do not work long term. Our health must be a priority and exercise must be a part of our daily routineÂ…and this does not need to be complicated.

A great way to ensure a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, is to incorporate a workplace fitness program! It would make things so much easier for many people who spend the majority of their time at work right?

It’s no longer a matter of speculation. Consistent with the newly emerging work site wellness literature, there are tangible benefits associated with work site wellness programs. Awareness of physical, mental and emotional energy levels (how you feel); and health-enhancing food choices as a new, positive paradigm for success. Its philosophy is very clear, effective, and is sustainable long-term. Contrary to the prevailing diet industry, there are no gimmicks, pre-packaged meals, or quick-fix, cure-all pills.

Unlike traditional diet programs, Calgary Corporate Fitness’s approach to health & fitness does not advocate the outdated paradigms of calorie counting, the use of scales, and dieting. Instead, we promote a program that facilitates tracking of body composition and other indicators of health (including blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar).

It is becoming more evident that the band-approach to health care is ineffective and extremely costly for companies long term and immediately.

Let’s use absenteeism for example.

When an employee calls in sick, how much productivity is your company losing?

Or even worse, when an unhealthy employee comes to work and they are unproductive, lethargic and mentally drainedÂ…how productive are they?

As an employer you must consider the money lost in productivity in addition to the lost money in wadges!

So, how many unhealthy employees are you paying for?

Let’s take a look at this assumption:

The cost of a workplace Fitness program vs. the cost of Absenteeism (We based our assumptions on companies with approximately 150 employees)

A recent survey showed that the average rate of absenteeism on any given day is approximately 2.5% (i.e. approximately 4 employees absent out of 150 total employees)

The cost of a sick day is calculated as (salary + 30% employer costs) divided by 240 working days

Let’s assume the average wage in our example is $40,000 per year.

The employer’s average cost of a sick day is calculated as: ($40,000 + $12,000) = $217 per day divided by 240.

Let’s also assume there are 4 absences a day (per the aforementioned survey):

$217 X 4 = $868 per day X 240 (working days) = approximately $208,000 per year or $1,387 per employee per year, based on 150 employees.

The average cost of absenteeism is $1,387 per employee per year.

Our Calgary Corporate Fitness, workplace wellness programs are designed to improve employee health by encouraging regular fitness programs and a variety of wellness practices to help facilitate a healthy lifestyle. Based on other company’s previous experience with our program the anticipated reduction in absenteeism would be approximately 17.5%, amounting to savings of $243 per employee, per year.

As employers you can’t force your employees to maintain a healthy active lifestyle. Nor can you ensure that they maintain a healthy work-life balance, but you can give them the tools to help guide them on a healthy lifestyle!

Let us help you!

Contact Calgary Corporate Fitness @ (403)463-6788 or email us at solutions@calgarycorporatefitness.com

In Health,

~ Sarah

Safety Training: A Must for Every Industry

safety Training Programs have now become the integral part of most of the industries. Almost in every type of industry or corporate office, one can see the posters which remind their employees about the safe work. Companies are using the bulletins boards outside their industries or mills which can depict the safe operation of the workplace. There are different parts of the effective and mandatory safety programs. Each company must have a supervisor who should make sure that all the employees of the company in the healthy state. This article explains some of the components which are essential for the safety training program.

Should have an organized plan in written form: All the companies should keep one thing in mind that time management is the biggest aspect for complete execution and implementation of any kind of plan. And it is impossible to implement a plan if all the things are not present in the written form. There are different safety plans which can be used as the initiative plan. Companies should make a choice of the plan according to their needs. Each and every description should be spelled out in the plan.

Warning Signs and the Posting Labels: If something hazardous is associated with the particular machine or a job, then it is always good to remind the employees and other workers with the help of signs, labels, posters and postings. Changing or rotating the posters and signs is always considered to be a good idea so that workers should always have a watch on these signs and labels.

Sessions for Onsite Team: A different kind of short and informal training should be given to the people who are spending most of their time outside the office. For example, in case of sales team, each and every member of the sales team should be aware of the operations of the lifts, fire extinguishers and other on-road safety precautions. So, beside the sales training program, sales team must also be acquainted with safety training and the best thing is to keep changing the training programs in order to keep them better.

Safety in the Workplace: Be Rigorous, Not Ruthless

You may have read the book Good to Great, by Jim Collins. In his book he explains how many companies thought being good isÂ… well, “good enough.” In these times of constant change and global competition, it is important to always look for improvement --especially when it comes to safety.

Who wants to settle for “good enough” safety? In most cases, good means the company is willing to settle for an injury. “Good enough” safety means setting safety goals based on lagging indicators. (An example is to reduce lost time injuries by 10%.) Great safety means setting a rigorous goal of zero injuries. According to Collins, you want to be rigorous and not ruthless when growing your company. This same concept should also apply to safety in the workplace.

Is Your Safety Process Rigorous or Just Plain Ruthless?

Ruthless safety could be characterized as a company that tends to punish employees by verbally beating them over the head with the safety manual for getting hurt on the job. Don’t read this wrongÂ…every company must have a disciplinary policy to get the attention of employees who don’t understand the consequences of unsafe behavior. But to truly change behavior frontline leaders must always clearly identify the behavior required to prevent injuries. After all, the goal is “Nobody Gets Hurt.”

Rigorous safety could be characterized as clearly defined behaviors that workers are held accountable for that prevent known hazards from injuring them. If a worker continually proves that he or she has no intention of behaving safely, then disciplinary action must be taken. Rigorous safety means that leadership has the best interest of the employee at heart.

5 Factors for Rigorous Safety Leadership

Leading employees to behave safely on the job is not an easy task. During our 15 years of experience of consulting with top executives on workplace safety, we have had many leaders tell us that if they had known leading employees to behave safely on the job was so hard to do, they might have turned down the position of supervisor, foreman or lead. Yet, there is hope.

Leaders from the frontline can be effective by learning about dealing with these five human factors:

1. Expectations:

Unspoken, unrecognized expectations in the workplace can lead to job frustration, substandard safety performance, decreased job safety commitment and even high turnover. Understand that most employees expect to have a workplace free of hazards. Workers have varying expectations when it comes to factors such as autonomy, work/life balance, career opportunities, stability, structure, and teamwork. The key is to learn what expectations the individuals in your organization have and then work with them to meet or, in some cases, adjust those expectations.

2. Communication:

Being a superb safety communicator is difficult to accomplish. Think about the people to whom you communicate safety requirements on a daily basis. You will notice some are strong in certain communication skills, but weak in other skills. Learn everything you can about your communications style and how it affects others – what impact do you have? If you don’t usually get a positive reaction from those around you, take a course in interpersonal skills.

3. Innovation:

Change, whether anticipated or unanticipated, can be difficult. To innovate, grow and improve a safety culture requires individuals who are able to see the big picture. Accept that change is a part of life and learn let go of the past and embrace and apply new techniques, technologies, and tools when appropriate.

4. Organization:

Safety innovation cannot be done without teams of people dedicated to hitting the goal: A Zero-Injury Workplace. Leaders must be able to organize a team and motivate it towards the goal. Imagine everyone leading each other to the goal of a zero-injury workplace.

5. Appreciation:

Great leaders accomplish great things. Great leaders appreciate the people who make things happen. Understanding how one reacts to certain situations as a leader is vital to being a successful leader.

Get Rigorous for a Bright Future

Becoming rigorous about safety is hard work, but it is rewarding. When a company and its leaders commit to improving their effectiveness with rigorous safety programs, employees are more motivated to behave safely so they can home to their families every day without injury. After all, no matter what level you are in the company, the goal is “Nobody Gets Hurt.” That’s a goal everyone can live with.