The Evolution of Insulation

Even though it might be considered by many to be a "modern luxury," insulation is by no means new. In fact, civilizations like the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Romans utilized forms of insulation. The use of insulation to regulate temperatures and protect buildings can by traced from these ancient civilizations all the way to modern times in a state of constant evolution

The perpetual heat radiated by the unforgiving desert sun prompted the ancient Egyptians to experiment with ways to keep their homes as cool as possible. They employed increasingly thick bricks in the construction of their homes as a way to prevent the heat from the sun's rays from penetrating the building. For the cool winter months, they added materials such as papyrus to their interior walls in order to prevent heat from escaping.

The ancient Greeks were responsible for the early use of fireproof asbestos. The material's resistance to flames lent it a quasi-mystical reputation, and it was used in diverse applications, including the wicks for eternal temple flames, funeral dresses, and clothing for imported slaves. In fact, it was the use of asbestos in slave outfits that lead the Greeks to record history's first mention of asbestos's dangerous side effects, as they noted it caused a lung sickness in the slaves who were regularly exposed to it.

Home insulation continued to evolve in ancient Greece. Builders began to experiment with "cavity walls" which consisted of an inner and outer wall separated by an air pocket. The air caught between these walls could help keep a home cool or warm in contrast with the outside climate.

The ancient Romans also discovered the benefits of cavity walls on their own, and then continued to push the evolution of insulation. The Romans, famed for their engineering prowess, even began to install indoor heated water systems. By insulating the heated water pipes (which were usually installed directly under floors) with cork, the Romans were able to pipe hot water directly into a building without overheating the flooring and other areas adjacent to the pipes.

Even the Vikings were aware of insulation's benefits. In order to endure their harsh Northern European climate, the Vikings learned to cake the exterior walls of their homes with daub, an insulating agent composed of livestock dung, mud, and straw in order to seal the buildings from frigid winter weather. The Vikings even began to cover their interior walls with heavy layers of sheepskin as a means to retain heat.

The cavernous stone buildings of Europe in the Middle Ages were obviously prone to the ravages of low temperatures, as they were drafty, damp, cold stone structures. It soon became popular to cover interior walls with large, thick woven tapestries. These served a dual role-to block drafts and to absorb the prominent dampness. The Europeans also began to cover floor with tightly-packed rushes as way to retain heat.

As the Industrial Revolution was ushered in, insulation continued to evolve. Despite the ancient Greeks warnings about its dangers, asbestos became popular once again. The implementation of steam-based technology in manufacturing required numerous hot pipes to be run throughout factories in order to supply steam where needed. These pipes were insulated with asbestos as a means to protect workers from their scalding temperatures. Soon the steam engine burst onto the scene, and demand for asbestos skyrocketed. Asbestos was soon being used to insulate anything and everything associated with hot steam, from boilers and fireboxes to entire boxcars.

Asbestos's popularity continued unabated for decades, until researchers in the 1970s rediscovered what the ancient Greeks had known all along-that asbestos is deadly. This put a stop to asbestos insulation nearly overnight, although it still has very limited industrial applications.

With the fall of asbestos, new kinds of insulation sprung up to fill the void. Fiberglass insulation became highly popular, and was quickly established as the standard form of home insulation. Other varieties, such as Styrofoam sheets and PVC wraps also became prominent.

Eco-friendly Insulation

However, over the last 20 years, concerns have been raised over the potential dangers common types of insulation can pose to the environment. This has led the development of increasingly popular "green" types of alternative insulation.

One highly fashionable method of eco-conscious modern insulation is spray foam insulation. Spray foam insulation is composed of non-toxic materials and much more earth-friendly than traditional varieties of insulation which can typically have a long-term negative effect on their surroundings. Additionally, spray foam insulation provides a much tighter, more thorough seal. This is viewed as particularly "green," as it enables buildings to retain much more heat or cold than traditional insulation, minimizing the energy output of heaters and air conditioners.

As insulation continues to evolve, even more methods of eco-friendly insulation are starting to appear. This includes insulation made from recycled paper, woven cloth, and even sheep wool; these reference ancient methods of insulation which employed some of the very same materials.Spray Foam Direct.com features quick and easy do-it-yourself spray insulation which will save you money and energy. Guardian Energy Technologies Inc. offers the added benefits of reducing our carbon footprint by offering foam it green solutions and balancing their impact through carbon reproduction projects. Visit online today.

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A Way of Life: Toxicity in Our Environment and Eco-friendly Cleaning Products

Because toxicity has become a way of life, and we must breath and eat, we are continuously exposed to pesticides and polluntants, some stored right under our kitchen sinks, says a report from the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Mass., and the Harvard University School of Public Health.

The study was published last October in Environmental Science & Technology, Sedona, Ariz., naturopath doctor Teresa Dale, Ph.D. says "demonstrates that we are exposed daily to a wide array of chemicals that affect our hormone systems." Chemicals like phthalates and alkyphenois may heighten the risk of hormone-linked diseases like breast cancer and testicular cancer.

To limit your exposure, "read labels carefully, use nontoxic cleaning products and avoid using indoor pesticides," says Environmental Protection Agency spokesman Dave Dergan. There are nontoxic cleaning products and pesticides right in your kitchen. If you have baking soda, white vinegar, borax, and rubbing alcohol in your pantry and bathroom, you have the basic ingredients to make your own cleaning products and pesticides that don't cost you an arm and a leg. I have included formulations for making your own products from these items and many more at the end of this article.

There are plenty of effective, earth-safe cleaners that you can buy or make. Using these alternatives will reduce the toxic burden in your house and environment. By switching to environmentally friendly cleaners protects your health and that of the community you live in while reducing air, water, and ground pollution.

I bet you are asking yourself, "So why isn't everybody doing it?" There are very few people who actually read the labels of the products they purchase and even fewer who know the impact these chemicals can have on our bodies. Most people do not take the time or have the time to research the chemicals that go into these products.

Not all "green" products are created equal, some have simply added essential oils to make it smell like the formula has changed. "You need to read the labels carefully to check for irritating chemicals, such as chlorine, ammonia and artificial fragrances and dyes," says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., a preventive-medicine specialist in Tucson, Arizona. "Buy cleaners from health-food stores or retailers specializing in environmentally friendly products."

"Eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products are the next frontier of environmentalism," says Marci Zaroff, former publisher of Macrocosm and CEO of Under the Canopy, an organic fabric clothing company. "It's an inexpensive, easy and effective way to protect our planet and commitment to life."

Here are some options to get you started onto the path of "thinking green":

* CITRUS OILl; sold in health-food stores and home improvement stores, fills rooms with the smell of oranges and is far more pleasing to your nose (unless you like the smell of hospitals).

To clean or polish wood floors, dilute 1 c. of citrus oil in one gallon of hot water, and mop with a sponge. For floors that are greasy, simply use a stronger solultion. You can also clean kitchen counters and tabletops with this solution. Citrus doesn't strip the protective sealants. On porous surfaces like marble or granite, only use diluted oil and it should never be allowed to sit on a surface, always wipe it dry when finished.

* TEA TREE, THYME AND LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OILS: these have been proven to have more antiseptic in some studies than phenol, the most common chemical disinfectant. Many disinfectants contain chlorine, which reacts with organix matter in drinking water to produce potentially carcinogenic trihalomethane.

To make a natural disinfectant mix 20 drops of one of the above mentioned essential oils and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Apply and let sit for 15 min. or until dry.

* BAKING SODA: Baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda), an alkaline substance is used in fire extinguishers, antacids, and sparkling water.

You can use it to clean your tubs, sinks, countertops in the kitchen and bath. Combine 3/4 c. baking soda, 1/4 c. of borax and enough diswashing liquid to make a smooth paste or if you prefer a pleasant smell, add 1/4 t. lemon juice to the paste; pour down your sink drain to deorderize and to unclog your drains you put 1/2 cup of baking soda in drain and add a cup of vinegar, wait 30min. and pour hot water down drain. I use this method once a month on all the drains in the house to keep them clear.

*BORAX: Borax, like is's close relative, boric acid, has relatively low toxicity levels, and is considered safe for general household use, but the powder can be harmful if ingested in sufficinet quantities by young children or pets. Keep it out of their reach.

Borax is toxic to plants, so in the yard be very careful when applying borax onto or near soil. It doesn't take much to leach into the ground to kill off nearby plants and prevent furture growth.

But it is great for rubbing out heavy sink stains, even rust in your stainless steel or porcelain sinks. Make a paste of 1 cup of borax and 1/4 cup of lemon juice, put some of the paste on a cloth or sponge and rub it into the stain, then rinse with running warm water, the stain should wash away with the paste.

You can also remove mildew from uphostery and other fabric by soaking a sponge in a solution of 1/2 cup of borax dissolved in 2 cups of water, and rubbing it into the affected areas. Let it soak in for several hours until the stain disappears, then rinse well. To remove mildew from clothing, soak it in a solution of 2 cups of borax in 2 quarts of water.

Want a way to clean your toliet bowl and leave it spakeling whiite without those dangerous fumes? Use a stiff brush to scrub it using a solution of 1/2 cup of borax mixed with a gallon of water.

VINEGAR: Vinegar is known as nature's most practical liquid and is so versatile that you can use it in the kitchen and bath, laundry and garden, housecleaning and car cleaning, even pet care and personal care.

Damp mopping with a mild vinegar solution is widely recommended as a way to clean wood and no-wax vinyl or laminate flooring. Be sure to check with the manufacturer of the flooring because even when diluted vinegar's acidity can ruin some floor finishes, and too much water will damage most wooden floors. But if you want to try vinegar on your floors, use 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed in 1 gallon warm water. You may want to start with a trial application in an incomspicuous area. Before applying the solution, squeeze out the mop sthoroughly (or just use a spray bottle to moisten the mop head).

To liven up dull wood paneling, mix 2 cups warm water, 4 tablespoons white or cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a container, give it a couple of shakes and apply with a clean cloth. Let it soak in for several minutes, then polish with a dry cloth.

To keep your computer, printer, and other home office gear clean and dust free, dampen a clean cloth in equal parts white viegar and water, sqeeze it out well and start wiping. Before you start, make sure that your equipment is shut off, and never use a spray bottle; you don't want to get liquid on the circuis inside. Have a few cotton swabs on hand for getting into tight spaces (like between the keys of your keyboard).

To make a scratch on a wooden tabletop much less noticeable, mix some distilled or cider vinegar and iodine in a small jar and paint over the scratch with a small artist's brush. Use more iodine for darker woods; more vinegar for lighter shades.

To remove white rings left by wet glasses on wood furniture, mix equal parts of vinegar and olive oil and apply it with a soft cloth while moving with the wood grain. Use another clean, soft cloth to shine it. To get white water rings off leather furniture, dab them with a sponge soaked in full-strength white vinegar.

For the great outdoors, vinegar can get rid of bugs and ants or you can use it as an insect repellent and clean you outdoor funiture and decks.

Pour equal parts white vinegar and water into a spray bottle and spray it on anthills and around areas where you see ants. Ants hate vinegar, and it won't take long for them to move on. Also, you can spray picnic and children's play areas to keep ants away. If you have lots of anthills, pour full strength vinegar over them.

Going camping or fishing? Here's an old army trick to keep away ticks and mosquitoes: About three days before you leave, start taking 1 tablespoon cider vinegar three times a day. Continue throughout your outing and you just might return home without a bite.

Before resorting to bleach to remove mildew on your deck or your patio furniture, try these milder vinegar-based solutions.

*Keep full-strength white vinegar in a spray bottle and use it wherever you see mildew. The stain will wipe right off must surfaces, and the vinegar will keep it from coming back for a while.

*Remove mildew from wood decks and wood patio furniture by sponging them off with a solution of 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 gallon water. Use an old tootbrush to work the solution into tight spaces.

*To deodorize and inhibit mildew growth on outdoor plastic mesh furniture and patio umbrellas, mix 2 cups white vinegar and 2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid in a bucket of hot water. Use a soft brush to work it into the grooves of the plastic and for scrubbing seat pands and umbrella fabric. Rinse with cold water; then dry in the sun.

RUBBING ALCOHOL: Be sure to not confuse denatured alcohol with rubbing alcohol. Denatured alcohol to ethanol (drinking alcohol) to which poisonous and foul-tasting chemicals have been added to render it unfit for drinking. Often, the chemicals used in denatured alcohol are not ones you should put on your skin. Rubbing alcohol is made of chemicals that are safe for skin contact, most often it's 70 percent isopropl alcohol and 30 percent water.

Ticks hate the taste of rubbing alcohol as much as they love the taste of your dog. Before you pull a tick off Fido, dab the critter with rubbing alcohol to make it loosen its grip. Then grab the tick as close to the dog's skin as ou can and pull it straight out. Dab again with alcohol to disinfect the wound. This works on people too.

The problem with ice packs is they won't conform to the shape of the injured body part. Make a slushy conformable pack by nixing 1 part rubbing alcohol with 3 parts water in a sel-closing plastic bag. The next time that sore knee acts up, wrap the bag of slush in a cloth and apply it to the area.

This is just the tip of iceberg of ways to use eco-friendly products that you can make yourself. I have used most of these recipes for the past 10 years. They cost next to nothing to make and the results are fabulous. I use olive oil and vinegar to clean my furniture and I don't have to dust again for a month. The solution seems to repel dust, just mix the olive oil and vinegar like you would for a salad dressing.

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Solar Security Light

For maximum effect, it is essential Solar security lights are positioned correctly. A light near every entrance and at each corner of the house is preferable so that an intruder approaching an entrance will set off a motion sensor.

Solar security lights need to be placed away from trees or tall shrubs so that they can charge effectively. Planting tall shrubs near windows will hamper security. If doing so enhances your landscaping, plant vegetation covered with long sharp thorns to deter invaders. Home security needs to be of the utmost importance when planning your landscaping.

Any Solar security lights project undertaken will help the environment. Every watt of electricity saved directly impacts the world dependence on fossil fuels. The rechargeable Ni-Cad batteries in solar security lights store up to 10 hours of power during the course of the day.

Installing Solar security lights is an essential step towards securing your home and family, and solar security lights aren't difficult or expensive to setup.

It's obvious lights that only light up when an intruder approaches are far more cost effective than lights than are constantly burning after dark.

Solar Security Lights activated by motion detectors will only activate when an intruder enters a preset distance. When the area around the unwanted guest is illuminated he will be inclined to remove himself from the scene. Motion activated solar security lights will attract the attention of neighbors, which can be an added bonus.

Solar Security lights - The Best positions

When positioning comes to mind higher is more preferable. Downward illumination will optimize the target area and neighbours are less likely to get annoyed will ill directed light penetrating their living space.

The added advantage of high positioning can be the difficulty for the intruder to reach and disable the lights. Consideration as to the direction they are aimed for most effect should be thought out carefully.

Solar security lights are the most energy efficient and cost effective alternative available. They are a security, environment friendly, money saving package.

Solar security lights are less expensive to install than their mains power counterparts. A licenced electrician isn't needed, the home owner can complete the installation and save hundreds of dollars in the process.

If a property owner wants a fixture in a darkened area, it would take only a matter of minutes to install solar security lights. Alternately, hiring of an electrician would be necessary to install the wiring to the area and then install a standard security light.

In this scenario not only does the home or property owner benefit from the lack and cost of wiring, they also run their fixtures for free; without being charged for a supply of electricity.

In addition to these benefits, the owner of solar security lights will also be able to ensure safety throughout his property with the use of solar powered flood lights, spot lights and small, discreet pathway and stair lights to boot.

Using solar security lights the owner will be able to safely and reliably light areas involving uneven ground to help prevent users from stumbling, tripping or falling after dark.

You'll be surprised at all the information available on Solar Security Lights at Solar Pannels Now

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The main components of Quality Management

Quality Management

The implementation, design, and development of a service or product forms part of a method called quality management. This method (quality management) ensures that all the activities necessary (implementation, design, development) are both efficient and effective with respect to the performance of the system. The focus of any successful organization should thus always be to achieve more consistent quality. The responsibilities, quality policy, and objectives of an organization are determined and implemented by quality management. Four main components are concerned with quality management. These are:

• Quality assurance



• Quality planning



• Quality improvement



• Quality control

One of these components, quality control, will be discussed in more detail further in this article.

Total Quality Control

Total Quality Control is one of the most important components of Quality Management. In a nutshell it can be defined as the most necessary inspection control of all. Even though statistical quality control techniques and quality improvements are implemented, it does not guarantee an increase in a company's sales. On the contrary, sales might even decrease.

If sales decrease, a total quality control should be launched. A total quality control incorporates a number of "characteristics". These are:

• Reliability



• Maintainability



• safety

Thus, in order to improve manufacture and overall business performance, a lot of careful planning, attention and detail must be given to the above characteristics. If this is done correctly, part of the total quality control was done.

Something else which forms part of a total quality control is the implementation of some refinements into all aspects of business. These include the following:

• The marketing department must define the customer's specifications.



• Specifications should conform to certain requirements.



• The quality levels of products should not be affected if workers are on holiday or on sick leave.



• Inspections and tests should be carried out regularly on the products.



• All complaints/feedback from customers should be dealt with by management.



• Product/process change notification.

The above information basically forms the basis on which total qualitycontrol is based. It is clear that every employee, from operator to management, plays an important part in total quality control. If done correctly, sales should start to increase immediately. Total quality control is thus a very important cog in the wheel that is quality management.

 

 

Hair straightener - how safe on children's hair

Hair straightener that once had a humble beginning that was invented to serve the requirements of styling hair has now became the most popular rage among the hair stylist and the fashion enthusiast, in professional salons and also at homes. It is effective on all types of hair from curly or wavy or frizzy hair to straight hair.

Hair straightener using heat and two metal plates to flatten out the hair is completely safe to use. Its working is based on the degree and distribution of heat on the hair. No chemical treatment is followed before or after using hair straightener. Hair straightener has always been tried upon the hair of young and mature people because they need the most. But can it applied on the hair of the children? And if the answer is yes then it matters most that how safe it is on the hair of the children? Well from one point it is clear that there is no indulgence of chemicals that are highly dangerous for the delicate skin of your child. So from that point hair straightener is safe on children's hair.

Even if the application of hair straightener on the delicate hair of the children is safe still you need to take certain precautions into it before, after and while using it. It is important that whenever it is planned on your child's hair try it on your hair first, even if it is on a setting low temperature. Next important point to consider is the temperature. High temperature will damage the delicate hair of your child- it can burn or break those delicate hairs of your child. At the same time it is also essential to give extra thought to any fine hairs in the front, as well as the ends of the hair since they are more susceptible to heat and can burn easily. So, it is safe to keep your hair straightener on a low setting.

Despite that low setting of temperature is safe for those delicate hairs of your child it can be still detrimental to the delicate skin of your child if it comes in contact with the metal plates of the hair straightener. There are many hair straighteners that have slightly exposed plates on the sides that could be injurious if applied too close to the scalp. Also care should be taken that your child's hair is not wet. You should also see to it that the hair tool is out of reach of your children. So, it could be concluded that hair straightener is safe as long as it is use correctly keeping the precautions in mind. The process of styling hair of children is easy, so pick up one the best hair styling tool GHD MK4 that is safe and good enough for both you and your child assuring both of you safety hair style.





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Arc Flash Work Safety: Understanding Hazard Risk Categories

(Anchortex-AWS-2010-0001 - http://www.americanworksafety.com/safety-clothing/arc-flash-protective-gear.htm )

The 2009 edition of NFPA 70E requires employers to label any electrical equipment likely to require maintenance or examination while energized with clearly visible warning labels that alert personnel to the hazard before they can be exposed to it. The most common way of doing so is to list a HRC (Hazard Risk Category) of required personal protective gear needed to service the equipment in question. So what does this mean?

Hazard Risk Category is defined within NFPA 70E as a general classification of hazard involved in performing specified tasks. HRC typically ranges from zero to four, with zero denoting minimum-risk activities and four denoting high-risk activities. Each category includes minimum safety equipment required, the minimum number of layers required to meet this requirement, and the minimum arc rating of all required equipment in cal/cm2. The arc rating, in turn, is a value of the energy required to pass through a given material and cause a 50% probability of second to third degree burns. Arc ratings from multiple layers are not cumulative.

Hazard Risk Category 0 (HRC 0)

Minimum Clothing Requirements: In order to qualify as covered under HRC 0, a long-sleeved shirt and long pants made from natural fibers (untreated cotton, silk, wool, rayon, or blends of these fibers), with a minimum fabric weight of 4.5 ounces per square yard, is required. Polyester, poly/cotton blends, and other artificial fibers are not permitted, as they will melt in an arc flash incident, increasing the potential damage.

Additional PPE Equipment: Employees in HRC 0 situations are also required to at minimum be wearing leather safety shoes, safety glasses, and a hard hat.

Minimum Layer Requirements: HRC 0 only requires one layer of protective clothing.

Minimum Arc Rating in cal/cm2: None. HRC 0 has no minimum requirements on arc rating of material.

Hazard Risk Category 1 (HRC 1)

Minimum Clothing Requirements: In order to qualify as covered under HRC 1, an employee must at minimum wear one of the following: denim jeans and a flame-resistant long-sleeved shirt, OR a flame-resistant long-sleeved sirt and pants, OR flame-resistant coveralls.

Additional PPE Equipment: Employees in HRC 1 situations are also required to at minimum be wearing leather safety shoes, safety glasses, and a hard hat with an arc-rated face shield.

Minimum Layer Requirements: HRC 1 only requires one layer of protective clothing.

Minimum Arc Rating in cal/cm2: 4 cal/cm2

Hazard Risk Category 2 (HRC 2)

Minimum Clothing Requirements: In order to qualify as covered under HRC 2, an employee must at minimum wear one of the following: flame-resistant long-sleeved shirt and pants, OR flame-resistant coveralls.

Additional PPE Equipment: Employees in HRC 2 situations are also required to at minimum be wearing leather safety shoes, safety glasses, and a hard hat with an arc-rated face shield. In certain circumstances, an 8+-cal/cm2 stocking hood or multi-layer switching hood may also be required.

Minimum Layer Requirements: HRC 2 requires one to two layers of protective clothing.

Minimum Arc Rating in cal/cm2: 8 cal/cm2

Hazard Risk Category 3 (HRC 3)

Minimum Clothing Requirements: In order to qualify as covered under HRC 3, an employee must at minimum wear one of the following: a multi-layer flash suit over FR long-sleeved shirt and pants over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants, OR a multi-layer flash suit over FR coveralls over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants.

Additional PPE Equipment: Employees in HRC 3 situations are also required to at minimum be wearing leather safety shoes, safety glasses, hard hat, hearing protection, and a multi-layer switching hood OR arc-rated goggle and stocking hood.

Minimum Layer Requirements: HRC 3 requires two to three layers of protective clothing.

Minimum Arc Rating in cal/cm2: 25 cal/cm2

Hazard Risk Category 4 (HRC 4)

Minimum Clothing Requirements: In order to qualify as covered under HRC 4, an employee must at minimum wear one of the following: a multi-layer flash suit over FR long-sleeved shirt and pants over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants, OR a multi-layer flash suit over FR coveralls over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants.

Additional PPE Equipment: Employees in HRC 4 situations are also required to at minimum be wearing leather safety shoes, safety glasses, hard hat, hearing protection, and a multi-layer switching hood OR arc-rated goggle and stocking hood.

Minimum Layer Requirements: HRC 4 requires at least three layers of protective clothing.

Minimum Arc Rating in cal/cm2: 40 cal/cm2

Depending on the specific tasks performed, employees may also be required to wear voltage-rated gloves and use voltage-rated tools appropriate to the equipment being serviced. Whenever possible, energized equipment to be serviced should be put into an electrically safe work condition unless the employer can demonstrate that de-energizing creates more severe hazards (such as when performing work on life-support systems), or is not practical due to limitations of equipment or operation (such as during testing of live equipment). Any service that requires personal protective equipment should only be performed by qualified personnel following a documented plan approved by the manager responsible for the plan.

A brief overview of tasks that require arc flash protective gear, as well as the general hazard risk category they fall under, is available at http://www.anchortex.com/pdf/OEL-NFPA-70E-Compliance-Guide.pdf courtesy of OEL Worldwide Industries, manufacturers of arc flash wear and insulated tools. Anchortex Corporation is a leading distributor of OEL arc flash safety equipment.

Workplace Control

Control systems in the workplace are necessary tools to monitor, forecast, or diagnose performance and performance deviations. Some control systems like Six Sigma have reportedly saved organizations millions of dollars and some safety control systems have even saved lives. There are numerous control mechanisms available to help detect any operational performance issue. However, oftentimes the control systems seem to run the organization rather than the other way around. When this occurs, the workplace culture can become negative and inefficient. The role of management and leadership is to find the balance between control and maintaining a positive work environment. This paper will examine what happens when an organization's focus gets out of balance in those areas and then suggest ways to achieve a healthy balance of control and work environment.



Too much workplace control



Control is essential for the attainment of any management's objectives. The dangers of management maintaining too much control over plans and projects can create friction throughout an organization. Employees can become dissatisfied when they are not allowed to exercise their opinion or use their creativity and experience to make decisions. They may also begin to feel unappreciated. When a supervisor has too much control, power and authority, a lack of respect from the employees can arise. The wrong kinds of control- frequently cause irreparable damage to organizations. Too much power in the wrong hands causes resistance in the workplace. Power is something not everyone deserves. For example, a new manager may experience difficulty adjusting because they are trying to become comfortable in their position and they want to relay a message to everyone that they are in charge. Some new managers simply cannot handle the responsibilities of instructing people, and may intimidated when the people they are instructing are older or have been on the job longer. As a result, the manager wanting to appear "in control" may come off, instead, as overbearing. Even in these tough economic times, it is important that your job be a source of satisfaction and respect.



Neglecting workplace control



On the other hand, a different imbalance in the workplace can occur when management's focus is solely on the workplace culture. The danger of focusing too much on a good work environment is that you lose balance. Everyone wants a good work environment. The problem with focusing too much on it is that you can lose sight of the daily tasks. Companies focus on creating a good work environment for several beneficial reasons; a main reason is to avoid employee burnout. A company can only go so long on focusing on good work environment - pretty soon the tasks are not getting completed and everyone's using all their creative freedom on extracurricular activities that are non-goal related. There are some areas for individuals to focus on that would be beneficial to the overall organization and they are primarily health and safety. The benefits safety and health bring:

• Healthy workers are more productive and can produce at a higher quality;

• Fewer work-related accidents and diseases lead to less absence. In turn, this results in lower costs and less disruption of the production processes;

• Equipment and a working environment that are optimized to the needs of the working process and that are well-maintained lead to higher productivity, better quality and less health and safety risks;

• Reduction of injuries and illnesses means less damages and lower risks for liabilities.

Balance is the key when creating a sustaining business in today's marketplace. When organizational improvement stops, the business stops. With proper balance, a good workplace can become great.

Strategies for a healthy workplace balance

When an organization is comprised of employees from various backgrounds, it is critical that top management strives to maintain a healthy workforce in order to achieve specific organizational goals. Control strategies and mechanisms must be in place to ensure that plans stay on track and sustain good quality. There are three broad strategies for achieving organizational control: bureaucratic control, market control, and clan control.

1. Bureaucratic control covers how we use rules, regulations, and formal authority to guide employee performances. As we need to regulate behavior and results, this control area includes such things as budgets, statistical reports, and performance appraisals.

2. Market control covers how we use pricing mechanisms to regulate activities in organizations. Profit and loss scenarios would form the evaluating basis for managers.

3. Clan control covers area which our organization's employees may share the values, expectations and goals thus act in accordance with them.

Management must review the nature and culture of its workforce together the organization's objective to determine the best mechanism to select. It may be difficult to identify what is best but it is very important to gauge the most appropriate control strategy.

Conclusion

There are definite advantages to implementing control mechanisms within an organization. Greater cost savings, increased efficiency, better product quality, enhanced customer service, and a more cohesive workforce are just a few positive results of utilizing control strategies and mechanisms. However, problems can arise when an organization does not balance its control mechanisms with its workforce. Too much control can cause a hostile work environment and adversely affect employee morale. Moreover, too much control may bring about a downturn in employee productivity.

Neglecting control in the workplace can also cause the same damaging outcomes, however for different reasons. Focusing too much on maintaining a good work environment and not enough on control can result in an undisciplined, unmanageable workforce. In this instance, the workforce seems to dictate what happens operationally.

In either case, an organization has cause for concern. Leadership's role is to find a good balance between control and maintaining a positive work environment where both the employees and the organization can contribute and grow.





Mike Ridpath was raised in Ferndale, Washington, currently is a senior manager for Evergreen Team Concepts Products and Services. He is responsible for the development and implementation of multiple projects at Evergreen Team Concepts and is on the board of directors for the Lean Leadership Institute.

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How State Law Defines the Ideal Employee-Employer Relationship

Conflict between workers and the employer is a commonplace issue in the workplace. Federal and state laws related to employment issues help maintain the balance of power in the workplace by defining the characteristics of an ideal employee-employer relationship.



Generally, employment law encompasses employers' rights and obligations within the employer-employee relationship - between employers and their current employees, job applicants, and former employees. Because employment relationships are complex and the several different situations can arise out of it, employment law also involves legal issues such as discrimination, wages and taxation, wrongful termination, and Workplace safety.



As such, many of these issues are governed by applicable federal and state laws. However, in instances where the employment relationship is based on a valid contract entered into by the employer and the employee, the state contract law alone may dictate the rights and duties of the parties.



Employment laws, rules and regulations also help protect workers when conflicts arise with their employers. In an ideal work place, these rules define the relationship between workers and their superiors. Because of the great number of rules and regulations established by various levels of government agencies governing both the employee and employer, it would be necessarily to take the services of lawyers to guide both parties through the rights and obligations of this relationship.



In addition, employment law also tries to mitigate the effects of that conflict and to equalize the factors so that conflicts can be resolved. While good intentions on both sides can help reduce the level of conflict, it is inevitable that an employment lawyer will be called in to mediate or resolve the conflict.



Here are some of the common issues affecting both the employees and the employers:



• Complaints about a policy or manual - a company policy manual to a lawyer unless there is some underlying complaint that takes them to the lawyer first, labor unions and some worker's rights organizations will certainly have their legal staff review such manuals as a matter of course. The individual employee should read and be familiar with the company policy manual. Then, if the employer takes any adverse action against the employee that appears to contradict that manual, the employee should contact a lawyer versed in labor or employment law to help protect the employee's rights.



• Any discrimination based on sex, race, religion, age, or disability, if not immediately corrected by the employer when the employee complains through established channels, should be brought to a lawyer. Similarly, any harassment complaints if not addressed, should also be brought up to a lawyer.



• When health and safety rules of employees were violated and employees bring these to the attention of the appropriate government agencies. Employees can also seek appropriate protections under whistle blower laws when filing these complaints.



• Terminations - Employee termination is an area where both sides of the relationship may benefit. Rules and regulations regarding termination can affect the employee-employer relationship. A clearly written termination rules must be put in place to protect both the rights of employees and the interest of the employers.





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