Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) Issued against MMDC by RTC Judge

Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, November 11, 2010:





At 9 a.m. this morning, a summons for a hearing with a 72 hour TEPO was served to Edgardo V. Caringal, Resident Mine Manager of Marcventures Mining Development Corporation (MMDC). The hearing is scheduled tomorrow, Friday at 8:30 a.m. with RTC Judge Alfredo P. Halad.





A environmental case against MMDC was filed at the RTC court in Cantilan by a group of small farmers, members of indigenous communities, fisher folks, women and children, seeking for judicial intervention so that their rights to health and a balanced ecology may be upheld and the autonomy of local governments be protected in the face of the destructive and illegal mining operations conducted by MMDC in the proclaimed Watershed Forest Reserve of Cantilan, Madrid and Carrascal under Presidential Proclamation No. 1747.





On November 8, in a quiet show of protest, close to 400 farmers and fisher folk accompanied by members of a Non-Government Office coalition, quietly marched from the parish convent grounds to the offices of MMDC, to tell the mining company that their mining operations is a big threat to their livelihood and politely requested them to stop their operations in protected critical watershed. The march continued to the DENR office and culminated at the Tribunal, a 131 year old building which houses the offices of the Local Government Unit. The Vice Mayor invited the marchers to a dialogue where he and SB member John G. Vega tried to address their concerns.


Vice Mayor Virgilio Azarcon assured the group that Mayor Genito Guardo, who was on leave, supports the group’s stand against mining in Cantilan and also wants to file legal action against the mining company. SB Vega’s resolution to file legal action against the mining company in October was approved last Tuesday, November 9.


At the dialogue, SB Vega informed the group that he saw a copy of the business permit issued to MMDC by Carrascal Mayor Vicente Pimentel former governor of Surigao del Sur. MMDC was not given a permit by Mayor Guardo of Cantilan.





MMDC rehabilitated its old logging roads from its mining site in Brgy Cabangahan, in Cantilan to Brgy. Panikian in Carrascal when it failed to get a permit from Cantilan Mayor Guardo.





MMDC’s Mineral Product Sharing Agreement (MPSA) is within the 43,601 hectare Critical Watershed area declared by Presidential Proclamation 1747 on March 23, 2009. The proclamation explicitly mandated that: "The DENR shall immediately undertake the final survey and delineation on the ground of the boundaries of the watershed. This critical watershed shall be under the administrative jurisdiction of DENR and shall be managed in accordance with the provisions of RA 7586 or the NIPAS Act of 1992.





A Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) was created which promptly issued a resolution to temporarily stop the mining company’s operations until the delineation of the watershed. The DENR ignored the resolution and the mining company was issued a "notice to proceed" to Development Stage by the Mines & Geosciences Bureau, clearly violating the NIPAS Act.

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Marine Fire Fighting Equipment: Securing Ship Safety And Damage Control When There Is Fire

Fire fighting offshore is different than fire fighting inland. The former requires different strategies because the environment is just not the same, even though the circumstances during which fire accidents can start off are basically similar. Accidents usually happen when the ship is quite far from the coast, and in these instances, help is usually difficult to summon. Of course, it is imperative that all ocean vessels be equipped with marine fire fighting equipment. But it is really not adequate to have such equipment. Having people or trained personnel who know how to put them in use once the need arises is more important, for these devices would render futile with nobody trained to use them properly.



Most accidents happen because of negligence and irresponsibility. Authorized personnel aboard the ship should initiate making rounds to inspect all the sections of the ship. Everybody on board should not ignore the importance of constantly being alert to ensure everybody else's safety, as well as the safety of the entire vessel afloat.



Fire is one of the most frequent maritime disasters and it occurs as a result of many factors. Fire is classified into four classes. The first one is due to combustible matter like wood and paper. This class can be put out using water. However, other kinds of fire caused by other factors cannot be easily put out by water-based extinguishers. Flammable fluids cause Class B fire. Kerosene, oil and LPG may fuel fire that cannot be put out by simple application of water. Water fog may extinguish the flames by removing heat. Foam extinguishers may starve the fire of oxygen. Steam may be used in a few cases. Electrical equipment causes Class C fire which is killed using carbon dioxide based fire extinguishing equipment. Accidental exposure of reactive metals like sodium and magnesium can cause rapid evolution of heat that causes fire. While water fog is effective for magnesium fire, dry chemical extinguishers put out sodium induced fire.



Note that proper storage of chemicals and flammable fluids is imperative in fire prevention. As earlier implied it is not enough to install fire safety devices. Preventive efforts must be instilled.



On board personnel can put out minor fire accident using portable and installed equipment. However, immediate measures such as calling for external help and assistance and informing nearby ships.



Fire fighting operations on a ship is tough. A team will have to run up and down narrow stairways and corridors. In some cases, when fire originates from the lower interior of the ship, the fire brigade will have to deal with spreading heat and stifling smoke while going down. Hence, wearing of self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is important to avoid suffocation and imminent death from inhalation of toxic fumes and gases.



Medical help should be at hand, and transportation of everyone on board, injured or not, should be considered if fire impends to spread uncontrollably. Severe cases of fire disaster should prompt immediate evacuation of all crew and passengers. Only trained and professional firefighters should remain on board. This is gravely important. Some people may want to get back to their cabins in the hope of going back for important belongings. They must not be allowed to enter the hazardous zone.



Damage control is another essential task to preserve the integrity of the ship. The importance of inspecting the watertight property of the ship is basic in the maintenance of its stability. When the fires have been put out, the next few tasks are tedious, including checking the extent of damage and having the ship go through rehabilitation.



Fire prevention on ships should be carried out and observed by all units. The cost of negligence can be tremendous, but an ounce of prevention can save lives.



Furthermore, fire fighting is tough and should only be done by trained personnel with the appropriate fire fighting equipment.



Jo is a writer for 'Resmar Ltd' (http://www.resmar.co.uk), the number one Marine Safety Equipment provider to many of the world's leading shipping industries and other top companies. If your company is searching for superior quality yet reasonably priced marine fire fighting equipment requirement then you ought to take a look at Resmar Ltd.

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Build Solar Cell - The Most Beneficial Factor Of Salvaging One's Environment

Having ideas on making your very handmade solar panels just to give it a shot? You're recently off the grid and craving for something even larger? Managing for a rewarding project would significantly vary on precisely how accurate you might be within your ultimate objective, how a lot of hard work you plan to make sure you allocate the effort as well as the anticipation of the operate environment. It is straightforward to locate out how to develop a self-made solar energy panel inside the comfort of your own personal residence, doing it with your backyard or in your garage.

When you would like to construct a solar-panel you should start fixing your individual electrical power at home. It becomes an exceptional way to keep yourself well-informed and conserve cash, consequently it is best to study to create a good solar panel right away!!! Creating it from individual solar cells is really a very understandable procedure that's much less pricey than purchasing main ones in most suppliers. In the event you can't go hunting for renovated panels and are at ease that they've been renovated properly, connecting the cells into a flexible panel is the very best strategy to go. Constructing a 12V solar panel is pretty easy as long as you've ideas on what are the suitable things to do. You can find a couple of important steps engaged.

You should create your foundation of knowledge on how photovoltaic panels function, the achievable advantages that you may possibly have and any other informative ideas that could be a great enable. You don’t need to worry of how hard it could well be for you to build it for your home at all. There’s truly absolutely nothing to be concerned about since it won’t be tough to construct in the first place. Producing it on by yourself could possibly be far cheaper than you can imagine.

To build solar cell, it could be the preliminary step in assembling your photovoltaic panels. Solar cells will most surely be then wired in unison which will form into photovoltaic solar panels. Generating solar energy cells by yourself can be a excellent strategy to spend less and save extra. Normally, commercial sun panels are normally sold extremely expensively that would costs 1000's of dollars, but you are able to preserve thousands of dollars by way of constructing your individual sun panel!

Making homemade panels will price you a substantially lesser price comparable to an average household’s monthly electricity bill that would be around $200. Your handmade panels can be produced with parts readily available inside any near hardware store with your place. Creating solar energy cells is definitely the very first step it is best to do in constructing these panels.

The new status symbol could be the green energy. Photovoltaic energy costs absolutely nothing, it’s clean and boundless and all of it is going to become yours whenever you start making your own personal photovoltaic power system. Green living has a great deal of positive aspects that could help in any environmental cause. Not only will it enable the environmental surroundings but it's going to also support you save a whole lot of money.

Having your personal solar panel at your residence, it is possible to produce enough electrical power that instead your meter will spin reversely, now that will mean the electric firm will be the one to pay you for electric power as opposed to you paying to them! Jake thought carefully about which electrical appliances are the most essential to use for his new residence.

Over the following years, the productiveness of the relatively low-valued CIGS thin-film solar energy modules will increase from about 11% to about 15% or much more, as stated by ZSW researchers. Now, the question could well be: Will companies understand to capitalize on that particular efficiency gain? The expense of living is swiftly growing and there isn't actually a much preferable time to commence saving your cash than this very moment so you need to begin to build solar cell and start producing your individual electrical energy.

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Employee involvement

Employee involvement involves the creation of an environment wherein people are involved in the decision making process that have an impact on the decisions and the actions that have a bearing on the jobs. Employee involvement is management and the leadership philosophy of how the people are involved in the functioning of the organization, it is not a goal or a tool which is used it is just mode by which the employees are engaged to have a role to play in the decision making process. In short it is an effort to pool in the ideas of the employees that can help in the achievement of the desired results.

The aim of the organizations is to involve maximum number of the people in the decision making process of all the work aspects of the organization. The benefits of employee involvement are increase in ownership and commitment, retention of the employees; it creates a harmonial environment, helps to achieve the employee satisfaction. It is one of the most factors that help to promote team building.

However there is a big question mark on the fact as to how the process of employee engagement can be inculcated, the answer can be suggestion systems, manufacturing cells, work teams dedicated towards the involvement of employees in the decision making process, continuous improvement meetings, discussions about the improvement requirements, discussions between the supervisor and the immediate assistant within a team. However the effective working of the employee involvement process is the effective training of the teams in proper communication and even the problem solving. There is a good flow of ideas even when there are some of the motivational rewards involved, when the gains that have been achieved through the decisions are shared can also act as motivating effect.

The employee involvement model developed by Tannenbaum and Schmidt in the year 1958 acts as an effective guide for the accomplishment of the employee involvement. The model provides the method which the organization is involved in the decision making process. There are four levels which the organizations follow depending on the mode of operation.
*Tell: In the telling kind of the leadership the leader makes the decision without the consultation of the leader and informs the decision to the staff. The leader provides complete direction to the employee. The tell kind of strategy is useful on strategies like the safety concerns, government legislations and for the decisions that do not require any employee input.

*Sell: In the sell strategy the decision is taken by the company and then an attempt is made to communicate the decision so as to gain commitment from the staff. This strategy is used when the employees do not have much influence over the decision, but there is a requirement of complete employee commitment.

*Consult: In the employees are invited to pool in their opinions about the decision however the final decision authority rests with the supervisor himself.

*Join: In this the employee and the supervisors take the decision in consensus. Both of them have an equal voice in the decision making process

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10 Benefits Of Defensive Driving You Probably Didn't Know

Defensive driving teaches safe driving techniques to drivers. At defensive driving classes students learn to overcome mistakes in driving techniques, learn to improve their driving skills; learn to make informed decisions and to anticipate situations while driving.

Defensive driving classes have been set up in every state by the government and police departments to make the world a safer place to live in. The need for speed can kill, it is important to teach driver discipline and safety rules. Defensive driving aims to reduce the risk of driving. Drivers must instinctively anticipate dangerous situations and avoid risks while driving vehicles in normal as well as adverse conditions. Defensive driving courses cover aspects like: emergency care, principles of safety, control of fear and emotions, on the spot decision making, quick reactions, fear, and so on.

More than 50,000 people in the US loose their lives due to road accidents. Accidents can be prevented by following simple rules. There are websites online that teach the rules that can help save lives. See http://www.roadtripamerica.com/DefensiveDriving/Drive-Safe-With-Uncle-Bob.htm .

The benefits of defensive driving classes are many and vary with each state.

1. Most states offer as incentive a reduction of points on your driver’s license following a driving violation ticket and offer the additional incentive of not increasing insurance rates.

2. In some states a defensive driving course would get at least 10% reduction is insurance rates for a period of 3-5 years. This being a considerable saving.

3. A defensive driving course will teach safe and accident free driving techniques.

4. The course will teach protection techniques and how to handle road rage and speeding.

5. The defensive driving course will teach safe driving techniques in bad weather and adverse conditions. The course will hone skills in highway driving, night driving, and extreme weather driving.

6. The course will inculcate critical safety issues and teach emergency action too.

7. By taking a defensive driving course you will not have to appear in court.

8. The driving violation charges will be dismissed and a fine will not be assessed.

9. Defensive driving classes create responsible citizens which mean children and families will remain protected.

10. Most important the defensive driving classes will improve driving skills, reiterate driving laws and rules and make better drivers of people.

A defensive driving class can even be taken virtually. States have set up defensive driving classes both online and offline to create a safe environment for citizens. Defensive driving teaches people to be responsible drivers and take all necessary precautions when seated behind the wheel of a car. It protects not just the driver but pedestrians, animals, and fellow commuters. It makes the roads safer.

Defensive driving saves lives.

Essential Factors Regarding Construction Accidents Liability

Everyday, workers in construction sites are being exposed to several different dangerous situations and conditions. Construction workers face great risks of sustaining injuries in the course of their job as compared to other American employees employed in other industries.

Common kinds of accidents met by workers in the construction sites:

- accidents during scaffolding

- falls from roofs or ladders

- defective equipment/machines – example is failure of lifting equipment

- forklift truck accidents

- unsafe safety harnesses

- compressed gases accidents

- fires

- explosions

- electrocution

- serious cuts

- welding accidents

- trench collapses

- crane accidents

- power tool accidents

- holes in flooring

These are several examples of the myriad things that could go awry in a construction work site. Construction workers have six times more risks in being killed due to the hazardous circumstances in their worksite than other employees with other occupations and work site.

If you are among the construction workers who sustained personal injuries as a result of any construction accident, here are the things you should do!

• write down, as in a journal the events that happened leading to your accident and the important details about it:

- location of the accident

- the weather condition

- the equipment or material you are using that may have caused your injuries

- the people near you during the time of the accident

- the things they did and you did as soon as the accident occurred

- the malfunction of the equipment if you believe so

• Write down other aspect of the incident you believe is essential. Your lawyer will request this written narrative later on.

• Find an experienced lawyer with specialized knowledge in construction accident injury cases. Claims and lawsuits involving construction accidents are sometimes very complex. Thus, finding a knowledgeable lawyer in the particular laws and statutes governing the construction site where you were injured must be your top priority.

Identifying liability for construction accident injuries

Many people and entity may be considered at fault for construction accidents. Complete account of the circumstances surrounding the accident and thorough investigation is needed to come up with the ones who may be at fault and therefore liable to pay for damages caused by the accident.

- property owner or general contractor of the construction site

- sub contractors

• these are the persons or entities that can be liable in case the unsafe work condition and work site is the primary cause of the injuries you sustained

• Likewise, they may also be liable for having provided you with unsafe equipment or materials you used that caused your injury. Otherwise, the product manufacturer, distributor or seller can be held accountable for these kinds of accidents, too.

Become more informed about construction liability with the help of Los Angeles Personal injury attorneys at http://www.personalinjurydefenders.com/Construction-Liability.html

Safety in the Warehouse

Working in a warehouse can be dangerous but it does not have to be. Many of the most experienced workers in the warehouse are often accustomed to seeing the dangers of the workplace, putting inexperienced workers at risk. Of these two cases, neither one should be at risk, because everyone deserves the right to work in a safe environment. If anything is out of place then workers should notify their supervisors. Besides workplace hazards, many safety injuries come from worker safety issues like manual handling injuries.



Employee Training



Manual handling injuries are fairly common especially among novice warehouse workers. These injuries can be caused by lifting heavy objects, long hours of carrying heavy loads, pulling items, pushing cargo items, and even holding or restraining such items. Sometimes a bad movement or just long hours can contribute greatly to these injuries. Before hiring employees, a training should be given to new employees on lifting techniques, stretches and good posture. These trainings should be repeated every few months for all employees.



Avoiding Warehouse Hazards and Injuries



Other risks may come from hazards in the warehouse. These hazards include items laying around the platforms and workspace, not paying attention, lack of communication between employees and anything that seems out of place. There are ways to avoid such hazards. Some of these safety regulations may include daily walk throughs of the warehouse for possible hazards, speaking with the workers about potential safety hazards, come up with a team of employees to go over past cases of worker injuries and warehouse hazards in order to pinpoint which hazards and injuries are most common in your warehouse to work on solutions and monitor the injuries that are occurring in the work place.



Avoid Manual Handling Injuries



Sometimes there are numerous accidents in the workplace because of the layout design of the warehouse. Warehouses should have ample space to move about in. Since workers are carrying heavy loads, the space should be open to avoid anyone bumping into anything. Also all spills should immediately be cleaned up to avoid the risk of falling. To decrease manual handling injuries the weight of objects carried should not exceed the weight that one can carry, push, pull, etc. Items should also be easy to carry. If items are hard to hold onto, oddly shaped or are easily droppable then there should be other options to carry these items in order to avoid injury.



In order to eliminate the hazards in a warehouse and to increase warehouse safety, the entire staff needs to work as a team. If there are items lying around, spills, broken glass, wires or cables lying around, these hazards should be reported to supervisors. If these things go unseen or unspoken of, then there is a very good chance that someone will become injured. Safety should always be every company's number one occupation. If the workers are injured, no business will take place. When the workers stay safe and abide worker's safety in warehouses then the company can make a profit.



Ralph Garofano in an expert in finding office space and regularly provides tips on securing the best commercial real estate, industrial real estate, shops and serviced office space for sale or for lease.